nocebo effect or temper tantrum?

[_Chap]

I think there are very few creative and ethical business people, period. I think it's virtually impossible to find them and it's stupid to expect to find them.

This is, without a doubt, one of the stupidest things I've read on the Internet, ever.

I do have to agree that it is really a bit silly. If business people could not rely on the people they deal with being by and large and on the whole honest, no business could ever take place: all profits would disappear into lawyer's pockets. And given the rewards for success, any originality there is around in business has a good chance of being encouraged at least some of the time.

Perhaps Harmony is having a bad day?

[_harmony]

I do have to agree that it is really a bit silly. If business people could not rely on the people they deal with being by and large and on the whole honest, no business could ever take place: all profits would disappear into lawyer's pockets. And given the rewards for success, any originality there is around in business has a good chance of being encouraged at least some of the time.

Perhaps Harmony is having a bad day?

Perhaps I should be more clear: greedy business leaders. Not the Mom and Pop business owners, but people who live in castles but won't pay for health insurance for their employees. People who take mega-huge bonuses and the business files for bankruptcy the next day. People who performed so poorly on their job that the business has to take a bailout, and then demand performance bonuses.

We've seen altogether too many examples of greedy business leaders in the last 5 years.

[_RockSlider]

All I know is that our current medial situation is mind boggling.

Last treatment my white blood cells were too low, thus a booster shot was suggested that triggers the bones to kick out more. I’m not exaggerating … $6000.00 for that one shot, which might now be required for each of the six remaining treatments.

I’m pushing 200k already, not counting the nine chemo treatments I’m now getting and another major surgery at that end of that.

I’m one of the lucky ones, the company that I work for provides good insurance (of course I pay about 500 per month for my benefits as well)

What in the heck do those without insurance do in my case? I’m thinking some percentage of them simply die, not having any viable option to finance such exorbitant costs.

[_Shiloh]

All I know is that our current medial situation is mind boggling.

Last treatment my white blood cells were too low, thus a booster shot was suggested that triggers the bones to kick out more. I’m not exaggerating … $6000.00 for that one shot, which might now be required for each of the six remaining treatments.

I’m pushing 200k already, not counting the nine chemo treatments I’m now getting and another major surgery at that end of that.

Wow. That is unbelievable.

I’m one of the lucky ones, the company that I work for provides good insurance (of course I pay about 500 per month for my benefits as well)

What in the heck do those without insurance do in my case? I’m thinking some percentage of them simply die, not having any viable option to finance such exorbitant costs.

Our system needs serious reform.

No matter what is done -- or is being done in European countries -- we can't get around the problem of scarcity. Unless something is abundant and free there will always be a price and it will go to the highest bidder. In single-payer systems the bureaucracy manages supply and demand. In our system, it is managed by who has the biggest pocketbook. Both ways are problematic.

Having said that, basic medical care is so abundant that it *should* be virtually free but prices are artificially pumped up by our f'd up system. It is obscene that there are people in this country who don't have access to vaccines, antibiotics, and routine check ups. They end up going to emergency rooms to get care -- driving up the cost of hospital care.

Anyway, I wish I knew a solution. I've always thought an "unemployment health insurance" would help a lot as medicaid and medicare take care of the very poor and the elderly. But that only addresses part of the problem.... *sigh*

[_harmony]

What in the heck do those without insurance do in my case? I’m thinking some percentage of them simply die, not having any viable option to finance such exorbitant costs.

For the majority of them, they suffer, and then they die prematurely.

My hospital stay last summer (surgery plus 4 days in ICU) was $130K. For one week. Of course, I'm truly grateful, because I'm not dead, and I would have been. But whoa. That's like $50K a day plus change. The cost was enormous. Insurance covered every single penny. (Of course, I'd been paying into the system for 20 years with no hospitalization at all...)

[_Shiloh]

Sock Puppet --

So, will this college likely face lawsuits?

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government ... -Obamacare

(I know.... the source... Breitbart.... sorry)

I think the suggestion that adjunct professors unionize is absolutely crazy. As one who has been an adjunct professor I know one thing. There are more of us who want adjunct positions than there are adjunct positions available. The fastest way to shrink that pool is to unionize [/antiUnionRant]

[_sock puppet]

Sock Puppet --

So, will this college likely face lawsuits?

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government ... -Obamacare

(I know.... the source... Breitbart.... sorry)

I think the suggestion that adjunct professors unionize is absolutely crazy. As one who has been an adjunct professor I know one thing. There are more of us who want adjunct positions than there are adjunct positions available. The faste:st way to shrink that pool is to unionize [/antiU:nionRant]

the federal law I mentioned only applies to private employers. so it depends on who owns that 'community' college. in this regard, employees of private companies have
ore federal law protection than employees of state and local governments and certain other public concerns.

[_Chap]

"We all know we are expendable," said Mr. Davis, "and there are plenty of people out there in this economy who would be willing to have our jobs."

Yes indeed. The best way for low-paid and insecure employees to react to poor employment conditions is to fight one another ruthlessly to get the jobs, with each one eager to show the employer that they will work for less money, less security and poorer conditions than the others.

There's a bright future in that course of action. Surely that is clear to anyone not blinded by left-wing dogma?

[_Shiloh]

"We all know we are expendable," said Mr. Davis, "and there are plenty of people out there in this economy who would be willing to have our jobs."

Yes indeed. The best way for low-paid and insecure employees to react to poor employment conditions is to fight one another ruthlessly to get the jobs, with each one eager to show the employer that they will work for less money, less security and poorer conditions than the others.

There's a bright future in that course of action. Surely that is clear to anyone not blinded by left-wing dogma?

I want to make sure I understand you correctly. Are you saying forming a union would be a good for adjunct profs?

[_Chap]

"We all know we are expendable," said Mr. Davis, "and there are plenty of people out there in this economy who would be willing to have our jobs."

Yes indeed. The best way for low-paid and insecure employees to react to poor employment conditions is to fight one another ruthlessly to get the jobs, with each one eager to show the employer that they will work for less money, less security and poorer conditions than the others.

There's a bright future in that course of action. Surely that is clear to anyone not blinded by left-wing dogma?

I want to make sure I understand you correctly. Are you saying forming a union would be a good for adjunct profs?

I'd be happy to leave that to the adjunct profs to decide. But utter despair, voluntary atomization and abject submission to being screwed over does seem to be a policy that in the long term has little to commend it.

It would be nice to know that people in that situation (who might include others apart from the paradigmatic adjunct profs discussed here) had found some way to reflect collectively on how any long-term interests they might see themselves as having in common might most effectively be pursued.