President seeks congressional approval

[rockouthippie]

September 9th, the Congress will start the procedure to see if we'll let President Barack Obama take his dick out of the drawer and bomb Syria. Ordinarily Michelle doesn't let Obama take his dick with him when he goes out in public. It requires Congressional approval.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/01/us-syria-crisis-un-idUSBRE98009420130901

Yes indeed. Obama is having trouble finding "consensus" All of Europe has condemned the use of chemical weapons, but their dick's are firmly under lock and key.

Obama wouldn't go to war without some consensus. Any consensus? Please? European allies? House Republicans? Maybe Obama could get Kim Jong Un to agree with him. That would be something.

By the time this gets through Congress and the UN, the operation will be called Swiss Miss, where we pat Syria's dictatorship on the head and give it a cocoa.

“LET ALLAH SORT IT OUT

So we’re bombing Syria because Syria is bombing Syria? And I’m the idiot?” - Sarah Palin

The smartest thing said this week?

This whole thing is the Obama doctrine in operation. If it works Obama will take credit. If it doesn't work, or goes badly, he wants somebody to blame it on. Nobody seems to be signing up to take the blame. They know Obama. They know that if anything goes wonky, Obama's gonna blame it all on them and call them racists for good measure.

If he doesn't bomb Syria everybody,including Al Queda, is going to rightly call him a pussy. If he does bomb Syria, he'll give Al Queda a photo op to show a bunch of dead bodies that may or may not have been killed by America. The liberals will scream if one kid falls off his bike. Michelle will never let him take his pecker out of the drawer again.

[fc*uk]

lol.

Unfortunately, this country does not need another war. We can not afford it.

Call us names, I don't care. Time to GTFO and stop being the world's police.

Remember Pearl Harbor? Sounds like a limited air strike to me (yes, I am being absurd with that one, you caught me).

War costs money, money that we don't have.

Did you hear that the world is starting to move on from the US dollar as the international currency same as they did with GBP's stirling not so long ago? I guess other countries are pissed that we keep printing more money to bail ourselves out, thereby devaluing the dollar across the world. Sounds like a grand idea to me.

Time to start buying precious metals boys, it will be the only thing worth anything after long as it looks like the greenback is on it's way out...

[rockouthippie]

Here's your lifetime of debt, a college degree and an Obamaphone. What else could a guy want? Sign here victim. A social worker will be along to help you tie your shoes. Uhh... you don't have any guns do you? Here's your cube! You will be spending the next 50 years there sweating your mortgage and car payment.

Gold won't matter when the kids kill us for making their lives miserable. Every month now, we're making 200,000 more 18 year olds than jobs.

Gold? Silver? I doubt it matters unless there is still an economy. Millions of kids with nothing to do? That's a problem.

I've seen gold and silver run up and down. It's more like hiding money in your mattress than an investment.

[fc*uk]

ROH, that whole post is why I',m so pissed off with the current state of affairs....

And, precious metals never devalue. Fixed quantity... supply and demand. Unlike the US dollar, you just can't print more gold/silver/platinum.

All these people pissed off at a government shutdown when the government is not sustainable itself.

Remember the auto bailout? What did we do to them first? Shut them down...

[Aminifu]

And Obama polices are responsible for trying to hinder Capitalism too, right? Let the free market rule! Grab up all the resources possible, buy low and sell high. Let the buyer beware. If you're drowning in industrial pollution (what's left of it), move. In God we trust, all others pay cash.

Seems to me Regan's polices were responsible for this renewed era of unbridled greed and opportunity. We or our parents were all given a chance to get a piece of the pie. After-all, the restrictions were removed in the 1980's. So cook the books, sell junk bonds and worthless stock, or sell worthless products (or sell worthwhile things, the profit margin is less but you then don't have to worry about the slim chance of having to deal with criminal repercussions). No one was trying to stop you or them then and still can't, really. Move whatever production is needed to wherever labor costs are the lowest. Services are the way to go anyway. Pay top executives hundreds of times more than the other workers. How else can you attract the best? Who is going to buy the products/services and where are they going to be sold? That's a minor problem for marketing and advertising, nothing to worry about. Food is also not a problem. What immigrant workers can't produce domestically on the corporate farms, just get from 3rd world countries. We don't really need individual American farmers anymore, do we?

