Another very strange Affordable Care Act rule

[gimmethesimplelife]

I think Rob specifically said, Loyalty "as far as access to health care goes."

So I disagree with those saying Rob should leave the U.S. - it smacks pretty close to the dismissive "love it or leave it" that was hurled at those protesting the Vietnam War. Is our democracy so fragile that we cannot tolerate any dissent?

Stay here Rob and continue to give your opinion and vote for more access to health care - that is your right, and we should be applauding you for your exercising your rights, not trying to shut you down.

Thank You Lainey. Appreciate it I do. Rob

[gimmethesimplelife]

No, you are wrong. Rob is desperately unhappy with these United States on many fronts and has made at least 50 posts over past several weeks on these things that make him unhappy:

1) class structure and hypocrisy about same
2) his own low social caste (although there are things he likes about that)
3) inability to get a good job in the U.S.
4) his East Coast extended family's greed and consumerist expectations
5) his high school classmates' attitudes toward him and treatment of him
4) corporate greed in the U.S.
5) police (individuals) and policing (policy & practices)
6) gun culture in the U.S.
7) he can't push home a grocery cart any more

...to name a few

and I am leaving out the many, many issues he raised on healthcare in the U.S.

I've got nothing against the philosophy "stay here and address these problems, use your voice to change it."

I do have something against crying wolf again and again.

Hi IL,

To respond to your itemization:

1. I have issues with, yes indeed.

2. I am coming to see there are reasons to be grateful for where I am in the socioeconomic scheme of things.

3. Definitely on 3. I can't argue item #3. You will find many others of all age groups and skill levels who have this issue, too. This is far from just my issue, IL.

4. You don't get to pick the family you are born into and actually I'm grateful in a way to them as I learned a lot about life and how I don't want to be from them. At a very early age, too. Gotta have some gratitude for that!

5. High school for me was pure hell. I was bullied and teased and harassed and it's often a wonder to me that I managed to emerge from those years able to function. I'm really looking forward to the reunion though as my goal is just to let those horrible years go. And I have been in touch with those people from those days who have been very kind and very human to me so I do believe that it's been 30 years, probably certain people have grown up and it would be nice to just make some peace with that part of my life and then let it go. Certainly I am not the only person who endured hell in high school, IL.

6. Yes I have issues with corporate greed - I won't deny that.

7. I've posted a great deal on my issues with the police. You'all are welcome to believe as you wish but then again so am I and I certainly have no problem stating my beliefs here. As you'all have seen lol. I have stated my reasons for distrust of the police more than once.

8. Yes I have issues with gun culture in the US and I have stated my reasons for this several times in the past.

9. Really, IL, this is no big deal for me. I have since adapted - it's been several years since this was the case and I have long since adapted.

10. My take overall? You may not agree with me but I have stated my reasons for the above and more than once.

And last but not least - healthcare - I'm not even going to go into this one again but once again, I have stated the reasons for my stance on this topic also, and more than once. Rob

Desperately unhappy? No. Not really. Just calling things for how they are with no loyalty and no blinders on whatsoever. YMMV, I get that. And I don't see myself crying wolf - I've just had the basic respect to be real is all. Your reality may very well not be similar to mine - that doesn't make either of us right or wrong, nor does it make your reality and any less real than mine or vice-versa.

[iris lilies]

Hi IL,

...And I don't see myself crying wolf - I've just had the basic respect to be real is all... .

I wonder if you understand what I mean by "crying wolf?" You continually threaten to leave the United States. Yet, here you are. When pressed, you said that you stay because of your mother.

While that's a good reason in my view, you've had many years of being unhappy with all of the above and your mother was young. You didn't move then. I think you just like talking about it but the real effort of moving to another country isn't something you will take on. Someone who is serious about it would have a plan by now.

[gimmethesimplelife]

I wonder if you understand what I mean by "crying wolf?" You continually threaten to leave the United States. Yet, here you are. When pressed, you said that you stay because of your mother.

While that's a good reason in my view, you've had many years of being unhappy with all of the above and your mother was young. You didn't move then. I think you just like talking about it but the real effort of moving to another country isn't something you will take on. Someone who is serious about it would have a plan by now.

