President Donald J. Trump

[Lt.Uhura]

In the last 8-10 years there have been hundreds of emergency care/urgent care clinics set up down here in the Houston area. I have never been to one, but it seems there is one in every strip mall.

I always wondered what the market force was for the influx of these clinics...

LOTS ER clinics here, some even in nice neighborhoods with serious capacity or, at least, admitting docs to other full hospitals.  But lots of minor care stuff for routine stuff, for cash even. Opening all over. Brand new hospitals also by the lakes and good areas- actually having to build housing for staff! And downtown new Med School..

The growth of hospitals and clinics in recent years is a direct result of the ACA. If you ran a business wouldn't you feel confident knowing your clients had the resources or cash to pay for your services?

Hospital operators are reporting more paying patients and fewer uninsured, which means far fewer unpaid medical bills. “For the last four quarters, the decline in self-pay admits and adjusted admits and the increase in Medicaid in expansion states have grown quarter over quarter,” Community Health CFO Larry Cash said.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/brucejapsen/2015/03/01/hospital-profits-soar-as-obamacare-prescribes-more-paying-patients/

Urgent care clinics are only set up to treat minor injuries and ailments. You will pay less there because they do less. They will send you to an ER for further evaluation, treatment, and admission for anything outside their capabilities.

It's no wonder hospitals, including teaching/research centers (cuts to scientific research are coming), doctors, nurses, and just about everybody else in American healthcare is against the GOP repeal and replace. Their hastily thrown-together, short-sighted, poorly-researched AHCA is pathetic and destined to fail.

[Lt.Uhura]

http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/lists/50-things-to-know-about-the-hospital-industry-2016.html

[GravitySucks]

The growth of hospitals and clinics in recent years is a direct result of the ACA. If you ran a business wouldn't you feel confident knowing your clients had the resources or cash to pay for your services?

Hospital operators are reporting more paying patients and fewer uninsured, which means far fewer unpaid medical bills. “For the last four quarters, the decline in self-pay admits and adjusted admits and the increase in Medicaid in expansion states have grown quarter over quarter,” Community Health CFO Larry Cash said.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/brucejapsen/2015/03/01/hospital-profits-soar-as-obamacare-prescribes-more-paying-patients/

Urgent care clinics are only set up to treat minor injuries and ailments. You will pay less there because they do less. They will send you to an ER for further evaluation, treatment, and admission for anything outside their capabilities.

It's no wonder hospitals, including teaching/research centers (cuts to scientific research are coming), doctors, nurses, and just about everybody else in American healthcare is against the GOP repeal and replace. Their hastily thrown-together, short-sighted, poorly-researched AHCA is pathetic and destined to fail.

That makes sense, it just seems to conflict with your previous statement. Maybe I misunderstood.

I am not a fan of the new bill. I hope it fails in the Senate. Obamacare has done so much damage to the system that I am afraid that we will never recover. Many people would love a single payer system. I don't. If this bill passes, we will end up with single payer in order to fix its shortfalls. It might take 5 years. It might take 10. It is an emotional issue for most. My biggest concern is that the government screws up anything they touch.

[PB the Deplorable]

There is a weird vibe with this pope, even more so than others. He is seeking outreach to the far left, the Muslims, the "refugees," odd interpretations of scripture and doctrine, ignoring, or making easy comments, on Christians around the world under attack, etc. "Not Good," to quote a phrase. I am not a papist but even to me he seems a weirdo with something wicked up his sleeve.

Well, yeah.  He's a Left-wing kook.  It would be like putting Miser 000 in charge of the place.

[Lt.Uhura]

That makes sense, it just seems to conflict with your previous statement. Maybe I misunderstood.

I am not a fan of the new bill. I hope it fails in the Senate. Obamacare has done so much damage to the system that I am afraid that we will never recover. Many people would love a single payer system. I don't. If this bill passes, we will end up with single payer in order to fix its shortfalls. It might take 5 years. It might take 10. It is an emotional issue for most. My biggest concern is that the government screws up anything they touch.

Can you explain your "Obamacare has done so much damage to the system..." statement?  In what ways? I think healthcare experts would disagree.