But some of us didn't get a piece of the pie. Most of us have-nots are just the little helpless folk, just trying to survive, right? We were in the wrong place at the right time, or in the right place at the wrong time, and missed our opportunity through no fault of our own.

At least the Tea Party folks are fighting back against Obama. Their approach is the way to go. Yeah, that's the ticket___Shut down the US government, then default on paying the US bills already incurred, wreck the US economy and therefore the World's. Then everyone gets to start over, right? Survival of the fittest. Yeah, that's the ticket!

[fc*uk]

I don't think there is a fool out there that wants to see the US default on her loans.

Now, having said that, does not mean I don't think there is no possibility of the US defaulting. I unfortunately think that is a very real possibility.

Without getting too much into it, the world got itself into real trouble when countries across the globe stopped having enough bullion of what ever their precious metal of choice was to back their chosen currency. Retrospectively, that was a bad move because, on a simplistic level, it led to "our money is worth this much because we are a good country, we say so, and other people seem to agree).

Fast forward. The US is in trouble (sounds like England not so long ago, back when sterling was the world's currency). What's our solution? Raise the debt ceiling, print more money, say it's all good because we say so. What is the problem with that? The US is starting to piss other countries off by doing this because, being the world's currency, we devalue the world every time we do it. But that's okay, because we say so.

Now, lets look at our bills. Anyone else out there have a problem with the fact that all these bills and programs are not being paid for with real money? I'm mean, junk costs money. You should never be allowed to buy junk on credit (but we screwed that pooch as soon as we stepped away from bullion to back our dollar). If you don't have a problem with that, you should.

So, let's look at the GOP and the democrats. GOP: anti big government; Democrats: pro big government. This fundamental mindset extends and explains any non-socialist/socialist stereotypes you want to slap on to either party. Republicans are conservatives; Democrats are liberals. Conservative and liberal ideologies can be applied to finances as well...

So, why has the GOP done what it's done? They are worried as hell about what is going on. Obamacare is not funded. Obamacare is going to be a major slice out of the US debt. It's a great place to start in terms of making this country a little more solvent. If the GOP did not pick Obamacare to start this, then the jackassery that exists in politics would have gotten this ignored until October 17th, when we ran out of money. People are beginning to get afraid of what happens the next time we raise the debt ceiling, print more money, and lie to the world that it's all good.

This situation we have gotten ourselves must be addressed and I personally would rather see it addressed sooner rather than later and especially before we run the rick of screwing the rest of the world over along with us.

The media, congress, and our president is doing an absolutely deplorable job at letting the American population know exactly how fucked we are right now. Instead they all focus their time telling everyone this isn't a game, we need to reach an agreement, and neither side is willing to make any concessions. But please keep the fuck in mind that no one gets 100% of what they want. Those last two sentences are really what's deplorable about what is going on right now.

You want to be pissed off at someone, try to be pissed off at the games politicians in general are playing. Don't eat the bullshit the media feeds you about the situation either, they are as bad if not worse than the politicians.

[rockouthippie]

We told the President the cost of our medical care was too high. Then he consulted the people who were raping us and they said grab the sink.



This is Karen Ignagni Insurance company lobbyist. She made Obama into a scooby snack with a deal so sweet her bosses were probably doing the pp dance for a week. We all thank you Karen for making sure your insurance companies are 15% profitable for the foreseeable future.

I think I'm in love.

I unfortunately think that is a very real possibility

The US government has shut down before. Last year the US government lost it's AAA credit rating. It's still AA. The US is solvent. It's method of providing health care is a pariah but it's solvent.

