The US Healthcare Mass Debate

[Tero]

Canada would have been better. My dad was in the food industry, he came up with USA, not Canada. He lasted 8-9 in US food industry, he did not do that well. Then he was a small businessman in Florida 15 years.

[Hermit]

#eswatini.

Just sayin.

Life under Eswatini's absolute monarchy must be great. I bet you love paying taxes that go towards the maintenance of King Mswati III's 15 wives, 19 custom built Rolls Royces, 20 Mercedes Maybach Pullmans, 3 main palaces 15 other palaces, an Airbus A340-300 and 23 children.

Healthcare is not particularly good. In September 2018 as the government had not paid suppliers the health service ran out of food and medicine. Swazipharm could not buy drugs. in May 2017 US$18 million was said to be owed to drug companies. There were only 12 working public ambulances in the country in June 2018.

[laklak]

Welcome to Eswatini.

It has it's charms.

[Hermit]

Welcome to Eswatini.

It has it's charms.

Undoubtedly. I just wonder how you reconcile your libertarian ideals with wanting to live in a country ruled by an absolute monarch. Or maybe I should revise my understanding of libertarianism.

[laklak]

Well, I can't participate in politics there anyway as I'm not a citizen. Parliament is elected, but "voting" doesn't do much in an absolute monarchy. Parliament is attempting to wrest a bit of power from Hiz Nibs, but without a lot of success. There is a growing anti-monarchy sentiment, but I don't know where that will lead. Municipal governments are slightly more responsive, but not by much. Since the government isn't going to do anything for you it falls on you to do it yourself. Private doctors, private hospitals, private power generation, bore holes, water tanks, in many ways if you want anything done you do it yourself. So it's a bit "libertarian" in a Mad Max sense, you have to take care of yourself because no one else is going to. But no place comes close to actual libertarianism anyway, certainly not the U.S. and we're moving in a direction I really do not like. It's just a pipe dream.

In some ways Eswatini is freer than here. If I wanted to open a restaurant or other business, for example, there are very few regulatory hoops I have to jump through. Nobody is going to inspect my kitchen, or specify wages, or basically interfere at all. Taxes are absurdly high, on paper, but in fact no one pays even a 10th of what they nominally owe. Plus, if there is some sort of regulation or tax or fee, you simply bribe the official to look the other way. That's one advantage to corruption on a low level, at least it's accessible to all.

That said it's not a reliable basket in which to place all one's eggs. Don't move your capital there, keep plenty of cash on hand, and always have an open ticket out.

I don't know how long we'll last, might get sick of it and cash in the chips there, try to get the money out. No fucking idea where we'd go then. Can't stay here, that much I know, I"m sick unto death of all things 'Murikan. Been here 15 years and that's too goddamn long. Can't do the UK, it's possibly even more annoying than the States. Maybe Costa Rica. Dunno. I'm not here that much longer anyway, so it will be Mrs. Lak's problem.

[pErvinalia]

Cuba?

[Brian Peacock]

Greece.

[Woodbutcher]

Canada. Bring long johns.

[pErvinalia]

Canada is socialist.

[laklak]

Has to be warm, I did my time in SnowHell (upstate New York).

Once Cuba opens up it's going to be paradise.

[Brian Peacock]

Except for the hurricanes. But if you can put up with a bit of wind and rain in the windy and rainy season there's a few British protectorates in the Caribbean that Mrs Lak's British citizenship would automatically qualify her for residency. You could even pass yourself off as a fake nobleman, at least in front of the locals - Viscount Lakington-Lakworthy III, wot wot?

[Sean Hayden]

Lackington-Steele

[Brian Peacock]

Ah that's better - more evocative. The Enigma of Lakkington Steele...

[laklak]

Aloysius Leslie Featherington-Smythe III, but my friends call me Bubbles.

[Brian Peacock]