#two tier healthcare

[the-garbanzo-annex-jr]

by Fraser Myers

We have become accustomed to the ‘two-tier policing’ of protests, where ‘pro-Palestine’ demos are exempted from Britain’s usually stringent hate-speech laws. Islamist and anti-Semitic protesters have been free to call for a violent ‘jihad’, to demand the genocidal destruction of Israel and to wave banners with swastikas, without any fear of being clamped down on by police. Now we might be seeing the emergence of ‘two-tier healthcare’, where opposition to Israel can get you bumped up to the front of an NHS waiting list.

Jess Phillips, Labour MP and Keir Starmer’s safeguarding minister, last night told an audience of north London theatregoers about a recent visit to A&E. After having difficulty breathing, she went to her local Birmingham hospital. She described the overcrowding she found there as akin to a ‘war zone’. Luckily for her, she was whisked to the front of the queue.

Apparently, a Palestinian doctor not only recognised Phillips as the local Labour MP, but also thanked her for opposition to Israel. ‘He was sort of like, “I like you. You voted for a ceasefire”. [Because of that] I got through quicker’, she admitted. Her political views, in other words, allowed her to receive preferential treatment.

I don’t know what’s more damning: that this took place or that Phillips gladly blabbed about it. Following her downplaying of Islamist thugs menacing journalists in her constituency, the Member for Birmingham Yardley already looks set to be a constant source of unwitting revelations for the media, and a constant PR headache for this already faltering Labour government.

Fraser Myers is deputy editor at spiked and host of the spiked podcast. Follow him on X: @FraserMyers.

[i-like-swiss-cheese]

Friendly Reminder That

-58,000 Americans died in the Vietnam War

-50,000 Americans die yearly of bad health insurance

-Schoolchildren learn all about the Vietnam war (for me it was in the 4th grade, but I imagine outside of TN it is different)

-There are a total of 25 Vietnam War memorials in the US (according to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Vietnam_War_monuments_and_memorials)

-There are no memorials to people with bad health insurance

-all being equal, 22 bad healthcare memorials should be erected every year

-the leading cause of bankruptcy is bad health insurance

-32 out of the 33 "Developed" countries have universal/single payer healthcare

I spent an entire semester of school learning about the Vietnam war when I was only 9 years old. And yet, that same year almost as many people died of health insurance. I never learned what that was in school and to this day I have never been taught anything about health insurance, but I have had a further 5 lessons on/near the topic of The Vietnam War. If we call the Vietnam war a tragedy here in America (which we should, most of those soldiers were drafted and forced into fighting to the death for a war they did not want to fight), then we should regard health insurance companies as the worst thing to happen to this country. Deny. Defend. Depose. I have seen many friends lose loved ones to bad health insurance, and it breaks them because there was something they could have done. THEIR LOVED ONE WOULD STILL BE AROUND IF THEY WERE RICH. Murder is murder, no matter if its done by the stroke of a pen or the click of a pistol, and yet one is 2.5x more frequent than the other, and 100% more legal. Free Luigi. And if you don't, then lock up every single one of those dirty rats that kill people for profit and buy politicians all so they can upgrade their 5th yacht.

Eat

The

Rich

[eaglesnick]

"I wouldn't be here today if it were not for the NHS. I have received a large amount of high-quality treatment without which I would not have survived." - Stephen Hawking

When a politician accepts funds from private enterprise and big corporations it is only natural to suspect they want something from that politician  in return for their money. Last year The National (05/06/23) told us:

“Keir Starmer, John Redwood and Wes Streeting have all earnt or been donated six-figure sums from firms or individuals linked with private healthcare."

Streeting, the Shadow Health Secretary received £22,500 in “donations” from private healthcare firms. Concerning these "donations" VOX political  (30/04/23) asked:

“Why would he end NHS privatisation and stop that money from coming to him?”

Why indeed! Are these payments the reason Wes Streeting is so keen to farm out more of the NHS to private healthcare providers?

“I don’t want working class people in pain: so I’d use private hospitals to bolster the NHS” (Guardian: 08/12/22)

and more recently:

“NHS should 'seek to use' private healthcare capacity, Wes Streeting says."

This raises the question “Why shouldn’t the NHS make more use of private healthcare providers?" I think there are several very good reasons why not.

First, private healthcare providers exist to make a profit for their shareholders or owners. Billions of pounds already leave the NHS for the coffers of private enterprise. For the period 2021/22 the Kings Fund (20/09/23) reported that the NHS spent £19.7billion on “Non-NHS- health care.”  This is money that could have been spent to provide better services WITHIN the NHS.

