Can you answer these 4 questions

[Vassago]

I disagree. The US was once a great country. It still can be. It just needs a lot of TLC and modifications to get back to that.

I used to say "Wake up" and "Unplug" a lot, but I've learned to stop when I realized people were using these words to try and win debates with people that just disagreed with them. It wasn't that they didn't know, they just didn't agree. I find them almost offensive now.

This is still one of my favorite quotes, from a fictional source at that. There is so much truth to this statement, it makes me sad. I believe there really was a time when we stood for much more.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZFRmVFn7WM

 

[Bladerunner]

I agree with most of what you said, I just think the Republicans are not any better.

PS Glad to see you are an Independent.

In my earlier years, I was a democrat because all the democrats politicians I knew were conservative and the party was actually the poor fellows party. Somewhere along about Johnson's presidency, they changed and became more (fiscally) liberal every year. The republican party has always been viewed as the fat cats party. Right or wrong it stuck and now we are paying for it. Nice to meet another independent even if you are from the north? LOL

Have a nice day:>
Bladerunner

 

[Bladerunner]

I disagree. The US was once a great country. It still can be. It just needs a lot of TLC and modifications to get back to that.

I used to say "Wake up" and "Unplug" a lot, but I've learned to stop when I realized people were using these words to try and win debates with people that just disagreed with them. It wasn't that they didn't know, they just didn't agree. I find them almost offensive now.

This is still one of my favorite quotes, from a fictional source at that. There is so much truth to this statement, it makes me sad. I believe there really was a time when we stood for much more.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZFRmVFn7WM

Yes, I shed a tear or two every time I see it. My youth and adolescence was during those years. We were great at one time, we cared not only about our people but cared about people abroad. Back then with Nuclear Annihilation, (mutually assured destruction), we still found a way to help anybody who needed it. If you have ever seen the 'Waltons' then you will understand. That way of life stayed with us and even 20 years after the 'big war to end all wars' we still cared.

I guess the problem is that I see very few small roads that lead back to the type of life we once had and many major roads leading to what we have now and even worse, what we are fixing to have unless changed.

Example: I saw a clip about the kids (in their 20's) sitting on park bench where they were texting someone who was on the other side of the park. You say this is normal but no it is not, they knew they were there. They have unplugged from society entirely. Hey, most of them don't even know who the president or vice-president is, and what is bad, they don't care. Unless all of this is an illusion it is simply going to get worse until.....Until! Anybody ever see "Revolution" the tv series that depicted the way things Could be after the lights went out for everybody worldwide. No, I am NOT predicting Armageddon, just looking at things the way they was, the way they are now and the way they are heading for in the future. We as a nation have come a long way, socially, scientifically, medically, etc. but somewhere along the way, we unplugged from everything but self -gluttony and forgot or don't want to plug back in.

Have a nice day:>)
Bladerunner

 

[Libre]

The main reason the the US seems to have lost some of its greatness is that a lot of the rest of the world has caught up, and even surpassed us in many areas. Whatever time you are referring to as the "good old times", there were truly horrible things happening both here and abroad. It's always been great for the privilaged classes, but for the disadvantaged classes and minorities, Jews, Blacks, Asians, Latinos - less so. Not to say this is not the "land of opportunity" because it is. I don't say it's all wrong - but a good deal has been. Interment camps for Japanese Americans, lynchings, the KKK, class warfare, Sen Joseph McCarthy, the Vietnam war, on and on. In every era there have been terrible wrongs. These are the reasons I say that the "America we know" never really existed.
On the other hand, while we've lost ground economically to Asia and other regions, our society has made huge strides in social areas and technology. In these areas we're greater than we've ever been.

 

[Vassago]

I think Vassago is a Libertarian. Which would be my second choice. I would vote John Stossel or Larry Elder for President.

Definitely not. I consider myself independent. I prefer not to align with any particular party, but rather the person. I liked Ron Paul in the primaries for the Republicans because I agreed with more of his ideas than anyone else. I like Gary Johnson in the election because I agreed more with him than anyone else. Mostly, I just want the system to be shaken up a bit and eliminate this two party ridiculousness we have become. They shouldn't have this much power, even the power to change their own rules as the Republicans did to push Ron Paul out without any backlash. As both parties did by raising the bar on who can participate in national debates to lock out Gary Johnson. What were they afraid of? An actual single-minded human making them look bad?