[Aminifu]

I don't think there is a fool out there that wants to see the US default on her loans.

Where have you been the last few decades? There are a lot of fools, many in positions of power (in the US and world-wide), that would love to see that happen. Politicians of all stripes love playing games of brinkmanship. But the 'new' GOP has taken things to where nothing is excluded. Their games cost the US it's AAA credit rating last year. What will happen this time?

My previous post was all 'black humor' (satire). Are we so naive and comfortable that we believe the veneer of civilization, the industrial world currently practices, can survive anything? How much more will it take to change us from figuratively tearing at each others throats to literally doing so?

The US currently has the world's major economy and it's best military (excluding Israel's), so it gets to 'call the shots'. The US dollar is the basis of the World's currencies and it is worth what the US says it is worth, period. The faith in, and credit of, the US is nothing to be played with. The US 'sneezes' and the world 'catches a cold'. How much longer are our internal squabbles, that bring misery to so many others outside our borders, going to be tolerated? Do we really believe a World War III is not possible?

History says it is possible, even likely. All this has happened to former World Powers before. Unless our politicians stop playing with 'fire' internally (and regain the spirit of true compromise), it will happen again. The only difference this time is that weapons exist that can return us all to the Stone Age or worst (but that alone will not prevent it). Or maybe it's inescapable (human nature) and just a matter of time.

Maybe Great Britain is glad it no longer has to bear the responsibility of being 'top dog'. Maybe it is glad that the US used the opportunity of World War II to unseat it. But there are other nations that never had the 'role' and still aspire to it. Are the majority of Americans ready for that, do we really want someone else to run things for awhile?

And the irony is a World War is not even needed this time (but that won't prevent it either). If we, in the US, maintain our intractable positions over national entitlements, spending, and taxes; we will forfeit our current position of world leadership anyway. Will that really benefit the US (internally) at this point in time, when all industrial nations are so dependent on each other?

[rockouthippie]

Politicians of all stripes love playing games of brinkmanship.

How could you do anything else?

The US currently has the world's major economy and it's best military (excluding Israel's), so it gets to 'call the shots'.

US influence isn't primarily by force. Peacekeeping is necessary. As a 20 year occupation of Serbia proved. If you can get people settled down, they quit shooting.

[Aminifu]

US influence isn't primarily by force.

Of course, and that's not what I said. I said the US is the major economic and military power. Having an overwhelming military most often means you don't have to use it (or use it much). That's one thing Regan got right, imo.

[fc*uk]

There are a lot of fools, many in positions of power (in the US and world-wide), that would love to see that happen.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/09/us/politics/many-in-gop-offer-theory-default-wouldnt-be-that-bad.html?_r=0

my only comment, if there is validity to this report, is: what a complete bunch of asshats.

[rockouthippie]

Obama wants a blank check to print and borrow Obamacare. The Republicans don't want to give him one and they don't have to. At least not yet.

You might have heard me say this before. If the Democrat "Supermajority" had to fund Obamacare, they never would have passed it.

The last time the Republicans did this in 2011, they got a 1.2 Trillion dollar cut in spending out of the Democrats. Not asshats. People doing what they believe in.

I'm what you call a "Blue Dog", not a conservative. I think Obamacare is freaking nuts.

[fc*uk]

Not sure why I singled this out of all of what you said... but it is a starting point.

The Republicans aren't doing this because they are evil. Even if you don't agree with them, they have a point. We are spending far beyond our means. Obamacare is beyond our means.

...

It's not a matter of being an asshat. It's a matter of whether you want the government to mandate that we all give and borrow $30TN in the next ten years to buy our medical system that still doesn't insure everybody.

Yep. I agree with that and just about everything inbetween. What I have a problem with is this is being done at a rather high cost given a US default.

Then again, I can see why the GOP is doing this... they give in and no one will listen to them anymore; and I think they despirately need to be listened to for all the reasons you just pointed out.

