OK I thought I would try and answer one side of the coin in 1 post. Now I would like to work on the other side.
I have a neighbour on ASH or whatever the he** it is for those that can't work for whatever reason. There are a few of them around here. One guy has been on it for 15 years. WHY well apparently he is over weight so his Dr. helped him get on it. I have seen this guy in the grocery store and let me say he DOESN'T eat well. 7-8 frozen pizza's. Bags of chips, pop etc. The rest he spends at the casino. This fella I know so its not second hand info.
How many of these do we support with our taxes. When do we reach the tipping point..... those that work to support those that don't? This truely makes me sick and I can only discuss in 15 minute increments. Don't think I am a vile human I DO realize that this is needed for SOME PEOPLE. I just think it is 50% less than current stats claim. Let's get back to the levels the system was designed to handle and we as taxpayers could handle.
I have a guy at work that lives in a trailer park in Red Deer and he says I wouldn't believe what the welfare folks HAVE compared to his family.
Are we headed towards the US in this regard? Imagine 42 MILLION on food stamps down there. In what is supposed to be the most prosperous place on earth!!!

Good post. A part of the problem you identified. That is that Doctors can do as they like with no oversight. Where are the checks and balances? For some reason doctors are seen to be this moral, angelic group that is completely honest and looking out for the best interest of their pts and the public. I have land to sell you in a Florida swamp too. They are some of the most greedy, self serving, manipulative individuals going. They are a large part of the problem. The doctor you mentioned is enabling the poor health of this person... contributing to his illness. He should be reported to the local medical board...unless of course there is a "medical" reason this guy is fat!!!!!!! 👿 The system ... EVERY SYSTEM...exists to serve itself...NOT the public.

Gosh! Here I went and did a really small shopping trip and added 2 lbs of vac packed Timmies coffee, a extra large can of Pam, a couple of packets of French onion soup mix, a couple of pounds of salt and a pair of heavy duty insulated bib overalls to my stash. But hey, what do I know, I'm just a conspiracy nutbar!

I have no need to prepare but may buy some extra's on the weekend when I go for my REAL shopping trip.

Good post. A part of the problem you identified. That is that Doctors can do as they like with no oversight. Where are the checks and balances? For some reason doctors are seen to be this moral, angelic group that is completely honest and looking out for the best interest of their pts and the public. I have land to sell you in a Florida swamp too. They are some of the most greedy, self serving, manipulative individuals going. They are a large part of the problem. The doctor you mentioned is enabling the poor health of this person... contributing to his illness. He should be reported to the local medical board...unless of course there is a "medical" reason this guy is fat!!!!!!! 👿 The system ... EVERY SYSTEM...exists to serve itself...NOT the public.

Hey Bear, I'm packing a lot of weight I really do not wish to. I was in the top 2% of fit males of my age group BEFORE I was severely injured 25 years ago. Between misdiagnosis, mismanagement, and the wrong cocktail of drugs to deal with health issues I have faced in the past, I am far from my ideal weight. My MD is trying very hard to make me somewhat comfortable in daily life with limited succsess. Getting back to a favorable (not ideal) weight is impossible for me so far, but I haven't given up trying just yet. SO, while you have the magic marker out, without knowing the finer points of any particular case, would you care to write me and my GP off as well?

Just asking,
Radar

As a working class smuck I could rant on about the Welfare Society we live in for hours but when I read the origional post for this thread a different thought caused me reply.

Why Don't some people Prep?

I recently heard a disturbing story from an American Prepper that likely applies to a certain degree here north of the border.

While buying some gardening supplies this American Prepper brought up the topic of Food Storage and preperation with the Clerk/Owner that was serving her. The Clerk just laughed and said I don't have to Prep, then reached under the counter and pulled out a firearm and placed it on the counter for her see. then told her "With this I don't have to prep, I'll just use it to take food and supplies from people like you." then put the gun away and completed the sale.

Frightening. Although this story is American I imagine there will be many on our side of the border that take the same view. So keeping our Preps low key is definitely the best approach.

The Grocery store is only a couple of blocks away , I will get my stuff if something happens....

I am playing golf on Saturday dont have time for such foolishness...