 

[Libre]

Not really sure what that means..Sorry?

As far as lying, Obama and Clinton are the only two Pres. that have blatantly lied directly to the people.Yes, all politicians are liars, "if their lips are moving they are lying".

have a nice day:>)
Bladerunner

How is it that "you can keep your health plan" is a lie, and "we're certain Saddam Hussein is hiding weapons of mass destruction" is not a lie? If I tell you, "You're gonna LOVE this movie" or it "definitely won't rain tomorrow" and these things don't pan out, should you not have realized when I was telling you these things that I'm not omniscient and don't expect you to take what I say as an absolute guarantee?

It is plain to me that Obama's "lie" as you put it was an overreaching statement he made with good intentions but it didn't turn out to be true. It was overreaching because the insurance companies are independent agencies and their actions and reactions can't necessarily be predicted to the letter, which everyone should have realized because we're not children. Clinton lied about an affair - the oldest lie in the books and one that the American public basically couldn't care less about except not much else was going on in the news to talk about at the time.
On the other hand, GW Bush dragged the US into a shootin' war, destabilizing the region, and causing the death and injury of hundreds of thousands, on totally false pretenses. He told us the war would last 2-3 months at most. He told us "mission accomplished" when it hadn't even really started.
The fact of the matter is that ALL people lie at times, not just politicians. And don't forget that there are different kinds of lies - there is deliberate deceit for unscrupulous gain, there mistakes, there are exaggerations, and there are promises that just don't work out.

 

[Libre]

The United States is barely 200 years old. A virtual infant compared to China, Japan, Europe, England. To compare us to the rest of the world is retarded at best. India alone goes back at least 30,000 years. The rest of the world has a huge head start and should be recognized as such.

I thought we were staying away from personal attacks.
You call my statements "retarded" while you say that India as a country goes back to prehistoric times, during the the last Ice Age, and thousands of years before there were humans in the Americas, and Neanderthals had only just become extinct. You enter this into a discussion about current geopolitical issues.
To compare us to the rest of the world is only appropriate. You think we haven't matured as a society? The US and England were the first industrialized nations. I honestly can't see any sense in your objection to my referring to other nations/societies in this discussion. If you can find a way to clarify your obscure points I'll try to find a way to discuss them with you.

 

[Libre]

There are hominid remains in Africa going back 100,000 years or more, so why pick India?
India, as a country - and not as a region on the earth, but as a political entity, goes back to the middle of the 19th century - and I don't know why I'm arguing this point with you - I can copy and paste as well as the next guy. I don't choose, however, to enter total irrelevancies into a conversation just to show I know how to do an internet search.
So please explain your position because to me it is ludicrous.
Is your position: I should not point out that other nations have caught up to the US in the last several decades, industrially and economically, because we're a young country in comparison to some ancient civilizations, despite the fact - as I pointed out but you ignored - that we were one of the first two countries to be industrialized? So any discussion about the US's position with respect to the other countries of the world should wait a few thousand years, and only then would any comparison be justified?
And you call my comments "retarded".
The use of this word is sufficiently indicative of the level of your own intellectual functioning as to give me pause before engaging in any discussion with you at all.

 

[Old Man Devin]

Hey Old Man Devin: Sorry---I was talking about the lying he did about ObamaCare (you can keep your DR., etc.) knowing all the time it was a lie. I am not a 'Birther', thats water under the bridge. Obama is shrewd. He was a constitutional lawyer. he is so far left it is not funny.

Ah okay, unfortunately I don't really know anything about the ObamaCare goings on. no doubt we whips out tactical lies all the time, for thus is the nature of politics!

It seems strange to hear you say he is far left, as from the perspective of the UK, Obama would be considered right wing (while Republican candidates would be considered extreme right wing). For example, we've had free healthcare for a long time now, and not even the very conservative politicians think we can go back. Personally I like it, it works pretty well for small issues i.e. most issues.