Second, the private sector does not train its own doctors. It relies upon  NHS money to train doctors and then lures them away from the NHS to make profits for themselves. In short, the British taxpayer is subsidising private healthcare profits.

Third, the NHS treats everyone, no matter how serious or complex his or her health needs may be. The private sector cherry-picks which medical services it provides, deliberately choosing the easiest, and therefore the least expensive, medical conditions to treat. This maximises profits, leaving the cash-strapped NHS with the most expensive cases. This leaves the NHS open to claims that it is inefficient when patient costs between NHS and private healthcare providers are compared.

Fourth, the more we use private healthcare providers to deliver medical treatment the greater the risk that we will end up with a two-tier system of health care. No less a person than Professor Stephen Hawking warned of this in March 2018, just before his death. He warned that the government was taking the NHS:

“towards a US-style insurance system, run by…private companies", and insisted: We must prevent the establishment of a two-tire system."  (The Week: 10/03/22)

The Mirror newspaper (03/06/24) points out today that 94% of private healthcare contracts are set to expire by July 2029. The next government will inherit 7452 outsourcing contracts, 6983 of which are set to reach the end of their term between July 2024 and July 2029.

If Keir Starmer and Wes Streeting are not in hock to their private healthcare “donors", then they have the perfect opportunity to save the NHS from creeping privatisation by not renewing these contracts and not signing any new deals with the private sector.

 Only time will tell if Starmer and Streeting are any different to the Tories when it comes to saving our NHS.

[girlyguy]

That CEO killed orders of magnitude more patients indirectly than his killer killed people directly.

UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting (4 December 2024)

Sources: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

[jennylpaul]

Healthcare, Portuguese style

I was chatting with my friend about her recent move back to Canada from the US, and the conversation turned to healthcare. It made me reflect on just how different the system is here in Portugal.

She mentioned that since returning to Canada, her family still hasn't managed to find a family doctor. In the US, she said, it was as simple as picking up the phone and scheduling an appointment, thanks to private insurance. We ended up comparing Canada's universal healthcare to the US's insurance-based system. We both agreed: healthcare should be a fundamental right, but Canada's system definitely has its cracks.

It got me thinking about how Portugal does things. The system here feels like a mix of the two. Before 1974, healthcare was fragmented - run by churches, private clinics, or limited public services. When Portugal created its national health service in 1979, they made an interesting choice: they kept the private system alive alongside the public one. The idea was to give people options rather than forcing everyone into a single, overburdened system.

As residents here, we have access to public healthcare, but honestly, we've never needed it. We pay around 300 euros a month for private insurance for our family of three. That gets us access to private doctors, specialists, and even hospitals, with just a small co-pay.

When my son had pneumonia recently, I took him to a private pediatric hospital multiple times. It was a clean, modern place, and we only waited about an hour each time before being seen. With each visit, he had extensive blood tests and an X-ray almost immediately, without us having to go to another building or wait for the next appointment. We also have a 24-hour telehealth service included with our insurance, which I leaned on heavily the weeks that he was sick. Even things like prescription refills are incredibly convenient - a quick call to the telehealth line, and the prescription lands in my inbox minutes later.

This feels worlds away from my experiences in Canada. I remember waiting for six months one time for a dermatologist appointment. When I finally got in, the appointment lasted five minutes - just enough time for the doctor to pull out a pre-written prescription pad, scribble my name, and send me on my way. Half a year's wait for something that took less time than grabbing a coffee.

Portugal's healthcare system isn't just about better doctor access, though. Medication is shockingly affordable. Essential drugs like antibiotics cost just a few euros, whether you have insurance or not. Compare that to Canada, where employer insurance might help with dental or massage therapy, but not the long wait times - or the option to pay for private care when you really need it.

What I appreciate most about the Portuguese system is its balance. Everyone has access to good care through the public system, no matter their income. But if you're able to pay a bit more, you can access faster, more specialized care privately. That option actually helps everyone - it takes some of the pressure off the public system while still making high-quality healthcare accessible to the middle class.

In Canada, private healthcare exists but is so expensive that it's only an option for the ultra-wealthy. Here in Portugal, private insurance costs about 100 euros per person monthly - achievable for many middle-class families. It's a thoughtful balance that ensures essential care for everyone while allowing those who can afford it to access additional services. I think the result is a system that works better for everyone.

We're a year into living here, and there are still a lot of things that I struggle with- but there are also things that I'm grateful for. And this two tiered system is definitely one of them.

[allthecanadianpolitics]

https://www.ontariohealthcoalition.ca/

Ontarians! The healthcare referendum is coming up on May 26th and 27th, the one where we can vote about the privatization of our healthcare that Ford is trying to pass.

