American Politics during the Obama Presidency

[Tres3]

Check out the US satellite survey measurements on ocean levels. Levels have risen something like 1/10 of a inch in the last fifty year or so. More likely caused by garbage dumping in the ocean and pollution. Now if you want to worry about something, worry about that!

The State of Florida and Miami-Dade County would disagree with you. Miami-Dade is considering moving a sewerage treatment plant rather than upgrade it because they expect the current site to be under water before the new bonds are paid off. I am not going to argue the point with you any more because global warming deniers have their minds firmly made up, just like the anti-abortion fanatics, and there no amount of arguing can change their point of view..

Tres3.

[Gandolf50]

If you really believe that we have 1000 years before we have to worry about the sea level, then I have a bridge in New York that I would like to sell you.

Tres3.

Check out the US satellite survey measurements on ocean levels. Levels have risen something like 1/10 of a inch in the last fifty year or so. More likely caused by garbage dumping in the ocean and pollution. Now if you want to worry about something, worry about that!

[Gandolf50]

If you really believe that we have 1000 years before we have to worry about the sea level, then I have a bridge in New York that I would like to sell you.

Tres3.

Show me hard data, not conjecture that says otherwise. I still own ocean front property in NY and the levels have NOT changed in the last 45 years!

[Rev BS]

Freedom in America

The video below is only about 4 minutes. Well worth watching!

http://www.youtube.com/embed/n_YQ8560E1w?autoplay=1

There is not too much that I disagree with when it comes to personal responsibility & freedom. But those southern democrats prior to the 70's, like George Wallace, ain't they republicans these days?

[Tres3]

Sea levels are rising so slowly we have another 1000 years before we have to worry about it.

If you really believe that we have 1000 years before we have to worry about the sea level, then I have a bridge in New York that I would like to sell you.

Tres3.

[Punter 127]

Freedom in America

The video below is only about 4 minutes. Well worth watching!

http://www.youtube.com/embed/n_YQ8560E1w?autoplay=1

[Tiny12]

I firmly believe in American exceptional ism.- we have had it and we still have some of it today. The driving question is will it be there in the future and what do we need to do to insure that it will be there. Having players pick up all their chips from the table, push back and run away after 30+ years of large deficits with the predictable steep uptick in the economy, leading the debt to be shouldered by all seems a bit unfair, as is saying "I earned it". Yea, you earned it all right, while sailing along with a huge tailwind that pushed anyone forward with a profile larger than 1 mm. Those with a larger profile went farther...

Yes, of course, if you've got a business, you didn't build that. If you've done well it's government and deficit spending that's responsible for your success. You made some money in the past, created businesses and jobs, and now it's time for government to take that back. And with up to a 55.5% marginal income tax rate and a 40% estate tax that's achievable now. We need to get the money out of the private sector and put it in the government's pocket where it will do some good.

There are solutions for the problem, to prevent the industrious and talented and successful from taking their chips off the table. Exchange controls for example - make sure money doesn't leave the country, like what Argentina's doing right now. Or enforce the Reed Amendment, which makes it illegal for anyone who takes chips off the table to ever re-enter the United States. Actually, Jack Reed and Chuck Schumer are trying to do that right now with new legislation. They'll probably manage to slip it into a bill that will pass someday. So, HiLife, don't give up hope, success is just around the corner.

The reality, American exceptionalism is coming to an end. We're going to be just like Western Europe, only without the fiscal discipline of a country like Germany. The only question is whether we'll become like France or Greece.

[Gandolf50]

The government of Singapore is not a climate change denier either. For several years they have been investigating rising sea levels, including ringing the entire island with a sea wall that would keep the water out.

Tres3.

Sea levels are rising so slowly we have another 1000 years before we have to worry about it.

[Tres3]

Just as an aside.- what does Singapore look like with a rising tide? (I hope we don't have a bunch of climate change deniers here...

The government of Singapore is not a climate change denier either. For several years they have been investigating rising sea levels, including ringing the entire island with a sea wall that would keep the water out.

Tres3.

[Tres3]

Everyone seems to forget that Argentina had universal health care long before the country unilaterally repudiated the foreign debt, and could no longer borrow overseas. I do not pretend to know, but speculate that part of that repudiated debt went to finance the health care system.

Obamacare is a two humped camel--a horse designed by a committee, but is it worse than we had before? I do not know, and only time will tell. Before Obamacare we had millions of working poor people, not just deadbeats, who had no insurance provided by their employers. Many of those employers cannot not afford to provide their employees with health insurance, but there are also many employers who are just plain greedy. I doubt that we will ever know which is which.

Tres3.

[HiLife]

This thread diverges and converges however the one thing that I can say that is 100% correct:

Nevertheless, the Argentine system of both free public and paid private health care would never work in the USA for a very simple reason: Argentina cannot borrow money internationally, and thus the amount of money they spend on their free public health care system is limited to what they can pay for from their own internally generated tax revenues.

In other words, they are forced to balance their national budget.

However, if we had a system of free public hospitals in the USA, the gutless politicians in charge of our government, bowing to the inevitable political pressure, would borrow another trillion dollars from the Chinese every year (above our current borrowings, mind you), all in the name of "investing" in our medical care system. In addition, there would also be the inevitable creep in employment costs as the same gutless politicians buy the votes of the government employee union members with salary and pension increases, eventually driving the cost of the free public health care system higher than the private care system.