You might be dissuaded by the higher taxes related to it, but my personal theory is that governments will always tend to levy the maximum amount of the tax that the people will tolerate. If it isn't spending it on public projects, there are always matters of foreign affairs, military spending or pocket lining for the money to go to. So at least with things like state-funded healthcare, you know that part of the limited amount they can tax you for is actually doing something you get direct benefit from.

 

[spikepl]

As to Obamacare ...

The US health-care system is weird, when looking at it with an outsider's eye. "Socialized medicine" is both cheaper per capita (US has the highest per capita expenditure on health care) , more equally accessible and apparently also more effective (look at the health stats, longevity ...)

I have seen innumerable number of whodunnits of US origin, where the scoundrel comitted a crime to pay for some operation for an uninsured, or denied-suitable-treatment-for-lack-of-funds near relative. Never seen a non-US movie with such a motive.

 

[Libre]

You might be dissuaded by the higher taxes related to it, but my personal theory is that governments will always tend to levy the maximum amount of the tax that the people will tolerate. If it isn't spending it on public projects, there are always matters of foreign affairs, military spending or pocket lining for the money to go to. So at least with things like state-funded healthcare, you know that part of the limited amount they can tax you for is actually doing something you get direct benefit from.

This is true. While the ultra-conservatives point fingers at the "liberals" and they shout "DON'T TAX AND SPEND!!" and declare themselves to be "fiscally conservative", the reality is that the money they say they are "saving" by withholding the dollars from social programs, school lunches, medical programs, infrastructure projects (except sports arenas which always seem to have financial backing somehow - while the roads and bridges rot) - where does this money GO when it does NOT go to these "tax and spend" projects?
Where?
I've never seen my taxes go down in any significant way - ignoring the few dollars that now and again appear in my already ransacked paycheck when there is a so-called "tax cut" - and I'm talking $5 or so at most, temporarily, and very rarely at that.
As Old Man Devlin pointed out - when the govt takes tax money and does something tangible with it - well, at LEAST you have a bridge to show for it - or a better school system - or a park or a museum or SOMETHING. On the other hand, when they say they can't pay for these things because they want to keep our taxes low - our taxes don't change (or they go up anyway), we get nothing in return, and the govt still racks up huge debt on worthless activites that benefit nobody - except maybe themselves.

 

[Old Man Devin]

I've never seen my taxes go down in any significant way - ignoring the few dollars that now and again appear in my already ransacked paycheck when there is a so-called "tax cut" - and I'm talking $5 or so at most, temporarily, and very rarely at that.

I think these days the explanation for this that 'fiscal conservatism' in government just means spend less on actual outgoings, and more on background costs like repaying debts to other nations, which presumably helps increase general long-term economic stability. I don't think the people at the bottom would ever notice changes to their personal wealth in such a case.

 

[Bladerunner]

The main reason the the US seems to have lost some of its greatness is that a lot of the rest of the world has caught up, and even surpassed us in many areas. Whatever time you are referring to as the "good old times", there were truly horrible things happening both here and abroad. It's always been great for the privilaged classes, but for the disadvantaged classes and minorities, Jews, Blacks, Asians, Latinos - less so. Not to say this is not the "land of opportunity" because it is. I don't say it's all wrong - but a good deal has been. Interment camps for Japanese Americans, lynchings, the KKK, class warfare, Sen Joseph McCarthy, the Vietnam war, on and on. In every era there have been terrible wrongs. These are the reasons I say that the "America we know" never really existed.
On the other hand, while we've lost ground economically to Asia and other regions, our society has made huge strides in social areas and technology. In these areas we're greater than we've ever been.

We may have made great strides in social areas and technology but they are steps backward. social communism has never worked. I refer to the song of year ago (in the year 2525).

Have a nice day:>)
Bladerunner

 

[Bladerunner]

How is it that "you can keep your health plan" is a lie, and "we're certain Saddam Hussein is hiding weapons of mass destruction" is not a lie? If I tell you, "You're gonna LOVE this movie" or it "definitely won't rain tomorrow" and these things don't pan out, should you not have realized when I was telling you these things that I'm not omniscient and don't expect you to take what I say as an absolute guarantee?

