Jump to content

Political Discussion Thread (With Rules)


Simon

Recommended Posts

Yup, Old Man, they're just fulfilling their decades-long promises. The John Birch Society was talking about this stuff before I was born. It's just that, over the decades, their crazy ideas became mainstream, in no small way thanks to the repeal of the fairness doctrine.

 

Which reminds me, there was an article on Mr. Trump's conversation with Fox and Friends via Twitter: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2017/03/07/trumps-split-screen-a-two-hour-virtual-conversation-between-the-president-and-fox-and-friends/?hpid=hp_hp-top-table-main_trump-fox-110pm-1-duplicate%3Ahomepage%2Fstory&utm_term=.1d079db5bf96

 

Oh, and then there's the latest right-wing conspiracy theory that Obama is using his awesome powers over the Deep State to take down Trump: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2017/03/07/trump-and-republicans-see-a-deep-state-foe-barack-obama/?utm_term=.affc18454b41

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh, and then there's the latest right-wing conspiracy theory that Obama is using his awesome powers over the Deep State to take down Trump: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2017/03/07/trump-and-republicans-see-a-deep-state-foe-barack-obama/?utm_term=.affc18454b41

We should be so lucky. Because in reality there is nobody in a position to alleviate the madness.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

 

Oh, and then there's the latest right-wing conspiracy theory that Obama is using his awesome powers over the Deep State to take down Trump: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2017/03/07/trump-and-republicans-see-a-deep-state-foe-barack-obama/?utm_term=.affc18454b41

That's not the latest theory. This is the latest theory.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

To elaborate on this: Republicare does away with the Medicaid expansion, subsidies, and mandate of Obamacare, as well as the taxes on the 1% that helped pay for it.  A tax credit is added to pretend to make up for the subsidies, but this credit will not help the poor, who pay few taxes.  Analysts describe it as "guaranteed to set off a death spiral".  The nonpartisan CBO is expected to score the bill as either "bad" or "disastrous", but its analysis will take a week, so the GOP is trying to rush it through, and the White House is already attacking the CBO's competence and impartiality.  The American Hospital Association and the American Medical Association have already voiced strong opposition to Republicare, so we can expect the White House to go after them next.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Qlipothosphere?

 

I don't even know that word. Part of me is curious, and part of me is really glad that I don't,

 

It appears that none of the search engines know that word either.

 

The Qliphoth is originally a concept from some branches of Kabbalah; a sort of shadow or dark reflection of the Sephiroth, aka "the Tree of Life," the scheme of the spiritual universe. The Qliphoth is made up of flawed worlds God created and discarded before making our world.

 

In the current official Champions Universe, the Sephiroth is the inspiration for the map of the setting's "multiverse." In this context the Qliphoth are ancient, decaying universes, which in their corruption have brought forth their own horrible forms of anti-life. These alien horrors are inspired by the fiction of H.P. Lovecraft and his imitators.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Recommended reading:

 

On Monday, All Things Considered interviewed Yale historian Timothy Snyder about his new book, On Tyranny: 20 Lessons from the 20th Century. Snyder's specialty is early to mid-20th century central Europe -- specifically, the rise of its fascist/totalitarian movements.

 

Snyder noted that one of the common elements of such movements, and crudial to how they obtain and keep power, is the replacement of fact with a fantasy world of myth and emotion. One of the important techniques for this is to spew huge numbers of absurd but emotionally-charged claims, and accusing anyone who disagrees or tries to point out the truth of being a liar motivated by politics. The goal is not so much to establish belief as to foster cynicism and doubt that there is any truth or that it can be known. Once you abandon the idea of truth, everything else is easy,

 

And Snyder says that yes, he is completely thinking of the Donald Trump's steady stream of whoppers and accusations that everyone who calls him on them is lying. One of the world's experts on the rise of fascist regimes says we're seeing the early stages happen right now. He wrote this book in hopes it will help to stop the process.

 

I am not myself competent to judge such things, but I think someone with Snyder's background should be taken seriously.