[Taaroa]

Trump apparently thinks Australia's healthcare system is better than America's:

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/05/05/sanders-mocks-trump-s-praise-for-australian-healthcare.html

Meanwhile Australian media were having a fit over Trump delaying his meeting with the Australian PM by a few hours while busy:

http://www.news.com.au/finance/work/leaders/trumps-snub-of-pm-shows-just-how-much-australia-means-to-him/news-story/1ea4a1ae1bc87cc4e6d81b6bfc7a6957
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-05-05/donald-trump-plays-down-malcolm-turnbull-tension-in-ny-meeting/8499146
https://au.news.yahoo.com/a/35317961/its-a-snub-greens-say-of-trump-pm-delay/

There is a weird vibe with this pope, even more so than others. He is seeking outreach to the far left, the Muslims, the "refugees," odd interpretations of scripture and doctrine, ignoring, or making easy comments, on Christians around the world under attack, etc. "Not Good," to quote a phrase. I am not a papist but even to me he seems a weirdo with something wicked up his sleeve.

I think it's bs that he (an Argentinian) didn't know what the 'Las Malvinas' sign he was photographed with meant, which is what the Vatican claimed.

[GravitySucks]

Can you explain your "Obamacare has done so much damage to the system..." statement?  In what ways? I think healthcare experts would disagree.

Health insurance costs have gone up much higher than they would have without it,  competition has been destroyed in several states. Deductibles are much higher than they used to be. Billions of dollars have been wasted on failed exchanges. Millions of people that used to have insurance do not have it anymore. Companies have had to make decisions on employee numbers and number of hours based solely on the impact of ACA thresholds. Billions have have wasted on government red tape such as the failed website at the onset. Faith in government has gone in the dumpster after the "you can keep your doctor/plan" promises. Obamacare stifled the economy. Budget deficits have risen as a direct result of Obamacare. 

Yes, more people are covered today. Different people. And most of the ones covered today that weren't before are the 18-26 year olds that stay on their parents policies, or ones that could have bought insurance before, but chose not too, and do it now simply because it is the law.

You could have created a high risk pool to cover preexisting conditions for those that didn't have insurance and saved a hell of a lot of money over what was spent on Obamacare.  They never should have legislated existing plans out of existence. Every existing plan should have been grandfathered in. Illegal aliens should never have been covered.

One of the reasons for the influx of tech workers on work visas is that they do not have to be included in healthcare plans, so they are a much cheaper workforce.

This is the type of malfeasance you get with the federal government. Waste, fraud, abuse and unnecessary expense.

[Catsmile]

   My point is that a 7 year old Muslim wife is in fact the legal chattel of her husband and has no chance of being educated. 

Ah, I see. I was talking about education and children in general, before you wanted to make it about a specific cult. 

Muslims coming up in the Trump thread, strange. AmIRite? Stranger still is how you only focus on the Muslims making chattel of young girls, when this kind of behavior goes on worldwide. Such myopia could seem disingenuous, or possibly bigoted. Especially when it comes from a worldly person whose possessed of a first world I.Q. like yourself.  <Jan Bradys voice: "Muslims Muslims Muslims!">

Being the underage chattel of a husband currently happens within Christianity, even in the good ol' USA. Many sects worldwide currently practice this behavior. Yet I see no gnashing of teeth opining about such ills on this thread. Unless it's Muslims, sad. Bigly. This thread may not be the hero Muslims want, but the hero they need.  :

Lets save our own child brides and Lost boys* first, and not worry about 3rd world shitholes. #MAGA

Lost boys:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_boys_(Mormon_fundamentalism)

[Dr. MD MD]

Ah, I see. I was talking about education and children in general, before you wanted to make it about a specific cult. 

Muslims coming up in the Trump thread, strange. AmIRite? Stranger still is how you only focus on the Muslims making chattel of young girls, when this kind of behavior goes on worldwide. Such myopia could seem disingenuous, or possibly bigoted. Especially when it comes from a worldly person whose possessed of a first world I.Q. like yourself.  <Jan Bradys voice: "Muslims Muslims Muslims!">

Being the underage chattel of a husband currently happens within Christianity, even in the good ol' USA. Many sects worldwide currently practice this behavior. Yet I see no gnashing of teeth opining about such ills on this thread. Unless it's Muslims, sad. Bigly. This thread may not be the hero Muslims want, but the hero they need.  :

Lets save our own child brides and Lost boys* first, and not worry about 3rd world shitholes. #MAGA

