2020 Election

There's still the matter of infrastructure for "universal" healthcare in the US. There simply are not enough beds, nurses or doctors for the population. The number of doctors who "retired" after the ACA was passed was substantial. The sad truth is that so many of them went into a new kind of private practice, unregulated and sold to the highest bidder. The exact opposite of what was expected of them (which was to become underpaid public "servants").

While the model for the ACA works very well in Canada, they only have about 10% of the US population. That's a substantial issue since infrastructure can't be simply scaled on paper.

 

Well, someone already attacked New York, twice. So it's rather clear the US defense is spread rather thin. Then there's the other kind of warfare against the US, in the form of deadly drugs delivered cheap and readily. And of course there's the various incarnations of economic warfare that has been waged against the US population for decades now.

I never, ever pegged you as a warmonger. Where is this concern for a massive military coming from?

 

America is the worst country. We have exactly the wrong number of people to implement any positive programs. All we can do is suffer, because our country is just too big for anything good to happen.

 

Oh I don't know about that. Look at what American culture has brought to the world from Jazz to personal computers. America seems massive, but the states are still relevant, which contributes substantially to America's cultural diversity.

 

Jazz and personal computers aren't programs. We can't have any positive social programs, paid for with taxes, because there are too many people. Healthcare for instance. We have no choice but for some people to go without, because there are too many of us.

 

So the poor and middle class shouldn't care about the morality of taking other people's money...they should just take whatever they want.

 

Taxes aren't "other people's money." It's the government's money to do with as it sees fit.

 

I'm not getting personal. I'm criticizing your bullshit.

This nonsensical mentioning of racism is a good example. You often complain about racism getting dragged into political convos or topical issues for no good reason. I can see why at times. But the curious and dubious thing about you is that when it isn't a point of discussion or dragged in atm... you're the one adding it. Worthy to point out.
Now, if it actually served a purpose. But no, its to shame or misportray convo partners with an opposite stance. Or as a joke (and a joke is not the issue at all. The issue is racism wasn't a part of the convo before you mentioned that joke), or as a defense mechanism; 'i mention this and lets wait when/if i get called racist'. Quite funny that the last time you did so in this thread your post got proper critical reactions but that attempt got ignored :-D It proves you wrong AND shows you are just as guilty of that kind of practices as the forummers you accuse. Besides; its the same kind of butthurt/snowflake behavior you act you have such a problem with.

I'm happy to explain my critical comments anytime Certainly if they get misportrayed as personal jabs or attacks by a person like you who is at least as busy with playing the racist card and displays snowflake behavior (and projects rubbish on his convo partners that can easily be put as 'getting personal' as well).
If you really think im not about the content or convo but in it to get at you personally I'm happy to point it out in future convos. As you do it really regularly.

 

The government is (supposed to be) a representation of the people. If they use the money to do as they see fit against the will/wishes of the people (or at least a majority of it) they're likely doing something wrong.

 

A strange conclusion. They should make use of what the government/their society makes available for them without caring about that in a guilty way. Not carelessly abuse the system when they can. Subtile difference

 

We already have a progressive tax system...

I think you consider yourself a libertarian?
So maybe you're one of those taxation is theft people
But taxes are inevitable and neccessary, and the least we can expect from our tax system is that it is used in a way that best supports all Americans and creates a better society, rather than being funneled into war and private defense contracts and wasteful spending

 

Government doesn't produce, it takes and redistributes. Taxes are one way the government gets money, the other is debt, which is massive right now. It's not supposed to be the government's money, it's supposed to be the resources of the American people and the government is supposed to be merely the custodian.

Don't get me wrong, I realize that taxation is necessary, but it should never be punitive. The US tax code is mired in slick, lawyer-created gotchas and loopholes that screw some while letting others get fat. I learned this the hard way when I earned "too much" a couple of years and had my income taken by the federal and state governments to the tune of 47%. I quit taking lucrative positions in risky places because my life is not worth padding government coffers like that. I stay just below the line of financial horror now and I'm completely out of debt.

 

Yea, that's personal. A prime example. You seem to need to build your case by ridiculing others. It's a common tactic though.

 

So common this seems a case of projection. Seriously, reread your own posts in these threads (the recent but horrible lengthy one about immigration is a good example too).

The innkeeper trusts his guests like he is himself.

But although im sincere in my criticism about your tactics I don't see the point in getting into a 'you are!' - 'no, you are!' game, which it seems to become.
I'll just try to point it out in the future and try to add constructive criticism.

 

It COULD produce though. Sometimes government does produce stuff. If a service is not only subsidized by the government but also shaped and implemented by a particular government body can't that be seen as a government product as well or am i lost in translation here? (asking other people too!)

 

Do you mean take their money and invest it in something like a farm that grows corn or for ethanol production for fuel or something?

 

That sounds more like taking (collecting) money and redistributing it (in investments) just as ************ worded it.

I'm thinking more about services like national healthcare. Or postal services under government control. Public transportation. I guess its more common in socialist and communist countries (but of course isn't exclusive to socialistic nations!)

 

Yes, the government is more about services like military protection, laws and law enforcement. While the postal service IS a service, it's also an outdated relic that moves more junk mail than anyone wants (so it ends up clogging landfills). Public transportation in most of the US sucks, it just does. The vehicles only receive surface-level "cleaning", the operators are generally disconnected at best, surly and rude otherwise.

As for laws, what a crap shoot. In most nations your status/wealth determines how the laws will affect you. To maintain this level of control laws are created almost daily and range from obvious, like statutes against murder, to absurd, like making chewing gum illegal in Singapore. On top of that is law enforcement which these days seems to toggle between horrible, oppressive Nazi-esque enforcement where it's obvious that they think we're all just perps who have not been caught yet (like a lot of small towns in Georgia) and decorative cops who sit on their asses and complain about their pensions while crime escalates all around them.

Being a veteran, I have had my fill of the US version of government health "care". The old joke in the 80s was that you'd go into the VA with a broken arm and come out with a vasectomy. Watching other governmental boondoggles like public housing projects and selective administration of disaster relief does not make me eager to have them dictating how sick I may be or what kind of treatment I should get for a kidney stone.

I'm also rather pissed that the government still has the nerve to tell me I can't smoke pot. Under threat of imprisonment (or death at the hands of a stupid, trigger-happy jerk with a badge who thinks pot and heroin are basically the same thing).