 

Dean Shomshak

Link to comment
Share on other sites

To elaborate on this: Republicare does away with the Medicaid expansion, subsidies, and mandate of Obamacare, as well as the taxes on the 1% that helped pay for it. A tax credit is added to pretend to make up for the subsidies, but this credit will not help the poor, who pay few taxes. Analysts describe it as "guaranteed to set off a death spiral". The nonpartisan CBO is expected to score the bill as either "bad" or "disastrous", but its analysis will take a week, so the GOP is trying to rush it through, and the White House is already attacking the CBO's competence and impartiality. The American Hospital Association and the American Medical Association have already voiced strong opposition to Republicare, so we can expect the White House to go after them next.

Yeah, it's a disaster of biblical proportion. That is to say, it will cause millions to wander in the desert of no health care. Likely resulting in the death of tens or maybe indirectly (due to lack of early treatment for preventable disease) hundreds of thousands.

 

Also cripples social safety net programs for children and the poor. Removes parity (EBH) for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Treatment across ALL insurance products (read: not just Medicaid). And pushes billions of dollars of costs into state and local governments.

 

But hey, tax break. And big write offs for corporate execs in the insurance industry, amirite?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

To elaborate on this: Republicare does away with the Medicaid expansion, subsidies, and mandate of Obamacare, as well as the taxes on the 1% that helped pay for it.  A tax credit is added to pretend to make up for the subsidies, but this credit will not help the poor, who pay few taxes.  Analysts describe it as "guaranteed to set off a death spiral".  The nonpartisan CBO is expected to score the bill as either "bad" or "disastrous", but its analysis will take a week, so the GOP is trying to rush it through, and the White House is already attacking the CBO's competence and impartiality.  The American Hospital Association and the American Medical Association have already voiced strong opposition to Republicare, so we can expect the White House to go after them next.

 

If I am understanding it right, a refundable tax credit it being proposed to offset insurance premiums.  This means that if you are eligible for the credit based on you income and you purchased insurance, the government cuts you a check.  Unfortunately that check probably won't be as much as the ACA subsidy it replaces and you will have to somehow pay your insurance premium in full for months before you get that first check. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If I am understanding it right, a refundable tax credit it being proposed to offset insurance premiums. This means that if you are eligible for the credit based on you income and you purchased insurance, the government cuts you a check. Unfortunately that check probably won't be as much as the ACA subsidy it replaces and you will have to somehow pay your insurance premium in full for months before you get that first check.

That presupposes you have adequate income to purchase insurance without the subsidy on the front end. Folks that qualify for existing subsidies may not have that level of disposable income.

 

There was a really idiotic congress critter talking about people having to decide between their iPhone and health care. I would suggest he pick a more economically relevant commodity such as rent or food as the consideration.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Does Trump's budget reflect the fact that he is cutting into the Coast Guard and Fema which provide help and assistance to thousands of people every day. Trump's is designed by a guy who has no idea what goes on in the real world or how the government should be going about its business. He's a tea party guy and all they care about is screwing things up so the government doesn't work.

CES 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That presupposes you have adequate income to purchase insurance without the subsidy on the front end. Folks that qualify for existing subsidies may not have that level of disposable income.

 

There was a really idiotic congress critter talking about people having to decide between their iPhone and health care. I would suggest he pick a more economically relevant commodity such as rent or food as the consideration.

Jason Chaffertz who has a free Iphone given to him by his campaign donors. This is the guy who was all EMAILS!!!!, but won't deal with possible Russian influence on the election.

 

And he looks like a ground hog which I think ground hogs should resent

CES 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The fact that Jason Chaffetz is a rising star in today's GOP is the most damning indictment of the Republican Party that I can think of. The fact that he's from my state just makes me cringe.

 

In other local news, it looks like former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman Jr. is going to be the next Ambassador to Russia. He was expected to challenge incumbent Republican Senator Orrin Hatch in the next election, but now that's out. Convenient for Senator Hatch.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...