World Politics

[BroDeal]

That poll is interesting BroDeal. This is why I make some of the posts I do. While I agree with someone like SoCal on budgeting, deficit financing and such, these numbers are stunning and represent a lot of what the GOP has become.

I used to consider myself mostly Republican. I once vowed I would never vote for a Democrat because of some of the racist policies they promote, like affirmative action. What disillusioned me was that the Republicans claims of financial responsibility turned out to be a fraud. If Reagan and Bush 1.0 did not prove that, Bush 2.0 certainly did. And the party was taken over by religious fundamentalists. Now they are moving on to the next phase as the conspiracy nuts and outright crazies become the face and voice of the party. The real racists, as opposed to wrong but well meaning AA supporters, are crawling out of the woodwork and marching in the streets.

The rhetoric that was used against the health care bill, a bill that largely mirrors the Republican's own plan from the early 1990's, was so outrageously at odds with reality that it would be laughable if it was not given with a straight face.

 

[Anonymous]

I used to consider myself mostly Republican. I once vowed I would never vote for a Democrat because of some of the racist policies they promote, like affirmative action. What disillusioned me was that the Republicans claims of financial responsibility turned out to be a fraud. If Reagan and Bush 1.0 did not prove that, Bush 2.0 certainly did. And the party was taken over by religious fundamentalists. Now they are moving on to the next phase as the conspiracy nuts and outright crazies become the face and voice of the party. The real racists, as opposed to wrong but well meaning AA supporters, are crawling out of the woodwork and marching in the streets.

The rhetoric that was used against the health care bill, a bill that largely mirrors the Republican's own plan from the early 1990's, was so outrageously at odds with reality that it would be laughable if it was not given with a straight face.

That your sole reason for not voting democrat was affirmative action says quite abit...you supported this crap...welcome to the reality of your party...and if politics is screwed up, take a little credit my friend...

 

[BroDeal]

That your sole reason for not voting democrat was affirmative action says quite abit...you supported this crap...welcome to the reality of your party...and if politics is screwed up, take a little credit my friend...

I don't have a party, asshat. It's not my fault that your party decided to alienate large parts of the white male population by discriminating against them. It is people like you who are responsible for making moderates feel that they have no place in the Democratic Party.

 

[Hugh Januss]

Yeah, Barack Obama and Joe Biden.

I laughed when I first read that, but then it quickly dawned on my just how true it is. The Republican party as shifted so far to the reactionary right that they have left plenty of room for the Dems to fill their old spot. And all of them firmly in the pocket of big business, to the point where anyone with any kind of a social conscience is marginalized as some sort of commie threat. Meanwhile the rich get richer and the poor get poorer and the rich don't even need the backs of American workers to get rich off of anymore, when there are plenty overseas who are happy to work for one tenth the wage.
They care nothing about America but they rope in the stupid and chauvinistic with their cries of freedom and constitutionality.

 

[Anonymous]

I don't have a party, asshat. It's not my fault that your party decided to alienate large parts of the white male population by discriminating against them. It is people like you who are responsible for making moderates feel that they have no place in the Democratic Party.

You used to have a party...the repugs...and you gave up on the dems for supporting affirmative action...pretty clear man...as a white male I have to admit, your crying about the position of white males is really rich...I have tears running down my face...I hope your abuse ends soon.

 

[BroDeal]

You used to have a party...the repugs...and you gave up on the dems for supporting affirmative action...pretty clear man...as a white male I have to admit, your crying about the position of white males is really rich...I have tears running down my face...I hope your abuse ends soon.

Once again you prove that you need to take reading comprehension lessons. I never said I was a Republican. I largely leaned Republican.

Gosh, Francis, who would have thought that the way to get rid of discrimination in society was to discriminate against another group? No wonder the post office loses money. The average IQ must about equal the average belt size.

 

[Hugh Januss]

You used to have a party...the repugs...and you gave up on the dems for supporting affirmative action...pretty clear man...as a white male I have to admit, your crying about the position of white males is really rich...I have tears running down my face...I hope your abuse ends soon.

Really, how much longer will me and my white brothers be held down by the black devil.

 

[ChrisE]

Once again you prove that you need to take reading comprehension lessons. I never said I was a Republican. I largely leaned Republican.

Gosh, Francis, who would have thought that the way to get rid of discrimination in society was to discriminate against another group? No wonder the post office loses money. The average IQ must about equal the average belt size.

They have a point. If you were so against Dems because of affirmative action that is out of whack. AA is a necessary evil; I wish it didn't exist either.

To think that eveybody in this country is on equal footing in terms of opportunity, regardless of skin color, is not even worth debating. To think everybody looks at eachother on the merits 100% of the time is off base. I personally know people that wouldn't hire a black person if their life depended on it.

If you agree this still occurs, then your argument is with yourself.