You can register to vote or find out more details via this website, you can also vote through the website itself and it only takes a minute or two of your time. I'd really rather not have our core services more gutted than they already are to create a two tier pay to get served system, so.

[mariacallous]

Oulu is five hours north from Helsinki by train and a good deal colder and darker each winter than the Finnish capital. From November to March its 220,000 residents are lucky to see daylight for a couple of hours a day and temperatures can reach the minus 30s. However, this is not the reason I sense a darkening of the Finnish dream that brought me here six years ago.

In 2018, moving to Finland seemed like a no-brainer. One year earlier I had met my Finnish partner while working away in Oulu. My adopted home of Italy, where I had lived for 10 years, had recently elected a coalition government with the far-right Matteo Salvini as interior minister, while my native UK had voted for Brexit. Given Finland’s status as a beacon of progressive values, I boarded a plane, leaving my lecturing job and friends behind.

Things have gone well. My partner and I both have stable teaching contracts, me at a university where my mostly Finnish colleagues are on the whole friendlier than the taciturn cliche that persists of Finns (and which stands in puzzling contradiction to their status as the world’s happiest people).

Notwithstanding this, I feel a sense of unease as Finland’s prime minister Petteri Orpo’s rightwing coalition government has set about slashing welfare and capping public sector pay. Even on two teachers’ salaries my partner and I have felt the sting of inflation as goods have increased by 20% in three years. With beer now costing €8 or more in a city centre pub, going out becomes an ever rarer expense.

Those worse off than us face food scarcity. A survey conducted by the National Institute for Health and Welfare found 25% of students struggling to afford food, while reductions in housing benefit mean tenants are being forced to move or absorb the shortfall in rent payments. There are concerns that many unemployed young people could become homeless.

Healthcare is faring little better. Finland’s two-tier system means that while civil servants and local government employees (including teachers) paradoxically enjoy private health cover, many other people face long waiting lists. Not having dental cover on my university’s plan, I called for a public dental appointment in April. I was put on callback and received a text message stating I’d be contacted when the waiting list reopened. Six months later, I am still waiting. A few years ago I could expect to wait two months at most.

The current government, formed by Orpo’s National Coalition party (NCP) last year in coalition with the far-right Finns party, the Swedish People’s party of Finland and the Christian Democrats, has been described as “the most rightwing” Finland has ever seen – a position it appears to relish.

Deputy prime minister and finance minister Riikka Purra – the Finns’ party leader – has been linked to racist and sometimes violent comments made online back in 2008. The party’s xenophobia is clearly influencing policymaking and affecting migrants. As a foreigner, I’d be lying if I didn’t admit to feeling a certain chill as anti-immigrant rhetoric ramps up.

A survey by the organisation Specialists in Finland last year found that most highly qualified workers would consider leaving Finland if the government’s planned tightening of visa requirements went ahead (that proposal, which extended residence time required for Finnish citizenship from four to as many as eight years has now become law). Luckily, I am a permanent resident under the Brexit agreement.

With the coalition intent on ending Finland’s long history of welfarism in just one term, there is a risk (and hope among progressives) that it may go too far, inviting a backlash. We arguably saw signs of this in the European election in the summer, when Li Andersson won the highest number of votes for an EU election candidate in Finland. Andersson, who was education minister in Sanna Marin’s former centre-left coalition government (which lost to the NCP in April 2023), ran on a progressive red-green ticket of increased wealth equality and measures to tackle the climate crisis. She has also been critical of emergency laws blocking asylum seekers from crossing Finland’s eastern border, arguing that it contravenes human rights obligations.

Andersson’s party, the Left Alliance, chose a new leader this month, the charismatic feminist author Minja Koskela, who was elected to Helsinki’s council in 2021 after a period as secretary of the Feminist party, and as a member of parliament in 2023. Koskela argues: “People are widely frustrated with the government’s discriminatory policy and cuts to culture, social and health services, education and people’s livelihood. It is possible to turn this frustration into action.” (Full disclosure: I’m a member of the party and have helped coordinate its local approach to immigrants.)

It remains to be seen if she can build on Andersson’s EU success. Although the popular media-savvy figure appears to relish the challenge of turning the party into an election winner, Koskela faces a huge challenge. The party struggles to poll at more than 10% nationally, aside from a brief high of 11% in July. A place in government is nonetheless possible. But Marin’s Social Democratic party (SDP) of Finland (now led by Antti Lindtman), has topped the national opinion polls 12 out of 14 times since April 2023.

Meanwhile, the Finns party is polling at 16%, down from the 20.1% vote they gained in the election. These figures point to one thing: another possible SDP-led coalition government in the next parliament by the summer of 2027. This would probably include the Left Alliance and the Green League, among others. And such a coalition would aim to undo a lot of the damage done by the right.

