I'm at my limit, just venting

When I speak of a (supposedly) totally equal society I think of communism.
But to put it in your wording: I am PRO a danish society :wink:. There, good that we agree :relaxed:.
Denmark and Sweden are more equal, but very far from total equality.

The difference is one is social capitalism and the other communism. Striving for equality isnā€™t the reason one economic model failed.

Zandra, you are looking for a discussion where there isnā€™t one :wink:.
Wealth should be redistributed so that everyone has a good life, but not to the extent that people donā€™t feel any incentive to move their buds.

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Not in the slightestā€¦ but it would be easy for the ill informed to read what youā€™ve said and decide 4+4 = 10. So some clarification is, Iā€™m afraid, necessary.

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My son and I were Bernie delegates to our state convention this past summer. It is our sincere belief, along with those of our fellow delegates, that Bernie could have beat Trump. The electorate didnā€™t know what they were doing when they voted him in. These poor rust belt and coal miner voters are never going to get their jobs back. He led them down the garden path. These are the people his policies will hurt the most. This is already coming to bear.

The simple reason that Bernie could have beat Trump is that the electorate wanted changeā€“and there was only one ā€œchangeā€ candidate.

Trump is a CATASTROPHE for this county.

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Bernie wouldnā€™t have won for a number of reasons. There are still vast swathes of people in the United States that think Bernie is a Communist because they donā€™t realize the difference between Communism and Socialism. And, as we all know, Communism is evilā€¦:stuck_out_tongue:

To be honest even socialism is a dirty word for many.

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Oligarchy and plutocracy are even dirtier words and that is what we have now. Welcome to the new age. (Cue Imagine Dragons)

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Having moved to the US for work we are on this plan:
http://www.aetnainternational.com/sites/documents/ge/GE-PLAN-SUMMARY.pdf

I donā€™t know even know if itā€™s good. Iā€™m too scared to go to the doctor in case it costs several hundred. Iā€™m still to used to living in the UK. :sweat_smile::joy:

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If you switch to an HMO you will have a low payment each time you visit the doctor. Mine is $20.00 for seeing my general practitioner and $30.00 for seeing a specialist. Follow up visits are free of charge.

Iā€™m still at the point where I have no clue what a HMO is ā€¦ I will BRB and google :sweat_smile:

House of Multiple Occupancy :slight_smile: well in the British context thatā€™s what it is :smiley:

Oh I see weā€™re talking US HMO. Yeahhhh please come back and report what you find @Kirsty_Jane

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hahaha yes thatā€™s exactly what I thought when I first read it - I used to deal with them when I worked for a local London council.

Edit: http://www.bcbsm.com/index/health-insurance-help/faqs/topics/how-health-insurance-works/difference-hmo-ppo-epo.html

No wonder health care insurance brokers exist in the US.

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In the U. S., HMO is the acronym for Health Maintenance Organization. Here is an explanation of HMO vs. PPO (Preferred Provider Organization). The advantage to HMO insurance is much lower out of pocket costs.

https://www.medmutual.com/For-Individuals-and-Families/Health-Insurance-Education/Compare-Health-Insurance-Plans/HMO-vs-PPO-Insurance.aspx

@Kirsty_Jane, whichever coverage you have, itā€™s important to go only to doctors that are providers in your network. It can be insanely expensive to go to a doctor that is not a provider in your network. This can be confusing because with PPO insurance the policy usually says that they will pay 70% of reasonable and customary fees. Unfortunately, insurance companyā€™s definition of a reasonable and customary fee is way out of line. As an example; I had a client who used an out of network therapist despite my warnings. Her insurance companyā€™s reasonable and customary fee for therapy was $70.00. Her therapist charged $250.00. When you ask a doctor if they are a provider in your network you have to ask exactly that way. If you ask if they accept your insurance they will say yes and leave out the part that you will have to pay the amount that is not covered by your insurance company.

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Thanks for the thorough explanation @EllenN

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What is a plutocracy?

Good . I am glad it is working for you, it just sure didnā€™t sound like it. I too appreciate the extra money but donā€™t wish to deal with people running in and out of my place on a daily basis and they want a key while they stay. Since I live alone I want to be careful. And I donā€™t accept people unless I can find them on Social media. I am grateful I live in Canada and donā€™t have to worry about big medical bills. I sure can empathize with that. Personally I have found that the longer stays are much more respectful than the 2 nighters I started with. I had one 10 week stay from Switzerland who came baring gifts and acted as one of the family the whole time he was here. So my experience has been quite the reverse. Good luck with your ventureā€¦ Spring is almost here so I am sure the action in Toronto will pick up soon.

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Regarding the one night stays: I think that, once again, it all comes back to your listing and market. For example, our listing is not a destination location for tourists. Our market is business travelers that often only stay one day. I would love to have longer stays so it would be easier money but just not my market.

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Curious if you tell a guest you are cancelling because you canā€™t find them on social media?

Even when I do find my guests on facebook, the account is almost always locked if I am not a facebook"friend." And sometimes they donā€™t have a linkedin account or anything else to go by.

You would only have to cancel If you had instabook on and people donā€™t email you ahead of time. Not all of us are as hungry for money as others. I donā€™t have to see their whole life story. I need to see that they are there and that they look like the same person and they have decent looking friends. I have had cases in which they are nowhere on social media, where they have actually been booking the room for someone else entirely who is not registered on airbnb and has no ID and no verification. I would have no clue who was actually coming to my beautiful home. I even had one that when I finally found them on social media they were clearly a very radicalized muslim. Not perhaps a great thing in a house alone with a single woman. I highly value my life and my lifestyle I protect it as well as I am able. What you choose to do is your business. It just means we may have different standards. I am entitled to my standards. When people arrive here they find treats, bottles of wine as I both bake, cook and make my own wine. They are living in a beautiful environment and that is why they choose to come. It is also why I donā€™t take one nighters. I want to maintain that and my own wellbeing. That is my right.

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