Members lug Posted January 8, 2008 Members Share Posted January 8, 2008 There is great virtue in the American way, which expects CEOs to perform on a quarterly basis, presidents and Congresses to reinvent politics in 100 days, generals to wipe out opponents in 100 hours without taking significant casualties, doctors to save life and limb every time, search engines to yield a million results in less than a second, and so on. There is also great virtue in the belief that what is bad can be made good, and that what is good can be made great, and that what is fractionally less than great is downright awful. But these virtues can spawn vices. One is impatience. Another is a culture of chronic complaint. A third is the belief that every problem has a solution, that trial is possible without error, that risks must always be zero, that every inconvenience is an outrage, every setback a disaster and every mishap a plausible basis for a lawsuit. Poetry to the thinking person. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members chris-dax Posted January 8, 2008 Members Share Posted January 8, 2008 ...that's a great article Chris. I thought it was well written as well....thought provoking no matter what your political persuasion... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members NeonVomit Posted January 8, 2008 Members Share Posted January 8, 2008 The most extreme thing the US electorate ever did was elect a Catholic in 1960. That sets one thinking. I think Obama has appeal because he is different, and fresh. Look at the Republican nominees... same old, same old. Obama and Hillary are different, which is why they're currently popular. Will this carry over to a victory? Only time will tell, but I think their popularity carries a good message: the world is changing rapidly, and will do so even more rapidly in the years to come. Perhaps some change in the presidency is also a good idea. I give these thoughts in our own election year here in Cyprus. We have the center-left incumbant, who has done a pretty crap job over his 5 year term (with dodgy property scandals, cronyism and accused of misleading the people, plus he has a {censored}ing annoying voice), the center right candidate who has some radical ideas that no one is really convinced he can pull off, and a very leftist third candidate, currently speaker of the parliament (and leader of the Communist Party. Yup, we have a communist party here.) My family has traditionally been right-leaning in elections. But I think this time we're all going to vote for the communist party leader. No, Cyprus is not going to become a communist state if he wins. But he has a different approach from the one we've had for the last 25 years and personally, I think that's a good thing. Our national issue has hit yet another dead end, and our economic future is looking questionable. So change. We need it. Cyprus politics are hardly a microcosm of US politics, but I'm just giving an example of why a different candidate is appealing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cdb Posted January 8, 2008 Members Share Posted January 8, 2008 A "scab" is someone who crosses a picket line to do the actual work that the picketers are not. Unless Paul is writing jokes, he's not a scab. jeez, you guys take this all so seriously, almost as if it were real life or something a.) its only tv. they arent saving lives, are they? they could show reruns, or a test pattern 2.) was mr paul making people laugh? of course he was. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members chris-dax Posted January 8, 2008 Members Share Posted January 8, 2008 jeez, you guys take this all so seriously, almost as if it were real life or something 2.) was mr paul making people laugh? of course he was. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators ThudMaker Posted January 8, 2008 Moderators Share Posted January 8, 2008 Letterman made a deal. There's some controversy with Leno because he wrote a monologue before coming to a deal with anyone, and the writers aren't sure if that's kosher (Leno argues that he wrote it so it's not subject).Leno still hasn't made any deal. While the monologue controversy is from a few days ago, the writers aren't back. Leno can also argue that, but he is a member of the Guild. Now if I'm Leno and I have all my money, do I really care that the union wants to possibly discipline me? I wouldn't, but I have to give the guy credit that he's trying to support them as best he can being stuck in the middle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Emprov Posted January 8, 2008 Members Share Posted January 8, 2008 Cyprus politics are hardly a microcosm of US politics, but I'm just giving an example of why a different candidate is appealing.Great post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bass8987 Posted January 8, 2008 Members Share Posted January 8, 2008 Uf9aE3Toepo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators ThudMaker Posted January 8, 2008 Moderators Share Posted January 8, 2008 Regarding Hillary, I just found this surfing on Fox . . . .. Looks like Hillary is bringing back Carville and Begala from Bill's staff. I wouldn't count her out if those two are with her. They're very tough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators ThudMaker Posted January 8, 2008 Moderators Share Posted January 8, 2008 Bill O'Reilly youtube vidThe Obama staffer was a complete dope for doing that. I didn't think O'Reilly handled it properly, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members lug Posted January 8, 2008 Members Share Posted January 8, 2008 Regarding Hillary, I just found this surfing on Fox . . . .. Looks like Hillary is bringing back Carville and Begala from Bill's staff. I wouldn't count her out if those two are with her. They're very tough. Ah good ol' Jame Carville, the Clinton's version of Bush's Rove. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members J. Posted January 8, 2008 Members Share Posted January 8, 2008 Obama v. McCain is actually what I'm hoping for.They would be my votes for the best candidates in both parties.Cheers. Not me. McCain played a huge role in the failed Amnesty bill. He's an open-borders type, something we definitely do NOT need. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Picker Posted January 8, 2008 Members Share Posted January 8, 2008 I thought it was well written as well....thought provoking no matter what your political persuasion... He brought up some interesting points, but the article (despite its title and opening sentance) did not really have anything to do with Obama or his policies. So .... yeah he brought up some thought provoking things, but so what? