Healthcare reform

[lostfan]

If you want this country to survive, you have to get off of the government entitlements. Why is that so hard to understand? Oh, because that's the only way you know how to look at things. You've been suckered into the part of the population that says government is the only thing that can fix your way to anything that life throws at us as a country. At what point does it stop? That's what has made this country the most economically thriving country in the world was that the government generally stayed the hell out of the way until the last 70+ years (except Reagan - who only solved 65% of the problem and made the other 35% way worse). We WERE different, that is part of it. Liberals don't seem to want to admit that. They are always looking for the next entitlement or handout. Those rich f***ers can handle it! Evil bastards SHOULD pay the lower classes (redistribution of wealth is what we SHOULD be about). That thinking is so wrong. What the hell ever happened to making your own way?

 

Now with all that said, there ARE times when the government should step in. I understand helping people up from difficult issues, and the safety nets. But fix the damn problems with the existing infastructure before you create the biggest entitlement of them all - but hell no, we can't do that, because then the power of the government wouldn't be what it is becoming.

Yeah taxes and big government is just killing China's economy right now.

[kapkomet]

Yeah taxes and big government is just killing China's economy right now.

 

 

It's not even remotely the same. You can't compare the two.

[kapkomet]

Leave it to an unemployed conservative to root for a douche that received a $73M bonus for doing nothing to better society.

 

He's my man. He's going to make me millions some day.

[lostfan]

He's being mocked because all he does is talk about improving how the government operates, he doesn't actually do anything to back up his promises.

 

 

Yeah, still searching C-SPAN for the coverage. Where is it, Barry?

wtf are you guys talking about? 8th grade civics anyone? The topic was the Senate and you guys are bringing up Obama and transparency as if they were all the same thing for some reason and Obama is running this show. Come on now. You all know better but choose to act like this... why?

[kapkomet]

wtf are you guys talking about? 8th grade civics anyone? The topic was the Senate and you guys are bringing up Obama and transparency as if they were all the same thing for some reason and Obama is running this show. Come on now. You all know better but choose to act like this... why?

 

 

He's the party leader... he needs to clean that s*** up.

[lostfan]

It's not even remotely the same. You can't compare the two.

My point being that you talked about some vague concept of "small government" being the reason for the U.S. having a booming economy in the past and glossed over/ignored all the other reasons that was actually true. The United States was never some mythical place where everything is different and jobs just magically came here, there were several factors that made the U.S.'s global position what it was and a lot of those things will probably never be repeated. I just threw China in there because they are eating our economic lunch right now and they obviously don't have small government (s*** their government and business sector's objectives are the same thing) or low taxes.

[lostfan]

He's the party leader... he needs to clean that s*** up.

Yeah, to some degree, but the Senate rules are what they are and it's kinda impractical for Congress to just change they way they do their daily business (i.e., carry out negotiations in committee) just because the president wants them to.

[kapkomet]

Yeah, to some degree, but the Senate rules are what they are and it's kinda impractical for Congress to just change they way they do their daily business (i.e., carry out negotiations in committee) just because the president wants them to.

 

 

I know that. But since I-Bama's up in there fixin' everything up... he needs to get that crap fixed.

 

I'm kidding.

[lostfan]

I think the kind of gave it away

[EvilMonkey]

My point being that you talked about some vague concept of "small government" being the reason for the U.S. having a booming economy in the past and glossed over/ignored all the other reasons that was actually true. The United States was never some mythical place where everything is different and jobs just magically came here, there were several factors that made the U.S.'s global position what it was and a lot of those things will probably never be repeated. I just threw China in there because they are eating our economic lunch right now and they obviously don't have small government (s*** their government and business sector's objectives are the same thing) or low taxes.

You get the UAW to work for $2 per hour, and scrap pensions, and we can kick China's butt again.

[EvilMonkey]

Leave it to an unemployed conservative to root for a douche that received a $73M bonus for doing nothing to better society.

If the company stock has performed well, he has helped millions of people who hold their stock either singularly or as part of a 401k package somewhere.

[lostfan]

You get the UAW to work for $2 per hour, and scrap pensions, and we can kick China's butt again.

Hey look, someone gets it. But let's slash the government in half and this will TOTALLY happen, that's the only thing holding us back

I know you're exaggerating to make a point, but without the auto workers and that manufacturing middle class being prosperous (because of those unions that eventually did themselves in) we don't have economic prosperity in the 2nd half of the 20th century.

Edited December 23, 2009 by lostfan

[southsider2k5]

And yet no one will buy an American car to keep them employed. Ironic, isn't it?

[lostfan]

American cars still have reputations for being pieces of s***. Not true anymore IMO, but they put out substandard crap for so long that this perception is still burned in peoples minds.

 

As long as GM is still around, I'll probably never own anything other than a Chevy.

Edited December 23, 2009 by lostfan

[Rex Kickass]

I gotta say, I'm pretty impressed with the Malibu, Cruze and the Volt when it comes out.