 

[patricknd]

Really, how much longer will me and my white brothers be held down by the black devil.

thanks for your courage

 

[patricknd]

I don't have a party, asshat.

taking the high road again, i see.

 

[patricknd]

I haven't kept up with this thread, mainly because I am an Australian living in Canada, and I apologize if I am stating something that has already been discussed. From Men's Health magazine: 40 million Americans do not have health insurance, 40 million Americans live below the poverty line, 62% of bankruptcies are because of medical expenses, and 78% of those that go bankrupt because of medical expenses had health insurance. That's scary for a first world country.

i wonder about the accuracy of these statistics. if an accountant checked the books of these bankruped people would medical expenses be the real cause? or perhaps living well beyond their means played a part?

four years ago one of my employees gets a brand new company truck. he buys new wheels and tires, and has dual exhaust installed, all to the tune of about $3000.00, out of his pocket. two months later he declares bankruptcy.

not long after this, another one of my employees needs an advance of almost $4000.00 to save his house from forclosure. less than six months after this, and while he still owes most of the advance, he come to work in his wife's excursion with brand new 20 inch wheels. fast forward to six months ago and the same employee needs another advance to pay the deductible and out of pocket expenses for his wife's back surgery. and by the way, she drives a mercedes now, and yes they have insurance.

what's wrong with this picture?

 

[BroDeal]

They have a point. If you were so against Dems because of affirmative action that is out of whack. AA is a necessary evil; I wish it didn't exist either.

To think that eveybody in this country is on equal footing in terms of opportunity, regardless of skin color, is not even worth debating. To think everybody looks at eachother on the merits 100% of the time is off base. I personally know people that wouldn't hire a black person if their life depended on it.

If you agree this still occurs, then your argument is with yourself.

I don't like Democrats for lots of reasons. AA is only one of them.

Your AA argument is inherently racist, and AA is certainly not a necessary evil. The best way to end discriminaton is to end it, period, not to instutionalize a new form of discrimination. The color of someone's skin says nothing about what circumstances they came from. Under AA a white man born into poverty is discriminated against in favor of a black man born into the upper middle class, asians bump into effective quotas, and new immigrants are hurt or helped despite having no ancestors from this country who were supposedly hurt or helped by this country's past. There is no attempt to discern someone's personal circumstances. It's done by skin color. What wrong is that supposed to right? In states like California, AA became untenable because of the diverse make up of the population.

 

[BroDeal]

taking the high road again, i see.

I have a simple policy. If someone wants to fight with me then I have no problem fighting; it's good practice. I also don't mind taking things to the gutter. Cash wants to fight with me. He has been at it for a couple months now.

 

[Hugh Januss]

what's wrong with this picture?

Uhm,.....your employees need raises?

 

[ChrisE]

I don't like Democrats for lots of reasons. AA is only one of them.

Your AA argument is inherently racist, and AA is certainly not a necessary evil. The best way to end discriminaton is to end it, period, not to instutionalize a new form of discrimination. The color of someone's skin says nothing about what circumstances they came from. Under AA a white man born into poverty is discriminated against in favor of a black man born into the upper middle class, asians bump into effective quotas, and new immigrants are hurt or helped despite having no ancestors from this country who were supposedly hurt or helped by this country's past. There is not attempt to discern someone's personal circumstances. It's done by skin color. What wrong is that supposed to right? In states like California, AA became untenable because of the diverse make up of the population.

Thanks for the reply.

AA has nothing to do with origins; it has to do with attitude and held beliefs of a certain percentage of a majority. There are exceptions in every general circumstance, but I know you cannot believe that a white person and a black person, starting from the same place, has an equal chance of achieving the same pinnacle.

I don't believe it, and I am in the same place as you. I accept the racism of certain percentages of my kind and realize the necessity of AA and other things to force the issue. I look in the collective mirror, and don't rebel against reality. YMMV, obviously.

I'm all ears to hear how discrimination can end, as you preach above.

 

[BroDeal]

i wonder about the accuracy of these statistics. if an accountant checked the books of these bankruped people would medical expenses be the real cause? or perhaps living well beyond their means played a part?

four years ago one of my employees gets a brand new company truck. he buys new wheels and tires, and has dual exhaust installed, all to the tune of about $3000.00, out of his pocket. two months later he declares bankruptcy.

not long after this, another one of my employees needs an advance of almost $4000.00 to save his house from forclosure. less than six months after this, and while he still owes most of the advance, he come to work in his wife's excursion with brand new 20 inch wheels. fast forward to six months ago and the same employee needs another advance to pay the deductible and out of pocket expenses for his wife's back surgery. and by the way, she drives a mercedes now, and yes they have insurance.

what's wrong with this picture?

