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How long before it's us?

Started by BallAquatics, July 07, 2015, 02:18:34 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

Mugwump

Quote from: BallAquatics on February 16, 2016, 06:22:12 AM
Quote from: Mugwump on February 16, 2016, 06:15:00 AM
?Funding H.R. 676: The Expanded and Improved Medicare for All Act ? How we can afford a national single-payer health plan in 2014,? by Gerald Friedman, Ph.D., Department of Economics, University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

I always assumed we would afford it the same way the rest of the FREE world affords theirs.  Our health care sucks in every way compared to other countries.....

I think the real question should be, How can we NOT afford it?

Dennis

...and to think that if Congress had only worked with the President, we might be closer to that......too many outside $$$'s muddling the water
Jon

?Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming ?Wow! What a Ride!? ~ Hunter S. Thompson

Mugwump

ClubOrlov
published on tuesdays



So far I have mostly tried to ignore the US presidential race. It's a distraction from doing things that are either pleasant or useful?of which it is neither. I haven't always tried to completely ignore these torrents of nonsense that erupt every four years like a gushing sewer, but, in general, I was never interested in the outcome, because in all but one case I genuinely disliked all of the candidates. Jimmy Carter is the only one whose hand I would shake. I wouldn't want to breathe the same air with any of the others?all lizard-brained miscreants who have left a slimy trail through the White House.

As I understand it, the way this system is supposed to work is as follows. There is just one good, solid reason to vote for the Democratic candidate: to keep out the Republicans, who are so much worse than the Democrats. And there is just one good, solid reason to vote for the Republican candidate: to keep out the Democrats, who are so much worse than the Republicans. Now, you may ask yourself, How is it possible for both sides to be worse at the same time? Well, you are right, that's not possible. Obviously, they have to take turns at becoming the worst. Whoever happens to be in office adds another turn to the downward spiral.

This seems like a good, solid arrangement?if the goal is to produce the most bloated, corrupt, criminal, warmongering, terrorist-coddling, bankrupt government the Earth has ever known?it is, indeed, all of these things. But it has just one tiny flaw: getting people to vote for you by teaching them to hate the other side is effective, but it's purely negative. To introduce a positive, aspirational element, it is necessary to somehow make people feel that it is possible to bring about political change by voting for someone within the Democratic or the Republican party. Of course, this is sheer nonsense, because the only people pulling the strings are the ones who write the checks, and you don't get to vote for any of them. But people don't want to believe that they are completely powerless, and the same people who fell for it in thinking that they could bring about change by voting for Obama are now falling for it again, thinking that they can bring about change by voting for Bernie. No, you can't possibly ever change things by voting for the Democratic/Republican duopoly. Oh, and you can't possibly ever change things by voting against it either. Sorry, Jill Stein.

So that's how it goes, generally, getting worse and worse each time. But things can't just continue to going from bad to worse forever; eventually, something has to give. At some point there must come a phase transition, or an inflection point, or some sort of political collapse scenario. And this year seems somewhat atypical because the quality of the candidates is so poor.

On the Democratic side, we have Hillary the Giant Flying Lizard, but she seems rather impaired by just about everything she has ever done, some of which was so illegal that it will be hard to keep her from being indicted prior to the election. She seems only popular in the sense that, if she were stuffed and mounted and put on display, lots of folks would pay good money to take turns throwing things at her. And then we have Bernie, the pied piper for the ?I can't believe I can't change things by voting? crowd. He seems to be doing a good job of it?as if that mattered.

On the Republican side we have Donald and the Seven Dwarfs. I previously wrote that I consider Donald to be a mannequin worthy of being installed as a figurehead at the to-be-rebranded Trump White House and Casino (it is beneath my dignity to mention any of the Dwarfs by name) but Donald has a problem: he sometime tells the truth. In the most recent debate with the Dwarfs he said that Bush lied in order to justify the invasion of Iraq. Candidates must lie?lie like, you know, like they are running for office. And the problem with telling the truth is that it becomes hard to stop. What bit of truthiness is he going to deliver next? That 9/11 was an inside job? That Osama bin Laden worked for the CIA, and that his death was faked? That the Boston Marathon bombing was staged, and the two Chechen lads were patsies? That the US military is a complete waste of money and cannot win? That the financial and economic collapse of the US is now unavoidable? Even if he can stop himself from letting any more truthiness leak out, the trust has been broken: now that he's dropped the T-bomb, how can he be relied upon to lie like he's supposed to?

