2010 Could Easily Be Disastrous For Democrats

[Eddie Teach]

NPR is a charity? 

[Caliga]

NPR is a charity? 

Yes?  I mean our local NPR affiliates btw (both in Boston and here).

[Eddie Teach]

NPR is a charity? 

Yes?  I mean our local NPR affiliates btw (both in Boston and here).

All those poor people working in libraries and conducting symphonies can't afford their entertainment.

[Caliga]

All those poor people working in libraries and conducting symphonies can't afford their entertainment.

I think it's really important that everyone have the opportunity to listen to Dianne Rehm.

[ulmont]

Should we help our fellow citizens, yes. Should we be responsible for them, no. The choice to help my neighbor or not help my neighbor is a personal one, and not one that should be decided for me by the government.

Do you apply that logic to the provision of universal education?

Or fire services, police services, armed defense, the rural electrification project, etc.  Even putting a civil court system into place is helping your neighbor.

[Valmy]

Should we help our fellow citizens, yes. Should we be responsible for them, no. The choice to help my neighbor or not help my neighbor is a personal one, and not one that should be decided for me by the government.

I am guessing that you are a follower of the ideal that our country should be about equal outcomes and not equal rights.

Strix the Libertarian?

[Caliga]

Strix the Libertarian?

I wonder what his union boss thinks about his libertarian views.

[Ed Anger]

All those poor people working in libraries and conducting symphonies can't afford their entertainment.

I think it's really important that everyone have the opportunity to listen to Dianne Rehm.

[PDH]

I donate to the "Recently Divorced Who Lost a Lot of Money Fund." I find that this local charity is not really that well supported of late.

[Berkut]

I don't have any theoretical problem with the government providing health care to those who cannot afford it, or subsidizing the cost.

My problem with the current healthcare debate in America is that it isn't really about that - it is about extending socialism.

If people actually cared about the poors ability to afford healthcare, they would be dealing with the fact that healthcare in the US from a cost perspective is grossly broken, with costs rising at a rate that is simply not economically viable and is clearly the result of a broken market.

But we won't address that - gosh no, why, that would not be very socialist of us, to try to restore some market forces to the healthcare market! Golly, that would turn us all into Ayn Rand!

So instead we propose to simply have the government pay for health care, even if it does cost 2.5 times as much as it should. Sure, that will work great. *That* will certainly drive down costs, if we mandate that everyone have "health insurance", when it is the broken concept of "health insurance" that is driving the costs through the roof to being with.

Notice that none of the people in this thread wringing their hands about the poor not getting health insurance have said a single word about how it ought to be paid for. Because that just doesn't matter, does it?

[alfred russel]

The whole bullshit "protestant anglo saxons give lots to charity, so it's just as good!" always make me laugh.

I'm sure derspiess gives lots and lots to charities that help the healthcare of poorer americans 

Gimme a break. You probably give 50 bucks a year to some crap pet project you care about and then proceed to feel all good about yourself.

Can't speak for derspiess, but some people are. (no, I don't think this is a substitute for public healthcare)

"In the 2007 Philanthropy 400, United Way of America was again the largest charity in the United States, with 1,285 local United Ways reporting over $4.2 billion in contributions, a 2.2% increase over 2006."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Way_of_America

"The Salvation Army is the second largest charity in the United States, with private donations of almost $2 billion for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2007"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Salvation_Army#Current_organization_and_expenditures

[Caliga]

Government money just appears magically.

[Razgovory]

Strix the Libertarian?

I wonder what his union boss thinks about his libertarian views.

He looks out only for himself.  What could be more libertarian?

[Eddie Teach]

I think that's why health care's going to fail. The majority of people already have it.

[Valmy]

I think that's why health care's going to fail. The majority of people already have it.

Interesting perspective.  Yes we have it but we usually rely on our employer to get it.

What I want is health insurance that is cheap enough I can pay for it myself and not have to rely on my employer.  If the government can help make that possible I will be happy.

Actually what I really want is a clinic where I can just pay an annual subscription fee and they can handle all my health needs and only use insurance for big surgeries and stuff.  Now that would be awesome.