World wide top 10 Billionaires

Rank / Country / Number

1 United States 359
2 Germany 54
3 Russia 32
4 China 28
5 United Kingdom 25
6 India 24
7 Canada 20
8 Hong Kong 19
9 Japan 17
10 Saudi Arabia 14

hu... good to know
wish some of those 300 and sumpthin rich guys would share the wealth with us poor folk!

tell me about it

It is said that if the billionares would offer only 2% of their income on a universal health care system then everyone would be insured in this country without having to pay out of their pockets.

This would mean that child of 9 years can get a heart transplant if needed without the parents worrying on how to come up with the money.

and we think that many people with that much money arent really running the show of our govt.
we all gotta start seeing this nwo plan...

You got all of that just from seeing how many billionaires there are in the world? Interesting.

There are so many pros and cons on this it's not even funny. Everyone seems to think that we have an infinite amount of sources but we don't.

If we do anything, i say just have the government start making drugs as non-profit. Start at the route of the problem.

I wouldn't have a problem with people starting nonprofit centers that exercise preventive medicine with a few income based clinics (like we already have), but more.

You can't solve a healthcare crisis by giving pharmacuetical industries bigger pockets to pick.

We can't act as though the hospitals and their staff are the problem...

For instance... In the state of Maine the MaineCare and Medicare are tens of millions of dollars behind on their payments (about 4 years behind). This forces hospitals to crank up costs a bit to cover their own ass. Even still you see hospitals shrinking.

My father is a plumber working for a local hospital. They are cutting staff. The stimulus was supposed to go to paying off this hospital debt. Unfortunately they are looking to put it on social programs such as welfare, unemployment, and starting different forms of government paid insurance instead...

Why? Let us take it all, and that would mean that 50 times more stupid lazy parents would not have to get of their dope and actually become somewhat useful to others, in order to help their children to get the heart transplants.

Since you're implying it is the responsibility (or ought to be) of the billionares, then do it all the way.

Having capitalism breeds the ability for one to succeed. The more free the market, the easier it is to build yourself up. This is what we were founded on. I would pay particular attention to those billionaires who exploit our system. cough...Rockefellers.....

You know those family dynasties that have had seats in our government for 100 years or more... The ones who's financial institutions can be traced to collecting money from both sides of nearly every major conflict we've had in the 1900's...

Yes more hospitals are in debt and some are even closing down. The doctors as of the nurses are overwhelmed and the advice on medicine is often wrong making patients worse off then they were before.

I would like to believe that the majority of the Americans would like to have a universal health care system that has everyone insured and properly taken care off.

How you achieve it, I am sure there are many idealogies in doing so, but as it looks now most businesses are all about the money and not the welfare of a person's health.

America is lagging behind on health care issues compared to other industralized countries who understand that health is a neccessity and not a privilige for only those who have money.

To bad that this country continues to have over 40 million people uninsured and the other 300 million although insured (as they say) but not fully covered.

I needed a kneecap replacement once and it didn't cost me a single dollar. I will let you guess which country this is.

In anycase, whatever the situation is, I find it sad that the solution to healthcare in this country continues to be at a stalemate instead of a solution so other problems can finally be tackled instead.

There are hard working parents that earn just enough for their common bills, yet cannot afford health insurance.

And when their child needs attention they are then denied service because they didn't cough up enough money for the service.

So in the end they lose their child

and those hospitals that do take in a child or an adult without any costs give the parents a impossible number of debt not allowing them to succeed in life. In otherwords that money that they earn goes to the hospital and at a ripe old age they don't have that money to buy a simple house anymore because they were put to debt of this unfortunate event.

America should be a country that gives opportunity for all and not just those who figured out how to make a ton of money. At least that is how the world would like to see America, but many countries finally see that America isn't the country of oppurtunity like they advertise, but a big business transaction for the moment and nothing more.

I for one find health care a neccessity for all life and not a privilige for those who can afford it.

I also believe if 2% of all the billionares incomes are suddenly deducted from their wealth they will still live a very comfortable life.

On top of it, perhaps they would have a good conscience at the end of the day.

I am also saying that there are many billinaires who are great philanthropists and dedicated much of their wealth or image to help fund important programs.

So maybe it isn't a lost cause all the way, but a problem still to tackle.

Would'nt it be nice to know that your family member will get great service from experts in a hospital that aren't overwhelmed, aren't in debt, and do treat you professionally without you have to worry after the procedure how much money you have to pay.

