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GLYNN
Junior Member
88 Posts |
 Posted - 03/12/2012 : 8:48:50 PM
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How many will be bold enough to say you will vote for Obama again. No explanation needed.
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Lookidat
Senior Member
USA
599 Posts |
Posted - 03/13/2012 : 08:04:23 AM
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I suspect that you are posting in a republican stronghold. I don't consider myself to be republican or democrat, but I do tend to lean towards the conservative side. The problem is, the republicans can't find a strong candidate to offset all of the idiots who still think Obama is doing a good job. We are stuck with choosing the lesser of three evils. Mark my words, if he gets re-elected, the stock market is going to tank. We cannot stand another 4 years of his entitlements and kissing our enemies a$$e$.
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JOHN C
Advanced Member
USA
2665 Posts |
Posted - 03/13/2012 : 1:21:05 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Lookidat
I suspect that you are posting in a republican stronghold. I don't consider myself to be republican or democrat, but I do tend to lean towards the conservative side. The problem is, the republicans can't find a strong candidate to offset all of the idiots who still think Obama is doing a good job. We are stuck with choosing the lesser of three evils. Mark my words, if he gets re-elected, the stock market is going to tank. We cannot stand another 4 years of his entitlements and kissing our enemies a$$e$.
Well said, but not as harsh as I would have posted which would have been deleted anyway!!! WHAT FLAVOR KOOL-AID??? John Castelluccio, Jr.
OLDER SUV and house, STILL HAVE new boat-'06 Avenger, Semi-retired-'08, soon to get "new-wife" BUT MAY CHANGE MY MIND and THEN 'MIGHT NOT BE' in debt for the rest of my life! Now & 4-ever!!! Been a memeber on R&R since 09-21-2000 |
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Lookidat
Senior Member
USA
599 Posts |
Posted - 03/13/2012 : 4:26:13 PM
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John, I had to re-write it several times to get it to a printable version! Had I really said what I wanted to, it would have been deleted as well. What is really ironic to me is that when dealing with "liberals" (doesn't the word imply wide open thinking and openness to discourse?), I cannot express dissatisfaction with Obama because as a white male from the south, I am automatically labeled a racist! Personally, I don't care if he is green with polka-dots, he is still a snake-oil salesman, but no, it must be cause I'm a racist!
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marco
Average Member
USA
304 Posts |
Posted - 03/16/2012 : 2:32:29 PM
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I am voting for him again, again, and again.
Fire away if you dare.....
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JOHN C
Advanced Member
USA
2665 Posts |
Posted - 03/17/2012 : 12:47:33 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by marco
I am voting for him again, again, and again.
Fire away if you dare.....
MAYBE, that is how 'he' got elected the first time...people voting again, again and again???!!! John Castelluccio, Jr.
Some poeple voted for 'him' to prove they were not racist...voting again would prove one is an idiot! (all puns aside)
He’s showing the entire country what he thinks about our military service people (both active and veterans) – the people who risk their lives for their country are worth less than civilian defense workers who push papers around in Washington
OLDER SUV and house, STILL HAVE new boat-'06 Avenger, Semi-retired-'08, soon to get "new-wife" BUT MAY CHANGE MY MIND and THEN 'MIGHT NOT BE' in debt for the rest of my life! Now & 4-ever!!! Been a memeber on R&R since 09-21-2000 |
Edited by - JOHN C on 03/17/2012 1:09:25 PM |
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marco
Average Member
USA
304 Posts |
Posted - 03/18/2012 : 11:58:31 AM
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John C., I think people voted for him because voters were fed up with how the previous administration had botched two wars and the banking system.
Bush Jr "used" our military literally. He didn't investigate thoroughly if there were WMDs in Iraq. Instead, he sent our military and misspent our nation's fortune on something that wasn't true and worth fighting for. Saddam was Iraq's problem, not USA's. As Ray Nagin said during Katrina, Bush sent a huge portion of our military and resources to Iraq when the people of Iraq never requested it. Yet, it took extensive pressure for the Bush administration to provide resources to the Gulf states after Katrina.
Or did Bush really send our military to Iraq because Saddam tried to assassinate Bush Sr in Kuwait? It couldn't be for oil because China got the majority of the contracts.
