Wait, you still allow peoples to smoke anywhere in the USA? It's illegal to smoke in stores, restaurants, etc. in Quebec and nobody whine about it cause it's just fair for everyone that don't want to ruin their health because of smoke.
I know. What I'm saying is that those restrictions should concern the right more than extra healthcare taxes.
They do bug me and if I lived in those areas I would vote against them but basically since they are local problems to those areas (not Federal Gov't), I have no say in what goes on there aside from my opinion. If my own local government tried pulling that crap I'd be voting against it and the politicians that introduce it.
As Landor said, that doesn't include everything. Furthermore, I'm pretty sure providing better health to the citizens is better than killing foreigners.
Not really. Technically it's for defense, but when's the last time we used it for that? It's not like we don't need it at all, but we can definitely afford to cut back in many "defense" areas.
For starters, the Pentagon shows here that the US has 297,286 soldiers in 148 countries and here that the US has 865 bases (or over 1000 if you include Afghanistan and Iraq), 662 of which are overseas bases in 38 foreign countries, which costs 102 billion dollars each year to maintain. The US military spending as of 2010 was $683.7 billion. By 2008 the US had spent over 3 trillion dollars in the Iraq War. You get paid decently well for being a soldier, and very well for being an officer, plus practically twice as much if you're in a "combat zone," and great benefits during your employment and after (although funnily enough soldiers tend to be conservative and complain about government spending, benefits, and programs yet eat up the government pay and benefits, similar to politicians). These are clear areas that can afford to be reduced. The military is also inefficient in its spending and bureaucracy (although most systems are). Think if this money was spent on the health of our citizens, or, God forbid, education.
I heard some ridiculous stuff about that it's illegal even in the street or something, and there are restrictions on smoking in your vehicle and apartment, I'm really not sure so would be cool if anyone could confirm. Seriously smoking isn't healthy but without consistent exposure to smoke/2nd hand smoke it's not going to melt your eyes or anything like that. People have got way too sensitive to this shit.
Not that I know about. It's been banned from restaurants in many cities and states, and your landlord can ban it from their apartments. I don't know of anywhere it's illegal to smoke outside, except in cases where you must be, say, 25ft/7.5m+ away from X building when smoking. I can't imagine they would or could ban you from smoking in your car or your house (unless you don't own them). Many bars have banned smoking inside as well.
I agree, in South Africa the majority of bars and clubs ignore the non-smoking regulations and almost every restaurant has a smoking section. The police have real crime to deal with than to try to enforce some irritating and pointless smoking rule.
As a staunch US libertarian I hate the role that the federal govt has decided to take. They have taken way too much power instead of only protecting my freedom. The sad thing is progressive-ism is a disease that has infiltrated the Republicans and the Democrats. Thats why you have things like Romney-care and Justice Roberts decision.
Not sure if this is just a shot at the US or anyone specific. I personally think gays should be allowed to marry, don't like abortion, but wouldn't support outlawing it, and think religion should stay out of politics, and government shouldn't stray too far into peoples lives. I also don't think the taxpayer should have to pay the healthcare costs of people like the woman in the above photo.
That is probably one of the reasons why they went with the route of doing health insurance instead of making the taxpayers pay for everything.
Do you know how our insurance works? Mandating health insurance doesn't guarantee that the taxpayer doesn't pay for her health insurance. If she somehow was eligible for state insurance before, then she is even more eligible now since obamacare increased the poverty threshold to get state funded insurance (which isn't necessarily the bad part) or if she is considered disabled or has children then she would get medicare, an SSI check, welfare check,food stamps, housing assistance, fuel assistance (heating & utilities) and would qualify for so many tax breaks that she would get more money back than what she paid.
So what are you going to do? Outlaw being fat? Increased premiums for fat people? Make them pay for themselves? I'd pay abit more taxes for the freedom to be fat if I wanted to, or to start smoking, or get into extreme sports or whatever.
Republicans just pick and choose when they want to abide the Constitution, so I pretty much disregard any bullshit they say.
So enlighten us, what don't Republicans abide in the constitution. Or are you just pulling stuff out of your ass?
Dems and Repubs walk all over the 10th amendment. Every time they pull a Patriot Act or NDAA on the American people they give themselves power that the constitution did not grant.
