Decision 2008

[Bowcephalus]

Jazz.....Point well taken.Missed the Pelosi bit.I'll have to catch that one in reruns. Political comedy made SNL.

[cl00bie]

[quote=ScottS;624112]Now you've done it!!

My word, it's Pelosi's Congress!!!

[cl00bie]

Not to mention the obvious inconsistency with the usual Republican sentiment towards federalism.

Kind of like the the Democrat "states rights" inconsistency with regards to the federal marriage amendment.

[cl00bie]

Does the Democratic deficit spending rate differently? Look both political parties have violated the social contract they have with their voters. Instead of taking a partisan tack with this, let's look at it honestly.

If you want to return the budget of the United States to the level it was 15 years ago you only have to do one thing, withdraw American Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen from the 130 countries in which they are currently deployed. Close the bases, and have a true defensive posture. No meals on wheels, no spreading democracy, no saving oppressed Fenwickians with our military. Not only will this save us a tremendous amount of money, it will increase our prestige around the planet. Neither party has been responsible with our military in the past, and it is time we the people demand that they use the military as Constitutionally called for. If there is no act of war, Johnny stays home with his wife and kids.

Now we have halved spending. Let's go further.

End all foreign aid. Most of it ends up in the hands of tyrants anyway, or it creates nations who only look at us with their hands out. We are providing aid not only to developing countries, but to developed nations like Japan and Germany, the number two and three economies in the world.

Third, end all corporate welfare. Not incentives, not even protections, I mean American taxpayer dollars that go to companies like ADM so they can stick it to us for ethanol.

We have to allow young people, rich people, and financially savvy people to opt out of Social Security. Even if their employer must still contribute their half (your boss matches your contribution to FICA) to the system, people need to get off of it before the $50 Trillion dollar turd hits America in the face. I am not for starving old people, or poor people, I am talking about maintaining what we have for those who need it, but weaning most of us off of the government teat. We must be held responsible for our own retirement.

We need tax incentives for those who want their homes to be independent from the power grid. If I buy $25,000 worth of solar shingles, inverters, and batteries, I can give the grid more power than I use in a year. If all home owners could do this, our nation would no longer be held hostage by tyrants who happen to live above oil. It is time we provided Americans incentives (again not welfare, but tax breaks) to use the free market to remedy our energy problems.

NAFTA and all the other asinine trade "agreements" that were supported by both Dems and Reps have to go. While I believe firmly in free trade with all, and alliances with none, these agreements have not allowed our industry to trade on a level playing field. Right now, in Youngstown, Ohio there are steel mills that produce cheaper and better steel than any other mills in the world. Protectionism (endorsed by both the Reps and the Dems) means most of the finest steel in the world is not sold to Canada or Mexico because they are allowed to place tariffs on it. Hardly a true free trade agreement. Besides, NAFTA was never approved by 2/3s of Congress as all treaties are required to be, consequently it is unconstitutional.

The sugar lobby (and every other industrial lobby that is greasing the hands of our "leaders") must be told to put up or shut up. If Haitian sugar is cheaper, I should have the option to buy it. Plus sugar makes great ethanol.

Our money must become sound again. Silver standard, gold standard, oil standard, Cheerios standard, I do not care, but it needs something backing it. Government should not be allowed to turn the American dollar into monopoly money.

Both parties in this country are equally responsible for the mess we are in, and it is time that we the people demand Constitutional government. I know you all rejected Ron Paul, much to my disappointment, but we need to return to responsible government. The deficit belongs to both parties, both parties steal elections, both parties rape the people, both parties have had bad Presidents, both parties are only interested in keeping themselves in power and comfortable. Both parties gave us really crappy candidates.

It is time that all true patriots say enough and demand accountability from our elected dictators. I agree with my liberal friends on some issues, and my conservative friends on probably a few more issues, but I love my nation and want it to return to its glory, and I will vote for the Democrat or Republican, man or woman, black, white, red or yellow person, who will do the above. F political parties.

If you advocate going back on the gold standard for our currency and refusing to pay foreign debts with our gold, then you have my vote.

BMWRider for President '08

[BMWRider]

BMWRider for President '08

Too much baggage here, and I tell people what I think. I would do worse than Mike Gravel (who I liked). I could see the interviews my ex-wife would give right now.

[cl00bie]

A fair(er) question would be if you are deathly ill and poor...

Then you will die while you wait for health care. In Canada there's a three month wait for chemo. If you have an aggressive form of cancer, that is a death sentence.

[kongjie]

Then you will die while you wait for health care. In Canada there's a three month wait for chemo.

Really. In which provinces? Or is it national policy and it is across the board?

[cl00bie]

Really. In which provinces? Or is it national policy and it is across the board?

I don't think it's national policy, it's simply supply and demand. Demand is outstripping the supply.

[kongjie]

I don't think it's national policy, it's simply supply and demand. Demand is outstripping the supply.

I chose a province at random--BC coz I like the scenery--and found this information on the government web site. I don't doubt that there is other information more critical of the performance of BC health services but this picture is nowhere near what you've said above:

"Cancer Services

The B.C. Cancer Agency provides radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatment at four major clinics across the province — in Victoria, Vancouver, Surrey and Kelowna.

Radiotherapy

In 2006/07, 96.5 percent of British Columbians requiring radiotherapy started treatment within four weeks of being medically able to receive it.

Procedure: Radiotherapy
Patients Waiting as of Feb 29/08: 246
Median Wait Time from Apr 1/07 to Feb 29/08: 7 days
1.0 weeks
Treatments (courses) for the 3 months ending Feb 29/08: 2,713

Chemotherapy

There is no significant wait for British Columbians who need chemotherapy, which accounts for half of all cancer care provided by the agency. The standard for chemotherapy wait times of two weeks is met in almost every case. In rare cases when it is not met, there is a medical reason.

Outcomes
B.C. has better survival outcomes for cancer treatment than any other Canadian province. This is partly due to cancer services being coordinated and delivered by a central agency.

For example, outcomes show a lower recurrence rate of early stage lymphoma, or primary cancer of the lymph glands. Although it is about 22 percent worldwide, in B.C. the recurrence rate is only one percent."

[fuzz2050]

Kind of like the the Democrat "states rights" inconsistency with regards to the federal marriage amendment.

I suppose even democrats must be able to flip flop enough to make exceptions for those pesky human rights.

[Spaceman_Spiff]

Then you will die while you wait for health care. In Canada there's a three month wait for chemo. If you have an aggressive form of cancer, that is a death sentence.

Hmmmm... If cancer patients all over the country were dropping dead because of wait times you would think that it would be all over the news.

[ScottS]

Then you will die while you wait for health care. In Canada there's a three month wait for chemo. If you have an aggressive form of cancer, that is a death sentence.

You might want to put a slightly higher filter on believing what you read.

[cl00bie]

I suppose even democrats must be able to flip flop enough to make exceptions for those pesky human rights.

From where do those human rights originate?