Don't even get me started on Al Qaeda and Bin Laden. Here we have a terrorist organization that actually inflicted death and destruction on US soil but good ole Republican Bush let him slip away at Bora Bora. Bin Laden was killed on Obama's watch, not Bush's. Don't conveniently forget that it was the Bush administration that allowed Bin Laden's relatives to leave the USA immediately after 9/11. What kind of crap is that? Thousands of Americans die on 9/11 and Bush's immediate reaction is to watch for the welfare of Bin Laden's family?
Speaking of veterans, the VA medical system was in dissarray under Bush's two terms and it came to light when veterans started returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
John C., I am really disappointed in your name calling and labelling.
P.S. Democratic presidents have the most proven record during all major conflicts.
John C, I am still waiting for you to fire away....
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Pedo Viejo
Starting Member
USA
32 Posts |
Posted - 03/18/2012 : 3:31:46 PM
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Marco, you sound like you are happy with the status-quo, but we are now on track to become another Venezuela very soon. Just read what just came out yesterday.(following) I have not been able to fact check it yet, but if true, this is just the way it happened with Chevez. A little bit at a time. Your communist president seems to be at it even before the election. I most likely won't have to spend a lot of my life with it, but I sure do worry for my children and grand children.
READ ON!
On March 16th, President Obama signed a new Executive Order which expands upon a prior order issued in 1950 for Disaster Preparedness, and gives the office of the President complete control over all the resources in the United States in times of war or emergency.
The National Defense Resources Preparedness order gives the Executive Branch the power to control and allocate energy, production, transportation, food, and even water resources by decree under the auspices of national defense and national security. The order is not limited to wartime implementation, as one of the order’s functions includes the command and control of resources in peacetime determinations.
Section 101. Purpose. This order delegates authorities and addresses national defense resource policies and programs under the Defense Production Act of 1950, as amended (the “Act”).
(b) assess on an ongoing basis the capability of the domestic industrial and technological base to satisfy requirements in peacetime and times of national emergency, specifically evaluating the availability of the most critical resource and production sources, including subcontractors and suppliers, materials, skilled labor, and professional and technical personnel; – White House[/b] |
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JOHN C
Advanced Member
USA
2665 Posts |
Posted - 03/18/2012 : 5:14:03 PM
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AND YOU PEOPLE ARE STILL BLAMING THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION...WHAT HAS THIS PRESENT ADMINISTRATION (your boy) DONE TO MAKE THE U.S. BETTER/STRONGER??? Apoligize to foreign countries because the United States is defending itself, unchallenged/unchecked immigration, give more to generations of federal aid, spend more than the past three presidents combined, etc, etc...FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS, NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO CORRECT ANY 'WRONG-DOINGS/MISTAKES' BY PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS!
There’s an issue out there that can ensure Barack Obama is defeated in 2012.
It’s not Obamacare.
It’s not the crippling debt being incurred by Obama.
It’s not his religious views.
It’s not his commitment to so......NOR his anti-American causes.
It’s not even the birth certificate and his eligibility issues.
There exist an issue that will take Obama down if the voting public (Democrats, Rebpublicans, Independants, ect) make it an issue which is his administration’s budget cuts for active-duty military personnel and military retirees – BUT NOT unionized civilian defense workers.
Do you get the picture?
Obama has tipped his hand. He’s showing the entire country what he thinks about our military service people – the people who risk their lives for their country ARE WORTH LESS than civilian defense workers who push papers around in Washington.
Chances are many, voters don’t know much about this story. There’s a good reason for that. The Big Media doesn’t want the voting public to know, because they recognize the political radioactivity it represents. This is the Death Star for Obama’s re-election campaign. If voting Americans know about this – Republicans, Democrats and independents all will oppose him.
Here are the details of the story broken by the intrepid Bill Gertz:
•“The Obama administration’s proposed defense budget calls for military families and retirees to pay sharply more for their health care, while leaving unionized civilian defense worker’ benefits untouched.”
•“Several congressional aides suggested the move is designed to increase the enrollment in Obamacare’s state-run insurance exchanges.”
•“The disparity in treatment between civilians and uniformed personnel is causing a blacklash within the military that could undermine recruitment and retention.”
•“Significantly, the plan calls for increases between 30 percent to 79 percent in Tricare annual premiums for the first year. After that, the plan will impose five-year increases ranging from 94 percent to 345 percent – more than three times current levels.”