I think it is possible. There are countries doing it now believe it or not. Why be stubborn America or arrogant about this. One can actually learn some things from other countries and their ideaologies.

If you don't do this then watch how other countries will advance as they do now.

This is where we ask them to donate. Start programs to do such. But the act of forcibly taking their money, no matter how much they have, is stealing. This is something i would join the fight against...

Another thing to think about is the fact that our country is runa bit differently. As a result our system would need to support a slightly different plan than other countries.

We need to find a system the benefits us, but does not screw doctors, nurses, or increase the waiting period for people that need it.

I would support a system if we could do it without spending more money than we already do. Hence, get rid of the national bank, bring troops home, and we could more than afford such a system without putting more strain on everyone.

When somebody is poor, it does NOT mean that they are stupid, lazy, or on dope.

He has a harsh way of making his points. But, i don't believe that almost all the poor were just given the short end of the stick.

There is a balance i think. I have seen many lower class americans work hard, and eventually make themselves middle class. I have also seen many just work when they must. They don't save money to get ahead, and eventually buy a new house. Instead they buy every dvd that comes out, and think that left over money in their paycheck is enough to have fun shopping with. Then they complain because they cant afford health insurance, or don't have money for retirement.

All i can think of is my grandparents (on my mother's side). They were definitely lower class. My grandfather managed to find some land some loggers were selling after they sold the lumber. He worked 2 full time and one part time job (i kid you not). In his spare time, with no construction experience, he built a house (literally by himself). He had no money for years. My mother would talk about only recieving one cheap gift for christmas, and the rest were next years clothes. (They only had about two or three outfits a piece). Their birthday present was a meal of choice, that's it. They pretty much raised their own food to save on costs. Eventually through rediculous hard work, they achieve a comfortable middle class standard about the time my mother became an adult. They are now retired, live in the same house, and are very happy. In fact, they gave each of their kids and grandkids a 2.5 acre lot of land so we could all remain close. This is an example of how to get ahead when you are lower class.

I understand there is a problem though. If my grandfather were permanently injured and unable to work the situation would have changed completely.

But, at the same time, how money able bodied, intelligent people do you see making under $20,000 a year, and can't afford a house, or insurance, etc? The number is mildly disturbing...

Nogames wasn't necessarily talking about people that are seriously disabled and uncapable of fending for themselves. He was refering about the other catagory.

I agree

In other words, you're advocating us getting into the pockets of those who do have money. That's fair?

What does it matter what kind of problem the parents have with money? How their problem justifies theft of someone else's funds?

Why don't we just all take what we need from whoever has it?

I am not under the assumpition that the majority of the 359 billionaires DONT help boost the economy. afterall they pay taxes. They probably even provide jobs to many people also. they spend money.
and Im sure that they donate money to charites of their choosing.

what more should we expect them to give??
universal healthcare????
and ONLY the billioanres can be expected to contiubte into this tax hike so we can ALL receive EQUAL QUALITY care
well i guess that could work.......in a honest society where there wasnt crooked people in AND out of the government



interesting to note the number of billionares in the US. i dont really pay much attention to numerical counts like that...but interesting nonetheless.

I am saying if the billionares decided one day to tackle the problem with health care. If they got together there is a good chance that a universal health care would work.

I live in a country where we have universal health care. It works in our system and people are taken care of.

Perhaps you haven't had a family member die on you because they didn't get proper medical help. Do you think that is fair if the person worked like everyone else and paid his taxes?

So what you are saying is that you like how the system works as it is. This means you think it is a privilige to have health care and not a neccessety for everyone.

What about the old man who can't pay for his bill when he had a stroke or heartattack? Do we just let him die?

As the Democrats and Republicans continue to fight what is right concerning health care people are dying, getting kicked out of hospitals drugged up, and not even permitted to go in one to get treatment for they don't have health care.

This was one alternative of fixing the problem in this country.

I never said that the billionares are forced to give up 2%, I merely said if the billionaires got together and offered 2% of their WEALTH together on a health care program it would make a difference to the image of this country.

Concerning Health Insurance I surely don't want the people of the world believe America is a good advocate or rolemodel about it and I certainly don't agree with politicians who claim America has the best health care the world can have.

I can see many other countries that have a better way of solving such problems as a whole for its people.

First we need to figure out where the problem is before we throw money at it...

I suspect the FDA has a shady hand in things, as well as pharmacuetical companies.

So, when you can suggest a generic form of medication...

I Will be back in a bit. Got studying to do...