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Perfessor Posted January 8, 2008 Members Share Posted January 8, 2008 I get the impression that McCain promotes himself as the original backer of the surge. Since the surge appears to be working, that's probably not bad for him. I don't quite get it, though. I thought that was General Petraeus' idea and design. The whole idea of imbedding troops within the population was done at the very end of the Vietnam War but too late to produce anything. Congress had already stopped funding it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cdb Posted January 8, 2008 Members Share Posted January 8, 2008 To add to Dax's post - Obama is also a product of the Daly political machine - no telling what skeletons *might* jump out of that closet... Looks to me like the Dems once again have given no decent choices - Hillary isn't it, and neither is the ambulance chasing Edwards... Edwards talks about healthcare - hell, he's had quite a hand in bankrupting that system DIRECTLY...In related news, I see where one of Hillary's largest fundraisers went to prison recently - if that happened to a member of the GOP, it'd be front page news - let alone one of the front runners... - georgestrings It was front page news. At least in LA and NYC but perhaps not in your newspaper... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members chris-dax Posted January 8, 2008 Members Share Posted January 8, 2008 He brought up some interesting points, but the article (despite its title and opening sentance) did not really have anything to do with Obama or his policies. So .... yeah he brought up some thought provoking things, but so what? so your thoughts have been provoked.... It's an opinion piece....everybody has one...take it for whatever it might be worth, if anything... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMS Author Craig Vecchione Posted January 8, 2008 CMS Author Share Posted January 8, 2008 The most extreme thing the US electorate ever did was elect a Catholic in 1960. That sets one thinking.I think Obama has appeal because he is different, and fresh. Look at the Republican nominees... same old, same old. Obama and Hillary are different, which is why they're currently popular. They also elected a B-movie actor to the White House. And an action-movie actor to governor of one of the largest states. And a "professional" wrestler to governor of Minnesota. We loves us some celebrities...... Obama and Hillary different? Hardly. Two junior US Senators, both split from the same old mold in the same old US political machine. If anything, Ron Paul is perhaps the closest thing to different, and mainly because he's a crotchety old {censored}er who votes 'no' a lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMS Author Craig Vecchione Posted January 8, 2008 CMS Author Share Posted January 8, 2008 Edwards talks about healthcare - hell, he's had quite a hand in bankrupting that system DIRECTLY...-georgestrings I wasn't aware that healthcare was suffering at all, let alone bankrupt. Wanna make some money? Invest in a hospital or pharmaceutical corp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators ThudMaker Posted January 8, 2008 Moderators Share Posted January 8, 2008 I wasn't aware that healthcare was suffering at all, let alone bankrupt. Wanna make some money? Invest in a hospital or pharmaceutical corp.I wouldn't want to be an OB doc. The malpractice rate (caused largely by ambulance chasers such as Edwards) is through the roof. But I know what you're saying. It's hard to believe that a Hospital would have a tough time rolling in the dough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members lug Posted January 8, 2008 Members Share Posted January 8, 2008 Approximately 1/3 of US hospitals lose money every year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members georgestrings Posted January 8, 2008 Members Share Posted January 8, 2008 Not me. McCain played a huge role in the failed Amnesty bill. He's an open-borders type, something we definitely do NOT need. I don't care for McCain, either - besides your excellent point, I didn't care much for McCain/Feingold... - georgestrings Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members NeonVomit Posted January 8, 2008 Members Share Posted January 8, 2008 Approximately 1/3 of US hospitals lose money every year. Actually, I wonder about that. If the insurance companies will never pay up, how DO hospitals get cash? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators ThudMaker Posted January 8, 2008 Moderators Share Posted January 8, 2008 Actually, I wonder about that. If the insurance companies will never pay up, how DO hospitals get cash?I don't know that it's the insurance companies paying them, how much they have to pay insurance companies (malpractice, etc.) or if it's for all the freebie emergency room write-offs provided. Sometimes it is simply poor management. But you raise an interesting question. What would happen if all the insurance companies couldn't pay up? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members JacieFB Posted January 8, 2008 Members Share Posted January 8, 2008 Actually, I wonder about that. If the insurance companies will never pay up, how DO hospitals get cash? My wife works for Cincinnati Children's Hospital. They are very much in the black financially. Part of it has to be decent management. They make it a great place to work. (They employ almost 10,000 folks in the Cincinnati area.) From my perspective, they have great benefits for their employees. (I'm a type I diabetic melanoma survivor who happens to have great coverage under my wife's plan.) This, amongst many other factors contributes to them being top 10 in the country in many many areas of care. So, anecdotally, striving for excellence is one way that hospitals get cash. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members venturawest Posted January 8, 2008 Members Share Posted January 8, 2008 I don't know that it's the insurance companies paying them, how much they have to pay insurance companies (malpractice, etc.) or if it's for all the freebie emergency room write-offs provided. Sometimes it is simply poor management. But you raise an interesting question. What would happen if all the insurance companies couldn't pay up?although theoretically possible, it would never happen. and if it did, it might be the best thing to ever happen to the US health care system because we'd finally stop relying on insurance companies and find our way to a better solution. i can't stand john edwards. he made an entire career (and made himself exceedingly wealthy) by putting good, dedicated doctors out of business. that being said, he's one of the few people who has come out and said that as long as insurance companies remain retardedly profitable, healthcare reform will never benefit the majority of americans. of course, he doesn't seem too interested in tort reform, go figure... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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