U.S. military service people don’t get the equipment they need to do their jobs. They don’t have the manpower they need to complete their missions. Their families scrimp and sacrifice financially so they can serve their country. They risk their lives and give their lives for their country.
But, according to the Obama administration, unionized civilian defense workers, sitting behind their comfortable desks in Washington, deserve better treatment than our heroes serving overseas in Iraq and Afghanistan and elsewhere.
It’s almost unbelievable that Obama could serve up a slow-pitch softball like this for caring Democrats, Republicans and Independants to knock out of the park.
It’s even more unbelievable that none of them has.
Obama needs to pay for this. Whether or not he backs off, whether or not Congress throws his budget out the window, whether or not these cuts are ever enacted, Obama needs to pay a big political price for showing his cards. There exist the need to remind ALL Americans every day that Obama is the guy who wants to cut medical care for soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen – all while preserving the goodies for Washington bureaucrats.
Men and women who put their lives on the line, who risked their health and well-being, are treated like second-class citizens in Obama-World.
He signaled his absolute contempt for the U.S. military – not just the institution of the military, but the active-duty grunts on the front lines.
This is an easy one for the American people to understand.
OLDER SUV and house, STILL HAVE new boat-'06 Avenger, Semi-retired-'08, soon to get "new-wife" BUT MAY CHANGE MY MIND and THEN 'MIGHT NOT BE' in debt for the rest of my life! Now & 4-ever!!! Been a memeber on R&R since 09-21-2000 |
Edited by - JOHN C on 03/18/2012 5:46:04 PM |
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marco
Average Member
USA
304 Posts |
Posted - 03/18/2012 : 9:26:09 PM
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@Pedo Viejo, I don't think Obama is the best thing since slice bread but I would rather he be president then any current Republican candidates. BTW, the president cannot make up his own laws. All executive authority comes the US Constitution and subject to interpretation by the Supreme Court. Only Congress can legislate law. The authority Obama has would be the same for ANY PRESIDENT in office not just Obama. If you don't like it, complain to your Congressman to change it. You are barking up the wrong tree.
@John C. What has Obama done in terms of national security you ask? Obama took out Bin Laden which Bush was incapable of or in reality didn't care. Bush weakened our posture in the middle east by invading Iraq for no valid reason. He took out the person, Saddam, who kept Iran in check. Now, we have to deal with Iran because of Bush. How many US troops died because of Bush's Iraq fiasco? How much more debt did we incur because of this failed and LIED ABOUT invasion? How many US troops have died because Obama sent them to invade a country for no valid reason? C'mon on John C. can you answer that?
A real president never sends our precious military to fight and die for WORTHLESS causes. Bush did that.
Speaking of immigration, it was Ronald Reagan who allowed the largest immigration amnesty in the history of the United States. Wasn't it Bush who pushed for a quick path to citizenship so corporate america can continue to have more cheap labor?
BTW, more illegal immigrants have been deported under the Obama administration then ANY REPUBLICAN administration. Want to dispute that? Remember, illegals come here for a reason and it is because American companies hire them!!! Maybe if American companies stopped hiring them they won't have a reason to come here in the first place.
BTW, no President can alter the benefits of the members of Congress. Only Congress can do that and they (all of them Demos and Repubs) have always killed any bill that attempted to do so. You are barking up the wrong on that one.
You are still hanging on the false birth certificate belief? I can't help you on that one. Look up Einstein's view on insanity.
Ummmmm Obamacare. The main thrust of that legislation is that people would have more choices on health insurance. Right now, as a college educated professional working for a major bank, I don't have any choices when it comes to health care insurance. My employer makes that choice for me and I am forced to take whatever is imposed on employees which is always the cheapest coverage an employer wants to provide. I would rather shop for a market of health insurance where insurance companies compete like in any other market. I believe in competion!!! Republicans believe in allowing companies to monopolize and manipulate the market.
As a military veteran, I will never forget what Rumsfield (Bush administration) said when asked by a US soldier the following during the Iraq invasion:
"Why do we soldiers have to dig through local landfills for pieces of scrap metal and compromised ballistic glass to up-armor our vehicles?" Army Spe.......t Thomas Wilson asked.
Rumsfeld's response:
Rumsfeld paused, asked Wilson to repeat the question, then finally replied, "You go to war with the army you have."