As an aside ... an arguement can be made that medical costs are what they are partly because of the numbers of uninsured people who walk into the ER and get reated. I've said for years "free healthcare" is alive and well in this country via our ER's. When my wife was a resident in Chicago and Detroit she could not keep track of the number of patients ERs admitted and treated that did not have healthcare.

Anyway, back to the point, an arguement can be made that costs are high because maybe only 3 out of every 5 procedures actually get paid for. It's the system's/hospitals own way of making sure it gets the true cost back out.

Then, of course, things really start to get murky when you introduce the word "insurance". Who the hell knows what they are going to cover anymore. Again, yet another potential reason as to why medical costs are so high. What you get is hospitals/places of care trying to bill for as much as they legally can because they have no idea how much they are actually going to see in return. I can tell you matter of factly sometimes they get a cash cow for procedures that insurance reimburses like crazy on; but most of the time they get short changed.

I know I have said this before as well, I still do not understand. I simply don't get why the medical care reform did not start with tort reform. Mind. Blown. Don't get it. We've got the best healthcare in the world over here, why change the system when you can start with a tort reform that will likely drives costs down to the point that it is affordable.

For those not so fortunate enough to be able to afford good healthcare after tort reform, lets put a sales tax on everything. Literally. Everything. In that system, the "poor" contribute what they can, while the "rich" bear the brunt of the system.

Well... I don't get it other than the fact that many of our politicians are lawyers ... ha! Tort reform and cut into our lawsuit gains!

Corrput bastards...

Back to that cartel idea...

[rockouthippie]

What I have a problem with is this is being done at a rather high cost given a US default.

There is no US default. The rent is 9 days late.

. an arguement can be made that medical costs are what they are partly because of the numbers of uninsured people who walk into the ER and get reated

And it's complete bullshit. 30% of our people are uninsured, so our medical bills are 400% higher.

[Aminifu]

fc*uk said hospitals having to provide free treatment is partly the reason for high costs. That is true.

Another part of why is that the Government can only set cost for what it pays for. The private sector wants (and in some cases, needs) more and charges others accordingly.

Another part of why is insurance companies playing the 'middleman game' under the banner of 'free enterprise'. For something as vital as health care, I would like to see a hard cap on their profit margins (not a percentage) or health insurance only be provided by 'non-profits' and/or 'not for profits'. But then it wouldn't be 'free enterprise'.

Another part of why is law suits. But malpractice does occur and more often than it should. Many that provide medical care are pushed or push themselves too far in the hours that they work and/or don't keep up to-date with the info they need to know to avoid accidents. If an 'oops' happened to you, what price would you put on your life if you didn't survive or on your reduced quality of life if you did? For me, quality of life is worth more than life alone and life itself is price-less. This is a 'special' special case and no wonder it was left out of the original ACA. Provisions related to tort reform would have killed the whole thing. Tort reform can be pursued separately, why are the GOP not offering bills on that?

Another part of why is labor costs. The cost to educate and train is too high (but it is for most things). The horizontal and vertical variances in pay scale are too large. Each provider in the chain (from doctor/surgeon to orderly/nurse's aid) needs adequate compensation (but over-compensation for those at the top happens everywhere).

Another part of why is drugs. The cost of development and approval. As a side note, I think there are too many drugs where the side effects are worst than the issue they are supposed to address, resulting in more (other) drugs.

Another part of why is technology. The cost of development and approval for medical machines (external and internal).

I can go on, but my point is that this is a very complex issue with many contributing pieces. Most (based on their particular interest) want to latch on to 1 or 2 pieces and say fix that and that will fix everything. That is what was going on and not working very well.

Obamacare is the first major attempt at a comprehensive solution. There are pieces left out and pieces put in that can be improved. The GOP should be trying to 'fix' the ACA instead of throwing it all out (the baby with the bath water). If they had tried to help craft the bill in the first place (instead of trying to block it), it would be better now. 'Monday morning quarterbacks' and 'backseat drivers' talk a 'good game', but how hard is that (and contributes nothing positive).