It is plain to me that Obama's "lie" as you put it was an overreaching statement he made with good intentions but it didn't turn out to be true. It was overreaching because the insurance companies are independent agencies and their actions and reactions can't necessarily be predicted to the letter, which everyone should have realized because we're not children. Clinton lied about an affair - the oldest lie in the books and one that the American public basically couldn't care less about except not much else was going on in the news to talk about at the time.
On the other hand, GW Bush dragged the US into a shootin' war, destabilizing the region, and causing the death and injury of hundreds of thousands, on totally false pretenses. He told us the war would last 2-3 months at most. He told us "mission accomplished" when it hadn't even really started.
The fact of the matter is that ALL people lie at times, not just politicians. And don't forget that there are different kinds of lies - there is deliberate deceit for unscrupulous gain, there mistakes, there are exaggerations, and there are promises that just don't work out.

Hmmm. can't agree with you there. Sounds like you went to 'Clinton University' (lol), "It depends on what the meaning of the word 'is' is".

A lie is always a lie. Yes, there are only magnitudes and reasons for them. (the answer a mother gives to 2 year old child when ask how come her brother is in mommie's tummy is also a lie but the magnitude/why?)

When Clinton got on TV, pointed his finger at the public and stated : "I did not have sexual relations with that woman......." It did not really matter about the cause just the lie really matters.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiIP_KDQmXs

It was the last time I voted for him or any democrat. The Obama comes along and lies to the people. You can like all others give excuses, etc (well, he did not really mean that, you have to read between the lines, etc). Yes, he meant it and every day it is showing more and more how devious he and the democratic party really is. The take over of 1/6 of our economy.Hail,King Obama. Only problem is, the American people are now finding out just how devious they are and unless I miss my guess, the democratic party is in for a rude awakening.

"we're certain Saddam Hussein is hiding weapons of mass destruction"

If my history serves me right, Our intelligence agencies told both him and the Congess that lie. He just acted upon it with their approval. 'The Iraq Resolution or the Iraq War Resolution (formally the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002,[1] Pub.L. 107–243, 116 Stat. 1498, enacted October 16, 2002, H.J.Res. 114) is a joint resolution passed by the United States Congress in October 2002 as Public Law No: 107-243, authorizing military action against Iraq.

As far as Bush is concerned, I'll leave that to history. I was not very happy with his performance either. Will say this though. we only destabilized the region, because we left too early. Who did that? We had it won, we were staying in the background, just providing logistics with no loss of life (during this time period only) Then the democrats/liberals - like the Vietnam War shut it down just as a win was imminent. Do not those in Iraq people deserve a shot at Freedom.

Bet you can guess who said this: “Did I say Al Qaeda has been decimated?....". is the reason why we left. Why are we still in Afganistan-- Obama not ready to get out--He will as the 2014 election gets closer. It is all political to him.

Have a nice day:>)
Bladerunner

 

[Bladerunner]

The United States is barely 200 years old. A virtual infant compared to China, Japan, Europe, England. To compare us to the rest of the world is retarded at best. India alone goes back at least 30,000 years. The rest of the world has a huge head start and should be recognized as such.

A 'Republic' is two hundred years old. Most all the others have dictators, monarchs, etc. Apples and Oranges

have a nice day :>)
Bladerunner

 

[Bladerunner]

There are hominid remains in Africa going back 100,000 years or more, so why pick India?

I agree but there are also three species of Homid (homo sapiens, XXX) all of which disappeared suddenly except us.

Have a nice day:>)
Bladerunner

 

[Libre]

A lie is always a lie. Yes, there are only magnitudes and reasons for them. (the answer a mother gives to 2 year old child when ask how come her brother is in mommie's tummy is also a lie but the magnitude/why?)

If my history serves me right, Our intelligence agencies told both him and the Congess that lie. He just acted upon it with their approval.

