In this episode, we read some fan mail and talk more about Michael Moore and universal healthcare. Then we recap our trip to Minnesota for a friend’s wedding. (Really, the show is much more exciting than this description lets on.)
Links:
- “Birthday vlog”
- “HN 052 - Nurdyness and freebies” (”Star Trek” movie discussion)
- Music snippets:
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Show length: 1:05:42
File size: 45.4 MB
File type: 96 kbps stereo mp3
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Alright, i’ll try and explain a bit about that tax system we have here in the Netherlands. I don’t know if it’s the same in Norway, Sweden and Denmark AKA Scandinavia (the Netherlands is not a part of Scandinavia even though a lot of people think it is)
From what i’ve read the whole system of “collective insurance” started back in the 18th century when most farmhouses were made of wood. Every once in a while one of those houses would burn down so someone came up with the idea to ask every farmer to set aside a small amount of money every month and use that to rebuild a house in case one should burn down again. Most farmers were willing to do that cause the risk of fire was pretty big and no-one had the cash to pay for a new farm.
The government took over that idea, but soon changed people joining in from being optional to obligatory because those who didn’t pay would be homeless after their house went up in smoke and cause trouble. With that change from optional to obligatory the basic idea behind the whole system changed, it was no longer a collective insurance, but also a way to get rid of social problems.
Social security started during the “great depression” around 1930. At first it had nothing to do with social security at all, it was a way to subsidise small businesses like bakeries to stop that part of the economy from collapsing. After World war 2 a “state pension” for people over the age of 65 was introduced (even the queen gets one) and during the 70’s when the Netherlands was one of the wealthiest countries in the world the government went completely overboard and started paying for almost everything.
Most of that still exists today, although it’s starting to fall apart because people live longer but still stop working after the age of 65 and most of the money comes from people who work. If i look at my paycheck about 30 percent is used to pay for all of it. There’s taxes on everything, (except tap water i think) 19.5 percent sales tax on “luxury” goods and services (this includes almost everything you can’t eat) 6 percent on basic stuff like bread, milk and potatoes and extra on alcohol and tobacco. But the Dutch are still shiny happy people.
I’m late, as usual. Don’t you know anything! As Family Guy fans you should know this already, but, fat people have their own gravitational pull! That’s why the camera was orbiting around Michael Moore.
Oh, and it does take an hour…by car. I don’t even want to know how long it would take me to walk there!
OMG! I love Jenn! She said Pop!!!
I love Long John Silver’s. God, I could go for some now. Too bad it too, is an hour away.
People will get married next year on 08/08/08, then 09/09/09, 10/10/10, etc.
I had any number of reasons to really enjoy this one:
**You devoted the lion’s share of the show to talking about Minnesota and the Mall of America; I spent a total of 24 years in the former, and nearly every weekend 1992-1999 at the latter. Talk about Old Home Episode…
**You wished me a happy birthday, natch. Muy thanky!
**And best of all, Jen issued the admonishment, “Never drive to Las Vegas.” Having saved this episode for a road trip, hearing that admonishment in the middle of my own fricking drive to Las Vegas was simply an un-toppable irony. Mrs. T wondered why I was laughing…
Great ep, as usual. Next time you’re in Fresno, we’re heading to Long John Silvers as my treat. Seriously. ft
And as for universal and better health care, why not have the government just charge that, too?
Ordinary folks indeed pay taxes here, but they forget that those taxes really don’t pay for anything other than interest on the national debt. Dang near everything else is on Uncle Sam’s VISA card anyway…
Sure, eternal deficit spending will lead to national financial disaster eventually. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather reach that eventuality healthy… ft