Thanks to the costly Iraq war and the banking fiasco which both happened under the Bush administration, we have to make very painful cuts to pay for them. I don't like it but we have to live within our means. You can't cherry pick your bills.
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JOHN C
Advanced Member
USA
2665 Posts |
Posted - 03/18/2012 : 10:52:57 PM
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This country is being lead into Marxism by the following means: #1...Nationalization of major businesses;
#2...Via your president's Healthcare Bill---'spreading the wealth' which is the basis of 'socialization';
#3...Discrediting opposition thru saying the 2nd Amendment is wrong, placing a stigma on returning active military personnel as being unstable, etc...
#4...Censorship by targeting ministers and religious pastors who speak against homosexuality, same sex marriages, etc...thus labeling them as violators of Hate Crimes (NO MENTION OF MUSLIM HATRED/TERRORISM-WHY;
#5...Gun Ownership---attempting to be controlled by this president and the secretary of state with their signing of an agreement with the United Nations to be able to control (in participating nations) gun sales and possession through the United Nations Small Arms Treaty;
#6...This president received approval via his Healthcare Bill- population control and the development of a presidential national security force bigger and more authorative than our entire U.S. Armed Forces...sounds familar (basis of control used by Hitler, Stalin, Russia, etc...) AND thru his Healthcare Bill the ability to commission 'Officers to work for the president to develop ways/means to control the population of America'...(sounds more and more like the Getsapau and the SS)!!!
BASICALLY, REVERSING THE VERY CONSTITUTION THAT THIS CONTRY WAS FOUNDED ON...John Castelluccio, Jr.
Hopefully, November, 2012 WILL BE THE END OF AN E R R O R!!!
PS...Since Ohblama took office, how much blood is on his hands from military casualities...why did he not immediately withdraw our troops???
OLDER SUV and house, STILL HAVE new boat-'06 Avenger, Semi-retired-'08, soon to get "new-wife" BUT MAY CHANGE MY MIND and THEN 'MIGHT NOT BE' in debt for the rest of my life! Now & 4-ever!!! Been a memeber on R&R since 09-21-2000 |
Edited by - JOHN C on 03/18/2012 11:07:37 PM |
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Lookidat
Senior Member
USA
599 Posts |
Posted - 03/19/2012 : 07:42:48 AM
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marco, You are a classic example of what put him into office in the first place. The college kids who got caught up in the propoganda of their liberal instructors, telling them that "they could be the generation that put the first black president in office". Ok, ya'll did that, now what has he done? NOTHING. What happened to all that "change"? NOTHING. His whole administration has been about kissing the a$$ of the unions (to buy votes) and getting reelected. Has it slipped your notice that everything he attacked Bush on, he has continued, or expanded? Guantanemo, foreign oil dependency, environmental issues? As a "college educated professional working for a major bank", one has to wonder, is that one of the banks that your boy bailed out because they got so greedy during the real estate bubble? I guess that would buy your vote. As far as your insurance, nobody is "forcing" you to buy the corporate insurance. You always have the option of buying individual insurance, or, like most democrats, just don't carry it! And if you think Obama care is going to give you that "choice" you did not get your money's worth out of whatever college you went to. I suspect that as with most colleges, it was filled with liberal instructors, espousing their communists views, and you, like a good marxists, lined up for your share of the cool-aid. Like someone else said, at what point do you stop blaming Bush for everything? I agree that he probably made some big mistakes, but he still had a basic understanding of what made this country great. Your snake-oil salesman has done nothing for this country except push us quickly down the road to communism. HE didn't kill Bin Laden. It was Seal Team 6, who Obama had just months before called assassins and murderers, who got Bin Laden. How did they do it? Oh yea, from information obtained by "waterboarding" scumsucking terrorists! And it was a Seal team that took out the Somali hijackers, against orders, as "No Drama Obama" and his hand maiden Pelosi stood around ringing their hands, and figuring out how to blame Bush for the situation. Now I don't expect to change your opinions, as it is obviuos that you are what my Daddy used to call "a highly educated idiot". It's too bad the college system is not allowed to teach common sense and free thinking.
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zzydeco
Senior Member
USA
522 Posts |
Posted - 03/19/2012 : 11:46:32 AM
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Communist? Marxist? The lack of civility is what is going to destroy this country.