Have a nice day:>)
Bladerunner

1- So if a lie is always a lie, and you said that only 2 presidents have blatently lied to the american public, and it is clear that of the 44 presidents we've had, they've all oviously lied to some extent (because everyone does) then based on your own criterion, what you said was itself a lie.

2- If you can excuse Bush for the most horrific foreign policy blunder in recent memory (nothing is worse than an unnecessay war - that is still going on 12 years later - longer than WWI and WWII combined - and based on false pretenses) because others "lied" to him, but can't excuse the democratic presidents for a simple misstatement in one case, and an inconsequential fib about a family matter that nobody had any right to even question him about in the other case, I'd say your priorities are skewed.

 

[Vassago]

I agree but there are also three species of Homid (homo sapiens, XXX) all of which disappeared suddenly except us.

Have a nice day:>)
Bladerunner

I don't think they disappeared, but rather were integrated and homo sapiens chose other homo sapiens over any other humanoid race. There have been documented cases showing that we once reproduced with them.

http://www.latimes.com/opinion/opinion-la/la-ol-neanderthals-africa-dna-20140204,0,6824921.story

It could be argued that there is more than one humanoid alive today, more like thousands if you consider all the different mixes we have. I'm not even considering just race. Different species of humans?

 

[Vassago]

I'm so sick of the bickering over taxes when it comes to a Federal Healthcare System. We ALREADY pay more in taxes for other people to have healthcare than the UK, yet we still have to pay for our own healthcare too. Our system is broken. It's pretty obvious. Insurance companies are just plain redundant. I'm not a huge fan of the Affordable Healthcare Act, but I hope it's a first step in moving toward a Federal Healthcare System. Why should health and wellbeing be completely privatized? There's no humanity in that.

 

[Bladerunner]

It seems strange to hear you say he is far left, as from the perspective of the UK, Obama would be considered right wing (while Republican candidates would be considered extreme right wing). For example, we've had free healthcare for a long time now, and not even the very conservative politicians think we can go back. Personally I like it, it works pretty well for small issues i.e. most issues.

I am intrigued by what you said about the left and right. Yes, I know you live under a quasi-socialism system over there, have a national healthcare for small issues, etc. After thinking about it, I would have to agree with you.

A little about our type of healthcare that was! There are a lot of people to say that the old way, people could not get insurance if they had a preexisting condition.Why not just fix that? Also, there were people who could not afford insurance. These people usually were on Medicaid. A low quality insurance. why not just fix that through increased spending? The rich, rich people are self insured and the 'just rich' had platinum plans. I had a normal insurance plan with the company I owned. It was considered a private plan, had a $250 deductible and cost about $400 / month. When ObamaCare was passed, my premium went up by $200 per month or $2,000+ per year. Then last year I got a notice that as of the first of this year, it would be canceled . Why because it did not meet the standards Obama and company (all democrats) put into it. (another post maybe)

During the time that I had this private insurance, I had back surgery where they took out a portion of the spinal column (minus the spinal cord) completely and then simply rebuilt a 'housing ' around the spinal cord using my bone and a cadaver bone on a wire cage. This all held together with bars and couple screws. The surgery and doctor's bills all totaled out at about $150,000 of which my insurance paid $138,000. Yes, I am all right, doing what ever I want (within reason) and the biggest thing -no pain and no pills.

Now if I take out ObamaCare, It is going to cost me $850 a month, a $7,175 deductible and it will only pay about 60% of the cost after the deductible. And they (left and Obama)said that it was time to have an insurance that would not break nor bankrupt the family if needed. If a future surgery cost about the same as the last I would be paying roughly $57,000 out of my pocket. A lot of difference! There are a lot more stories out there worse than mine, of people who are already on Obamacare. It just started Jan. 1 2014. About 80,000,000 people will lose their employment insurance by Jan 1, 2015. It is going to get wild around here about July thru September of this year when they get their cancellation notices.

You see why we are up in arms (so to speak) about this health care that comes from a liberal government. The funny thing is, that Obama knew that if the insurance companies failed (and he has made sure they will), health insurance would wind up being a a one-party system(paid for by the government). He is shrewd, cunning and has dealt the USA a blow from within that we might not recover from.

Have a nice day:>)
Bladerunner