Gas Bandit's Political Thread V: The Vampire Likes Bats
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GasBandit
Staff member
@Eriol
Hamlet, Act 4, Scene 7
When down her weedy trophies and herself
Fell in the weeping brook. Her clothes spread wide,
And, mermaid-like awhile they bore her up,
Which time she chanted snatches of old lauds,
As one incapable of her own distress
Or like a creature native and endued
Unto that element. But long it could not be
Till that her garments, heavy with their drink,
Pull'd the poor wretch from her melodious lay
To muddy death.
Hamlet, Act 4, Scene 7
When down her weedy trophies and herself
Fell in the weeping brook. Her clothes spread wide,
And, mermaid-like awhile they bore her up,
Which time she chanted snatches of old lauds,
As one incapable of her own distress
Or like a creature native and endued
Unto that element. But long it could not be
Till that her garments, heavy with their drink,
Pull'd the poor wretch from her melodious lay
To muddy death.
OK, your point (I think) is that while it sustains people for a while, ultimately it will kill them? That's what I see in the analogy you're making.
The problem is that they are dead (or at least not working, destitute, homeless, etc) without it since they can't get medical care. Try working with debilitating pain, disease, etc. And you can't get coverage anymore because for any chronic condition you can't get covered for a pre-existing condition. And these are people not statistics. Thus just leaving them doesn't help at all. Something must be done. This might not be the right thing, but it's better than nothing.
I actually agree with your analysis stated here many times that the purpose of the law was to fail and then to bring in something more government-administered, like single-payer, if not single-deliverer (which btw, the 2nd half of that is bad, just see Canada). But the USA already has the highest per-capita spending on health care without universal coverage. And that means many many being in really bad shape. Another solution is needed I agree, but scrapping (without replacement) what's there is even scarier IMO.
To put it another way, it really doesn't matter how somebody got into a financially and medically terrible situation (bad decisions are always possible), but now that they're there, leaving no method of getting out of the situation dooms them forever.
GasBandit
Staff member
The ACA is paid for by a double dipping shell game. Its first 6 years of benefits are supposed to be paid for by its first 10 years of cash, and they count money taken from Medicaid while simultaneously not taking that money from medicaid. Insurance companies have steadily been leaving the exchanges. Obamacare, (AKA ACA) is insolvent, and will eventually collapse upon itself. It was designed that way on purpose, so that when it does, the Democrats can say "Welp, we gave the private sector one last ol' college try at fixing it, but shucky darn, I guess capitalism can't actually fix anything. Time to go full-on single payer!"
Which is what you said you just understood, yeah.
So the analogy is, it will keep them afloat until it collapses, at which point they will be dragged down to muddy death.
Your country? The problem is that I am primarily applying it to individuals. That's who needs the help, and thus any solution needs to be framed that way as well.
Also, I will admit I don't see the massive issue with Single-payer like you do. Single-VENDOR has all the horrors you see in Canada, but many many places have single-payer, and they're usually paying a lot less for health-care than the USA is, for at least as good (if not better) results.
GasBandit
Staff member
The move to single payer won't be seamless. ACA has to collapse first. There has to be an outcry. People have to be in pain, panicked, demanding action, so that political opponents can be shouted down as heartless and evil.
Aw, man. Kati shared that with me yesterday. I wanted to post it.
Also, it brought back to mind this Jimmy Kimmel gem.
--Patrick
I am so excited to have an anti science President. I can't wait to eradicate diseases in the third world just to have them pop back up here.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who published a controversial book about the preservatives in vaccines being dangerous for children, will chair a commission on vaccine safety.
Blah blah buzzfeed yada yada.
These is a horse that we've been beating for 20 years. Even my mom started thinking that my son got autism from the MMR, which he didn't get until after we noticed something was wrong, but my mom writes her own revisionist history to fit what she hears. But even then, she believes even if it did, it's better than all of the diseases we vaccinate against.
I am so sad that science is becoming the enemy to so much of Republican America. I'm glad to see some Republican politicians are starting to speak out about what their party is becoming, but it's not enough. :/
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who published a controversial book about the preservatives in vaccines being dangerous for children, will chair a commission on vaccine safety.
Blah blah buzzfeed yada yada.
These is a horse that we've been beating for 20 years. Even my mom started thinking that my son got autism from the MMR, which he didn't get until after we noticed something was wrong, but my mom writes her own revisionist history to fit what she hears. But even then, she believes even if it did, it's better than all of the diseases we vaccinate against.
I am so sad that science is becoming the enemy to so much of Republican America. I'm glad to see some Republican politicians are starting to speak out about what their party is becoming, but it's not enough. :/
Not exactly-
"
These senior intelligence officials also included the synopsis to demonstrate that Russia had compiled information potentially harmful to both political parties, but only released information damaging to Hillary Clinton and Democrats. This synopsis was not an official part of the report from the intelligence community case about Russian hacks, but some officials said it augmented the evidence that Moscow intended to harm Clinton's candidacy and help Trump's, several officials with knowledge of the briefings tell CNN.
The two-page synopsis also included allegations that there was a continuing exchange of information during the campaign between Trump surrogates and intermediaries for the Russian government, according to two national security officials."
They are still in the process of vetting, though.
GasBandit
Staff member
The article says that Russian operatives are claiming to have compromising personal and financial information about Trump. Not known what, if anything, they are going to/threatening to do with it. Might be they want to blackmail Trump, might be they just found it and sat on it so as to not hurt his presidential campaign.
Plus, the information on this was compiled by a former MI6 agent who had provided credible information in the past.
That would have been quite the story, except for the fact is that it is utter bullshit. I swear, left wing America has such a raging hard on for Trump, it's becoming difficult to tell whether they're critics or fans of his.
Forgot to post this: Russia Has Deployed the First State-Sponsored Pepe
GasBandit
Staff member
Pepe is definitely, like, my least favorite meme.
I've been eyeballing this case for a while, but I am SO NOT SURPRISED that this issue made it to the Supreme Court from Colorado.
What level of education are special needs students entitled to?
What level of education are special needs students entitled to?
More like staying stagnant than going backwards.
Perhaps ill advised, but none of that strikes me as racist.
I had the same thought. "he's using the kid as an 'I'm not racist' card" is not that strange an observation, even if it's his grandkid.
Necronic
Staff member
REEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!
This is a great satirical article on our current Prime Minister's scandal about cash-for-access and "Favors" from powerful friends: Can't Trudeau enjoy a secret island vacation with a friend whose foundation lobbies the feds?
And printed in the CBC no less. Surprising.
And printed in the CBC no less. Surprising.
Rubio was kind of clumsy during the primaries, but he was kicking ass with Tillerson. Where was this kind of taut performance before?
Nothing on the line means he can be as tough as he wants.
Florida Man actually does his job
Mr. Thirsty was doing this more because he LOATHES Trump, more than out of some sense of decency.