This is an accurate description of a couple of dynamics.- one; what the US has engaged in for the past 32 years, a lot of deficit spending that has radically accelerated our economy into a place that has massive bubbles, costs, debt and operating deficits and two; what is happening in Argentina where the gov cannot borrow (ex from Venezuela), lives within their (limited) means and "what you see is what you get and what was actually paid for (without any borrowing). Yes there's some manipulation by CFK and some theft by her friends etc... But the basic system is not operating at a deficit.

I firmly believe in American exceptional ism.- we have had it and we still have some of it today. The driving question is will it be there in the future and what do we need to do to insure that it will be there. Having players pick up all their chips from the table, push back and run away after 30+ years of large deficits with the predictable steep uptick in the economy, leading the debt to be shouldered by all seems a bit unfair, as is saying "I earned it". Yea, you earned it all right, while sailing along with a huge tailwind that pushed anyone forward with a profile larger than 1 mm. Those with a larger profile went farther...

Just as an aside.- what does Singapore look like with a rising tide? (I hope we don't have a bunch of climate change deniers here...

[Rev BS]

Singapore is a densely populated city state on an island with a polyglot of races, albeit the majority is Chinese. They do what has worked best for them after early trial and error. They have found that being authoritarian works for them, and avoids a sanitation problem with concomitant diseases. The big differences between Singapore and the rest of the world are that, they pay police and other civil or public servants a living wage, come down hard on corruption of any form, and have strict, onerous laws which are ENFORCED. If one obeys the law, one still has a great deal of freedom. Contrary to popular belief, Singapore banned chewing gum because youths were using it to disrupt the subways (arguably one of the best in the world) by holding a train car's doors open, thereby stopping the train until the offending doors were cleared.

Tres3.

Early on, Singapore also had to deal with racial tension between the Chinese and the Malays. The threat of communism was also present as there was no national identity and most Chinese still look to the China as the motherland. With no natural resources except human labor, Singapore by sheer determination, is a vibrant futuristic city state. But now, it is plagued by that killer of ethical & moral instincts, consumerism.

[Tres3]

Singapore is a densely populated city state on an island with a polyglot of races, albeit the majority is Chinese. They do what has worked best for them after early trial and error. They have found that being authoritarian works for them, and avoids a sanitation problem with concomitant diseases. The big differences between Singapore and the rest of the world are that, they pay police and other civil or public servants a living wage, come down hard on corruption of any form, and have strict, onerous laws which are ENFORCED. If one obeys the law, one still has a great deal of freedom. Contrary to popular belief, Singapore banned chewing gum because youths were using it to disrupt the subways (arguably one of the best in the world) by holding a train car's doors open, thereby stopping the train until the offending doors were cleared.

Tres3.

[Rev BS]

I actually wouldn't have a complaint if I paid a reasonable amount in taxes and IF funds were administered in a way that resulted in efficient, cost-effective, basic medical care being provided for people who really need it and can't afford it through no fault of their own. But that's not the case.

So let's be clear. "Government" by itself is neutral, but the kind of society we have determines the kind of people who is in government. And so society gets the kind of government it deserves. So just look around you, or even in the mirror, and the dysfunctional forces that permeates American life. You can say that Singapore has reach the mountain top, but the road ahead is even harder as we have witness what has happen to Japan & the USA.

Three years ago, Geyland mongering reached it's peak. I considered it as one of top 5 red zones in the world. Sadly, it become too rowdy for Singapore, and the iron fist was flashed.

In the future, please refrain from such personal sensitive issues like marriage proposals in the forum.(smile).

[Tiny12]

As you know, Singapore has been under 1-party rule since independence. So you can say that Singapore have an authoritarian government, albeit elected within democratic guidelines. Fortunately, it is under "good governance" because the elected government is honest, dedicated, innovative, and planning within a very big picture. Social engineering is very vital to its core everyday message as well as in its long term planning. In other word, Big Brother is not only behind you, but all around you. Not really a problem for industrious, family oriented, law abiding citizens. American society today hardly fit that description.

So, can Americans tolerate that? No way, not even if they promise that every citizen can be a millionaire if you follow the rules. You want to pack a gun. No problem, $500,000 just to obtain a license to buy. Then another $25,000 per year to renew. That's how it works there. Just google their car purchasing process. So you want to smoke pot? Ahhh, you don't want to go there.

As for their living longer, well, you figured that one out. Really, not too hard.

P.S. The gun stuff, I made it up. Just an example of how government regulates activity and everyday life.

Philosophically I don't agree with Singapore's stance on several issues related to civil liberties. But since I don't use drugs or chew gum they don't effect me. Significantly, they don't throw you in jail for seeing prostitutes. The four floors of w*ores (Orchard Towers) there are awesome.

Given issues that are important to me, like taxes, safety and security, quality of public services, rule of law, and ready availability of women, Singapore looks like a very desirable place to live. If you were a woman I'd marry you to get Singapore citizenship, even though I disagree with you on many issues and believe you're too old for me.

On the subject we're discussing, the difference between Singapore and the USA is that Singapore puts a gun to your head and tells you that you must contribute to your own personal savings account for medical care, retirement and education. The United States, in addition to running something like a Ponzi scheme for Medicare, puts a gun to my head and tells me that I must pay for other people's medical insurance. I actually wouldn't have a complaint if I paid a reasonable amount in taxes and IF funds were administered in a way that resulted in efficient, cost-effective, basic medical care being provided for people who really need it and can't afford it through no fault of their own. But that's not the case.