I fish because the voices in my head tell me to. |
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Lookidat
Senior Member
USA
599 Posts |
Posted - 03/19/2012 : 12:56:41 PM
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Civility goes both ways. The liberals have spent the last 5 years accusing the "non-believers" of everything from treason to being in-bread child molesters. I have been accused, on several occasions, of being a racist, just because I disapprove of Obama's ideology and his leadership (or lack there-of). After all, I am white, middle-class, male from the south, so I MUST be a racist, right? It seems to me that liberals/democrats are big fans of free speech, and freedom of expression, as long as they agree with what you are saying or expressing. Another thing, our country had made some big strides in racial harmony in the last 40 years or so. Not nearly enough, but there was substantial progress. As soon as Obama took over, anyone who disagreed with him was accused of racism. The race card has been worn out by his supporters, in particular his Attorney General. When it is all said and done, his administration is going to set back 40 years of progress. Why? Because as long as they can play the "us against them" game, it keeps them in power. Of course, in the meantime, it is tearing this country apart, but hey, who cares as long as they (the liberals) get what they want.
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JOHN C
Advanced Member
USA
2665 Posts |
Posted - 03/19/2012 : 1:28:31 PM
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RICHARD...in short terms...it is called RACIAL POLARIZATION & CLASS POLARIZATION to achieve their Change/Dream!!!! Ex...oblama's 'Dream Act' John Castelluccio, Jr.
OLDER SUV and house, STILL HAVE new boat-'06 Avenger, Semi-retired-'08, soon to get "new-wife" BUT MAY CHANGE MY MIND and THEN 'MIGHT NOT BE' in debt for the rest of my life! Now & 4-ever!!! Been a memeber on R&R since 09-21-2000 |
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marco
Average Member
USA
304 Posts |
Posted - 03/19/2012 : 9:08:37 PM
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@John C. I don't see us going down the path of so.......m, marxism, or communism. Presidential security force bigger than our military? I don't know where that came from. Your comments are borderline and remind me of the paranoia experienced by militias up north where they train out in the woodlands to one day kill police officers, FBI agents, and other government entities. They have been brainwashed into thinking that the government will come to take their firearms. You can guess the political affiliation these nutcases belong to. Generalizations are not worth debating.
@Lookidat, you have no idea what schools I went to and much less who my professors were. It is called arrogance. Can you name a single school I went to? Given the tone of your comments, the name calling, etc, I won't lower myself to your level.
@zzydeco is right. The lack of civility is what is eroding this country. The infighting between the political parties has killed progress, killed common sense negotiation, killed compromise, and killed all forms of civilized governance. The infighting during the budget crisis last year caused our nation's credit rating to take a hit. Both parties are at fault. Both parties have contributed to the huge debt this country is carrying. The democrats need to stop welfare entitlements and put lazy ass people to work. The republicans need to stop putting the rich and corporate america first.
The lack of civility, unfortunately, is very evident in the comments from Lookidat.
BTW, how quick did we forget that this is still a fishing website.
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Lookidat
Senior Member
USA
599 Posts |
Posted - 03/20/2012 : 07:43:07 AM
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Marco, I don't need to know what college you went to. By and large, for whatever reason, college professors seem to be liberal. Even in a solid red state, such as Mississippi, it is rampant. At Mississippi State, a place you would expect a bastion of conservatism, the disease of liberalism is rampant. You call me arrogant? Did you not accuse John C of being insane? Allow me to quote:
"I am voting for him again, and again, and again. Fire away if you dare..."
That isn't arrogant? Again, liberals believe in free speech, as long as they like what you are saying. More precisely, liberals believe in THEIR freedom of speech. But the minute they disagree, you become "a republican 1%er". You entered into this fray on your own, put on your big boy panties and take your hits like a man.
I will agree with you that both parties are to blame for the mess we are in, but YOUR BOY has been in power for 4 years, and all he has done is triple the problem, increase entitlements, turn us more to so.......m, and blame Bush. Name-calling aside, I challenge you to address the issues I brought up. Was your bank on the receiving end of a bailout? Do you not have the option of buying your own insurance? By the way, as far as the republicans taking care of the rich, I would remind you that your banking institution is probably heavily owned or financed by republicans. Hardcore democrats see no need for large financial institutions, since they are all about "spreading the wealth".
