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the_ignored
SFN Addict
2562 Posts |
 Posted - 01/10/2011 : 15:47:10
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Some Aussie news outlets are talking about it here and here
An economic stimulus package the likes of which hasn't been seen since the 1930s, sweeping financial regulations, the repeal of the 'Don't ask, Don't tell' policy that effectively prevented gays serving openly in the US military, the new START nuclear arms treaty with Russia and the really big one - healthcare reform.
At the time that one got through many on the left in America were criticising president Obama's pragmatism and lamenting the fact that the public option for health insurance was dropped, but some on the right, like the influential and widely-read columnist Charles Krauthammer, were describing this president as the most radical in memory - a president who, just like Ronald Reagan, wanted to change the nature of the relationship between the citizen and the state. This president though has a vision of America as a far more social democratic 'European'-style nation - an idea that causes many on the right to start muttering about the dangers of fromage-flavoured socialism - and one that certainly curdles the milk of all those who identify with Sarah Palin. |
So, what do you guys think? You live there, I (and the writers of those articles) don't.
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>From: enuffenuff@fastmail.fm
(excerpt follows):
> I'm looking to teach these two bastards a lesson they'll never forget.
> Personal visit by mates of mine. No violence, just a wee little chat.
>
> **** has also committed more crimes than you can count with his
> incitement of hatred against a religion. That law came in about 2007
> much to ****'s ignorance. That is fact and his writing will become well
> know as well as him becoming a publicly known icon of hatred.
>
> Good luck with that fuckwit. And Reynold, fucking run, and don't stop.
> Disappear would be best as it was you who dared to attack me on my
> illness knowing nothing of the cause. You disgust me and you are top of
> the list boy. Again, no violence. Just regular reminders of who's there
> and visits to see you are behaving. Nothing scary in reality. But I'd
> still disappear if I was you.
What brought that on? this. Original posting here.
Another example of this guy's lunacy here. |
Edited by - the_ignored on 01/10/2011 15:48:02
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 01/10/2011 : 19:26:45 [Permalink]
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| I'm personally pretty damned impressed with Obama's record so far, especially considering the Congress he has to work with, and the GOP Noise Machine that dominates popular perception of reality. |
“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
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Cuneiformist
The Imperfectionist
USA
4955 Posts |
Posted - 01/10/2011 : 19:45:12 [Permalink]
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Well, there have been problems in some areas. The problem (in my opinion) is that the other side of the aisle is truly hellbent on stopping Obama regardless of what it means for the country. And Obama has been less than shrewd in his political actions.
As a classic example, in discussing his stimulus package Obama came to the table offering a number of concessions to the right wing (concessions that no sane economist thought would be good for the economy; that a whole segment of Congress favor such things is just crazy). The right wing, however, took that as the starting point of discussions, meaning that by the time it was finalized, the right wing got even more concessions-- again, concessions that did little or nothing to actually help the economy-- and the whole package ended up being too small.
It's like selling a house but putting your lowest possible offer as the initial list price. When buyers come offering some significant percent less, then you're screwed if you absolutely have to sell...
But it could be worse. If McCain were President... well, I shudder to think of it. |
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Valiant Dancer
Forum Goalie
USA
4826 Posts |
Posted - 01/10/2011 : 20:04:35 [Permalink]
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OK. Where do I start.
I like the guy. Really I do. He's made some boneheaded steps and some good ones. (But what President past or present hasn't?)
OK, economy. Some decent ideas here. Investing in the banks seems a little risky from a "once they have control, they won't want to give it up" aspect. Passable marks with some fuzzy math inherent in any political speech.
Healthcare. HR3590 had some good parts that made sense, some bad parts that didn't, and some downright stupid parts. Overall, nice attempt, but got overly bloated with unecessary spending. Also, targeted the wrong part of the equasion. Insurance companies are not taking huge profits (except for a couple) Industry average is about 3%. Rules put in place mitigated some of the issue. Would have been more effective to allow more money to be kept to combat Medicare fraud. Big Pharma gets a wink and nod with no real impact on their bottom line compared to DME and insurance. Republican plan had some of the same good parts (including healthcare exchanges, removal of pre-existing conditions, and covering dependents until 26) for 10% of the cost over 10 years. In addition, pay for performance for healthcare providers.
Foreign policy: pretty good. Excellent execution on the START treaty and real progress towards finally disposing of the chemical weapons that the US owns.
