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[PookyNMR]

As a Canadian who has seen it work, I fully agree!

Insurance companies are out to make money.  They are not concerned about health or good will.

[Berolzheimer]

PookyNMR wrote on Thu, 01 November 2007 16:23

As a Canadian who has seen it work, I fully agree! Insurance companies are out to make money.  They are not concerned about health or good will.

And the thing is, isn't it fucking obvious?  Why don't Americans get this?

[E Merrill]

wwittman wrote on Thu, 01 November 2007 17:04

there is no "comfort" for me in keeping multi-billion dollar insurance companies in between me and health care.

Well, obviously. Insurance companies profit by denying care to those who need it. The comfort to which I alluded is not for you or other progressives. The issue, unfortunately, is not what will work but what will work AND sell.

The question of how much and in which ways to compromise is important. John Conyers has a good universal plan (medicare for all) which would be the most efficient and even handed solution but I don't expect such a thing to get passed any time soon.

The current proposals would provide coverage to those with preexisting conditions (which is HUGE), subsidize those who can't afford insurance, and provide a path to the most cost effective, universal option. With luck, the insurance companies will wither into a small, boutique shadows of their former selves.

Maybe the compromises ARE too much. I do hope we can get to a true single payer system before too long and I don't claim to know the best way to get there.

[wwittman]

Surely what we SHOULD have learned from this administrationis that the president can do whatever he or she wants...

all the next president has to do is say "if you don't give me this, exactly as I ask for it, you'll all DIE."

[Barry Hufker]

The president's power is wildly out of balance and one of the next presidents will use it as precedent for expanding power.  I can't believe this goes on unchecked.

Yes, at some point, over some stupid political action, we will all die.  But only after our rights, freedom and money have been taken from us.

[wwittman]

As it stands now, the President can simply declare ANYONE, you, me, DOnald Fagen, an 'enemy combatant" or a "terrorist" and disappear that person.

No process. No appeal. No defense.
Gone, until they say so.

A perverse part of me wants to see what happens when President Hillary Clinton has that same power, and how frightened that makes the nuts who now DEFEND this clearly unconstitutional abuse of power.

according to the constitution, it's the CONGRESS, not the executive, who makes the rules concerning prisoners of war and their treatment.

nothing this bunch does is legal, except that like Nixon they think "if the President does it, then it's not against the law"

[trock]

i saw mike hucabee last night being interviewed and i really really liked his talk on preventative helath care, where alot of cost reduction etc can be built into your pla if say you maintain a good weight or lose weight, stop smoking or don't smoke. i fully agree we are way to into fixing a problem and not nearly as focused on preventing them before they occur

i also really like individualing education and putting alot more emphasis on arts and music, and appealing to kids who are interested and taleted in those areas. that you can tailor alot of education to the individual tastes, likes, and talents and not a one size fits all

he has alot of interesting ideas i like.

[Jay Kadis]

trock wrote on Fri, 02 November 2007 11:17

i saw mike hucabee last night being interviewed and i really really liked his talk on preventative helath care, where alot of cost reduction etc can be built into your pla if say you maintain a good weight or lose weight, stop smoking or don't smoke. i fully agree we are way to into fixing a problem and not nearly as focused on preventing them before they occur

This approach works well in the Kaiser Permanente health care model.  It's private but non-profit and stresses preventive care.  Extracting profit from health care is a large part of the problem we are facing with private health insurance.

trock wrote on Fri, 02 November 2007 11:17

i also really like individualing education and putting alot more emphasis on arts and music, and appealing to kids who are interested and taleted in those areas. that you can tailor alot of education to the individual tastes, likes, and talents and not a one size fits all he has alot of interesting ideas i like.

Until it comes time to implement those ideas.  Individualizing education sounds fine until you get down to the specifics, like what exactly you are teaching.  There is a reason that public education important: it standardizes curriculum for the entire population (at least in theory) and that helps create a society where everyone has an equal chance at success.  I fear the Balkanization of education for that reason.  I prefer to work to improve the existing public education system rather than replace it.

[J.J. Blair]

I don't know if I totally like Kucinich, but damn his wife is HOT!

[Barry Hufker]

She obviously finds something attractive in him.  Maybe she has found him to be A DEMOCRAT WE CAN ALL SUPPORT!!!!

[Daniel Farris]

trock wrote on Fri, 02 November 2007 11:17

i saw mike hucabee last night being interviewed SNIP he has alot of interesting ideas i like.

I'm not sure I like the one about not believing evolution.

In many ways, I find him the least offensive of the republican contenders, but that's not saying much.

DF

[danickstr]

I thought everyone knew that god molded us from dirt globs and then blew life into us with his magic breath, but decided to leave all kinds of clues pointing to evolution to " challenge our  faith"

If appearing "presidential" was not important to the masses, Kuchinich would be a great candidate.

[Daniel Farris]

danickstr wrote on Sat, 03 November 2007 09:16

I thought everyone knew that god molded us from dirt globs and then blew life into us with his magic breath, but decided to leave all kinds of clues pointing to evolution to " challenge our  faith"

In the southeast, they do. And in Salt Lake, which is a lot like the southeast... only in Salt Lake there are no black people.

Quote:

If appearing "presidential" was not important to the masses, Kuchinich would be a great candidate.

Electing the guy they'd "most like to have a beer with," is even a worse tradition than "presidential." In 2004, Kerry was the most presidential, and Bush was apparently the guy everyone wanted to have a beer with... and kill some hookers with.

Kerry was soft on dead hookers. He could never be president.

Kucinich is unpopular because everyone wants to appear to be centrist, even when the center has moved so far to the right. So Kucinich seems far left, and people are embarrassed to say they support him.

DF

[danickstr]

I knew Laura Bush had a boyfriend accidentally die, but I am not up on the hooker gossip.

[Daniel Farris]

danickstr wrote on Sat, 03 November 2007 09:47

I knew Laura Bush had a boyfriend accidentally die, but I am not up on the hooker gossip.

Oh. I made that part up.

DF