Day in my life in the Soviet Union or was it really the Soviet Union?

[Robert A Whit]

I want to describe my typical day in the life of the Soviet union.

Or is it the Soviet Union I speak of?

I woke up this AM after sleeping on my government approved pillow, under my government approved blankets on my government approved mattress. I went to shower in my government approved shower using my government approved shower head.<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
I used my government approved tooth brush with government approved tooth paste and brushed my teeth. A Government approved man takes care of my teeth. Using government approved techniques. <o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
I prepared my breakfast using government approved food and used my government approved kitchen range to warm it up. <o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
I opened my government approved front door and got into my government approved car. I looked at my gas guage and decided to stop for fuel. As I backed down my government approved driveway, I turned onto the government approved road and headed to the government approved gas station. On the way, I kept an eye on my government approved speedometer. I put my card into the government approved fuel meter and filled up my government approved gas tank with government approved fuel. I checked my government approved oil to make sure it was full enough. <o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
As I drove down the government approved roads, I was stopped by a government approved stop light and waited the government approved time to start again. I noted at the corders there were government approved places in case somebody was in a wheel chair. <o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
I parked in the government approved parking lot in my government approves space. I engered the building to go up the government approved elevator and got to my governnemt approved office for a day of work. I used my government telephone for much of the day. I used the government approved internet a lot too. My boss treated me in the governement approved fashion. At the end of the week, he did the government duty proud by removing some of my hard earned money to pay the government. Supposedly this was becaause the government was helping me.<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
I got back on the governent approved road and drove at the governent approved speed. Using the government approved road, I found I was stuck in heavy traffic due to government design. At home I ate the government approved food for my supper meal. I watched some TV on my government approved TV to see the government approved broadcast. I finally tired of the Government and crawled back into my government approved bed and slept the governemnt approved time.<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
Gee, it sounds as bad as America doesn’t it?<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>

[fj1200]

Your lucky, if all of those things weren't government approved each and every one of those might have caused your untimely death. :poke: I wonder if caskets are government approved.

[red states rule]

Reminds me of the day in the life of a liberal





Joe gets up at noon because six conservatives got up at 6am to go to work and are forced by the government to pay 40-60% of their wages in taxes so that Joe can sit on his fat ass all day and watch his big screen TV and play video games on his computer. Before Joe heads down to the union hall for his protest assignment that day, he’ll go to Starbucks to buy coffee and a Danish at 1pm. But before that, he’ll stop by the local medicinal marijuana shop to get high because a liberal legislature enacted a law that permits one to get stoned on drugs that were formerly considered illegal when republicans were in control of the legislature. At the union hall he’ll pick up his benefit check and then it’s off to the town hall meeting on union-leased buses with 400 other members who have each been issued a professionally produced T-shirt, sign, and ticket so that the local elected liberal representative will have plenty of support in the room. The conservatives that will be in attendance only heard about the meeting because the entrepreneur who owns the T-shirt company told a friend over lunch and that friend sent out an e-mail to his like- minded friends, who in turn forwarded it to their like-minded friends. That’ll never happen again after the union thugs beat up the entrepreneur and the union will make damned sure they give their business to a liberal-owned T-shirt company next time around.


All but $10.00 of his medicinal marijuana prescription is paid for by his employer’s medical plan because some liberal union workers staged a work slow down at a critical time in their employer’s delivery schedule and in order not to lose business, the employer gave into union demands. The employer recently moved his manufacturing overseas in order to avoid such under-handed ploys in the future and now pays his workers 10% of what it used to cost him to operate in the US. His employer had originally thought that the distribution costs of bringing his product back into the US market would more than overwhelm the extra costs of dealing with a union, but it turns out his employer was pleasantly surprised. Joe and his union brothers can’t be concerned with concepts such as global wage parity in a free trade environment thanks to their hero President Bill Clinton, who signed it into law. Joe buys a sandwich and a tallboy (beer) at the local supermarket with food stamps even though his recently extended unemployment benefits as well as his union benefits should have been declared when he applied.