So do you have stats on this or not? I don't doubt that it's going on here and around the world but are you really trying to expose the problem or are you just trying to normalize Muslim pedophilia by claiming that? If you talk to anyone who's served in Muslim countries they'll tell you it is normalized and accepted there. Would you like to import this worldwide or something? 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ja5Q75hf6QI

[Lt.Uhura]

Health insurance costs have gone up much higher than they would have without it,  competition has been destroyed in several states. Deductibles are much higher than they used to be. Billions of dollars have been wasted on failed exchanges. Millions of people that used to have insurance do not have it anymore. Companies have had to make decisions on employee numbers and number of hours based solely on the impact of ACA thresholds. Billions have have wasted on government red tape such as the failed website at the onset. Faith in government has gone in the dumpster after the "you can keep your doctor/plan" promises. Obamacare stifled the economy. Budget deficits have risen as a direct result of Obamacare. 

Yes, more people are covered today. Different people. And most of the ones covered today that weren't before are the 18-26 year olds that stay on their parents policies, or ones that could have bought insurance before, but chose not too, and do it now simply because it is the law.

You could have created a high risk pool to cover preexisting conditions for those that didn't have insurance and saved a hell of a lot of money over what was spent on Obamacare.  They never should have legislated existing plans out of existence. Every existing plan should have been grandfathered in. Illegal aliens should never have been covered.

One of the reasons for the influx of tech workers on work visas is that they do not have to be included in healthcare plans, so they are a much cheaper workforce.

This is the type of malfeasance you get with the federal government. Waste, fraud, abuse and unnecessary expense.

Your first statement is simply not true. Of course you offer no data to support your claims, which makes sense as it sounds more like opinion. I've addressed many of these issues over the past year or so and provided plenty of data, statistics, graphs, etc. Not to change opinion of course (which would be an exercise in futility at BG anyway), but just as an FYI from someone who actually works in the field and has seen first hand the realities of pre and post ACA.

By all accounts the ACA was no panacea for all our complex healthcare woes, but we can never go back to the tenuous conditions pre ACA, many of which have been alleviated under "Obamacare". Again, ask doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals working in the industry why they overwhelmingly oppose the GOP repeal and replace. Don't you think their opinions might have the benefit of experience?

Personally, my premiums went down after the ACA and I was able to reestablish coverage after letting it go due to sharply rising costs pre ACA. I pay no deductible, a minimal co-pay, and have no need for a subsidy.

There are a few decent insurance companies operating out there today, and with the help of the exchanges, states have worked to make it succeed. The failures are largely a result of incompetent administration in certain locales, with particular problems in states whose governments chose to put their own politicized agenda ahead of their constituents healthcare needs.

Re your point about foreign workers: Healthcare costs were already becoming too much of a burden for many employers long before the ACA, why then do we continue to tie coverage to employment when jobs come and go, and insurers too?

[GravitySucks]

Your first statement is simply not true. Of course you offer no data to support your claims, which makes sense as it sounds more like opinion. I've addressed many of these issues over the past year or so and provided plenty of data, statistics, graphs, etc. Not to change opinion of course (which would be an exercise in futility at BG anyway), but just as an FYI from someone who actually works in the field and has seen first hand the realities of pre and post ACA.

By all accounts the ACA was no panacea for all our complex healthcare woes, but we can never go back to the tenuous conditions pre ACA, many of which have been alleviated under "Obamacare". Again, ask doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals working in the industry why they overwhelmingly oppose the GOP repeal and replace. Don't you think their opinions might have the benefit of experience?

Personally, my premiums went down after the ACA and I was able to reestablish coverage after letting it go due to sharply rising costs pre ACA. I pay no deductible, a minimal co-pay, and have no need for a subsidy.

There are a few decent insurance companies operating out there today, and with the help of the exchanges, states have worked to make it succeed. The failures are largely a result of incompetent administration in certain locales, with particular problems in states whose governments chose to put their own politicized agenda ahead of their constituents healthcare needs.

Re your point about foreign workers: Healthcare costs were already becoming too much of a burden for many employers long before the ACA, why then do we continue to tie coverage to employment when jobs come and go, and insurers too?

I have given you the data in the past. Just my own case -

Before ACA - $470 per month HDCP with $2500 deductible
After ACA - Bronze plan - cheapest - $960 per month with $5000 deductible.