Now, having said all of that, I will address a couple of other things.
First of all, thank you for your service in the defense of our country, flawed as it is. Also, we fundamentally agree about what needs to happen, as far as entitlements and getting our budget under control. But what in the last 3 1/2 years makes you believe that this idiot is going to do anything except continue to use your tax dollars to buy votes? Granted, the republicans aren't offering much better, but Obama has shown time and time again that he lacks the leadership and business skills to do the job. The man has never had a real job in his life! His sole strength is that he can make a great speech, and get people fired up. (Sound like any other leader in the last 60-70 years? Kinda scary. Remember that those who fail to learn the mistakes of the past, are doomed to repeat them.) Mark my words, if he gets re-elected, the stock market is going to crash. Why? Because it is being held up by the republican big businesses that you and the "Occupiers" seem to despise so much, and if they see another four years of this cr%*, they are going to throw up their hands and say, "Why bother?"
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JOHN C
Advanced Member
USA
2665 Posts |
Posted - 03/20/2012 : 2:41:47 PM
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Listen to the video from Retired U.S. Lt. Gen. W. G. Boykin (Green Beret & Special Forces)...This was shared with me by by one of my past commanders---
http://www.morningstartv.com/oak-initiative/marxism-america
There is s need to watch this and then share it with others. A video that will make you think!
This is bone chilling and 52% of the voters did this to us by electing Obama. John Castelluccio, Jr.
OLDER SUV and house, STILL HAVE new boat-'06 Avenger, Semi-retired-'08, soon to get "new-wife" BUT MAY CHANGE MY MIND and THEN 'MIGHT NOT BE' in debt for the rest of my life! Now & 4-ever!!! Been a memeber on R&R since 09-21-2000 |
Edited by - JOHN C on 03/20/2012 2:44:09 PM |
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Lookidat
Senior Member
USA
599 Posts |
Posted - 03/20/2012 : 4:08:50 PM
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Hey John, was I too harsh on him?
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JOHN C
Advanced Member
USA
2665 Posts |
Posted - 03/20/2012 : 11:02:12 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Lookidat
Hey John, was I too harsh on him?
IF DA SHOE FITS...WEAR IT!!! Solid statements...John Castelluccio, Jr.
Probably works for CitiBank, drives a Cheevy and drinks alot of grape, orange and strawberry flavored drinks!
OLDER SUV and house, STILL HAVE new boat-'06 Avenger, Semi-retired-'08, soon to get "new-wife" BUT MAY CHANGE MY MIND and THEN 'MIGHT NOT BE' in debt for the rest of my life! Now & 4-ever!!! Been a memeber on R&R since 09-21-2000 |
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Lookidat
Senior Member
USA
599 Posts |
Posted - 03/21/2012 : 09:02:51 AM
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marco, what happened to the dialogue? Your silence only serves to support my statements about liberals single-mindedness when it comes to freedom of speech. It is ok to concede that you may have been wrong about an issue here, I have had to do it plenty of times!
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marco
Average Member
USA
304 Posts |
Posted - 03/21/2012 : 10:38:37 AM
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@Lookidat, I did spent half of my education in catholic schools. The keyword in your statement was "college professors seem..." which means it is your interpretation and opinion which we all have. I was of the opinion that most college professors were folks that couldn't hack it in the real world and made us take unnecessary courses. Again, we all have opinions which are not necessarily fact.
Regarding John C., I called his comments borderline. To quote John C, "IF DA SHOE FITS....WEART IT!!!. Lookidat, here is tip for you. All Americans believe in free speech and not just Democrats as you believe.
Yes, my bank took bailout money. I am not an executive of that bank and neither do I work in the lending portion of it. Nearly all banks that took bailout money were banks that lowered their credit criteria so they could approve more mortgage loans, profit from the origination and closing fees and sell off as many toxic sub-prime loans as possible to other servicing banks and investors. Who made the decision to conduct business this way? Greedy CEOs who are always looking for more deregulation.
Regarding health insurance, I have the option to opt out and buy health insurance elsewhere but it would cost a fortune. The benefit of buying through an employer used to be the group purchasing benefit. However, employers are cutting back on insurance coverage for employees but of course don't cut back on coverage for their executives.
This is why I don't think employers should be in the business of providing health insurance as there are no real choices for employees. It is usually the cheapest plan that employers are willing to provide so they can advertise "health insurance" as part of their benefits.