Before heading out, Joe takes his afternoon shower reaching for his shampoo that costs 15 times what it used to cost to make in spite of significant technology and automation gains in the manufacturing process. Yes, the cost of shampoo actually went up because of all of the federal and state regulations that the manufacturer now has to comply with as well as the product liability insurance the manufacturer has to buy in order to keep from getting sued by purchasers of shampoo. You see, without significant tort reform, these consumers run to liberal trial attorneys complaining that the shampoo causes them to cry and the settlements for such cases in recent years have skyrocketed. The tort reform proposed by minority conservative legislators has never made it out of committee since the trial lawyers have lobbied their liberal brethren in the legislature and congress and donated to their campaign funds as well as their off-shore bank accounts, but Joe has clean hair today. Joe dresses, walks outside and takes a deep breath. The air he breathes is better than in the Class 10,000 clean room at the local aerospace company, but that’s why toilet seats cost $30,000 dollars on the space station now. He walks to the subway station for his government-subsidized ride to the union hall; it saves him considerable money in parking and transportation fees, but costs the 6 conservatives that pay taxes to support his ride 16 times what it would have cost if he had driven his own car. You see, some liberals fought for public transportation so that liberal politicians could line their pockets with millions of dollars in kickbacks from labor unions that built the subway lines as well as millions of dollars that the subway car manufacturer had to pay the liberal politicians in order to get the manufacturing and maintenance contracts. It turns out the cars need almost weekly maintenance because of the crappy design, but the maintenance facility is manned by union members so everything is good for Joe and his union brethren. Someday Joe hope he can get a cush government union job since then he’ll never have to worry about the free market again. Meanwhile, the next three generations of taxpayers will also be paying taxes to repay all of the public transportation bond issues that passed due to overwhelming union support.


Joe begins his work day by getting on the bus to the townhall meeting and draws his union benefit check and maintains his medicals benefits because the liberal legislature mandated that his employer was still responsible for these even after he and 800 others were laid off over two years ago. Although Joe tried several times, he was not able to make it look as though he got hurt on the job, since then he could have gone to a trial attorney and sued his employer. The conservatives who are still employed as engineers at the company where Joe is employed had to take cuts in pay so that the 35 union members still working at the lone remaining prototype manufacturing shop could get a contractually-mandated raise. The conservative engineers had all been saving to buy a home, but their taxes are so high now that they can barely afford to make their student loan payments and feed their families. The liberal legislature recently passed laws increasing income taxes so that out-of-work union members won’t lose their homes and are able to send their kids to private schools, even though the conservative engineers can only afford to send their kids to public school manned by crappy union teachers who sit on their asses all day and show videos.
It's 5:30 pm and Joe needs to deposit his union benefit check in the government-owned bank so he can pay some bills. Joe’s deposit was at one time federally insured by the FDIC, which recently ran out of money because some liberals wanted to force banks to loan money to poor people to buy houses even though these poor people couldn’t afford the houses they bought. You see, the liberals in congress funded a bunch of studies that indicated that banks were discriminating against poor people because they were too poor to buy a house. The logic was never that clear to Joe, but it made him feel good that all those poor people were able to get houses. After hundreds of thousands of these poor people didn’t make their mortgage payments, it wasn’t too surprising that these banks started going out of business and the FDIC had to take them over and pay the depositors. Now the FDIC is out of money and all the banks are owned by the government. Union members now have cushy teller jobs so everything seems to have worked out for the best.


Joe is back home and a little hoarse from his hard day at the townhall meeting where he and his union brothers shouted down numerous conservatives who were trying to ask the local liberal politician uncomfortable questions about where their tax dollars were going. He plans to visit his father this evening at his farm home in the country. On the farm his father employs hundreds of formerly illegal aliens that were recently given amnesty by a liberal congress. It seems that the liberal politicians were concerned that birth rates were so low and abortions were so high amongst liberals that a new batch of voters that were beholden to liberal politicians was needed. Accordingly, amnesty for illegal aliens was passed by congress even though no one actually had a chance to read the bill before it was voted on. Previously, his father was able to pay the illegal aliens almost nothing, but now they are in the process of organizing a labor union. Before, his father was able to rely on other conservative citizens to pay for the illegal aliens’ children to go to public schools and let them get their health care at the emergency room at the local hospital which recently went out of business. His father is starting to worry that he won’t be able to afford to pay them and give them health benefits and that he may have to sell the farm. There aren’t that many buyers out there right now so the liberals in congress are talking about having the government buy all the farms.