Military: Very good. Set realistic goals. Following through. Listening to commanders in the field even if they don't agree with him. (Also won't tolerate insubordination from commanders who trash him outside the job.)
Better than John "A Zeiss Mk 3 is an overhead projector" McCain. A world better than Sarah Palin. (who scares the crap out of me what she and her religious zealots would do to the country.)
Cune touches on the major problem which started under Nixon and came to it's peak during George W. Bush. The vitrolic rhetoric that the elected officials actually believe. We have successfully poisoned our political system with anger, fear, and hatred to the point that it will take a good long time before it gets fixed again. |
Cthulhu/Asmodeus when you're tired of voting for the lesser of two evils
Brother Cutlass of Reasoned Discussion |
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moakley
SFN Regular
USA
1888 Posts |
Posted - 01/10/2011 : 20:55:53 [Permalink]
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Perhaps it was just shorter and said this way for the sake of limiting characters, but if not why just external threats to American interest. Maybe they expect us to pay the lions share in blood and money, but in the global community the US needs their help and should expect help in dealing with such threats.
In the short run, doing less in Iraq and Afghanistan will allow the US to concentrate on the two most immediate external threats to American interests: Iran and North Korea.
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Perhaps a coherent unified diplomatic solution might save the blood. I don't know what that would be, but it would be worth the effort. |
Life is good
Philosophy is questions that may never be answered. Religion is answers that may never be questioned. -Anonymous |
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Dude
SFN Die Hard
USA
6891 Posts |
Posted - 01/10/2011 : 21:26:17 [Permalink]
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Obama so far...
He has done some good things, but his strategy for getting things done kinda pisses me off.
Healthcare, for example. They did not start with the idea of single payer. Even if they knew they would not get the votes they should have been playing "medicare for all" talking points and had that as the starting position. Then they could have negotiated it down to a public option. Instead, they start by throwing out the public option on the first day, then negotiate down to the 1994 republican healthcare plan. All the while they can't adequately respond to the insane gibbering in the media about socialism and getting shit crammed down their throats....
GITMO is still operational.
War crimes have been publicly admitted by the previous admin, yet not a single investigation is underway.
Through all of this, they have been incompetent when it comes to communicating what they have actually managed to do. They have done some impressive things, yet most people can't tell you what because the dems can't get it above the noise.
They LOST elections.... to fringe retards who are so stupid and ignorant that its frightening.
In a nutshell... sure, they have done some good work. But fuck... they have let some shit slide that should have made them beat down some punks on the floor of the senate. The only way I can describe it is incompetence.
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Ignorance is preferable to error; and he is less remote from the truth who believes nothing, than he who believes what is wrong.
-- Thomas Jefferson
"god :: the last refuge of a man with no answers and no argument." - G. Carlin
Hope, n.
The handmaiden of desperation; the opiate of despair; the illegible signpost on the road to perdition. ~~ da filth |
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Valiant Dancer
Forum Goalie
USA
4826 Posts |
Posted - 01/11/2011 : 21:16:48 [Permalink]
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Dude,
The electorate is pissed off at the economy. So much that a noisy group making some bat-shit crazy rhetoric about the President being a foreigner can convince the pissed off that a special interest group can take over a party from within.
Much easier than starting a third party.
The Libertarians are learning. |
Cthulhu/Asmodeus when you're tired of voting for the lesser of two evils
Brother Cutlass of Reasoned Discussion |
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Dave W.
Info Junkie
USA
26022 Posts |
Posted - 01/11/2011 : 23:16:35 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by Valiant Dancer
Insurance companies are not taking huge profits (except for a couple) Industry average is about 3%. |
Insurance companies are an unnecessary middle-man. Their profits aren't the problem: it is instead their costs. State-run health care systems in Europe have lower overhead rates and per-capita real costs than any American health insurance company. Get rid of them entirely, and we won't be arguing about their profits.
Plus, the very notion of insurance for health care is a problem. Insurance is for things which might happen, but aren't expected. Normal people need health care, a couple times a year (if we include dental, optical and preventive check-ups, etc.), so we shouldn't consider only calamity in the economic equations. We should have national health care, not national health insurance. We shouldn't be aiming to model our system on Medicare, but on the VA. Dude's idea of what should have been done wouldn't have shifted the Overton Window nearly enough. |
- Dave W. (Private Msg, EMail)
Evidently, I rock!
Why not question something for a change?
Visit Dave's Psoriasis Info, too. |
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Talking about Obama's record
