American Politics during the Obama Presidency

[QUOTE=WorldTravel69;436962]I agree we need to hear more.

I have been there, I am not clear on what our problems are to theirs.

I know their's is really bad.

The only impeachment should be the Do Nothing Congress. But that is to the Voters.[/QUOTE]

New York Times, Thomas Fuller, December 16 & 22,2013 (selectively condensed).

"In one of the more provocative moves of Thailand's month-long political crisis, anti-government protesters marching through Bangkok Sunday vowed to disrupt the coming elections in their campaign to rid the country of its most influential political family. We will shut down the country, we will block everyone casting ballots, vows Suthep Thaugsuban, the main protest leader. As with the division of the red and blue states of the United States, Thailand's geographical divides have become even sharper as the crisis continued."

"In today's fractured Thailand, a majority wants more democracy, but a minority including many rich and powerful people, is petrified by the thought of it. What unites the protestors is the desire to dismantle Prime Minister Yingluck's Pheu Thai party, which has won every election since 2001. The anti-democratic ideas put forward by protest leaders are in jarring contrast with the image of Thailand as a cosmopolitan country open to the world.

"Thailand today is a much richer than two decades ago, but it is also more divided. On the face of it, the crux of the protest appears to be a classic power between a dominant majority and a minority frustrated by its losing streak in elections and its inability to influence national policies in a winner-take-all, in a highly centralized system."

You can only laugh quietly to yourself, the absurdity of the human race. We think we are so clever, but we are no different from the rats in the sewers. I escape to Thailand, but I could not escape Starbucks and the Tea Party.

[QUOTE=RevBS;437142]New York Times, Thomas Fuller, December 16 & 22,2013 (selectively condensed).

"In one of the more provocative moves of Thailand's month-long political crisis, anti-government protesters marching through Bangkok Sunday vowed to disrupt the coming elections in their campaign to rid the country of its most influential political family. We will shut down the country, we will block everyone casting ballots, vows Suthep Thaugsuban, the main protest leader. As with the division of the red and blue states of the United States, Thailand's geographical divides have become even sharper as the crisis continued."

"In today's fractured Thailand, a majority wants more democracy, but a minority including many rich and powerful people, is petrified by the thought of it. What unites the protestors is the desire to dismantle Prime Minister Yingluck's Pheu Thai party, which has won every election since 2001. The anti-democratic ideas put forward by protest leaders are in jarring contrast with the image of Thailand as a cosmopolitan country open to the world.

"Thailand today is a much richer than two decades ago, but it is also more divided. On the face of it, the crux of the protest appears to be a classic power between a dominant majority and a minority frustrated by its losing streak in elections and its inability to influence national policies in a winner-take-all, in a highly centralized system."

You can only laugh quietly to yourself, the absurdity of the human race. We think we are so clever, but we are no different from the rats in the sewers. I escape to Thailand, but I could not escape Starbucks and the Tea Party.[/QUOTE]Yes, there are similarities between the ruling Pheu Thai party and the American Democrat Party. Pheu Thai is fiscally irresponsible and buys votes from rice farmers, factory workers, etc. But its populist agenda is a disguise for its true purpose, which is doing the bidding of a billionaire businessman (Thaksin Shinawatra).

You're not going to see me defending their opposition, the Thai Democrats. I suspect you're trying to make an analogy between the Yellow Shirts, being a subset of the Thai Democrat Party that has taken to the streets to try to overthrow the government, and the Tea Party. If so, the analogy is ridiculous. In terms of their strategies, the Yellow Shirts have much more in common with the Occupy Wall Street movement, of which I think you approve, than with the Tea Party. The Tea Party, however you define it, has never gone beyond parliamentary procedure in its attempts to return the federal government to fiscal sanity. The Tea Party has never and will never attempt to overthrow the government with massive demonstrations.

[B][size=3]Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) said on Sunday that Obamacare's endless problems could create a "complete meltdown" and endanger Democrats' control of the U.S. Senate.[/B][/size]

"If it's so much more expensive than what we anticipated and if the coverage is not as good as what we had, you've got a complete meltdown at that time," Manchin said on CNN's State of the Union. "If it falls of its own weight, if basically the cost becomes more than we can absorb, absolutely.

[URL]http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/12/22/Dem-Senator-Obamacare-May-Face-Complete-Meltdown-Give-GOP-Senate[/URL]

Forget about Thailand lets talk about something that matters.

Because of age, height weight no one wants to wtie health for me. I have basically catastrophe coverage $12,000 in-net work& $24,000. out of network deuctible and max out of pockets at a cost of $1970 per month with a $5,000,000. life time cap. I shopped and shopped with multiple agents year after year. The website is horrible so my agent took care of it.about $1000 per month for platinum plan with in net work amlost no payments by me except for non-fomulary drugs[whichiwillbytviaCanada]. out of network is not good, but i am paying more premium for a very large national network--all my doctors, the locale medical school faculty and the best locale hostitals all participate. It took awhile to shop as the plans are complex and the network in very important.

I think every one agrees that there needs to be fine tuning and fixing. Unfortunately there is not the political will to fine tune and fix.

Read an interesting opinion piece about education and the USA's ability to create a productive work force.

[URL]http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/08/opinion/sunday/friedman-cant-we-do-better.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss[/URL]

The comments are as interesting as the piece.

[QUOTE=MiamiBob;437214]Read an interesting opinion piece about education and the USA's ability to create a productive work force.

[URL]http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/08/opinion/sunday/friedman-cant-we-do-better.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss[/URL]

The comments are as interesting as the piece.[/QUOTE]Shocked! I am shocked to hear there is a problem with government managed education. How can this be?

Don B.

If the locale government does not supply education, does everyone home school? Religious institutions? Privatize?