Joe is happy to see his dad who is now retired. His dad will probably be among the last to be able to live on Social Security and his union pension because the remaining workers in the country are too few to keep Social Security solvent and the tax rates would have to be so high to keep it solvent that it would probably cause a mass exodus from the country by those who actually work for a living. Thankfully his dad is healthy, because if his dad had to go to the government-run health clinic, he could easily die before a life-saving procedure could be performed on whatever was ailing him. Joe’s Aunt Katy wasn’t so fortunate and recently died when her cancer, which used to be 98% treatable before nationalized healthcare, metastasized while she was waiting for treatment.

After Joe’s visit with his dad he gets back in his car for the ride home. He turns on a radio talk show where the host keeps saying that liberals are bad and conservatives are good, but it just doesn’t seem to make sense to Joe. Joe never worries about being able to retire on Social Security, or the solvency of the pension fund at the company where Joe used to work, or whether his dad will be forced to sell the farm, which is Joe’s only inheritance, or if the US is on the brink of becoming a third world country. He stops by a liquor store to buy some beer and some Zig-Zag papers so that he can smoke the rest of his medicinal marijuana on his way home. Joe shakes his head when he thinks about all those poor suckers out their working. He thinks about that bumper sticker “Live better, work union” and a smile comes across his face. He gets home and falls asleep on the floor in a stoned daze and dreams about getting up tomorrow and doing it all again.



http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2334055/posts

[Robert A Whit]

I know that Marijuana (aka MJ aka Mary Jane) is not really good for the human body. But one ought to have used it to know much about it. Some allege they have pain and it is good for preventing pain. Given that many of them are old, I can't say it does not work. Ph.D. Michael Savage with his various Ph.Ds says on his radio show that it hurts the brain.

That all admitted, when CA voted to make MJ legal to those who hurt and get a doctor to prescribe it, I figured the doctor could use his professional know how and decide if they needed it or not, thus voted in favor.

What is good about MJ?

The effects never make you angry. You will never pick a fight as you will by using some sort of Alcohol. I know that you may be cool on Beer but go crazy drinking maybe vodka. Also, the effects of MJ don't last long. You don't get hang overs. I hate the coughing after a drag.

If you want to evaluate each, I think MJ is a lot safer.

Can you drive after smoking. Well, you can. I did. But what is going on. For me, I was looking at my speedometer at 60 mph and I swear my body told me I was going maybe 25. The poles along the road side seemed to be in slow motion. I did it on a road with no traffic at night.

I do not ever want you to get the idea that was safe. It was definitely a mistake to drive that time of night. So, your judgement is impaired.

This was like in the late 70s and after a very short period, I flat refused to ever smoke any of it again.

My advice ... do not ever use it. If a doctor tells you to use it, I won't dispute the doctor.

[Robert A Whit]

Hey FJ

Since you are so cool with the government regulating virtually your entire daily existence, maybe you are pissed off that G.Washington set up this form of government and want the Soviet model for some odd reason.

When the Feds tell you this is for your own good, watch your wallet. They plan to make you spend a lot more cash just to do anything.

[Drummond]

Your lucky, if all of those things weren't government approved each and every one of those might have caused your untimely death. :poke: I wonder if caskets are government approved.

... well, yes ...

We all know how lethal toothbrushes can be ... :laugh:

[Tyr-Ziu Saxnot]

Reminds me of the day in the life of a liberal

Quite simply brilliant... :beer:-Tyr

[tailfins]

I had a friend that was a Sergeant in the Soviet army. He tells me life in Russia was much better under Brezhnev, Andropov and Gorbachev than it is under Putin. There are worse things than Communism or even radical Islam. That worse thing is predators being able to prey on whomever they wish. With totalitarianism you can generally survive by carefully learning the rules however rigid. I'm not saying it's desirable, just survivable. His experience in the Soviet Army has taught him to survive any corporate environment, no matter how toxic. He used to tell me he could "smell $4it in the air" and we had better go take a break and play some billiards. Sure enough, we would return and noticed the team got read the "riot act" again that we just happened to miss.