I could not afford that so had to go with the Health sharing network at $200 per month with $500 deductible and a $1 million lifetime max for any given ailment. But it doesn't cover some things like substance abuse, mental health, the prescriptions are a discount plan (but it has gotten much better since I enrolled) and they don't accept smokers.

Go find your own searches. Don't just look at California. California has its own exchange. Most states don't. Look at Arizona and Texas. Very large increases since the start of the ACA. Look at the news of places like Iowa and Kentucky that are down to one provider and may lose those next year.

Every single person that I know that was self-insured prior to the ACA has had their rates at least double and their deductibles double in the last 3 years.

I believe this says 51-74% increase in one year in Arizona
http://www.azfamily.com/story/33431144/rate-increases-coming-for-aca-users-in-2017

I believe this says 60% for Texas in 2017
http://www.healthcareexchange.com/article/2017-premium-rate-increases

I don't have ACA, so I cannot attest to what the actual increases were in any given year. Just what I was quoted when I was being forced to go into the ACA in 2014 and chose not to.

These health care workers weren't too happy with Obamacare
http://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/2015/05/08/ky-hospitals-obamacare-forcing-cuts-layoffs/26990637/

Iowa is in trouble in 2018
https://www.wsj.com/articles/aetna-to-exit-iowas-affordable-care-act-insurance-marketplace-in-2018-1491504555

[Lt.Uhura]

Look at the news of places like Iowa and Kentucky that are down to one provider and may lose those next year.

I have. I do not see how the GOP plan could possibly alleviate these states problems either, and in fact, their plan could likely exacerbate their issues via cuts to medicaid and mental and substance abuse programs in states with high rates of unemployment and/or opiate addiction. 

And there's this..
This one unbelievably expensive Iowa patient makes the case for single-payer healthcare

http://www.latimes.com/business/hiltzik/la-fi-hiltzik-iowa-20170424-story.html

[GravitySucks]

I have. I do not see how the GOP plan could possibly alleviate these states problems either, and in fact, their plan could likely exacerbate their issues via cuts to medicaid and mental and substance abuse programs in states with high rates of unemployment and/or opiate addiction. 

And there's this..
This one unbelievably expensive Iowa patient makes the case for single-payer healthcare

http://www.latimes.com/business/hiltzik/la-fi-hiltzik-iowa-20170424-story.html

If you go back and read my posts I am against the GOP plan. I want a full repeal and start with a clean slate. Offer varying degrees of coverage and allow insurance companies to compete across state lines. Allow catastrophic health care plans. AND DON'T ALLOW ILLEGALS TO QUALIFY. When an illegal alien needs health care, the country of origin should be billed.

[GravitySucks]

The bottom line is that Obamacare was designed to fail to force us into a single payer system. That cost billions of dollars and cost the democrats over 1000 seats in various state and federal offices. Shoe horning in a modified plan into the framework of Obamacare is only going to delay the eventual need for a single payer system.

We can disagree on whether or not a single payer system is the way to go. Clearly, half the people in the US do not want it. And the market based system before the ACA was much cheaper than coverage is now.

[smccomas69]

Ah, I see. I was talking about education and children in general, before you wanted to make it about a specific cult. 

Muslims coming up in the Trump thread, strange. AmIRite? Stranger still is how you only focus on the Muslims making chattel of young girls, when this kind of behavior goes on worldwide. Such myopia could seem disingenuous, or possibly bigoted. Especially when it comes from a worldly person whose possessed of a first world I.Q. like yourself.  <Jan Bradys voice: "Muslims Muslims Muslims!">

Being the underage chattel of a husband currently happens within Christianity, even in the good ol' USA. Many sects worldwide currently practice this behavior. Yet I see no gnashing of teeth opining about such ills on this thread. Unless it's Muslims, sad. Bigly. This thread may not be the hero Muslims want, but the hero they need.  :

Lets save our own child brides and Lost boys* first, and not worry about 3rd world shitholes. #MAGA

Lost boys:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_boys_(Mormon_fundamentalism)

I clicked on the link nothing was there?

[Kidnostad3]

Ah, I see. I was talking about education and children in general, before you wanted to make it about a specific cult. 