How do we motivate more students to want to learn. Maybe we give up and just have an undereducated " serf" class who live on the margins of society? Some might say that already exists?

[QUOTE=MiamiBob;437168]Because of age, height weight no one wants to wtie health for me. I have basically catastrophe coverage $12,000 in-net work& $24,000. out of network deuctible and max out of pockets at a cost of $1970 per month with a $5,000,000. life time cap. I shopped and shopped with multiple agents year after year. The website is horrible so my agent took care of it.about $1000 per month for platinum plan with in net work amlost no payments by me except for non-fomulary drugs[whichiwillbytviaCanada]. out of network is not good, but i am paying more premium for a very large national network--all my doctors, the locale medical school faculty and the best locale hostitals all participate. It took awhile to shop as the plans are complex and the network in very important.

I think every one agrees that there needs to be fine tuning and fixing. Unfortunately there is not the political will to fine tune and fix.[/QUOTE]Hey MB,

Just remember, in order for you to get coverage at that price, someone else will be required to pay more than their risk profile would otherwise require.

Do you really believe that younger/healthier individuals and/or the country's taxpayers should be subsidizing your health care?

Thanks,

Jax

[QUOTE=MiamiBob;437218]How do we motivate more students to want to learn.[/QUOTE]I know, let's tell them that the government is going to take 50% of what they will earn after they finish school and start working. That should start a fire under them.

[QUOTE=MiamiBob;437218]Maybe we give up and just have an undereducated "serf" class who live on the margins of society? Some might say that already exists?[/QUOTE]Just continue giving them free money to stay home and fuck off, and that's exactly what you'll have: A "serf" class of permanent Democrat voters.

Of course, in the Middle Ages serfs actually had to work if they wanted to eat, but we wouldn't want the facts to obscure your point.

Thanks,

Jax.

[QUOTE=Jackson;437219]Hey MB,

Just remember, in order for you to get coverage at that price, someone else will be required to pay more than their risk profile would otherwise require.

Do you really believe that younger/healthier individuals and/or the country's taxpayers should be subsidizing your health care?

Thanks,

Jax[/QUOTE]Jackson-.

Do you believe that citizens of the United States should be simply left for dead if they cannot afford to pay for their own healthcare at "market rates"? Incredibly hypocritical for our very own Jackson to be complaining about government subsidized healthcare, when he himself benefits INCREDIBLY from subsidized healthcare here in Argentina! Not only does Jackson plop himself down as a guest in Argentina, contributing nothing, he "leeches" off the government by benefitting from subsidized electricity, gas, water, public transportation and medical school. His "private" medical services are as cheap as they are in Argentina as a direct result of government subsidies; those doctor fees would be a hell of a lot higher if the doctors had not gone to medical school for "free", the hospital was paying market rates for utilities, and the public transportation was non. Subsidized.

All this leeching and non contributing by Jackson in a foreign country, and he has the GALL to rail against TAX PAYING US CITIZENS benefiting from subsidized healthcare in their own country!

Suerte,

RH.

[QUOTE=Jackson;437219]Hey MB,

Just remember, in order for you to get coverage at that price, someone else will be required to pay more than their risk profile would otherwise require.

Do you really believe that younger/healthier individuals and/or the country's taxpayers should be subsidizing your health care?

Thanks,

Jax[/QUOTE]Hey I have an idea, if you don't want government interfering in your life, move to Afghanistan, Sudan etc. There are no government services or tax collection there.

[QUOTE=QualityTime;437222]Hey I have an idea, if you don't want government interfering in your life, move to Afghanistan, Sudan etc. There are no government services or tax collection there.[/QUOTE]As I have pointed out previously, this error is know as the False Alternative".

Don B.

[QUOTE=RockHarders;437221]Jackson-.

Do you believe that citizens of the United States should be simply left for dead if they cannot afford to pay for their own healthcare at "market rates"? Incredibly hypocritical for our very own Jackson to be complaining about government subsidized healthcare, when he himself benefits INCREDIBLY from subsidized healthcare here in Argentina! Not only does Jackson plop himself down as a guest in Argentina, contributing nothing, he "leeches" off the government by benefitting from subsidized electricity, gas, water, public transportation and medical school. His "private" medical services are as cheap as they are in Argentina as a direct result of government subsidies; those doctor fees would be a hell of a lot higher if the doctors had not gone to medical school for "free", the hospital was paying market rates for utilities, and the public transportation was non. Subsidized.

All this leeching and non contributing by Jackson in a foreign country, and he has the GALL to rail against TAX PAYING US CITIZENS benefiting from subsidized healthcare in their own country!

Suerte,

RH.[/QUOTE]Here, here! Are there no prisons? Are there no work houses?

What does Jax do in BA other than own a house where he rents out rooms???

[QUOTE=Jackson;437219]Hey MB,

Just remember, in order for you to get coverage at that price, someone else will be required to pay more than their risk profile would otherwise require.

Do you really believe that younger/healthier individuals and/or the country's taxpayers should be subsidizing your health care?

Thanks,

Jax[/QUOTE]Hey Jax, your same analogy would apply to buying car insurance. Safe older drivers subsidize younger drivers. How about subsidizing public trnsportation?

With all respect, the essence of insurance is pooling risk for the greater good. I cut my premiums down to $12,000 with very good in. Network coverage and only catestrophic coverage out of net work. I truly believe that single payer is the only rationale long term solution. The ACA is a variation on sen robert doles' counter proposal to clinton's health care solutions.

Robert dole was a great senator who came up with a market solution.

Ted cruz is just not of the same stature. Yes, there needs to be fine tuning on the ACA. The lobbyists sliced and diced this one real bad.

The political will to have a function health care sysem does not exist in the congress.