[Robert A Whit]

I had a friend that was a Sergeant in the Soviet army. He tells me life in Russia was much better under Brezhnev, Andropov and Gorbachev than it is under Putin. There are worse things than Communism or even radical Islam. That worse thing is predators being able to prey on whomever they wish. With totalitarianism you can generally survive by carefully learning the rules however rigid. I'm not saying it's desirable, just survivable. His experience in the Soviet Army has taught him to survive any corporate environment, no matter how toxic. He used to tell me he could "smell $4it in the air" and we had better go take a break and play some billiards. Sure enough, we would return and noticed the team got read the "riot act" again that we just happened to miss.

I know an Architect who was raised in Kiev area. He earned as I recall this, a Masters degree. He had compulsory military service. His degree earned him the beginning officer rank though his first year had to be served as an enlisted person.

When he was in, enlisted had to wear the uniform every day. Officers not so.

He said duty as an enlisted man for a year was terrible. As an Officer he had it made and enjoyed those ranks. By the time he got out, he had been a Major.

But guess where he chose to live? California. To be a legal architect in CA, Arkady had to get some sort of work done to get the license. Last time I talked to him, he remarked to me this tidbit..

Bob he asks, why do you think that the USA is going socialist and headed to the direction we have just got out of? (Leaving communism he meant)

I says, Gee, I don't know Arkady. But you tell me you see it clearly?

Yes he says, I see it clearly.

One might scoff. Then one reads Democrats chatting.

And I swear, I got that same feeling when FJ posted.

I wish each poster had at least got a chance to go inside a Soviet country when it was in existance. They would not be so quick to tell me that all the regulations in the USA were for our own good.

It starts like that folks.

They sneak it in on you. Sure, some countries used violence. But socialists know an invasion of this country won't work so bit by bit, minute by minute, step by step, they are changing this country trying to create that socialist utopia.

Why does the Government have to own all that much when they, by will, can simply dictate to you how you live, what you eat, and much more?

I saw on TV some guy talking about going into East Berlin. I did that too. It was creepy. I was told or ordered, by the Army, that I must wear my dress uniform to go into East Berlin. That I felt painted a bulls eye on me. I saw too many machine guns by the Wall in Berlin. Not by our guys, but their guards. East Berlin felt to me like a huge prison. I have photos I took on a very busy Sunday on a very nice day and while West Berlin was so lively, so much hustle and bustle, major streets in East Berlin had virtually no traffic. Maybe the Russians had some sort of blockade up the road to stop all cars. I can't say for sure that a few miles from the center of the city, maybe somebody drove cars around, but where I was able to go to, it was dead. This is a super huge city. Those who have been to NY City can get it. Imagine that you are on Manhatten and you see almost no person at all and maybe one super old time bus. That is what it was like.

Ahhhhhh, it can't happen here.

Arkady told me it can happen and is happening. Slowly so you can't feel it day by day. But had you been in the former Soviet areas, you would know what I am talking about.

Why do you guys think that all Obama does is run all over the country, teleprompter in hand making all those speeches? Bush was not like that. Clinton was not like that.

Presidents always gave speeches, but I believe Obama holds the record for most travelling speeches given. He is conditioning you.

But left wingers may just not care. They would have been excellent citizens of the soviet union.

I think what helps some of us that are past 60 is that we recall what freedom in the USA actually felt like.

[bingster]

I want to describe my typical day in the life of the Soviet union.

Or is it the Soviet Union I speak of?