Muslims coming up in the Trump thread, strange. AmIRite? Stranger still is how you only focus on the Muslims making chattel of young girls, when this kind of behavior goes on worldwide. Such myopia could seem disingenuous, or possibly bigoted. Especially when it comes from a worldly person whose possessed of a first world I.Q. like yourself.  <Jan Bradys voice: "Muslims Muslims Muslims!">

Being the underage chattel of a husband currently happens within Christianity, even in the good ol' USA. Many sects worldwide currently practice this behavior. Yet I see no gnashing of teeth opining about such ills on this thread. Unless it's Muslims, sad. Bigly. This thread may not be the hero Muslims want, but the hero they need.  :

Lets save our own child brides and Lost boys* first, and not worry about 3rd world shitholes. #MAGA

Lost boys:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_boys_(Mormon_fundamentalism)

You have a lightening quick grasp of the patently obvious.  Of course the problem is the pedophiles who make the  enslavement of children as sex workers profitable.  I will venture to say that in most countries where pedophilia is rampart, it is at least against against the law and is prosecutable.  In Muslim countries it's institutionalized.  It's okay to take on a child as a third or fourth wife because the the Koran says screwing kids is okay. Get it? 

[Kidnostad3]

The bottom line is that Obamacare was designed to fail to force us into a single payer system. That cost billions of dollars and cost the democrats over 1000 seats in various state and federal offices. Shoe horning in a modified plan into the framework of Obamacare is only going to delay the eventual need for a single payer system.

We can disagree on whether or not a single payer system is the way to go. Clearly, half the people in the US do not want it. And the market based system before the ACA was much cheaper than coverage is now.

Exactly.  Creeping socialism in spades.

[Yorkshire pud]

Exactly.  Creeping socialism in spades.

Ooooooo the nasty bogeyman! You say you worked in the UK briefly, so you'l be aware of the NHS. I'm taking a punt you might have worked there when the Conservatives were in power (though of course it might have been in Blair's tenure). Either way, do you recall ever seeing a hospital, pharmacy, GP's surgery or out patient clinic with a red flag emblazoned with a gold hammer and sickle flying outside any of them?

The imperfect NHS is not a political entity, sure that doesn't stop politicians from all sides using it as a football, but at the sharp end where the medics work, it isn't a 'socialist construct. Nope, its simply a place where patients can recieve health care, no matter how simple or complex, free at the point of need. And not dependent on who you work for, whether you're unemployed, have a pre existing condition, or if some insurance company wants to rip you off.

Toodle pip.

[3OctaveFart]

You could pay for the entire ACA, and an overhaul of the pools and Medicaid/Medicare mechanisms, if you scrapped the F-35.

Subtract a single weapons system from the budget and it would pay for everything.

That's Eddie Munster's math in the Speaker's office.

[PB the Deplorable]

Your first statement is simply not true. Of course you offer no data to support your claims...

That's rich considering all the flat out lies Obama, Pelosi, and the rest of the Ds told when they were trying to sell it to the American people.

Over the past several election cycles the Democrats lost over 1000 state legislative seats, a net loss of 12 or 13 governorships, the House, the Senate, and the presidency to candidates running against ObamaCare.  That is a lot of people who decided ObamaCare was a pile of shit and wanted it gone.  If there aren't any reasons for it, how do you explain that?

[3OctaveFart]

The orange clown promised a full repeal, not this shitburger.

Have you noticed he doesn't appear to have a cohesive philosophy on health care? Peculiar, isn't it?

It doesn't matter because the bill will be neutered when it travels through the Senate, Senate messages and conference committee, so they can drink all the crappy beer in the Rose Garden that they like.

[PB the Deplorable]

Can you explain your "Obamacare has done so much damage to the system..." statement?  In what ways? I think healthcare experts would disagree.

Oh, ''healthcare experts'' disagree.  Another Fake Statistic used to sway people's opinions?  Has everyone else noticed the Fake News Media has been using this tactic as a crutch even more often lately:  ''Hey, we know you don't trust us anymore - and with good reason - but here's what the experts think''.   

Even if this were true - Big If - people working in the system are going to see things from a different perspective than those using and paying for it.  It's like asking just the people working at the banks how our banking and financial system is doing.  Should we let the ''banking experts'' make all the decisions, or do you think there is value in bank regulations?