But until then, there will be more damage to come. So while there is clearly hope for an end in sight to the country’s political darkness three years hence, this will bring little solace now to poor people, migrants, and the squeezed middle class as the long Finnish winter closes in.

[keshetchai]

The thing is, if the big criticisms of Zionism that offend people, are like mentions of racial and economic inequality, failed democracy, or generic comparisons to apartheid, we all know the solution would be to stop doing the things people are criticizing.

"it's not apartheid! we just have a giant wall to prevent suicide bombers, and the numbers of suicide bombings went down as a result! We're also culturally sensitive, the bomb detecting dogs at the checkpoints are hidden from view!" [Please note I have met, in person, the architect of the wall along the west bank and I am essentially paraphrasing him here.]

okay so, hear me out!: what if you prevented suicide bombers by ensuring stable employment, healthcare access, good public education, allowed for freedom of movement, didn't build huge walls across farmlands, stopped evicting people from their homes, what if you didn't created tiered systems of civic access and policing, and also let their local governments manage/steward necessary public resources instead of like, cutting water or electricity or something? What if you met the needs they are agitating for, the needs which, when denied, make people easier to radicalize?

What if you made violence seem totally undesirable because their lives were good and prosperous and stable? Their children untraumatized?

...no? You can't systemically better the lives of the people on this land? "Well if we're nice, they take advantage and attack," ok so you will be stuck in a cycle of violence forever. Have you never had a sibling? It's no longer about who "started it," it's about who will end it. "They unfairly criticize when we protect ourselves!" If Israel only ever destroyed incoming missiles or rockets/protected themselves against aggressive attacks, I think the global stage would have a lot less to criticize, actually! But we all know that Israel does more than just defend itself and its people.

Escalations, retaliations, and vengeance never brings anyone back from the dead and never fixes the wounds caused. Too many people see someone else committing a moral wrong as an excuse for them to do the same because being a good person in response to atrocity/bad people feels unfair and difficult, and because it doesn't satisfy their anger and fear.

Unfortunately if a bad person hurts your community because of their feelings of disenfranchisement/anger/sense of justice, and in response you decide to be a bad person to their community out of a sense of justice for your people, now we just have two bad people doing bad things and a lot of dead civilians.

[sinofwriting]

So, I need some help. 

About ten hours ago (I’m a little loopy so apologies if this makes little to no sense) I had to go to a dental emergency place due to a toothache that has gotten worse over the past few days. 

Luckily they were able to fix it and I’m still in pain but that’s mainly from all the shit they did with my mouth/tooth. However because I live in America, of course my insurance won’t cover it. 

The bill was over $700, I managed to pay a chunk of it with my savings (which went bye bye) but I still owe $425 dollars.

So, this is me asking for help. Any little bit truly helps as I am still unable to work due to other health issues. 

I have commission's on Ko-fi open, which are 3 dollars for 3,000 word fic. I have a patreon with two different tiers ($1 and $3 dollars respectively). And I also just have a general goal on Ko-fi for help. 

I will also in the next few days be hopping back into trying to do some proofreading for people (fingers crossed that it works this time) as soon as I feel better. 

I really hate that I have to make this post (america’s healthcare system can suck a dick) but I am desperate. Thank you for reading this, just reading it is helping me out, and hopefully my next post will be a fic.

(Also, commissions are open for a bunch of f1 drivers, poly ships, and just ships. The commission it self has pictures listing who I am able to write for)

[girlfriendsofthegalaxy]

tuesday again 1/23/2024

listen i got my last job through one of youse on here so weirder things have happened: i got fired bc the nonprofit wasn’t doing so hot. let me know if you have a weird data/database or market/tech research job. i promise my worksona is so so so nice and pleasant to work with. remote only, looking more in the $75k range but can be a bit flexible if it’s a cool enough job, i am in the central time zone of the USA and will not need sponsorship anywhere but DO need the cadillac of healthcare and dental plans. portfolio, publication list, and linkedin with my government name available on request!

listening

both of these are from my sister! this is another FULL ALBUM rec (good lord). The Offline’s album La couleur de la mer is a soundtrack to a movie that doesn’t exist, inspired by his long walks in the fog on the French Atlantic coast. a little spacey, a little soul, very sixties/seventies neonoir. i am quite fond of the very first track, Thème de la couleur de la mer.