I woke up this AM after sleeping on my government approved pillow, under my government approved blankets on my government approved mattress. I went to shower in my government approved shower using my government approved shower head.<o:p></o
<o:p></o
I used my government approved tooth brush with government approved tooth paste and brushed my teeth. A Government approved man takes care of my teeth. Using government approved techniques. <o:p></o
<o:p></o
I prepared my breakfast using government approved food and used my government approved kitchen range to warm it up. <o:p></o
<o:p></o
I opened my government approved front door and got into my government approved car. I looked at my gas guage and decided to stop for fuel. As I backed down my government approved driveway, I turned onto the government approved road and headed to the government approved gas station. On the way, I kept an eye on my government approved speedometer. I put my card into the government approved fuel meter and filled up my government approved gas tank with government approved fuel. I checked my government approved oil to make sure it was full enough. <o:p></o
<o:p></o
As I drove down the government approved roads, I was stopped by a government approved stop light and waited the government approved time to start again. I noted at the corders there were government approved places in case somebody was in a wheel chair. <o:p></o
<o:p></o
I parked in the government approved parking lot in my government approves space. I engered the building to go up the government approved elevator and got to my governnemt approved office for a day of work. I used my government telephone for much of the day. I used the government approved internet a lot too. My boss treated me in the governement approved fashion. At the end of the week, he did the government duty proud by removing some of my hard earned money to pay the government. Supposedly this was becaause the government was helping me.<o:p></o
<o:p></o
I got back on the governent approved road and drove at the governent approved speed. Using the government approved road, I found I was stuck in heavy traffic due to government design. At home I ate the government approved food for my supper meal. I watched some TV on my government approved TV to see the government approved broadcast. I finally tired of the Government and crawled back into my government approved bed and slept the governemnt approved time.<o:p></o
<o:p></o
Gee, it sounds as bad as America doesn’t it?<o:p></o
<o:p></o
<o:p></o
Did you wake up in the 80's? The Soviet Union is dead!

Infrastructure-wise, I'm surprise you got home safely because your party refuses to maintain it.

And, for the rest of it, I agree with "make you my...." if the government didn't regulate it, you would die.

[Kathianne]

I may be wrong, but seemed a sort of dream post on the poster's part. Now maybe he spent some time in the USSR, who knows? Lots of things he seemed to be 'present for.' Sort of like Forrest Gump.

[bingster]

I know that Marijuana (aka MJ aka Mary Jane) is not really good for the human body. But one ought to have used it to know much about it. Some allege they have pain and it is good for preventing pain. Given that many of them are old, I can't say it does not work. Ph.D. Michael Savage with his various Ph.Ds says on his radio show that it hurts the brain.

That all admitted, when CA voted to make MJ legal to those who hurt and get a doctor to prescribe it, I figured the doctor could use his professional know how and decide if they needed it or not, thus voted in favor.

What is good about MJ?

The effects never make you angry. You will never pick a fight as you will by using some sort of Alcohol. I know that you may be cool on Beer but go crazy drinking maybe vodka. Also, the effects of MJ don't last long. You don't get hang overs. I hate the coughing after a drag.

If you want to evaluate each, I think MJ is a lot safer.

Can you drive after smoking. Well, you can. I did. But what is going on. For me, I was looking at my speedometer at 60 mph and I swear my body told me I was going maybe 25. The poles along the road side seemed to be in slow motion. I did it on a road with no traffic at night.

I do not ever want you to get the idea that was safe. It was definitely a mistake to drive that time of night. So, your judgement is impaired.

This was like in the late 70s and after a very short period, I flat refused to ever smoke any of it again.

My advice ... do not ever use it. If a doctor tells you to use it, I won't dispute the doctor.

I'm in rare agreement with you. I still think it ought to be legalized but some have come out against who have made some good sense, so I'm not sure. I do think it's more safe than alcohol, though. And, by the way, I am not a user.

[bingster]

I know an Architect who was raised in Kiev area. He earned as I recall this, a Masters degree. He had compulsory military service. His degree earned him the beginning officer rank though his first year had to be served as an enlisted person.

When he was in, enlisted had to wear the uniform every day. Officers not so.

He said duty as an enlisted man for a year was terrible. As an Officer he had it made and enjoyed those ranks. By the time he got out, he had been a Major.

But guess where he chose to live? California. To be a legal architect in CA, Arkady had to get some sort of work done to get the license. Last time I talked to him, he remarked to me this tidbit..

Bob he asks, why do you think that the USA is going socialist and headed to the direction we have just got out of? (Leaving communism he meant)

I says, Gee, I don't know Arkady. But you tell me you see it clearly?

Yes he says, I see it clearly.

One might scoff. Then one reads Democrats chatting.

And I swear, I got that same feeling when FJ posted.

