tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2822678093661476153.post6373150128450619044..comments2023-10-21T03:53:43.281-04:00Comments on Where's Luke?: Say what you will about the tenets of National Socialism, dude . . . but at least we have health care.Open Barhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01296373954499786645noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2822678093661476153.post-3384747895146103442022-07-05T12:57:36.951-04:002022-07-05T12:57:36.951-04:00Great read thannksGreat read thannksSheahttps://www.sheaavery.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2822678093661476153.post-66471988148577936952010-03-25T15:26:56.212-04:002010-03-25T15:26:56.212-04:00And in No Fucking Way! news, conservative think ta...And in No Fucking Way! news, conservative think tank the American Enterprise Institute just fired David Frum, where he had been since 2003. <br /><br />He probably got caught eating other people's food out of the fridge or something. Man, office politics...Open Barhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01296373954499786645noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2822678093661476153.post-48784853837498832242010-03-23T19:12:12.256-04:002010-03-23T19:12:12.256-04:00We had *not* thought of that, Dude.
You're pr...We had *not* thought of that, Dude.<br /><br />You're probably right. It initially astonished me that he could be such a dick to the extent that I figured I was reading it wrong. And I probably was. In fact, you're definitely right.ChuckJerryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16596845287728762643noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2822678093661476153.post-60003941406870528862010-03-23T16:50:16.653-04:002010-03-23T16:50:16.653-04:00I really do not read it that way. Instead, I thin...I really do not read it that way. Instead, I think what he is saying is that, as a whole, he opposes this bill. It is way too expensive and has other facets that he does not like. But he recognizes that a repeal would be impossible because of the fallout that would accompany repealing these particular aspects of the bill. They are unassailable (particularly unassailable when viewed out of the context of their cost, he might add), and it would be political suicide to try and repeal them.<br /><br />See his follow-up post, "Repeal and Replace" to support my interpretation.Side Barhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14612970173870600320noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2822678093661476153.post-73514719396133291152010-03-23T12:52:26.940-04:002010-03-23T12:52:26.940-04:00Here is the most interesting part of that Frum ess...Here is the most interesting part of that Frum essay:<br /><br /><i>"This bill will not be repealed. Even if Republicans scored a 1994 style landslide in November, how many votes could we muster to re-open the “doughnut hole” and charge seniors more for prescription drugs? How many votes to re-allow insurers to rescind policies when they discover a pre-existing condition? How many votes to banish 25 year olds from their parents’ insurance coverage? And even if the votes were there – would President Obama sign such a repeal?"</i><br /><br />These are things that he wants. He's saying definitively that he is in favor of the donut hole. In favor of excluding those with pre-existing conditions. In favor of dropping recent college grads from insurance rosters. <br /><br />I had to read that twice to make sure that's what he was saying. He wants to screw old people. He wants to exclude the sick people, the people who will use it, from having insurance.<br /><br />That is this guy's ideal. He's not beating around the bush or sugar coating it. He wants those in a less fortunate position to just be fucked over and that's it. Nothing else.<br /><br />This isn't about super rich people paying more taxes. This is about fucking over people who catch a bad break. That's what he wants. How can that be?ChuckJerryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16596845287728762643noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2822678093661476153.post-79072510661037997712010-03-22T15:07:23.546-04:002010-03-22T15:07:23.546-04:00Still can't believe the Dems actually got thei...Still can't believe the Dems actually got their shit together enough to finally pass this thing. All along it seemed like it was clearly in their interests to do so, yet they still managed to seek out ways to fuck it all up. Now it's like they passed it in spite of themselves or something.<br /><br />I dunno, I'm still trying to sort through all this. <br /><br />But one thing I would like to say to Sarah Palin and her ilk: Yes, in fact, that hopey-changey stuff is workin' out pretty darned well, thank you.Open Barhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01296373954499786645noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2822678093661476153.post-73080312298251242102010-03-22T13:52:51.668-04:002010-03-22T13:52:51.668-04:00The Times has posted an interactive map to its web...The Times has posted an interactive map to its website showing the "yes" and "no" votes for each congressional district. http://politics.nytimes.com/congress/votes/111/house/2/165?ref=policy.<br /><br />Predictably, the "yes" votes come overwhelmingly from the northeast and the Pacific coast, and the Great Lakes region, and the "no" votes predominate the south, midwest and rocky mountain regions.<br /><br />It would be great, and I really hope this happens, to see a map in, say, five years breaking down the allocation of funds and the source of revenue under this bill. I will bet you my gold-plated health insurance plan that the people who are so fired up about this are the very same people who are going to have insurance to cover their diabets treatment thanks to the higher taxes I will start paying in 2014.<br /><br />It probably should not surprise us that there was such a big fight over one man's efforts to take almost a trillion dollars from some Americans and use it so that other Americans can have affordable health care. What is stunning -- and never ceases to completely amaze me -- is that, overwhelmingly, the people who will benefit from this are represented by those who fought so desperately against its passage, while the people who will end up paying for it are represented by the ones who pushed it across the finish line. <br /><br />I don't mind the higher taxes, but the dynamic in this country -- with wealthy liberals fighting tooth and nail to give their money to poor and ignorant rednecks -- is staggering (ok, ok, that was a <i>little</i> simplistic). <br /><br />Enjoy your KFC, assholes. Don't worry, we've got the Lipitor covered now.Side Barhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14612970173870600320noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2822678093661476153.post-50913469342819162402010-03-22T12:51:01.144-04:002010-03-22T12:51:01.144-04:00Well, there's no reason to cockblog you since ...Well, there's no reason to cockblog you since you already wrote the post, but I was really hoping that the title of the inevitable post on the health care reform bill would be titled, "Say What You Will About The Tenets of National Socialism, Dude..."<br /><br />Anyhow, I think I didn't actually realize how big of a deal this is until just today. That is definitely the reason the Republicans were so fired up about it and that they were so vague on the details. This is some fucking monumental, history changing shit right here.<br /><br />I'm really happy that Obama is willing to make this his legacy for good or bad. I'm also really happy that he's open to the possibility that he's dragging down all the Democrats with him. That being said, I think the likelihood that this blows up in his face is essentially zero. The same poor white people who are arguing that this is a step toward socialism are the ones who are going to be lined up getting their sick kids medical care when they couldn't before. <br /><br />This is precisely the reason I have so much respect for Obama versus, say, Bill Clinton. Clinton would never have weathered this negative political wave to get this done (as evidenced by the fact that he backed down right away when the waters got choppy on this very same issue.) And I'm not singling out Clinton. I think Obama is one of the very few politicians (hell, the only politician) with the moral acuity to actually see this through despite the perceived loss of political capital. Although, long term, this is gonna be one of the lasting 1,000 points of light shining on the bridge to the 21st century. Mission Accomplished. (whatup, political slogans).ChuckJerryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16596845287728762643noreply@blogger.com