US Healthcare, Taxes, and the 99%.

[Blog of Reason]

Discussion thread for the blog entry "US Healthcare, Taxes, and the 99%." by Dean.

Permalink: http://blog.leagueofreason.org.uk/news/us-healthcare-taxes-and-the-99/

 

[Dean]

Re: US Healthcare, Taxes, and the 99%â„¢

I apologise in advance for the minor (though nevertheless noticeable) formatting discrepancies. This post was originally made in BBCode, and not all of the features I'd administered (using the forum's text-editor) were possible to duplicate in HTML.

 

[WarK]

Re: US Healthcare, Taxes, and the 99%â„¢

Scumbag America

 

[Prolescum]

Re: US Healthcare, Taxes, and the 99%â„¢

Before I respond, I think I'd like to read the views of someone who considers themselves either a Republican or at least a fiscal conservative. Anyone?

 

[bluejatheist]

Re: US Healthcare, Taxes, and the 99%â„¢

Before I respond, I think I'd like to read the views of someone who considers themselves either a Republican or at least a fiscal conservative. Anyone?

I'll paraphrase my family members which are Republicans

Less taxes, the better the economy.
The smaller the government, the better.
The United States should make the world respect it via military and policy force.
Obama is similar to President Carter, he is weak on foreign policy and is a socialist.
Obama wants to create a welfare state and takes advantage of social inequalities to fool people into voting for him.
Romney is a businessman, and therefore is well suited to be president.
Labor Unions are bad.
Everyone in the U.S. enjoys as much opportunity as anyone else.
The gay marriage issue has been 'fixed' with Civil Unions.
Social issues are insignificant next to economic issues.
Obama wants to destabilize the U.S. by agitating a bad economy, in order to seize dictatorial powers.
Terrorist attacks against U.S. interests justify military response.(Even a Nuclear response if needed)
The United States doesn't have to answer to anyone, including the U.N.

These are honest paraphrases, I've heard all of these nearly word for word. The more extreme ones aren't as openly common in politics though.

 

[CommonEnlightenment]

Re: US Healthcare, Taxes, and the 99%â„¢

Before I respond, I think I'd like to read the views of someone who considers themselves either a Republican or at least a fiscal conservative. Anyone?

One could be a fiscal conservative and still support some sort of Health Care Reform or system. Part of being a fiscal conservative is spending the funds wisely or moving funds from one type of 'program' to a health care based program.....

It depends on what you are calling a fiscal conservative. Bill Clinton could be considered a fiscal conservative (if we were to stretch the term, a political favorite) or perhaps a better term would be fiscally responsible.

Personally, I think the major issue is the Hawks vs. Doves paradigm. It costs a butt load of money to be the World's police force.

Cost of War

 

[Aught3]

Re: US Healthcare, Taxes, and the 99%â„¢

I would really hate to be an American. As the blog post points out, Obama's record is not exactly stellar. So it's a choice between Obama/Biden and Romney/Ryan with both sides saying 'at least our guys aren't as bad as their guys'. In those circumstances I just couldn't vote for either.

 

[WarK]

Re: US Healthcare, Taxes, and the 99%â„¢

I would really hate to be an American. As the blog post points out, Obama's record is not exactly stellar. So it's a choice between Obama/Biden and Romney/Ryan with both sides saying 'at least our guys aren't as bad as their guys'. In those circumstances I just couldn't vote for either.

So wouldn't you go to vote at all? Wouldn't it be still better to try and choose lesser of two evils?

How does it reflect on democracy that there's no real choice when voting? Even if someone had a better idea of what to do as a president, they couldn't compete with the amount of funding the two big parties have. No one seems to be interested in changing the system they have in the US.

 

[bluejatheist]

Re: US Healthcare, Taxes, and the 99%â„¢

If anything vote for a third party you agree with most, that may do more than nothing at all.

 

[Aught3]

Re: US Healthcare, Taxes, and the 99%â„¢

So wouldn't you go to vote at all? Wouldn't it be still better to try and choose lesser of two evils?

How does it reflect on democracy that there's no real choice when voting? Even if someone had a better idea of what to do as a president, they couldn't compete with the amount of funding the two big parties have. No one seems to be interested in changing the system they have in the US.

I refuse to vote for evil. If I was in the US I would probably vote third party. I quite like Jill Stein, don't agree with every position but there would be enough common ground for me to vote for her. On the other hand, if the US were strictly a two-party system then I would not vote. Not voting can be a valid choice when you have properly examined the options and rejected them.

A system of political representation based on wealth is called a plutocracy, which the US is doing a great job of approximating.

 

[bluejatheist]

Re: US Healthcare, Taxes, and the 99%â„¢

I'm cool going with Obama, would rather deal with him than Romney any day.

 

[televator]

Re: US Healthcare, Taxes, and the 99%â„¢

So wouldn't you go to vote at all? Wouldn't it be still better to try and choose lesser of two evils?

How does it reflect on democracy that there's no real choice when voting? Even if someone had a better idea of what to do as a president, they couldn't compete with the amount of funding the two big parties have. No one seems to be interested in changing the system they have in the US.

I refuse to vote for evil. If I was in the US I would probably vote third party. I quite like Jill Stein, don't agree with every position but there would be enough common ground for me to vote for her. On the other hand, if the US were strictly a two-party system then I would not vote. Not voting can be a valid choice when you have properly examined the options and rejected them.

A system of political representation based on wealth is called a plutocracy, which the US is doing a great job of approximating.

Completely agree. I hate how people try to guilt me into voting for Obama by using the "lesser evil" argument, but that completely disregards the 3rd party choices. Other people then still say that I'm throwing away my vote, which I find ironic, and then they go further to say that it will be the fault of people like me if Romney gets into office.... Let's see so the majority of people in this country fall into the trap of voting between 2 undoubtedly corrupt parties, but it's my fault that this country is going down the tubes? :|

 

[Aught3]

Re: US Healthcare, Taxes, and the 99%â„¢

Also, if there are enough votes by left-leaning Americans for a left-leaning third party the Democratic party might realise it needs to stop moving towards the centre and actually start articulating values that can recapture its base.

 

[tuxbox]

Re: US Healthcare, Taxes, and the 99%â„¢