I wish each poster had at least got a chance to go inside a Soviet country when it was in existance. They would not be so quick to tell me that all the regulations in the USA were for our own good.

It starts like that folks.

They sneak it in on you. Sure, some countries used violence. But socialists know an invasion of this country won't work so bit by bit, minute by minute, step by step, they are changing this country trying to create that socialist utopia.

Why does the Government have to own all that much when they, by will, can simply dictate to you how you live, what you eat, and much more?

I saw on TV some guy talking about going into East Berlin. I did that too. It was creepy. I was told or ordered, by the Army, that I must wear my dress uniform to go into East Berlin. That I felt painted a bulls eye on me. I saw too many machine guns by the Wall in Berlin. Not by our guys, but their guards. East Berlin felt to me like a huge prison. I have photos I took on a very busy Sunday on a very nice day and while West Berlin was so lively, so much hustle and bustle, major streets in East Berlin had virtually no traffic. Maybe the Russians had some sort of blockade up the road to stop all cars. I can't say for sure that a few miles from the center of the city, maybe somebody drove cars around, but where I was able to go to, it was dead. This is a super huge city. Those who have been to NY City can get it. Imagine that you are on Manhatten and you see almost no person at all and maybe one super old time bus. That is what it was like.

Ahhhhhh, it can't happen here.

Arkady told me it can happen and is happening. Slowly so you can't feel it day by day. But had you been in the former Soviet areas, you would know what I am talking about.

Why do you guys think that all Obama does is run all over the country, teleprompter in hand making all those speeches? Bush was not like that. Clinton was not like that.

Presidents always gave speeches, but I believe Obama holds the record for most travelling speeches given. He is conditioning you.

But left wingers may just not care. They would have been excellent citizens of the soviet union.

I think what helps some of us that are past 60 is that we recall what freedom in the USA actually felt like.

First of all, Obamacare is not even a socialist program. It's based on the private sector. "A love letter to the insurance companies" some have said. Second of all, although a safety net is considered a socialist program, it doesn't mean we're the old Soviet Union. It doesn't, either, mean we're on a slippery slope to ol' Soviet Union. Virtually every decent country in the world has some kind of safety net and almost none of them are considered socialist countries. Some of what some have called socialism, in my mind, is just being civilized. You can have measures of socialism and still maintain and even strengthen your capitalist ideals. It's not a zero sum game.

Also, Robert you have an eclectic group of friends and I commend you for it. But, I don't know what your friend recognizes that is similar to the Soviet Union that could be negative. Like it or not, President Obama was elected by the majority of the popular vote-twice. He has pushed measures that have been highly approved of. He is a popular president. I know there have been tens of thousands of "patriotic" conservatives who have signed petitions to secede from the nation because of his election, but there are nut jobs in every country. Compare that to a dictator who was not elected, doesn't do or react to polls, doesn't care if you live or die, and may cause some of your deaths himself. I don't recognize the Soviet Union here, and I find the comparison lacking.

[Kathianne]

First of all, Obamacare is not even a socialist program. It's based on the private sector. "A love letter to the insurance companies" some have said. Second of all, although a safety net is considered a socialist program, it doesn't mean we're the old Soviet Union. It doesn't, either, mean we're on a slippery slope to ol' Soviet Union. Virtually every decent country in the world has some kind of safety net and almost none of them are considered socialist countries. Some of what some have called socialism, in my mind, is just being civilized. You can have measures of socialism and still maintain and even strengthen your capitalist ideals. It's not a zero sum game.

So you really think 'reform' means copying failing plans? There was a time the norm was for America to lead.

[bingster]

So you really think 'reform' means copying failing plans? There was a time the norm was for America to lead.

First of all, I don't accept that others are failing. We can and do lead. We're not going to as long as we believe we should go backward and tear up our programs. We should lead by fixing our schools, infrastructure, green technology, and find the next mountain to climb before anyone else does. Only problem is, we're currently behind on all of those things and will keep going that way with conservative principles.

I guess you could say it's your party that wants to "Lead from behind".

[Kathianne]

First of all, I don't accept that others are failing. We can and do lead. We're not going to as long as we believe we should go backward and tear up our programs. We should lead by fixing our schools, infrastructure, green technology, and find the next mountain to climb before anyone else does. Only problem is, we're currently behind on all of those things and will keep going that way with conservative principles.

