Hi, I'm jj

[SDY888]

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Simon, I'm not sure that this is correct. See: http://www.publications.doh.gov.uk/o...tors/rules.htm This appears to say that you are eligible for NHS services providing you are a resident. It does not depend on National Insurance contributions, payment of UK taxes, or anything else. What's more, even if you *are* a British citizen, if you don't live in the UK, you are not eligible for free NHS treatment. (Although, in practice, I suspect you'd get it anyway.) At least, that's my understanding of the link ... Peter

Peter,

From this publication it appears that you are correct (unfortunately I have not had a response to my direct enquiry to the Dept of Health yet, will post when it arrives). However, this is contradicted partly by the response from the Benefit Agency who said that free NHS care was available in the circumstances I previously outlined - maybe they were only referring to the A&E services? Should note, however, that this entitlement only ceases (according to the document on the link) after a 5 year absence from the UK.

It does seem to me that the different UK agencies involved have slightly different views on the matter, at least after my initial search. But one arm of Government not knowing what the other one is up to does not surprise me in the least. Definitely I agree that if one was to turn up at the local hospital and provided a local address then no further enquiries would be made and free care would be provided (if accompanied by a reasonable British accent!!!) - it may ultimately be a ''dodge'' and thus distasteful, but as an emergency fall back could be used at a push.

JJ, one thing for certain is that this whole issue is less than clear. If your decision is to settle in the US after retirement and as the kids are growing up and being schooled there, maybe it's best to leave the ''old country'' behind completely and focus fully on acquiring the necessary credits/entitlements in the US or insuring the family accordingly??

So, jj, apologies for possibly throwing out a red herring in the first place!

Simon

[Nords]

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??? Lousy surf today? Mikey

I read fast. But the North Shore's been 10-15 feet or clogged with surfing contests for the last three weeks, and the south shore's been flat.

The only alternative is yardwork...

What about sex? Drinking? Or maybe both?

John Galt

[Martha]

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... the things I learned from your generation when I was growing up - things like these: -- That the people running the government are not synonymous with "country". Bad guys can and will be elected, and it's our obligation as citizens to be skeptical, educated, and extremely vigilant in this regard. -- That "we the people" are the country, and it is our obligation to be "right". -- That truth and honor are non-negotiable, and that unquestioning compliance is the enemy of truth. -- That it is our obligation as citizens to oppose actions taken on behalf of our country that we believe to be "wrong". -- That service is an obligation and can be fulfilled in any number of ways. -- That others come before self. -- That it is the obligation of the strong to protect the weak. -- That accepting personal responsibility for one's actions is required. -- That your word is your bond.

I am 49 so neither young nor old as is Cut Throat. My father was born in 1910 so could be Chuck's or Jarhead's father. He passed on to me the values that Bob lists above. My father was neither a Republican nor Democrat--he made decisions based on evidence and valued critical thinking. He was religious but did not view doubt as an enemy. This day in 1975 he died. I still miss him.

[Jane]

If a non-Canadian comes to Canada for work and then point out to me the holes in our government policy, I don't consider him/her rude at all. My government is made up of a bunch of people and people make mistake, people can be short-sighted. To expect them (just because they lead the country) to be perfect is setting an impossible bar for these people to reach.

My generation is not lack of love for country, God or family. I wouldn't call being proud to be American/Canadian/Cambodian etc no matter how imperfect the government, a "lack of love". It actually shows a great deal of love.

I have never understand people who can't stand other people to criticize their government, country, or looks or proffesion or religion, etc, etc. What are these people afraid of? Are they afraid that if their religion, country etc is less than perfect that they will cease to love it, to be proud of it? If that is the case then maybe they should re-consider their definition of "love"/"devotion".

I don't think my government is perfect or their policy is perfect but I am proud to be a Canadian and I can't think of any other country whose citizen I would rather be.

Jane

Hello Jane. I agree with a lot of what you posted.
I can handle criticism very well. Take your best shot
This is where a superego comes in real handy.
But, other folks can be real sensitive about such stuff, my wife for one is easily wounded. It's a joke in our household.
She'll say something like "Boy, they must think you
are an SOB!" Or, "Man, you really got them excited."
Or, "Maybe you shouldn't have said that?" Or,
" I can't believe you had the balls to do that!" I almost
always say, "You know what?" "I don't care."
My main rules are: Don't intentionally hurt anyone's feelings and always be honest. Other than that,
I just mostly let it fly. Some people like it and some
people don't, but I like it and I can take it as well
as dish it out. I have gotten a lot more careful around
my wife though, so that proves old people can still
learn stuff. I have to go mop the kitchen and do the dishes now before my wife comes home

JG

[brewer12345]