It should be mandatory for everyone to purchase health insurance as your health expenses are your responsibility. Health insurance should be market driven where competition dictates price which Republicans do not want but Obama does Lookidat, what is your proposal for driving down health costs? BTW, the countries with the longest life expectancies all have universal health care and a fraction of our health care expenses.
Regarding Obama being re-elected, the USA has had its top three terms of economic prosperity under democratic presidents according to Forbes magazine. Reagan came in forth.
In my opinion, I don't think democrats despise any business, small or large. It is when businesses interfere in politics by corrupting elected government officials for their own financial gain is when it becomes a problem. Then why have a democracy if it doesn't really work for us? As Lou Dobbs said, "We have the best democracy money can buy".
The US Constitution starts off with "We the people...." and not "We the corporations".
@John C, I saw the video and what was obvious is that and you and the retired general have the same opinion. Whether everything he said is true or just sensationalism based on his interpretation of events is another story. But, you are entitled to believe what you want to believe. From where I stand, I am sure if a shred of this was true, then the current Republican candidates would be all over this to include every paranoid anti-government group out there.
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Lookidat
Senior Member
USA
599 Posts |
Posted - 03/21/2012 : 1:01:50 PM
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Marco, Kudos to you. That is a very coherent and concise argument. As to the points of it:
Yes, all Americans believe in free speech. It has been my personal experience that liberals yell loudest about it, but only when it suits them. For instance, when the Tea Party (No, I am not a member) came out, the liberals, particurely the hollywood liberals, attacked them viciously, and why? Because they offered a non-republican choice other than the democratic party, and they didn't want the competition. It is better for BOTH parties that they perpetuate the 2-party competition. Yes, a lot of republicans attacked them as well, but nowhere near as viciously as the democrats.
The bank failures had a lot of contributing reasons. Part of it was the greed of bankers, part of it was the speculators who were "flipping" houses, buying well above their means, and hoping to flip them for a quick profit. Another big reason was that the banks were under mandate from the government to make a lot of loans to minorities, so that everyone could have their slice of the apple pie. The problem is a lot of sound basic lending principles were waved in order to facilitate these loans, such as no down payments, and ignoring the earnings/expenditures ratio. The end result was a lot of loans defaulting.
The insurance thing? In your original post, you made it seem like you had no options, when you really did. Yes, buying independent insurance is pretty much cost prohibitive, but it is an option. But, ramming a half-baked national health insurance policy down the throats of the majority of the productive public was done solely to buy votes with the poor and "socially dependent". I would have no problem with a reasonable program, that keeps private competition in the equation. But what they have created, is literally socialized medicine, that allows the government to determine what kind of health care I receive. Not one of the idiots who passed this have actually read it!. It allows the government unfettered access to MY finances. Oh yea, and ironically, the large national unions are exempt. And all members of congress and senate. Do you not see the obvious political motives here?
Employers are NOT in the business of providing health insurance. A good, forward-thinking business will offer access to health insurance to it's employees, as an incentive, as well as other perks. Nobody is obligated to use that option. I myself do not participate in my company's health insurance program, and I have never been threatened or punished because of that.
My proposal to keep health costs down. Very simple. Attack the problem, not the symptom. First of all let the free market do what it does best, weed out inferior products and promote successful ones. A large part of the inflated costs has to do with the diagnostic tests, and specialized referrals done by physicians. Why? To protect themselves from malicious lawsuits. Probably 75% of diagnostic procedures performed are done so, not because the physician doesn't know what is wrong, but because they have to do them to protect against lawsuits. I would limit severely the ability to file malpractice lawsuits, and the associated financial awards. I would aggressively root out and prosecute medicare and medicade fraud, along with workman's comp fraud. Then, if you don't have insurance, there are, and always will be, facilities to give this care. Is it more complex, and prolonged to get that care? Yeah, sure it is. Is it of a lower quality than others with more means might receive? On a case by case basis, yes and no, but in the big picture, the answer is probably yes. Terrible huh? Of course you always have the option of bettering yourself, and moving up into a status where you can afford insurance. But no. Yours and Obama's answer is to drag EVERYONE down to the lower level! Call me an a$$h0l* if you want, but if your choice in life is to work at McDonalds, or even worse live off of MY tax dollar, because you choose your ability to keep smoking dope over bettering yourself in life, then you get what you get. I ain't gonna loose sleep if your care is slightly less than mine, because I worked hard all my life to provide for me and mine.