 

The GMC Terrain too.

 

I'm also starting to get a crush on the Ford Flex.

 

And if Chrysler lives long enough to start releasing Fiat platform products, look out. Fiat's been making some great autos the last ten years.

[StrangeSox]

They are a federally based program. What they are doing without saying this is what they are doing is setting the market so that private insurers will still get the shaft. You all keep talking like all these people that are getting mandated are going to private insurers. That's not what is going to happen because there's no profit in these policies. No profit, no private insurance. Yea! That's what you want anyway.

 

Good. I am 100% behind any bill that f***s private insurers right in the ass as of last week.

 

More seriously, I would be 100% opposed to any plan that mandates me purchasing something from a very limited number of private companies. I may not think socialism is the best idea, but it's not as bad as corporatism.

[StrangeSox]

He's being mocked because all he does is talk about improving how the government operates, he doesn't actually do anything to back up his promises.

 

This is pretty accurate.

[Cknolls]

wtf are you guys talking about? 8th grade civics anyone? The topic was the Senate and you guys are bringing up Obama and transparency as if they were all the same thing for some reason and Obama is running this show. Come on now. You all know better but choose to act like this... why?

 

 

So he lied when he said we are going to change the Wash. works? He said he would not sign a bill that was not deficit neutral. This bill starts collecting taxes in 2010-11 and does not start spending until 2014. 1o years of spending puts this bill at 1.8-2.5 trillion in cost. No way is this deficit neutral.

 

 

And on a side note, why did this NEED to get passed before Christmas?

 

 

There has never been a piece of legislation ram rodded through like this one. Oh what the hell, its only 16-17% of our economy.

 

 

Keep up the good work guys.

 

Another thing, when the give the wash to the unions by exempting them from the cadillac plan tax, how do we make for that lost revenue?

[Cknolls]

My point being that you talked about some vague concept of "small government" being the reason for the U.S. having a booming economy in the past and glossed over/ignored all the other reasons that was actually true. The United States was never some mythical place where everything is different and jobs just magically came here, there were several factors that made the U.S.'s global position what it was and a lot of those things will probably never be repeated. I just threw China in there because they are eating our economic lunch right now and they obviously don't have small government (s*** their government and business sector's objectives are the same thing) or low taxes.

 

 

China is a joke. Their economic #'s may be a bigger farse than ours. Can you say "bubble brewing". Look to short the Chinese mkt in the coming year.

[lostfan]

China is a joke. Their economic #'s may be a bigger farse than ours. Can you say "bubble brewing". Look to short the Chinese mkt in the coming year.

Great, all of our jobs are coming back from China then

[lostfan]

So he lied when he said we are going to change the Wash. works? He said he would not sign a bill that was not deficit neutral. This bill starts collecting taxes in 2010-11 and does not start spending until 2014. 1o years of spending puts this bill at 1.8-2.5 trillion in cost. No way is this deficit neutral.

 

 

And on a side note, why did this NEED to get passed before Christmas?

 

 

There has never been a piece of legislation ram rodded through like this one. Oh what the hell, its only 16-17% of our economy.

 

 

Keep up the good work guys.

 

Another thing, when the give the wash to the unions by exempting them from the cadillac plan tax, how do we make for that lost revenue?

I'm not sure what any of this has to do with what I said, but ok

[bmags]

There have been many pieces of legislation rodded through like this one.

 

Also, plenty of people being mandated are going to be healthy and young, that is in fact profitable.

[bmags]

If the company stock has performed well, he has helped millions of people who hold their stock either singularly or as part of a 401k package somewhere.

 

yeah, some look at this as the ultimate nobility. I look at the fact that his policies bankrupted many and killed quite a number. But the 401k thing, that's pretty good. Pinochet made a lot of people money, as well.

 

[NorthSideSox72]

China is a joke. Their economic #'s may be a bigger farse than ours. Can you say "bubble brewing". Look to short the Chinese mkt in the coming year.

I've seen you post in here for years, providing your advice on the markets. I've seen you suggesting shorting everything under the sun, but I don't think I've ever seen you suggest going long in anything, ever.

 

Just thought that was interesting.

 

[NorthSideSox72]

Sigh

1. From a political point of view, and a legal one, I have no problem with this at all. Cigna is a successful company, they aren't being stilited up by the government. If they want to pay the guy that kind of money, fine.

 

2. From a purely personal point of view - one which I would not expect the government to build laws around - that is an obscene amount of money for a guy LEAVING a company, especially one that has complained so loudly about health care legislation. Its hypocritical in the extreme, and a little disgusting to me. But again, that's only my feeling, and since this is a healthy, private, legally operated business, they can go right ahead.

 

3. One thing this does highlight is, the problem of health care and profitability often (but not always) being diametrically opposed. This is why I have said I'd be ecstatic of the government could find ways to encourage more non-profit businesses in that field, in any way possible.