Mandate Mania - America as "The Village"?

[Dr Powerfun]

A report on the latest Village Council edict:

[Judee]

It's coming Dr. P... It's coming!! We're half way there.

[maryals]

Yup DocP, we're just about there

Mary and Baby

[Dr Powerfun]

Hey now folks, a responder to this on another board thought a crazy scheme like this could never work (not to say a city or country wouldn't consider it), and wondered where I came up with the idea.... well, I got the thought from this essay by Megan Shaw Prelinger -

Excerpt:

And the suspicion of convenience is manifest in the total enforced luxury resort environment of The Village. In particular, The Village is absent of cars but filled with go-cart taxis whose drivers putter in pursuit after Number Six, always offering him rides. When he questions one driver: 'Why do you take those taxis? They're slow.' He is told, 'In an emergency, we walk.'

In The Prisoner, Number Six's journal memories are written out for him, his meal preferences are anticipated. He is constantly fighting to make his own decisions even on the smallest scale. This critique of the culture of convenience is resonant with Jello Biafra's stern warning of what is to be truly feared in our world: 'The convenience you have requested is now mandatory!'

A crazy scheme? Perhaps, but not so crazy a city or country wouldn't think to try it. Fact is, on the one hand thanks to the Supreme Court decision on Obamacare, it IS still permissible for citizens not to avail themselves of a product or service -

OTOH, while government can't force citizens to have health insurance policies, they CAN fine them for not having one. By extension, say a public transit system is underutilized-? Hey, no problemo! Just slap a penalty on folks who don't use it...

Ridiculous? Impractical? Like the 'council' gives a rip. All 'democratically-elected' micro-managing bureaucrats care about is finding new and better ways to compel people to behave 'properly', to act in a fashion the Ruling Elite has determined is for the good of all - Whether individuals like it or not is immaterial, & so much as there's hope folks will rebel & resist, it ain't 1776, folks.

Welcome to the Brave New World of "Play or Pay!"

[maryals]

Thank you Thank you Thank you DocP
Here's the slippery slope The Supremes have put us on:

Thanks to the Supreme Court Decision, The Guvmint can't force us to buy a Hybrid or fully electric vehicle, but they CAN now Tax or Fine (or what ever word you want to use) us for not owning a Hybrid Vehicle.
But NO ONE ELSE seems to be getting that point of it all! It is NOT about HEALTH CARE for "Everyone" it's about control

The Guvmint can't force you to buy GM Foods, but, thanks to the Supreme Court Decision, they can slap an extra "Tax" or "Fee" on non-GMO foods should you choose to buy that.

The Guvmint can't force you to take a vaccination, but thanks to The Supremes they can slap a hefty "Tax" or "Fee" on you if you don't.

Mary and Baby