I agree, health insurance should be market driven. ObamaCare eliminates that! ObamaCare is socialized medicine, pure and simple. Ya know, there is a reason that Canadians come across the border for health care, and I don't see many many people headed south across the Rio Grande for the golden opportunities and wonderful health care!
Regarding the records of the presidents in respect to economic prosperity: I am not smart enough to argue with you. I would be interested to know what the legislative make-up was during each of those times of prosperity (who was in majority). Also, as you know, nothing happens in the U.S. overnight. Could it be that efforts set in motion by the previous administration were just coming to fruition several years later? Again, I have to bow to your expertise here, as I don't know enough to say either way.
Yes, our constitutions starts off with we the people, and not we the corporations. Here is a simple point though. Corporations ARE people. Granted, they tend to be the ones who have worked a little harder, sacrificed a little more, but they are still the people. Life ain't fair. What IS fair is that if I work harder, I am entitled to enjoy a better quality of life. But according to your village idiot, all that working harder does is obligate me to give more entitlements to the lazy, sloven masses.
I really have to ask you. How can you, as a veteran, support a man who has never served in the military, has accused our military of being murderers, and constantly bows down and usurps himself to our enemies?
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Lookidat
Senior Member
USA
599 Posts |
Posted - 03/21/2012 : 1:08:34 PM
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I have a p.s.:
For the record, I am not a democrat, I am not a republican, and I am not a Tea Partier. I am fiercely independent. I actually believe that I am responsible for my actions or inactions, and that nobody owes me anything, so the democrats won't have me. I believe that religion has no business in the running of our government, and the government has no business in my bedroom, so the republicans don't want me, and I am still waiting to see if this Tea Party thing is just a fad! :)
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zzydeco
Senior Member
USA
522 Posts |
Posted - 03/21/2012 : 1:59:01 PM
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Lookidat, you may be an independent but your comments mirror much of what Fox news and the American Taliban repeat at nauseum. A little fact checking would not hurt.I consider myself a true indepedent that can see thru the propaganda of the left and the right.
I fish because the voices in my head tell me to. |
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Lookidat
Senior Member
USA
599 Posts |
Posted - 03/21/2012 : 2:53:30 PM
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zzydeco, I do not deny that I lean more right than left, but I am far from being a FOXhound. In fact for entertainment during the day, I go to CNN news on-line and read the news. Then I go to FOX news on-line and read the same story, just to see the different slants each one puts on a given story. It is sickening on both counts. I believe that Obama could cure cancer, and FOX would find some way to spin it as a negative, and had Bush won the wars, made peace in the middle east, and found a cure for baldness, CNN would have figured out a way to credit Clinton!
When I watch national news, I do watch FOX, but when I watch local news, I watch ABC. Even at the local level though, they seem to toe the party line of ABC, which is mostly liberal.
Please forgive my ignorance, but what is the American Taliban?
What facts do I need to check? I will concede that I have a high probability of being wrong anytime I open my mouth! However, if you are talking about OBAMACARE, this is so.......m of our health care system. Granted our system isn't perfect, but it is still one of the best. Is it because I have a derogatory opinion of entitlements and social "help" programs? If so, trust me, I do not need FOX or anyone else to help me form my opinion. The federal government, over the years, has destroyed the institution of marriage. (I am not talking about gay marriage here, I could care less who you marry. I think that gay people have the right to be miserable just like the rest of us!:) Government welfare and entitlement programs now ENCOURAGES single women to have children that they cannot properly care for, and penalize people for being married. It ENCOURAGES people to become, and/or remain reliant on the government to provide for them.
I too can see through the propaganda. And I will vote, not FOR a republican candidate, but I will vote AGAINST a president who has done nothing other than push this country closer to so.......m and spent his entire term kissing the a$$*$ of our enemies, and pandering to any group that could deliver him a large voting block. I will vote for the republican candidate, because my options are to either support the current idiot, or to throw my vote away on an independent candidate who doesn't have a chance, and risk getting four more years of "Hope and Change". Honestly, I would love to see another democrat challenge Obama. There are a few democrats out there that I could get behind.
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