she’s also sent me a bunch of tiktoks with Perfect (Exceeder) by Mason and Princess Superstar. hell of a goddamn music video for this thing. mid-aughts clubbing music at its finest. stopped me from dissolving into a puddle of emotions on the way to and from the vet today bc it’s too goddamn bouncy to be sad around

reading

im reading a trilogy i want to discuss as a whole whenever the third one comes through as a library hold, and a book by a friend. i do not typically talk about books or fics by friends here bc none of them have ever asked for critique, and i dont want to play favorites or inadvertently miss someone’s work. so here’s a story about porn on Wikimedia, which is the kind of database drama and technical arguments that fascinate me.

given the number of articles from 404 Media i shout about here and elsewhere i really should sign up for their $5/mo subscription tier when i have a steady income again

watching

somehow missed Star Wars Visions 2, their second anthology of weird little shorts. i was not super impressed by the overall storytelling this time around, but it was fun to see them reach out to more global studios and see a wider range of styles. there’s some goddamn incredible stop motion in here.

i particularly enjoyed Journey to the Dark Head, which not only has some interesting fringe Force believers and beliefs but has one of the sickest anime bullshit lightsaber fights in this season. this one is by Studio Mir, most known for the Legend of Korra.

also really liked The Spy Dancer by Studio La Cachette, partly bc it’s incredibly beautiful and i like when Star Wars leans into art nouveau, and partly bc it felt the most like a complete short story. emotional arc and everything! strong beginning middle and end! this IS a really low bar, but a lot of the shorts this season did not have a coherent little story to tell or a strong emotional arc, or fumbled their arc partway through, and were just kind of vibes and animation showcases? nothing necessarily wrong with that, also how i felt about most of the last collection. my expectations are underground for any Star Wars media.

playing

as is tradition i dithered about this section the most. this is more of a What’s Next? planning ramble.

the laptop gets shipped back to my old job today so i will no longer have a working modern computer. i have to dig the switch out and see what’s up. maybe start a whole new run in breath of the wild or whatever the last pokemon game was. i think i also have the sword boyfriend game everyone was up in arms about two years ago? and i think i am somehow part of a switch family plan that lets me have some older games?

this section may look very different in the next ??? amount of time until i get a company laptop again. or finally replace the motherboard on my personal desktop but that sat in my car for several weeks during the heat wave this summer while i did not have an apartment and i am really REALLY afraid to open that box.

oh the free epic game this week is a platformer, a genre i have historically not cared about. godspeed to those of you who do

making

soup bc aldi had alphabet pasta and that jolted me out of myself for long enough i was briefly convinced making alphabet pasta soup would fix me. so i found this recipe while in aldi. despite this not being a very good soup or a very good recipe, i feel a little triumphant bc i now know enough to brown the tomato paste before putting it in the soup. unfortunately i overcooked the pasta. there’s kind of a lot of texture happening here, and i wish i had chopped things finer, but i will probably steal my best friend’s blender tomorrow and blitz some of it down.

it’s edible. im going to eat it all. it will not be going in the rotation

[frenchhoneybee]

I’ve always wanted to do this huehuehue. All odd numbers from the get to know me asks :3

omgggggg - first thought is you hate me for having to answer all these questions but i know you don’t 😘💛 ahhhh okay!

1. selfie (hoping y’all focus more on the beautiful Cali rather than me in this pic)

3. do you miss anyone? yes. i miss my friends, especially the ones i haven’t seen in a while

5. is there anyone who can always make you smile? my childhood and high school friends

7. what was your life like last year? the first half of the year i couldn’t drive bc my epilepsy meds were not controlling my seizures BUT i got a clean EEG in april so i was able to start driving in june which helped SO much. i had a great spring semester with my cohort in grad school and a good fall semester with a new cohort. i spent my free time doing theatre stuff, spending time with friends, bingeing tv shows, and doing school stuff.

9. who did you last see in person? my mom

11. are you listening to music right now? yes! haze by tessa violet just came on

13. how do you feel right now? tired and a bit anxious bc school starts next week

15. personality description: like if a cat were a human and swore a lot but also super empathetic and thoughtful

17. opinion on insecurities. everyone has them, therapy can help with them, and you’re your own worst critic

19. have you ever been to New York? apparently when i was like 2, my mom and dad took me to Cooperstown, but bc i don’t remember it, i feel like it shouldn’t count

21. age and birthday? hahahahaha you’re not gonna get me that easy. what - do you want my SSN next??