And so we may be treated to quite a spectacle: the Flying Lizard, slouching toward a federal penitentiary, squaring off against the Donald the T-bomber. That would be fun to watch. Or maybe the Lizard will implode on impact with the voting booth and then we'll have Bernie vs. the T-bomber. Being a batty old bugger, and not wanting to be outdone, he might drop some T-bombs of his own. That would be fun to watch too.

Not that any of this matters, of course, because the country's trajectory is all set. And no matter who gets elected?Bernie or Donald?on their first day at the White House they will be shown a short video which will explain to them what exactly they need to do to avoid being assassinated. But I won't be around to see any of that. I've seen enough. This summer I am sailing off: out Port Royal Sound, then across the Gulf Stream and over to the Abacos, then a series of pleasant day-sails down the Bahamas chain with breaks for fishing, snorkeling and partying with other sailors (I know, life is so hard!), then through the Windward Passage, a stop at Port Antonio in Jamaica, and then onward across the Caribbean to an undisclosed location. Please let me know if you want to crew. I guarantee that there will be absolutely no election coverage aboard the boat.


http://cluborlov.blogspot.ca/2016/02/what-are-we-smelling.html#more
Jon

?Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming ?Wow! What a Ride!? ~ Hunter S. Thompson

Mugwump

So why do people hate Hillary so much? Most people have never even met her. I remember the right wing hate machine went after her the moment Bill was elected. At first they made fun of her appearance "not feminine enough, and who does her hair?" Sexist comments, but she listened and got a makeover. Then she became a "Bitch", a term I've come to understand as meaning "any strong woman that terrifies the caveman conservatives that want women to stay subversive to men."

To be blunt, most attacks I've seen against Hillary are sexist in nature.

How many people know that Hillary started off as Republican? If political ambition was all she was about why in the world would she change her party affiliation to Democrat in ARKANSAS?

The truth is that Mrs. Clinton is still fairly conservative. She's also a "hawk" militarily, meaning she has not hesitated to advocate a military solution when further diplomacy might have been the best option. I suspect Hillary was an Eisenhower Republican, disillusioned by Nixon, as I suspect many Republicans were in her day. Furthermore, the Democratic Party is now far more conservative than it was in the days of Kennedy. So she sits politically, more in tune with Eisenhower than Reagan.


So just what are people afraid of? Many have heard stories about her temper--mostly as it has been directed (justly no doubt) at her errant husband. However, I've never heard of her throwing a temper tantrum in the Senate isles or anywhere else. It is also worth noting that all the many people who have worked for her over the years attest that she is a good boss. Demanding, yes, sometimes preoccupied (goes with the territory IMO), but fair and generous in her praise. She has expressed genuine concern about her colleagues and subordinates, and she has been unerringly polite and gracious in public.

Now contrast this with some of Hillary's past colleagues in the Senate and current competitors for the presidency. Front runners Cruz and Trump are positively famous for blowing their stacks, shaming and abusing their staff, and even occasionally ranting and raving. Cruz in particular is HATED by his colleagues in the Senate.

So what is the real fear?

Then are some that worry electing Mrs. Clinton to the Presidency will spread the disease of Clintonism. But what are the symptoms of this dread malady on the body politic? Low unemployment? High growth? Low inflation? Soaring productivity?

Too liberal? But too liberal compared with whom? Charles Schumer? Paul Wellstone? Brian Schatz? Chris Murphy? Elizabeth Warren? Bernie Sanders?

So what are the Hillary-bashers so scared of?
Jon

?Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming ?Wow! What a Ride!? ~ Hunter S. Thompson

LizStreithorst

I agree with you.  Hillary's biggest problems are that the country had never been so divided, and that she doesn't have the charm that Obama and her husband have.  She is most certainly strong.  She has withstood the slings and arrows for a very long time now.