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If a non-Canadian comes to Canada for work and then point out to me the holes in our government policy, I don't consider him/her rude at all. My government is made up of a bunch of people and people make mistake, people can be short-sighted. To expect them (just because they lead the country) to be perfect is setting an impossible bar for these people to reach. My generation is not lack of love for country, God or family. I wouldn't call being proud to be American/Canadian/Cambodian etc no matter how imperfect the government, a "lack of love". It actually shows a great deal of love. I have never understand people who can't stand other people to criticize their government, country, or looks or proffesion or religion, etc, etc. What are these people afraid of? Are they afraid that if their religion, country etc is less than perfect that they will cease to love it, to be proud of it? If that is the case then maybe they should re-consider their definition of "love"/"devotion". * * I don't think my government is perfect or their policy is perfect but I am proud to be a Canadian and I can't think of any other country whose citizen I would rather be. Jane

Jane:

I have absolutely no useful information to contribute on your dilemma on healthcare, although I find the discussion interesting. However, I hope you aren't scared off by the bickering. Its nice to have new blood joining in the discussion, and I have no doubt that you have some interesting contributions to make to the discussions here.

As for Charlie, et al: c'mon guys. If you insist on continuing this discussion, at least have the courtesy to start a new thread.

[Jarhead*]

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Don't worry, you two have plenty of company. * 53% of Americans recently chose your value system. * 47% prefer something a little less dogmatic. * Can't we all just get along?

Wab: Careful how you use your brush.
My father was an FDR Democrat. The guy i voted for lost the last election. I do not participate in political discussions on this board.
I was just pointing out from a generational stand-point the dramatic differences in the mind-set of Charly, and most of posters on this board.
My father was a tough guy. (Logger). But I never heard him ever use an ethnic slur about anyone. That's the way I was raised, and the way our children were raised.
Our kids were raised in an area where whites were the minorities, so my experience and theirs are extensive in that area.
I can understand why Charly railed at Hyperboria.
It is Hyperborias right to say whatever he wants about the U.S. I mainly find it damn objectionable, just as it would be if somebody moved into your neighborhood and spent a good deal of his time talking about what a lousy neighborhood it was. (It gets old real fast).
Regards, Jarhead

[unclemick]

I will be posting with a split personality for a month - Christmas came early(IBM Thinkpad and AOL) - therefore I can slur/be for and against myself, heh,heh - unclemick vs unclemick2 ala libertarian tendencies vs liberal - never Rep./Dem. - the family tree takes care of that. Come jan. I shall become an AOL dude.

[Hyperborea]

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I have never understand people who can't stand other people to criticize their government, country, or looks or proffesion or religion, etc, etc. What are these people afraid of? Are they afraid that if their religion, country etc is less than perfect that they will cease to love it, to be proud of it? If that is the case then maybe they should re-consider their definition of "love"/"devotion".

Jane, the longer that I'm in the US the more I realize that California is one of the few places in the US where such an attitude is not only tolerated but encouraged. *This attitude of questioning and looking for a better way is part of what brings about places like Silicon Valley. *For most of the US though such behaviour is "treasonous". *This appears to be a big part of the difference between "blue" states and "red" states.

This whole attitude can be seen at the top - "You're with us or you're against us."; the removal of those not willing to be toadies from the cabinet (i.e. Colin Powell); *etc. *It didn't start there though and you can see it in Chuck-Lyn's "Archie Bunker"-esque proclamations.

[wabmester]

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The guy i voted for lost the last election.

Jarhead, I'm surprised, but you've restored my faith in humanity * * *The last election was largely about values. * *Tolerance, nationalism, religion, and xenophobia are all issues that the current administration has forced each of us to consider.

Frankly, I never saw anything from Hyperborea that offended my sensibilities at all. * *Perhaps that's because I value constructive crtiicism and rational discourse over nationalism and dogma.

I guess I could understand your disatisifcation with anybody who keeps belaboring the same point over and over again, and there is at least one person who posts here that fits that description, but it ain't Hyperborea....

[bow-tie]

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Frankly, I never saw anything from Hyperborea that offended my sensibilities at all. * *Perhaps that's because I value constructive crtiicism and rational discourse over nationalism and dogma.

Passion.... such a double edged sword. *

I'm very proud of where I live, be it Iowa/USA/etc. *I can see how it could be construed as biting the hand that feeds you. *I guess my first question towards Hyper would be "If that's how you feel about our country here, what are you doing about it? *Are you attempting to make it better within your power to do so? *I hope so. *If you're here to take the $$ and run, bitching in the meantime... then I'm sure there's a plane somewhere willing to take you back to where you came from."

I guess the context is just as important as the content.

I am a young whippersnapper, but I was given a father that was born in the late twenties and a mother born in the late forties. *Talk about different generations... hooey. *I can relate to both sides of the issue. *Some things make me want to pull my damn hair out. *Others make me swell with pride. *We just have to be careful for the passion.