The plan is to start some kind of business online and when my mom passes, provided she precedes me in death, to move myself and my business out of the country. I'm thinking of Uruguay or Chile. Uruguay has some interesting things going on - it recently legalized marijuana (I'm not into this but I think the drug war is a colossal waste of time and dollars), they recently legalized gay marriage and abortion (these two things are a big deal for a Latin American country) and according to the UN , they are only one tenth of one percent more corrupt than the United States. Chile has a higher corruption rating but has natural resources and is moving to the left and just reelected Michele Bachelet who is promising more social welfare for the masses. And I've always wanted to visit Santiago as the Andes fascinate me. Both have socialized medicine. Anyway, I hope to start something up and move it. And right now I'm taking Spanish, too. It's the one thing I can do right now. So yes, I should have left sooner, I won't argue that but at least I am moving towards a goal here. Better late than never. Rob

[jp1]

So I disagree with those saying Rob should leave the U.S. - it smacks pretty close to the dismissive "love it or leave it" that was hurled at those protesting the Vietnam War. Is our democracy so fragile that we cannot tolerate any dissent?

Stay here Rob and continue to give your opinion and vote for more access to health care - that is your right, and we should be applauding you for your exercising your rights, not trying to shut you down.

I may agree with Rob from time to time and disagree with him from time to time, but I appreciate that he's willing to put himself out there with all his heart and tell us how he feels. Regardless of whether I agree or disagree with Rob, I 110% agree with Lainey that people telling him to leave is painfully close to "love it or leave it", or the equally ugly "W"ism "you're either with us or you're against us". Personally I've never considered leaving the US. There are things I don't love here, but I suspect that there are things I wouldn't love elsewhere, and I assume Erma Bombeck was probably right when she discussed the greeness of the grass on various sides of fences. But that's just my opinion, based on my life experiences. Making the decision to truly leave, with no intention of returning, this country would be a monumental thing. Letting Rob work through that decision at his own pace seems like the right thing to do. Telling him "go and good riddance" doesn't.

[gimmethesimplelife]

I may agree with Rob from time to time and disagree with him from time to time, but I appreciate that he's willing to put himself out there with all his heart and tell us how he feels. Regardless of whether I agree or disagree with Rob, I 110% agree with Lainey that people telling him to leave is painfully close to "love it or leave it", or the equally ugly "W"ism "you're either with us or you're against us". Personally I've never considered leaving the US. There are things I don't love here, but I suspect that there are things I wouldn't love elsewhere, and I assume Erma Bombeck was probably right when she discussed the greeness of the grass on various sides of fences. But that's just my opinion, based on my life experiences. Making the decision to truly leave, with no intention of returning, this country would be a monumental thing. Letting Rob work through that decision at his own pace seems like the right thing to do. Telling him "go and good riddance" doesn't.

Thank you for your understanding and your kind words. I appreciate it, I really do. Rob

[peggy]

I may agree with Rob from time to time and disagree with him from time to time, but I appreciate that he's willing to put himself out there with all his heart and tell us how he feels. Regardless of whether I agree or disagree with Rob, I 110% agree with Lainey that people telling him to leave is painfully close to "love it or leave it", or the equally ugly "W"ism "you're either with us or you're against us". Personally I've never considered leaving the US. There are things I don't love here, but I suspect that there are things I wouldn't love elsewhere, and I assume Erma Bombeck was probably right when she discussed the greeness of the grass on various sides of fences. But that's just my opinion, based on my life experiences. Making the decision to truly leave, with no intention of returning, this country would be a monumental thing. Letting Rob work through that decision at his own pace seems like the right thing to do. Telling him "go and good riddance" doesn't.

I think you misunderstand. We are not saying "Good bye and good riddance". I like Rob, honestly I do. What I am saying is, he is clearly unhappy here and doesn't love, or even like this country. I am a firm believer in living the life you want. I just suggest he find the place he can truly like/love and call home. I know I would be miserable if I felt I belonged somewhere else.
I don't think Rob has ever made a post that didn't end with...'this is a terrible country, I hate it and wished I lived somewhere else (usually Mexico). 'Or, 'because of this (usually imagined)slight, I'm packing my goodies and leaving the country.'
It's kind of like the relative who comes to dinner every week and complains about the food. Each and every time! After a while you say stop coming to dinner. We like the food and we're tired of you complaining about it. See, if someone posted about that relative in the family section, I'm wondering if you wouldn't advise them to tell that relative to stop coming.

I'm not uber patriotic, I am distressed sometimes in the direction my country is going, but I do consider it MY country. And I do find it tiresome when someone constantly criticizes and NEVER finds anything good to say about it.
Please Do not mistake my love of country for some nazi type patriotism. I love my country and I think it's the best. And the British love their country and think it's the best, and the Irish love their country and think it's the best, and the Germans, and the French, etc...And that's the way it should be. Why live in one country while looking wistfully at another thinking that one is best?
Love of country isn't perverted, nor does it lead to tea party fanaticism.