JR... Name one country with socialized health care where they tell you how much you can earn or what you can eat?!?!
You claim to be this successful worldly guy. Have you been to Europe? If so did you have a actual conversation with anyone?
and this statement -
"I wouldn't be able to look at my myself in the mirror and call myself a man (as a healthy 47 year old with no serious health problems) if I could not find a way to pay for my own health insurance, housing, utilities, groceries, transportation, and also take care of funding my own retirement."
Is just wow. Honestly.
Let me give you some numbers:
average annual cost of health insurance - $3,500
average annual housing cost - $10,000
average annual utility cost - $7,000
average annual grocery cost - $6,500
average annual transportation cost - $9,000
average annual necessities according to JR - $36,000
average annual income - $56,500
Left over monies - $20,500
This is with NO debt figured in which FYI the average american holds around 8-10,000 in credit card debt, 40-50,000 in student loan debt.
I mean honestly you cant be so blind to what it means to live in this time and place that you think everything is hunky dory. 15% of this country lives BELOW the poverty line.
FYI, I do not take you the least bit seriously. I do not have the time to continue to repeat myself over and over to someone who is either unable or unwilling to read and understand my posts, and to remember the points I make.
How many times have told you for instance that I have traveled to many countries?
How many times have I said that those who need help here should get it?
How many times have I said that I personally liked things better 8+ years ago when my health insurance was much cheaper? But that doesn't mean I want the govt to take care of it for me - I want them to leave me alone and just stick to trying in earnest to help those who need it - I do not need it, and my annual income usually exceeds $56,500 very early in the year...
I am an expert (though certainly not an all-knowing expert) on personal finance, retirement planning, investing, etc. I do not need you to explain basic household budgeting to me at all. Those who need help should get it. But many people do spend too much on transportation, housing, credit cards, etc. I used to see it all day, every day when I worked in consumer lending and retail banking many years ago.
There are not very many other countries where my small business would earn anywhere near what it does here.
I've come to assume you're either a troll or otherwise not the most worldly, mature person. How do you expect to enforce some sort of rule that NO ONE would be able to opt out of the implementation of your grand big govt fantasies, for example? Do you not know that the rich and the powerful will always buy themselves out of these things?
If you ever expect me to take you the least bit seriously, perhaps you can read through some of the 1200+ posts I've made on this board in the past 5 years or so and take notes, or print them out and highlight the main points or whatever - so you quit wasting your time and mine regurgitating the same shit over and over that I've already addressed, and on questioning my worldliness and personal success - not that that matters.