Most people are idiots when it comes to money, and they live on the financial edge so that they can easily be pushed over the cliff. Even so, medical expenses are so large and out of whack with the average income that it does not take much misfortune to push even a financially prudent person over the cliff.

It also illustrates that a national consumption tax would make money by the metric buttload for the federal gov.

 

[180mmCrank]

Once again you prove that you need to take reading comprehension lessons. I never said I was a Republican. I largely leaned Republican.

Gosh, Francis, who would have thought that the way to get rid of discrimination in society was to discriminate against another group? No wonder the post office loses money. The average IQ must about equal the average belt size.

Do we have to generalise about post office workers? Not really sure they deserve to be singled out. In my experience there are brilliant folk and people who behave like idiots in all walks of life.

 

[patricknd]

Most people are idiots when it comes to money, and they live on the financial edge so that they can easily be pushed over the cliff. Even so, medical expenses are so large and out of whack with the average income that it does not take much misfortune to push even a financially prudent person over the cliff.

It also illustrates that a national consumption tax would make money by the metric buttload for the federal gov.

since last year i've spent money like a drunken sailor on medical costs not covered by my insurance company, and i'm still solvent. (cancer can be really expensive) i also drive an $18000.00 car. i just think there has to be a connection there.

 

[Ripper]

And the party was taken over by religious fundamentalists. Now they are moving on to the next phase as the conspiracy nuts and outright crazies become the face and voice of the party.

As an 'outsider', I would say this at least appears to be very true. Over the past 5-10 years the Republican party has presented itself internationally to be more and more ... not sure what the right word would be, but radical comes to mind.

 

[Ripper]

This is really too funny. From a new Harris poll:

57% of Republicans believe Obama is a muslim
45% of Republicans believe Obama was not born in the U.S.
38% of Republicans believe Obama is doing many of the things that Hitler did
24% of Republican believe Obama may be the Anti-Christ

http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/archives/199166.asp?from=blog_last3

I think we can all agree that the Republican Party has been taken over by nutjobs. Are there any moderate Republicans left?

LMAO ... well, only for a few minutes, until it settled in that this was a poll!

 

[usedtobefast]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAIE5WVu6vM

a big f---ing deal

 

[Anonymous]

Hey everybody, great news!

The math behind this is ugly. Medicare's long-term liabilities now total $89 trillion, according to the Government Accountability Office. Based on projected deficits, the just-passed health reform will take that to $136 trillion.

And

Once the new program is finished wrecking what remains of the private health insurance industry — as it ultimately will — we'll be stuck with the government declaring that "the market doesn't work" and forcing all of us into a single-payer government plan.

That's what those Democrats who back "Medicare for all" want — to kill what's left of the private market for health care, which has created the best medical system on earth, and use "reform" to expand an already-bankrupt Medicare system.

http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnalysis/Article.aspx?id=528099

And then there's this great news;

“But then I think there is a larger issue here,” Krauthammer said. “I think ultimately Obama understands that he has just added an unbelievably large entitlement on to a country drowning in debt. He is not stupid. I think he is anticipated this, and I think he is, from the beginning, had a plan and the plan is he is going to use the Deficit Reduction Commission, which will report only after November, and I'm absolutely sure it will recommend something new in American history, a national sales tax which is called a VAT in Europe.”



Krauthammer suggested liberals believe this is how to fund an entitlement state and not have the public notice, as would be the case with income taxes. And this will be an issue for the 2012 presidential election.

http://www.businessandmedia.org/articles/2010/20100323075843.aspx

I had a quick conversation with my health insurance broker today. She said that I should be prepared for at least 150% heath insurance rate increase when it renews in January but that it could be higher. The actuaries are trying to figure out rate adequacy to insure the formerly uninsurable and the no-limit payout mandate.

Is this a great Country or what?

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

Hey everybody, great news!



And




http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnalysis/Article.aspx?id=528099

And then there's this great news;



http://www.businessandmedia.org/articles/2010/20100323075843.aspx

I had a quick conversation with my health insurance broker today. She said that I should be prepared for at least 150% heath insurance rate increase when it renews in January but that it could be higher. The actuaries are trying to figure out rate adequacy to insure the formerly uninsurable and the no-limit payout mandate.

Is this a great Country or what?

Your battle against reality would be admirable if you weren't bringing a pez dispenser to a gun fight.

 

[BroDeal]

Yeah, it's all a conspiracy by the Democrats to bankrupt the country and pave the way for...wait for it...socialism.

Where do these crackpots come from?

 

[Hugh Januss]

Fact is, this poorly designed monstrosity will lead to lower-quality care, higher costs, fewer practicing physicians, higher taxes and fewer jobs.

What a steaming pile of crap. I'm sure all the physicians will just say 'screw this 200K a year job I'm just gonna go out and get one of those cushy union factory jobs that are availible in surplus everywhere I look, and not have to worry any more'.