Occupy Wall Street

Discussion in 'Political Discussions' started by ryoder, Oct 5, 2011.

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  1. StefanM

    StefanM New Member

    So do I. I see in GOP circles almost a "race to the bottom" in terms of qualifications and competency. Disregarding the racial and gender issues, can anyone imagine candidates like Herman Cain or Michele Bachmann getting ANY traction 40 years ago?

    Mitt Romney, however, seems to be in the mold of old school Republicanism, but, IMO, he's trying to pretend not to be that way in order to get votes.

    Of course, I see the Democratic party making similar mistakes. After the Bush presidency, the Democrats had an opportunity to create an enduring political legacy to last for a generation. Instead, however, they nominated an inexperienced, ineffective neophyte who just recently figured out how to lead (at least somewhat). The GOP has been running roughshod over Obama after the health reform law passed, and Obama hasn't really done much about it.

    Of course, the GOP has really gotten themselves into a bind when they make comments like McConnell did about having the primary goal being making Obama a one-term president. So, would you compromise for the good of the country if it meant Obama would be re-elected, Sen. McConnell?
     
  2. 03310151

    03310151 Active Member

    "You know, a year from now, I think people are going to see that we're starting to make some progress but there is still going to be some pain out there. If I don't have this done in three years, then there's going to be a one-term proposition."

    I think McConnell seized on what Obama already said regarding his presidency. That, If he does not make enough progress, it would be a one-term presidency.
     
  3. Maniac Craniac

    Maniac Craniac Moderator Staff Member

    On that note, there is a memo from a prominent TEA party leader going around, asking small business owners NOT to hire people so that the unemployment numbers will reflect poorly on Obama. Now, the vast majority of TEA party members are above doing something so callous and dumb, but I'm sure that at least a few od them aren't.

    I'm also reminded of Rush Limbaugh's declaration that he wanted Obama to fail.

    This is what politics is about, isn't it? It's not about what is best for the country, it is about what is best for The Party.
     
  4. StefanM

    StefanM New Member

    Obama can make that statement. That's a matter of accountability.

    McConnell, however, stated that it was the GOAL for Obama to be a one-term president. I would prefer our leaders to make statements like "Our goal is to reduce unemployment, etc., and we believe that the best way to do that is to change policies."

    As it was phrased, the implicit message is that winning the presidency is #1, and fixing the economy is #2. If this is the case, #2 can be sacrificed for the sake of #1.
     
  5. truckie270

    truckie270 New Member

    Agreed, but please remember that this crap occurs on both sides of the aisle and is a GOAL of each party. The same vitriolic rhetoric was out there during GWB's first term.
     
  6. StefanM

    StefanM New Member

    Oh of course, and it was just as stupid then.
     
  7. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    Do you have a link?
     
  8. Jonathan Whatley

    Jonathan Whatley Well-Known Member

    Hmm. There are some news and blog items that cite a Tea Party Nation call for businesses not to offer jobs.

    But the source seems to be this blog post by an individual Tea Party activist, Melissa Brookstone, at the Tea Party Nation social networking site. Here she disputes that she's a "tea party leader" at all.

    It looks any media or progressive activists who seized on this as an example of the Tea Party being obstructionist in any serious or organized way were reading too much into it.
     
  9. Jonathan Whatley

    Jonathan Whatley Well-Known Member

    Another member of the 99%.

    Tell me this couldn't be any of us, in a country with a health care system like that of the United States.

    Via our old aed friend Tom Head.
     
  10. 03310151

    03310151 Active Member

    It could be any of us. I actually feel bad for people who run out of money to pay for medical procedures (he paid for everything up to and including chemo?) and have to go bankrupt while paying for medical expenses.

    I hope this never happens to me or anyone I know.
     
  11. StefanM

    StefanM New Member

    Our system is barbaric.
     
  12. rmm0484

    rmm0484 Member

    I know personally of an elderly couple in Virginia who, due to the husband being sick, fell behind in thier mortgage payment. They were going to be evicted over 5K in arrears until a Washington Post Reporter wrote about them. Nealy 80K was collected for them, which was applied to thier back payment and mortgage. They were also eligible for medicaid, which someone helped them apply for.
     
  13. 03310151

    03310151 Active Member

    Nothing like a bit of hyperbole to keep the dander up.
     
  14. StefanM

    StefanM New Member

    I've seen it first-hand in hospitals as an employee. Money, money, money.

    Once when I had to be taken to the emergency room, one of the first questions they asked me (in the ambulance!!) is if I had my insurance card. When you call a doctor, it's almost always one of the first questions.

    Those who do have insurance pay lower rates than those who do not have insurance.

    Doctors make more money by doing more procedures, and they do so partially to defend against lawsuits.

    Health care costs are spiraling out of control (and they were doing so before the health reform law).

    People can be turned away from treatment due to an inability to pay (in non-emergency situations). Laws requiring emergency treatment are great when you get hit by a car, but it's not so great when you have a chronic illness.

    It's an inefficient, illogical system that has profoundly negative consequences for much of the population. I'd say that calling it barbaric is putting it mildly.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Oct 31, 2011
  15. 03310151

    03310151 Active Member

    Profoundly negative consequences for much of the population? How much? Over 50% Over 60% Over 90?.......

    I'm certainly not saying its perfect, but it's better than most. Saying it's better than everything would be hyperbole. And saying that most people are getting screwed because you work in a hospital is like Bruce saying most everyone is a criminal.

    Step outside your own narrow experiences, take a breath and look at the population as a whole.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Oct 31, 2011
  16. Maniac Craniac

    Maniac Craniac Moderator Staff Member

  17. StefanM

    StefanM New Member

    I didn't say most people were getting screwed, but for starters, how about the uninsured? Underinsured? I do think that it is the case that most are getting screwed, given the percentage of GDP we spend on healthcare compared to other nations, but that is another point.

    I'm not basing my argument entirely on my (past) experience in the healthcare industry. Plenty of statistics show that our system is absolutely broken, and costs are rising at an unsustainable rate.
     
  18. 03310151

    03310151 Active Member

    I absolutely agree with this.
     
  19. Maniac Craniac

    Maniac Craniac Moderator Staff Member

    Yeah, tuition is becoming insane. Wait, what were we talking about again? :thinking:
     
  20. HikaruBr

    HikaruBr Member

    Democrats do the same thing all the time. The immigration reform proposed by Bush in 2007, which would do pretty much what Democrats have been asking for years, was shot down by both Republicans AND Democrats.

    The reason? Because that would presumably give the "Latino" votes to Bush and to the Republican party.

    Politics is a dirty game.
     

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