I guess you could say it's your party that wants to "Lead from behind".

You do realize you are regurgitating talking points? Please, tell me you know this.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/9839529/Most-French-people-agree-their-country-is-totally-bankrupt.html

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/report-slams-uk-health-service-for-appalling-and-unnecessary-suffering/article8313300/

[bingster]

You do realize you are regurgitating talking points? Please, tell me you know this.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/9839529/Most-French-people-agree-their-country-is-totally-bankrupt.html

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/report-slams-uk-health-service-for-appalling-and-unnecessary-suffering/article8313300/

You do realize you're just finding exceptions to the rule during an economic down turn. I saw the France is bankrupt article but I don't know all of the problems France is suffering or failing to do. Bankrupt can just be the opinion of the article. I know much of Frances revenue comes from tourism which I'm sure has taken a hit lately. Most of the article regarding England is about one specific hospital. I also don't know what the UK is doing wrong. Everything, however, always looks wrong when your economy isn't doing well. Hows Japan doing?

So I guess your answer is to privatize social security and medicare. Both would have been screwed just recently. Partially voucherize our school system which will further degrade our public school system. I'm sure the right would prefer private schools anyway since they want to teach intelligent design. Maybe we should just ditch it all and start over.

I don't trust a party that doesn't believe in science, still justifies discrimination, and, frankly, still celebrates the Confederacy that lost 150 years ago. People who call themselves "patriots" but threaten to secede whenever they don't get their way at the polls are not people I trust to point to the future.

[Kathianne]

You do realize you're just finding exceptions to the rule during an economic down turn. I saw the France is bankrupt article but I don't know all of the problems France is suffering or failing to do. Bankrupt can just be the opinion of the article. I know much of Frances revenue comes from tourism which I'm sure has taken a hit lately. Most of the article regarding England is about one specific hospital. I also don't know what the UK is doing wrong. Everything, however, always looks wrong when your economy isn't doing well. Hows Japan doing?

So I guess your answer is to privatize social security and medicare. Both would have been screwed just recently. Partially voucherize our school system which will further degrade our public school system. I'm sure the right would prefer private schools anyway since they want to teach intelligent design. Maybe we should just ditch it all and start over.

I don't trust a party that doesn't believe in science, still justifies discrimination, and, frankly, still celebrates the Confederacy that lost 150 years ago. People who call themselves "patriots" but threaten to secede whenever they don't get their way at the polls are not people I trust to point to the future.

This 'economic downturn' has been going on for over 1/2 decade, longer in Europe. How dare you claim to know what my position is regarding SS or Medicare in this particular conversation. I didn't bring up either.

Then you bring up schools and ID, again, way off subject.

Patriots?

Secession?

Me? When?

Right.

Who pulled your strings?

[fj1200]

First of all, I don't accept that others are failing. We can and do lead. We're not going to as long as we believe we should go backward and tear up our programs. We should lead by fixing our schools, infrastructure, green technology, and find the next mountain to climb before anyone else does. Only problem is, we're currently behind on all of those things and will keep going that way with conservative principles.

I guess you could say it's your party that wants to "Lead from behind".

You do understand that liberal principles are behind our schools don't you? That they are a virtual monopoly for most granted by government?

BTW a bit of conservative tax policy does not equal a conservative government. Practically every government policy outside of the focus on income tax rates has been precisely counter to enhancing American productivity globally; Payroll taxes, corporate taxes, government mandates as "solution," corporate regulations to "save us from ourselves," etc. All of them are contrary to the competitiveness of American labor. Honestly I'm surprised that our global competiveness rankings took so long to fall from number 1 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Competitiveness_Report) but our policies during the last four years have clearly not helped.


I don't trust a party that doesn't believe in science, still justifies discrimination, and, frankly, still celebrates the Confederacy that lost 150 years ago. People who call themselves "patriots" but threaten to secede whenever they don't get their way at the polls are not people I trust to point to the future.

Oh for christ's sake. It's just utterly pointless to argue against crap like that. Kathianne called it right, talking point regurgitation.