2011-08-15, 20:53 | Link #201 | |
Knight Errant
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Dublin, Ireland
Age: 35
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Give money to the poor and they'll spend money on goods which "trickles up" to the rich |
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2011-08-15, 21:10 | Link #202 | |||||||||||||||||||
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2009
Location: classified
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You and I both know I didn't say that Europe is comparable to the USSR. I said that the USSR was not Communist is was Socialist, and it was. Quote:
What is going to stop your government from withholding those entitlements if it so chooses? I think you underestimate the power of government. Either that or there is a huge difference between what Germany will do to its citizens and what the US government will do. Maybe we have become a police state? Quote:
It's because that worker's money lacks the buying power for him/her to start a business of his/her own. Small businesses are getting killed by the rise in gas, food, and goods prices. It's making it harder to hire, harder to keep the lights on, and harder to operate. It's not the businesses that are moving us into serfdom, its the money system we're using. Quote:
When did I say Germany was socialist? I said that Europeans have more of a collectivist mindset than Americans, and they do, you've proven that. I also told you that collectivism comes in many forms, not just socialism, and it does. Quote:
And I agree that unless things change drastically, we in the US are screwed. Quote:
The rest are corporate shills who'll just make things worse. Obama is no better. He's the third term of George Bush Jr. so far in his policies, and unless the Democrats field a viable challenger, the Dem and Republican tickets will be practically the same in my view. Quote:
Just because their policies are being questioned does not mean they're getting shut down. Believe me, if our congress wanted to shut them down, they would. The reason that the EPA regs are now in question is because of people like Dr. Roy Spencer. He's a principal research scientist at the University of Alabama in Huntsville and the U.S. Science Team Leader for the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer flying on NASA's Aqua satellite. His research is showing that original data on CO2 heat containment may be wrong, and that temps of the Earth fluctuate constantly without the help of man. Currently the Sun is entering into a lull in what has been called the most active Sun cycle in 8000 years.This is why I view AGW as a farce, and see it as more harmful to the environmental movement than helpful. I mean, our governments are actually talking about creating a carbon-exchange system so corporations can pollute if they pay a fee. That's insane! Our government is corrupt now, what do you think will happen if that kind of a new "market" is opened up. Wallstreet is drooling over this new opportunity. God I'd like to throttle Al Gore for what he's done to the environmental movement... Wake up people, you're being lied to. Quote:
I'm not against government health care for the poor. I think we need it. What I'm against is forcing everyone to buy private insurance just to be a citizen. And that's what Obamacare does. Quote:
Are you counting the illegal aliens here? Because they shouldn't be getting any services from the US government. Quote:
We need tort reform here, as well as new pharmaceutical regs, and reigning in what insurance companies charge by allowing them to compete across state lines would help also. It has helped with car insurance immensely. Quote:
Why does everyone get weird about him. I like him, I like Nader, and I like Ron Paul. I diversify my tastes in politicians because we need a very diverse congress and we don't have that right now. We basically have corporatist A or corporatist B. Quote:
Intelligent Design cannot be taught in public schools in the USA. Quote:
U.S. Bailout Funds Saved European Banks -- Without Much Transatlantic Reciprocity Quote:
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Why was it viewed as a problem for only the Eurozone? Quote:
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Police confiscate cellphones, government officials take land/homes, and can enter a home without a warrant now that SCOTUS has expanded "probable cause" to mean just about anything. It's clear that your idea of freedom and mine are totally different.
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2011-08-15, 21:48 | Link #203 | ||||
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2009
Location: classified
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Notice I didn't mention DUI checkpoints? That's because those save lives. Quote:
Out here our emissions testing is done by a private company called Envirotest, and insurance in this state is "no fault" meaning that when there is an accident no one is at fault for it. Both parties usually pay unless one party is totally negligent, then the other party's insurace company will try to get out of paying. However, that doesn't help save lives or make driving safer, what it does do is line the pockets of insurance corporations like Progressive, State Farm, etc. Laws that actually make us safer I can get behind, but laws lobbied for by corporations who just want to make their services mandatory. I have a real problem with when government is used to enforce corporate profit margins. That's why I'd like to know if it's the same way in Europe. Is their auto insurance government or private?
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2011-08-15, 21:56 | Link #204 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2008
Age: 38
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How is that any different from wanton vandalism, destruction, or theft? |
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2011-08-15, 22:00 | Link #205 |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2009
Location: classified
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Do you live in a "no fault" state?
Because without "no fault" the person responsible has to pay, insurance or no insurance, which is how is should be. In "no fault" if one party doesn't have insurance the state picks up the tab. I would think that "no fault" actually encourages bad driving.
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2011-08-15, 22:05 | Link #206 |
Knight Errant
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Dublin, Ireland
Age: 35
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Aye, it's the same in Europe as the US regarding car insurance. GDB is pretty much on the ball. The insurance is usually private. They don't have a monopoly though, as not necessarily everyone drives.