[newellcr]

Jane wrote "If a non-Canadian comes to Canada for work and then point out to me the holes in our government policy, I don't consider him/her rude at all. " and "I have never understand people who can't stand other people to criticize their government, country, or looks or proffesion or religion, etc, etc. "

Mikey wrote "and badmouth it where I could be overheard by the natives. It just isn't polite. And, by my judgment, Hyper isn't polite when he does this. He does have interesting and possibly useful things to say. "

Chuck-lyn wrote " I have nothing against
fair criticism if it is balanced occasionally with
positive comments. "

It isn't always what someone says that bothers folks (Canadian or not) - it's how it's said or, maybe, how often it's said. There's a big difference between a discussion being objective and one that's filled with harsh criticism. In my opinion, a lot of Hyperborea's posts are edgy and often rude. I find it refreshing that someone takes him to task over the criticism in his posts.

JJ, I hope you found the info you were looking for.

Kind Regards to all,

Chris

[Jarhead*]

[quote]






Hmmm, I'm not sure what you want here - some sort of kowtow to the emperor? *Some statement that the US has overthrown democratically elected governments around the world but that's ok cause it was all done for a better purpose?

Hyperborea:

Let's see if I've got this right. You're from Canada, in your 30's, making enough in the Bay Area of Calif. to retire in 7 years. At which time, you will take retirement portfolio and move out of the U.S.
Until then, you will spend a good deal of your time on an internet board complaining to any one that will listen to you about the U.S. and their policies. (Actually, it's like shooting fish in a barrel to pick out bad points about any country).
Hard to believe that anyone would find that objectionable

[Zipper]

Hyper for President!

Oh, no!!..............You have to be born in the USA to qualify!

[jj]

What!! You mean they're not going to change the rules for Arnie?

jj

[Hyperborea]

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Until then, you will spend a good deal of your time on an internet board complaining to any one that will listen to you about the U.S. and their policies.

Actually, I wouldn't classify the amount of time I spend here as a "good deal" of my time (I do "pop" in and out regularly but then I'm on the computer a fair bit for work and other things too). *Second, I'm not in general making random complaints about the US and/or it's policies. *I have responded to some other's posts when the issue was brought up or the comment was incredibly pertinent to the topic at hand (i.e. the expatriation tax above) but I don't think that I have initiated any such threads.

It's also not as if any of my comments have not been factual or directly tied to the facts. *Any of those comments could have (and are) made by Americans too - I could have one of my American friends sign up and they would make similar comments. *Though I suppose that those trying to "shout me down" by making personal attacks rather than addressing the issue would just find some other personal reason to "shout them down" too. *If you look back at their posts you'll find none of them has even addressed the original comment only made personal attacks.

Finally, on the question raised by bow-tie of "Are you attempting to make it better within your power to do so?" *I wonder why he or others have never asked this of John Galt when goes on about the beauty of Randian philosophy while still basing his whole retirement on the collection of social security or ex-Jarhead when he suggests that the Kaderlis or the Terhorsts are morally corrupt for being childless? *I'd be very surprised if the "shouters" contribute to anything more than their spiritual social club.

If it make you feel any happier then I'll tell you. *Yes, I do. *I donate multiple thousands of dollars a year to charities which I believe in and which are working at making the world a better place (few to none of which I'm sure Bush or the "shouters" would approve of since none of them makes it their primary focus to provide bibles to starving villagers). *My wife and I both also donate our time to a variety of causes though this is more sporadic. *Do you also need notarized copies of my tax returns?

N.B. Edited Dec. 5th 12 noon PST to expand upon the answer somewhat.

[sgeeeee]

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. . . It's also not as if any of my comments have not been factual or directly tied to the facts. *Any of those comments could have (and are) made by Americans too - I could have one of my American friends sign up and they would make similar comments. *Though I suppose that those trying to "shout me down" by making personal attacks rather addressing the issue would just find some other personal reason to "shout them down" too. *If you look back at their posts you'll find none of them has even addressed the original comment only made personal attacks. . . .

I enjoy reading your posts, Hyper. *

There appears to me to be a decreasing number of posts about quantifiable financial matters, or discussions of how social issues affect those matters on these boards. *In contrast there appears to be an increasing number of posts that talk about personal feelings, personal values, spritual uplift or other warm fuzzy issues. *I think you tend to discuss more of the former type of issues and I value that.

It's not that I don't have strong feelings, fiercely held values or am devoid of spirit . . . but at the age of 50, I have pretty much settled on who I am and am very comfortable with that. *If I did need validation of my views, I have friends and family that are more important sounding boards for those kinds of issues than a group of early retirees who I have never met. *On the other hand, the financial world is complex and ever changing. *I appreciate the extra sets of eyes and minds looking after these changes and sharing their experiences.

Anyway . . . I know it can be disapointing when several posters who don't even know you decide to condemn your posts by hypothesizing that you must have some kind of personal deficiency -- or because you are too stupid to see things their way. *

I hope you don't become too discouraged and that you keep posting. *

[bow-tie]

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I hope you don't become too discouraged and that you keep posting. *

I agree. And I also challenge anyone, whatever their nationality/etc, to the rhetorical question 'what are they doing about it?' if they see deficiencies in our nation. Although that's a long uphill battle, it's definitely worth it.