23. fear(s) - abandonment and cockroaches

25. role model - probably my theater friend/colleague (who is actually younger than me 😅)? they’re super cool and weird and kind and emotionally intelligent and i strive to be like that in my life

27. things i hate: idiotic logic (MAGA, terfs, etc.), ham (but especially if it’s heated in some capacity bc the smell makes me nauseous), the american healthcare system, capitalism, and Arizona drivers

29. favourite film(s): the princess bride, hush, scream franchise (minus 4), the suicide squad, everything everywhere all at once, barbie

31. 3 random facts: a. if public housing tenants, any members of their household, or guests engages in any drug related or other criminal activity on or off the premises, the tenancy will be terminated. b. “the Navajo apply the same word to the color of a robin’s egg and to that of grass. a psychologist once assumed that this meant the Navajo people didn’t have the physiological equipment to distinguish “green” from “blue”. when he showed them objects of the two colors and asked them if they were the same colors, they looked at him with astonishment” - Clyde Kluckholm (i hope that psychologist felt appropriately stupid). c. Cesar Chavez spoke to nearly half a million queer people at the 1987 March on Washington, acknowledging the impact gay support had had on United Farm Workers’ boycotts and pledging ongoing labor support for gay and lesbian rights.

33. something you want to learn. i want to learn spanish (i know a little but i want to learn more)

35. favourite subject. history

37. favourite actor/actress: uhhhh Daniel Craig is pretty top tier and Lucy Liu is also one of my faves. don’t have specific absolute favorites though

39. favourite sport(s)

fuck all sports except for football in ted lasso specifically

41. relationship status - single pringle

43. favourite song ever - OOF yeah no this is an impossible question can’t answer it

45. how you found out about your idol - i don’t think i have an idol? like i have various ppl i look up to but i learned early on in my life that idolizing ppl doesn’t end well for me bc we’re all deeply flawed individuals - we’re all human.

47. turn ons - sexual: confidence, communication, foreplay; romantic: confident sense of self, good scent, passion; platonic: sense of humor, parallel play, communication

49. where i want to be right now - in a cabin with rain falling, curled up on a couch with a mug of tea and a book

51. starsign - cancer ♋️

53. 5 things that make me happy: a. rain b. chocolate c. my cat d. spending time with my friends e. singing along to my favorite songs

55. tumblr friends - okay so i know that i have moots that i’m friendly with but idk if that counts as friends??? like if i regularly reblog and like their stuff and they regularly reblog and like my stuff that’s probably friends? i still don’t know how internet friendship works and i’ve lived on this earth for over a quarter of a century.

57. favourite animal: house cat. sounds basic but i’ve had so many of them over the years that i know they’re my favorite 😽

59. why i joined tumblr: in high school my friends were on tumblr and i wanted to connect with them better and then i never left (even tho they all did)

thank you @tearlessbbshampoo for the ask! ily for connecting on this supposed “social media” webbed site 🫶💛

[thailandlawyers]

Thailand Privilege Visa

The Thailand Privilege Visa, commonly known as the Thailand Elite Visa, offers a long-term residency option for high-net-worth individuals, frequent travelers, retirees, and investors. Unlike traditional visas, the Thailand Privilege Visa grants extended stays, ranging from 5 to 20 years, along with VIP services such as airport fast-track, personal assistance, and exclusive benefits in travel, healthcare, and business. Managed by Thailand Privilege Card Co., Ltd., the program aims to provide convenience and luxury to its members.

1. Overview of Thailand Privilege Visa

Introduced to promote tourism and investment, the Thailand Privilege Visa offers a residency-style visa with multiple membership packages, each tailored to different lifestyles and preferences. Benefits include multi-entry privileges, no annual renewals, and access to exclusive services.

2. Types of Membership Packages

2.1 Elite Easy Access

Duration: 5 years

Fee: 600,000 THB (non-refundable)

Suitable for frequent travelers and business professionals.

2.2 Elite Family Excursion

Duration: 5 years

Fee: 800,000 THB for two family members (300,000 THB for each additional member)

Tailored for families planning long-term stays in Thailand.

2.3 Elite Superiority Extension

Duration: 20 years

Fee: 1,000,000 THB

Popular among expats and retirees seeking long-term residency.

2.4 Elite Ultimate Privilege

Duration: 20 years

Fee: 2,000,000 THB with an annual fee of 20,000 THB

Offers the most comprehensive package with exclusive benefits, luxury services, and priority immigration processing.

3. Key Benefits

Long-Term Stay: Visa holders can stay in Thailand for up to 20 years without annual renewals.

VIP Immigration Services: Priority fast-track immigration at all international airports in Thailand.

Multi-Entry Privileges: Unlimited entries without reapplication.

Healthcare and Wellness Discounts: Access to top-tier healthcare providers and wellness services.

Exclusive Lifestyle Benefits: Complimentary golf, spa treatments, and access to luxury lounges.

4. Application Process

Step 1: Membership Application

Submit an application with personal details and a copy of your passport to Thailand Privilege Card Co., Ltd.

