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That "special money" had a name called "the scrip" [0]. Here's a really short video of what used to be a "company town" in Appalachia: https://www.youtube.com/

That "special money" had a name called "the scrip" [0]. Here's a really short video of what used to be a "company town" in Appalachia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBCxG_SCnQE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBCxG_SCnQE One of the host's grand dad was paid in scrip until the 1970s. [0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Company_scrip https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Company_scrip

ardy42 6y ago
> Here's a really short video of what used to be a "company town" in Appalachia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBCxG_SCnQE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBCxG_SCnQE That's a great video.
- throwaway201103 6y ago
  If getting your health insurance through your employer creates dependency and gives your employer more control over you (and it does) then why is it a good idea to give this power to the government?
  - cpeterso 6y ago
    Your employer can mistreat you under the threat of losing your employer-provided health insurance. If everyone had government-provided health insurance, then employers would have less leverage. Government-provided health insurance can also ease the burden and risk for people starting new companies. It also maximizes the number of people paying into the insurance pool.
  - edoceo 6y ago
    So you can switch employer and keep the care.
  - ardy42 6y ago
    > If getting your health insurance through your employer creates dependency and gives your employer more control over you (and it does) then why is it a good idea to give this power to the government? Does your government have due process? If it does, how would that government use an obligation to provide you health insurance against you to influence your decisions? People quit jobs far more often than they quit countries, and employer provided insurance does tie you to more strongly to your employer (e.g. I knew someone who needed a heart transplant who would literally die if he went without insurance, because he depended on a heart pump). Also, you have to get insurance/healthcare from somewhere, and in a democracy the government is far more accountable to its citizens than an employer typically is to its employees [1]. [1] This is very clear in the typical case, but less clear for people with rare in-demand skills (like software engineers).
- MikeTheGreat 6y ago
  That video "has been taken down by the uploader", according to YouTube. Got another link?
  - EarthIsHome 6y ago
    They seem to have deleted the video and re-uploaded it?? Here you go: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SugMvGn2wQQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SugMvGn2wQQ
User23 6y ago
The US military paid occupation soldiers in Berlin in scrip too.

ardy42 6y ago

> Here's a really short video of what used to be a "company town" in Appalachia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBCxG_SCnQE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBCxG_SCnQE That's a great video.

throwaway201103 6y ago
If getting your health insurance through your employer creates dependency and gives your employer more control over you (and it does) then why is it a good idea to give this power to the government?
- cpeterso 6y ago
  Your employer can mistreat you under the threat of losing your employer-provided health insurance. If everyone had government-provided health insurance, then employers would have less leverage. Government-provided health insurance can also ease the burden and risk for people starting new companies. It also maximizes the number of people paying into the insurance pool.
- edoceo 6y ago
  So you can switch employer and keep the care.
- ardy42 6y ago
  > If getting your health insurance through your employer creates dependency and gives your employer more control over you (and it does) then why is it a good idea to give this power to the government? Does your government have due process? If it does, how would that government use an obligation to provide you health insurance against you to influence your decisions? People quit jobs far more often than they quit countries, and employer provided insurance does tie you to more strongly to your employer (e.g. I knew someone who needed a heart transplant who would literally die if he went without insurance, because he depended on a heart pump). Also, you have to get insurance/healthcare from somewhere, and in a democracy the government is far more accountable to its citizens than an employer typically is to its employees [1]. [1] This is very clear in the typical case, but less clear for people with rare in-demand skills (like software engineers).
MikeTheGreat 6y ago
That video "has been taken down by the uploader", according to YouTube. Got another link?
- EarthIsHome 6y ago
  They seem to have deleted the video and re-uploaded it?? Here you go: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SugMvGn2wQQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SugMvGn2wQQ

User23 6y ago

The US military paid occupation soldiers in Berlin in scrip too.