*Heavy sigh*  I got an e-mail from the President and CEO of the service I work for:

..."It is not often that I communicate directly with you but I feel that given the current economic climate it is important for you to hear certain things directly from me.  Over the past several months I have been working diligently with (name of payroll service used) to find a viable alternative to the current group health insurance plan with (name of current health insurance company).  Back in June we were informed that due to the over use of health care benefits by (name of the company I work for) employees, we were being placed in a non-preferred high-risk category.  As a result, our rates are being increased considerably, some by as much as 100%. 

Oh yeah...the status quo works SO well!  Basically, ALL insurance companies are like gambling casinos.  Purchasers of insurance are betting they will NEED the insurance and insurance companies (a/k/a "the house) are betting the insured will NOT need insurance -- in this case, the house lost, the insured, indeed, DID need to use the insurance, and apparently someone in my company needed it big time -- as in "hit the jackpot" if we extend the metaphor, and "the house" isn't happy about having to pay out, so they're penalizing all the rest of us.

How is this any different that if the government took over as "the house" (but wouldn't need to show a profit, wouldn't have shareholders to please), and I was taxed by the government to pay for somebody else's catastrophic needs?  I know this is a complicated issue, and I may be over-simplifying it, but I was just getting to the point where I thought I might be able to acquire medical insurance through my employer, and now I find out the price is going to double.  Looks like it's going to be another year of me having to "wave my benefits" because I can't afford them, and hope like hell the skipped heart beats I've been having more frequently lately are related to my anxiety level, and caffeine, rather than something serious.  Oh yeah...this current system works so well for everyone here, doesn't it?  

Talking about politics should be outlawed on this site. It justs makes people upset and leads to arguements.

But it's OK to bring up the Mac vs. PC debate as much as possible.

Discussions are ok...arguments .... well there's the passion.

As long as people are respectful, without ad hominum attacks, I don't see a reason against that form of give and take. People are supposed to learn, no?

Yes because that is a cut and dry subject. People tend to get into personal attacks when politics are discussed.

And this may be ironic but everytime I argued for a Mac I was typing from a PC except earlier this year.

How about we start outsourcing/insourcing our health care? Like bringing in doctors from other countries that care enough to actually help someone rather than picking and choosing according to someones income to a neutral and centralized facilities built by the people with our tax dollars. OR...how about "We the people" start our own health insurance group...pool all our money into an insurance plan designed by us and for us. Or start flying people to other countries in groups for healthcare paid for by money pooled together by the people. And of course this wouldn't be available to anyone working on government or anyone above a certain income bracket. Basically I think the problem needs to be fixed by the people and not the government....we need less government as it is.

And its only cut and dry according to you...others having differing opinions about the subject. Pretty much like politics.

If only I had posted this in the Off Topic Forum

I'm very late to this thread, but that line caught my attention, not to mention cracked me up.

As for the OP, the issue isn't Beck, it's that privacy disclosure.  This is a perfect example of how the government can leverage its power and expand its control over every aspect of our lives.  Want cash for that clunker?  Well, here's $4500, but in return I take everything about you and your dealership stored on your computer and any other networked computers, personal or business, including the customers using your free wi-fi.  I wonder if the dealers were told about that before they sold any vehicles.  Sorry, but no amount of money is worth that.  The problem will come when you have no choice - Want that electronic bill payment credited to your account?  Just click this little button right here.

I don't think I'm going to participate in the 'Cash for Appliances' program.  Orwell was off by only 25 years.

If you had you'd be regretting it. By now it would have been invisible to WC, the bloggers would be all over it, plus those two tossers from GalCiv2 would be here.

WC'ers are mostly quite civilised in their discussions, even with a heavily debated topic like this. Makes you proud to be a WC'er

...to Original Post: OH NO!! The government has the right to watch information I submit to a gov site! ...did anyone watch the video?  God people are sad.  I mean, some stories these guys do actually IS interersting/news worthy...this here is the worst of yellow journalism. 

EDIT- And what you really have to know is the government will take these steps if it feels them neccessary on anyone.  I mean, the NSA used to (Probably still does?) copy about every bit of info going in and out of the US on the net, and since we have a hell of a lot of control over the internet...

I guess you didn't actually read the thing - I'd have no problem with them 'watching information I submit.'  In order to submit anything, however, you have to agree to let them have a go at everything on your rig and any rig on the network if there is one.

Hey, I thought we got rid of the Off Topic Section??        

This is 'Personal Computing'....had this cross over for a loooong time.....it's fine...especially compared to 'Off Topic'....