Step 2: Background Check

The Thai Immigration Bureau conducts a background check on the applicant.

Step 3: Membership Fee Payment

Upon approval, the applicant pays the membership fee and receives a welcome package.

Step 4: Visa Issuance

The visa is issued at a Thai consulate, embassy, or immigration office.

5. Legal and Tax Considerations

Work Permit Requirements: The Thailand Privilege Visa does not include a work permit. Visa holders must apply separately to work legally in Thailand.

Tax Residency: Those who stay for more than 180 days per year may be considered tax residents and must declare worldwide income if remitted to Thailand.

6. Limitations of the Thailand Privilege Visa

No Path to Permanent Residency or Citizenship: The visa is a long-term stay option but does not lead to permanent residency or Thai citizenship.

High Initial Costs: Membership fees can be substantial, especially for longer-duration packages.

Employment Restrictions: A separate work permit is required for any form of employment.

Conclusion

The Thailand Privilege Visa is an excellent option for those seeking long-term residency, convenience, and luxury. Whether for frequent business travel, retirement, or family relocation, the program offers tailored solutions with unique privileges. However, potential applicants should carefully assess the costs, benefits, and legal implications before applying to ensure it aligns with their lifestyle and residency goals.

[autumnal-thunder]

@randomizedwhatever I can agree on Nixon, I'm back and forth on him between D and F.

But why Biden? Just about everything Biden does is wrong. But what major legislation has he helped pass? What has his administration taken credit for as accomplishments? It's mostly just minor Keynesian crap and social justice nonsense.

Teddy was the first modern progressive who set the groundwork for unlimited executive power.

Truman created Social Security and helped make the UN.

George W Bush passed the Patriot Act and created the Department of Homeland Security and started two wars

Woodrow Wilson created the Federal Reserve and established an income tax.

FDR had the New Deal

LBJ aimed the welfare state towards African Americans, keeping them in poverty so he could change the political landscape in his favor

Obama is an outlier but has the most big ticket screw ups. He ruined healthcare along with dozens of other corrupt things.

I don't see what Biden has done that makes him comparable in the long run. Maybe inflation? But Trump shares a lot of blame for what we're currently going through.

Biden rests at the bottom of D tier. He's too old and senile to cross the threshold.

[invisibleicewands]

This life story begins at the end, with Aneurin “Nye” Bevan in a hospital bed, befittingly for the visionary political colossus who created Britain’s National Health Service in 1948.As Bevan (Michael Sheen) is creeping towards death, flashbacks of memory bring a hallucinatory quality reminiscent of The Singing Detective: beds and ward curtains are woven into scenes of his childhood as a Welsh miner’s son and a stammering schoolboy bullied by his headteacher. We follow his rise from local council politics to the House of Commons and high office under Clement Attlee (Stephanie Jacob, slightly sinister in a bald wig). Doctors and nurses morph into a bevy of characters from his past, the cast juggling this multiplicity adeptly, and there is a surreal song and dance breakout number as, one presumes, Bevan’s morphine kicks in.In a production written by Tim Price and directed by Rufus Norris, there is some inspired stagecraft as the hospital curtains of Vicki Mortimer’s ingenious set swish to reveal debating chambers and libraries. But the narrative is too long-reaching and schematic, its extensively researched material not fully absorbed dramatically.Co-produced with Wales Millennium Centre and running at over two and a half hours, Nye is a too full, yet too simplified, survey of the personal and political elements in Bevan’s world, with some high-pitched moments accompanied by syrupy music.

Bevan is presented as a renegade, Jeremy Corbyn-like figure of his day: both a thorn in the side of Winston Churchill (impersonated well by Tony Jayawardena) and the Labour party. There are council meetings, parliamentary debates, his first meeting with his wife, Jennie Lee (Sharon Small), the war and its aftermath. So much is packed in that the momentous invention of the NHS is tackled, as if in summary, in the last half hour.

Only then do we hear how the nation’s doctors were heavily opposed to Bevan’s proposition. There are exchanges on a screen with an army of hostile medics who look like Minority Report holograms, but we whizz past this opposition, which has enough in-built conflict to be worthy of is own full-length drama.

Sheen (grey helmet hair, chequered pyjamas) is well cast for his natural charm. He brings a curious fey playfulness and vulnerability but does not plumb the depths of his commanding character – or perhaps the busy script simply does not allow it. However, Bevan’s limitations as a son to his dying father bring some emotional mileage as he is too busy caring for the nation’s wellbeing to be there for him.