Unfortunately we live in a country that really has never had to deal with tough situations first hand..Yes we have had disasters ; a couple of days of a tough situation, but we have never gone through history like Europe or the middle east, dealt with a war or an invading force causing tyranny first hand... And we as a Generation are too far removed from the days of rationing of WWII to know what that would be like... So it is the mentality of the majority that nothing will happen in our frozen part of the world....We live in a false sense of security.....And speaking about such subjects will get you labeled a skitsofrantic.....I am beginning to see a bit of an awaking but on a very small level....There are a lot of people that think about such things , but very few of them do anything to improve there situation....Because , well you know everything will be OK and work out for the best......It is very frustrating sometimes to watch people go about there lives in this materialistic world we live in.....They think nothing of spending $6000 on lift kits and tires but not one cent on extra food, and if they do have extra they eat it because its there and easier then going to the store to by more....

There thats my rant for this week.......

Good post. A part of the problem you identified. That is that Doctors can do as they like with no oversight. Where are the checks and balances? For some reason doctors are seen to be this moral, angelic group that is completely honest and looking out for the best interest of their pts and the public. I have land to sell you in a Florida swamp too. They are some of the most greedy, self serving, manipulative individuals going. They are a large part of the problem. The doctor you mentioned is enabling the poor health of this person... contributing to his illness. He should be reported to the local medical board...unless of course there is a "medical" reason this guy is fat!!!!!!! 👿 The system ... EVERY SYSTEM...exists to serve itself...NOT the public.

Hey Bear, I'm packing a lot of weight I really do not wish to. I was in the top 2% of fit males of my age group BEFORE I was severely injured 25 years ago. Between misdiagnosis, mismanagement, and the wrong cocktail of drugs to deal with health issues I have faced in the past, I am far from my ideal weight. My MD is trying very hard to make me somewhat comfortable in daily life with limited succsess. Getting back to a favorable (not ideal) weight is impossible for me so far, but I haven't given up trying just yet. SO, while you have the magic marker out, without knowing the finer points of any particular case, would you care to write me and my GP off as well?

Just asking,
Radar

In my post I did say that THIS doctor is enabling THIS particular person as described in the post I was addressing. I work with doctors all the time and see first hand what they do and how they manipulate the system for their own gain. I also see how they reward laziness and sloth by giving people the lottery win of extended social support and benefits supported by the taxpayer as well as contributing to and continuing addiction to prescription painkillers. My last statement was "unless there is a "medical" reason this guy is fat". Again from the post it was clear the described person contributes to their own obesity and has priorities other than their personal health. I am sorry if you took it to be in some way personal.

In relation to people (and perhaps doctors) abusing the system. They damage the system for those who truly need it.

My father broke his back in '76 carrying a kid from the ambulance into the small town hospital that did not have an emergency room. The kid had hung himself and was unresponsive and my father did not want to wait for the nurses to bring out the gurney. That small town hospital also had no rubber matting, so the melting snow caused my father to slip and crush a disk and break 2 vertebrae.

Back then, before MRI's alot of people cheated the system by claiming to have back injuries and they could not be proven wrong as soft tissue injuries were difficult to see with x-ray. In my dad's case; they could actually see the damage with the x-ray.

He then spent the next 20 years fighting the ON wcb to get support and have his wages topped up. He needed them topped up because although he could not continue as an ambulance attendant, he did continue to work shitty, dead-end jobs for basically minimum wage because he had some dignity and it was what the WCB expected him to do. They also expected him to support a family on it. 20 years and 3 surgeries... until an admin at a local mla office took interest and helped. So, for those who screw the system, I hope they burn in hell. For anyone who assumes 'most' people on disability are frauds and that gov't shouldn't help at all, I can only hope you experience a serious injury someday yourself. Having someone spoon feed you will change your perspective quickly. That was not aimed at anyone but rather a general belief I hold.

As for not prepping; Black Friday sales at BestBuy ate up my credit card limit now I owe more than I can pay back... oh well, I'll get another credit card.

Dangphool... I COMPLETELY agree with your post. Well said.

and is that your number one reason for not prepping...? off topic a little ain't we? 🙂

Wow DaScribbler-that is scary and probably a real worry. There is a definite "intitled" generation of people out there that won't mind killing us in our beds to get what they want. I think it's okay to encourage friends/neighbors to prep without letting too many people know that you have more than 72 hours worth of stuff. I think it also reminds us that we need to buy guns and learn how to use them (even if we are the most passive people ordinarily) And we need to think about security like rolled barb wire, alarm systems of some sort, and game cameras and night vision and even vests. I feel awkward even thinking about all these things, but just look at the videos out there of Black Friday and see how people act towards each other just for a good deal-that's scary!!! and that's just good deals-what if their kids are hungry and they're desperate?

Another reason "I don't have to prep, God will provide!"

Another reason "I don't have to prep, God will provide!"

Indeed .... but remember... God helps those who help themselves.... ya gotta give God a fighting chance after all... 😉