Bernie would be wonderful, but his agenda is way too liberal for our time.  He's my first best choice but if he were to be elected our country would become even more divided.  Is that not the last thing we need?
Always move forward. Never look back.

wsantia1

Quote from: LizStreithorst on February 16, 2016, 02:48:33 PM
I agree with you.  Hillary's biggest problems are that the country had never been so divided, and that she doesn't have the charm that Obama and her husband have.  She is most certainly strong.  She has withstood the slings and arrows for a very long time now.

Bernie would be wonderful, but his agenda is way too liberal for our time.  He's my first best choice but if he were to be elected our country would become even more divided.  Is that not the last thing we need?

I agree with both of you.
Willie

Too Many Fish. Not Enough Tanks.

LizStreithorst

Is anyone else listening to the President's speech live?  I am.
Always move forward. Never look back.

BallAquatics


Mugwump

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL......said as only the 'Great One' could say it.....good one Dennis  |^| |^| |^| |^| |^| |^| |^|
Jon

?Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming ?Wow! What a Ride!? ~ Hunter S. Thompson

wsantia1

Willie

Too Many Fish. Not Enough Tanks.

LizStreithorst

That was perfection, Dennis.  Thanks
Always move forward. Never look back.

BallAquatics

I know I like to pick on poor old Hillary, but NO ONE is safe.  LOL

Dennis

BillT


Mugwump

Quote from: BillT on February 17, 2016, 02:22:53 PM
What states does Sanders have to win, to win nomination?

538 analysis:
http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/bernie-sanderss-path-to-the-nomination/

I'm sure it'll get interesting, but most these polls rely on speculation.......we'll just have to wait and see, I guess..... huh

Don?t get too attached to these: The state-by-state estimates are pretty rough. But they?re calibrated in such a way2 so as to provide a reasonable benchmark of what a 50-50 race would look like. Maybe Michigan is less favorable to Sanders than this estimate holds, for example. That?s fine, but it means he?ll need to make up ground in another state.

The starting point for these estimates is state-by-state polling from Morning Consult, a non-partisan polling and media firm that has surveyed about 8,000 Democrats online since Jan. 1. That?s a lot of responses, although not enough to provide an adequate sample size for all 50 states; while there are about 800 respondents from California in the sample, for instance, there are only a dozen or so from Montana.
Jon

?Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming ?Wow! What a Ride!? ~ Hunter S. Thompson

BallAquatics

Hillary will probably be indicted by then and it won't make any difference  LOL

https://youtu.be/zG8OQRoKJs4

Dennis

Mugwump



A Canadian island is urging Americans to make it their new home should Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump win the White House in November.

?Hi Americans!? a statement on a tourism website for Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, reads. "Donald Trump may become the next president of your country. If that happens, and you decide to get the hell out of there, might I suggest moving to Cape Breton Island?"

The statement adds: "Don?t wait until Election Day to find somewhere else to live!

?Start now ? that way, on Election Day, you just hop on a bus to start your new life in Cape Breton, where women can get abortions, Muslim people can roam freely and the only ?walls? are holding up the roofs of our extremely affordable houses.?

The website then explained its rationale for seeking potential American residents disgusted by the prospect of a Trump administration.

?We are an island about the same size as the Hawaiian Big Island on the east coast of Canada,? its statement reads. "We always rank high on travel magazine lists of beautiful islands, but we are experiencing a bit of a population problem at the moment.

?We need people [and] we need you! This is not a joke! See for yourself ? you belong here on Cape Breton Island, where healthcare is free, you know your neighbors and they look out for you and nobody has a hand gun.?

Cape Breton Island also details some of its unique features as a North Atlantic tourist destination.

?In Cape Breton, we value diversity,? its tourism site reads. "Here, you can hear a number of other languages, like French and Mi?kmaq, even Gaelic! But everybody speaks English, too, just like you.

?Yes, this is Canada, but Cape Breton isn?t frozen all year round! Our summers are delightful with highs in the 80-degree range. Winters here are very similar to the Northeast USA."
Jon

?Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming ?Wow! What a Ride!? ~ Hunter S. Thompson