Small is not given much room for manoeuvre either, and Lee is used for exposition purposes rather than dramatic ones. She talks of her open marriage, describing Bevan as a “rutting stag”, which sits at odds with the cutely pyjama-clad man on stage. There are brief reflections on navigations between her career as Westminster’s youngest MP – and one of only five women – and her marriage. Both she and Bevan hailed from working-class backgrounds and there is a moment when he talks about “impostor syndrome” in this hallowed space. She is unequivocal in her outsider status: “That’s why this place needs us.” Despite these feisty lines, she remains flat, which seems a crime – her character could have been far richer.

Nye is still a vital play because Bevan is a vital man of British history. It succeeds in showing us just how high the hurdles he faced were. When he describes prewar healthcare – one service for the rich, one for the poor – it rings of today’s two-tiered system. “I want to give you your dignity,” he says, as the NHS launches. It is a rousing moment yet contains a terrible, tragic irony, given what is coming to pass with his precious legacy.

[allthecanadianpolitics]

The BC NDP are calling out two Vancouver Island Conservative Party of BC candidates for openly endorsing “American-style two-tier” healthcare.  Tim Thielmann, BC Conservative Candidate for Victoria-Beacon Hill said in a healthcare discussion in late September that if elected, the Tories would consider implementing a system which would see some British Columbians pay out of their own pockets for access to doctors and medical services.  “You know, talking about the Australian model and models in Europe where you have a hybrid system or a two-tier system, call it what you want,” said Thielmann.  “Where if people want to purchase private insurance, want to pay out of pocket, and you know where doctors want to run their own practices and charge either the publicly insurable rate or rates that are above that, they can do that, and they have the freedom to do so.”

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[phuketattorney]

Thailand Privilege Visa

The Thailand Privilege Visa, widely known as the Thailand Elite Visa, is a long-term residency program designed to attract affluent individuals and families. Operated by the Thailand Privilege Card Company Limited under the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, the visa combines flexible residency options with exclusive lifestyle benefits. Its multi-tiered offerings cater to retirees, investors, businesspeople, and frequent travelers.

1. Key Features and Benefits

Residency Duration:

Options range from 5 to 20 years, depending on the selected membership package.

Visa holders are exempt from annual visa renewals.

Travel Convenience:

Unlimited multi-entry privileges and expedited immigration clearance.

Exclusive airport services, including fast-track lanes and access to VIP lounges.

Lifestyle Perks:

Complimentary golf, spa treatments, and annual health check-ups at top facilities.

Discounts at luxury hotels, restaurants, and partner establishments.

Family Inclusion:

Specific packages allow family members to share the privileges for reduced fees.

2. Membership Packages

2.1 Elite Easy Access

Duration: 5 years.

Cost: 600,000 THB.

Ideal For: Individuals seeking medium-term residency.

2.2 Elite Family Excursion

Duration: 5 years for two family members.

Cost: 800,000 THB; additional members pay 300,000 THB each.

2.3 Elite Privilege Access

Duration: 10 years.

Cost: 1 million THB.

2.4 Elite Superiority Extension

Duration: 20 years.

Cost: 1 million THB.

2.5 Elite Ultimate Privilege

Duration: 20 years.

Cost: 2.14 million THB.

Additional Perks: Enhanced concierge services and increased healthcare benefits.

3. Application Process

Eligibility:

Open to individuals of all nationalities with no criminal record.

Applicants must demonstrate financial capability to cover the membership fee.

Steps to Apply:

Submit an online application along with required documents (passport, photographs, etc.).

Pay the membership fee upon approval.

Collect the visa at a Thai embassy, consulate, or immigration office.

Processing Time:

Applications are typically processed within 1–2 months.

4. Legal Considerations

Work Restrictions:

The visa does not include a work permit; separate authorization is required for employment.

No Path to Citizenship:

The Thailand Privilege Visa does not lead to permanent residency or Thai citizenship.

Tax Residency:

Tax obligations depend on the number of days spent in Thailand. Holders staying for more than 180 days in a calendar year are considered tax residents.

5. Contribution to the Thai Economy

Tourism and Real Estate:

Visa holders often invest in high-end real estate and contribute to luxury tourism sectors.

Economic Stability:

The program attracts high-net-worth individuals, boosting domestic revenue streams.

Long-Term Development:

Supports Thailand’s strategic goals of attracting foreign investment and skilled individuals.

Conclusion

The Thailand Privilege Visa offers unparalleled access to long-term residency and exclusive services, making it an ideal choice for retirees, frequent travelers, and investors. With its flexible packages and comprehensive benefits, the program supports a luxurious and hassle-free experience in Thailand. While the visa is financially demanding, its convenience and privileges make it a worthwhile investment for eligible individuals.