Personally, I don't think Europe is more collective or individualist then the USA. I actually think that government aid enables individualism as you no longer need to rely on the people around you. Without a state there you really need to cultivate community ties, and you have to think in such a way as putting your community first. Whereas with social welfare programs you can pretty much exist on your own. So long as you're reasonably cautious nothing can seriously endanger you. Without government you'd have to rely on others. So, somewhat ironically, welfare engenders selfishness and individualism, and lack of it forces people together. So a lack of government welfare would probably make America more collectivist, not less. The world is a risky and dangerous place when you're on your own. |
2011-08-15, 22:11 | Link #207 |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2009
Location: classified
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While I don't always agree with you DQ, I have to admit you make very interesting and excellent points.
I can see where a democratic collectivist system (without corporate lobbying) could actually help spur individualism. This leads me to some of my own ideas on how individualism must be balanced with collective responsibility. The question for me is where do we draw the lines on both?
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2011-08-15, 22:16 | Link #208 |
blinded by blood
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We, as a nation, need a goal.
This goal should be space development. What happened to that country-wide spirit of coming together to put a man on Luna before the Soviets? Oh, right, because we had someone to hate. Why is it that America is only motivated strongly by fear and/or hate? Don't say we have technological hurdles to space development. That's a flat-out lie. SpaceX has already proven that a heavy launch vehicle capable of lifting 100 tons can be built for less than a tenth what the gubment claimed it'd cost.
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2011-08-15, 22:17 | Link #209 | ||
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2008
Age: 38
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2011-08-15, 22:21 | Link #210 | |
blinded by blood
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But I think we both know which option the GOP would rather choose... *cough*
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2011-08-15, 22:22 | Link #211 | ||
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2009
Location: classified
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That is one of the most intelligent things I've read in a very long time. You are right, we need a national goal. We're lost right now. Quote:
Considering that the public highways and byways are collectively owned by the citizenry, would it not be better to have a government insurance program for motorists? Not a mandory one, since you don't have to have a car, but in place of these private insurance companies I think we should set up a system in which everyone pays a tax to use the roads and that tax should be used for insurance. Okay, now everyone can call me a socialist (Fabian preferred ).
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Last edited by GundamFan0083; 2011-08-15 at 22:38. |
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2011-08-15, 22:54 | Link #212 | |
Knight Errant
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Dublin, Ireland
Age: 35
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With Car insurance, if they refuse you, you probably shouldn't be driving anyway (be it due to a horrendous record, or some impairment). Capitalism works extremely well for items that are easily comprehended in the short term, and car insurance has much more immediate effects then health insurance. The government is satisfied so long as any car insurance you hold pays for other people's damages, anything beyond that is on you. So for instance, some car insurance will cover sudden breakdown, others won't. Some people prefer to fork out the extra cash for that. |
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2011-08-15, 23:15 | Link #213 | |
~Official Slacker~
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Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Xanadu
Age: 29
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2011-08-15, 23:28 | Link #214 |
Gamilas Falls
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Republic of California
Age: 46
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A gothic lolita wearing, homosexual President with bad teeth? That would be interesting. Sounds like something out of Monty Python. We will have to wait until the 2020 election for that though, as Syn needs to be 35 years old to become President. But I can get behind a political Space Platform.
As for emissions controls on cars...I live in California...we probably have the strictest and weirdest set of laws for that in the country as we try to dictate terms to the car manufacturers on the subject. I however drive a car that no longer needs to be Smogged, as it is older than I am (in fact is it 40 years old). They figure the older cars will either run well, or they will have fallen apart by now. It fact it passed its last smog test better than a more modern car at that time (of course we've removed one smog control part since then because that part was failing and making the car run poorly).
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2011-08-15, 23:55 | Link #216 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2009
Location: classified
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Okay. What do pandas have to do with Kung-Fu? You lost me.
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2011-08-16, 00:02 | Link #217 | |
Obey the Darkly Cute ...
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Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: On the whole, I'd rather be in Kyoto ...
Age: 66
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2011-08-16, 00:07 | Link #218 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2009
Location: classified
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Well then I would be honored if he'd tell me what China is like now. On a the subject of the US Elections, did you read this article? How Michele Bachmann Bought the Ames Straw Poll http://www.unelected.org/how-michele...mes-straw-poll I know that poll isn't supposed to mean much, but if that's true it certainly lowers my already low opinion of Mrs. Bachmann.
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2011-08-16, 00:10 | Link #219 |
Gamilas Falls
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Republic of California
Age: 46
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I was under the impression the Straw Poll was basically whoever got the most fundraising done wins (essentially)...which is practicaly buying votes...from a certain point of view.
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2011-08-16, 00:39 | Link #220 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: East Cupcake
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That being said, I am sad that Pawlenty dropped out. He was a buffoon, but he was still fun. I would have thought that his ranking would have kept him in the race a little longer, but he was apparently spending more money than I thought. |
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2012 elections, us elections |
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