If a ''healthcare expert'' doesn't like some part of the healthcare bill, the Media are going to count that person as being against the whole thing.  Some ''medical experts'' favor a complete repeal.  They are counted as being opposed to the bill.  Some want zero abortion funding.  They are counted as being opposed to the bill.  Some want a Euro-style national health service.  They are counted as being against the bill.  Some despise ObamaCare but don't want more change and chaos, and are resigned to it.  They are counted as being against the bill.  Some wanted more of this and less of that.  They are counted as being against the bill.  And so on.  This is another media manipulation. 

[Yorkshire pud]

The orange clown promised a full repeal, not this shitburger.

Have you noticed he doesn't appear to have a cohesive philosophy on health care? Peculiar, isn't it?

Now steady on old chap. He doesn't have a cohesive philosophy about anything unless it makes him richer and the perception he's loved.

It doesn't matter because the bill will be neutered when it travels through the Senate, Senate messages and conference committee, so they can drink all the crappy beer in the Rose Garden that they like.

That boys day out in the rose garden will come back to haunt them big time. Celebrating the match win just because they managed to tie their boot laces up without tripping over the sponge bucket wasn't their finest hour. The humiliation factor on that will be on a par with finding their parents having sex.

[PB the Deplorable]

Ah, I see. I was talking about education and children in general, before you wanted to make it about a specific cult. 

Muslims coming up in the Trump thread, strange. AmIRite? Stranger still is how you only focus on the Muslims making chattel of young girls, when this kind of behavior goes on worldwide. Such myopia could seem disingenuous, or possibly bigoted. Especially when it comes from a worldly person whose possessed of a first world I.Q. like yourself.  <Jan Bradys voice: "Muslims Muslims Muslims!">

If there are other people out there with a similar mindset as the Muslims, we don't want them here either.  I doubt they are trying to kill us though.

... Being the underage chattel of a husband currently happens within Christianity, even in the good ol' USA. Many sects worldwide currently practice this behavior. Yet I see no gnashing of teeth opining about such ills on this thread. Unless it's Muslims, sad. Bigly...

It amazes me that there are people who first tell us how wonderful the Muslims are and we need more here in our country, and with he next breath try to smear the Christians by saying the are just as awful as the Muslims.

[Yorkshire pud]

I urge everyone to read this column. He deliberatly stopped short of going into medical realms (because by his own admission, he isn't qualified to do so), but wrote this based entirely on what Trump has said.

This is the scary bit:

What is most alarming (and mortifying to the University of Pennsylvania, from which he graduated) is not that Trump has entered his eighth decade unscathed by even elementary knowledge about the nation’s history. As this column has said before, the problem isn’t that he does not know this or that, or that he does not know that he does not know this or that. Rather, the dangerous thing is that he does not know what it is to know something.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/trump-has-a-dangerous-disability/2017/05/03/56ca6118-2f6b-11e7-9534-00e4656c22aa_story.html?utm_campaign=newsletter_axiosam&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&utm_term=.63d4993c9001

[PB the Deplorable]

... Personally, my premiums went down after the ACA and I was able to reestablish coverage after letting it go due to sharply rising costs pre ACA. I pay no deductible, a minimal co-pay, and have no need for a subsidy...

You've said this before, and I try not to pry, but pre-ACA people working full time at good jobs typically had very good healthcare insurance.  Depending on the company, their families were also covered, and depending on the company the employee paid some portion of the coverage.  I would have assumed the medical field would have offered better than average insurance.

I'm not understanding how you were better off on ObamaCare?  Was the above not true in your case?

[PB the Deplorable]

I urge everyone to read this column. He deliberatly stopped short of going into medical realms (because by his own admission, he isn't qualified to do so), but wrote this based entirely on what Trump has said.

This is the scary bit:

What is most alarming (and mortifying to the University of Pennsylvania, from which he graduated) is not that Trump has entered his eighth decade unscathed by even elementary knowledge about the nation’s history. As this column has said before, the problem isn’t that he does not know this or that, or that he does not know that he does not know this or that. Rather, the dangerous thing is that he does not know what it is to know something.

It's odd isn't it, these same Fake News outlets fully supported all eight years of Obama's incompetence regarding the same subject matter.  He didn't just have a lack of elementary knowledge, what he thought he knew was wrong.  Which is far more dangerous.  This is a person whose world view is wrong and whose foreign policy was a complete disaster - just look at the two dunces he chose as Secretary of State.  And never a peep about any of that from the Washington Post.

Again, when Trump does something as reckless and dangerous to the entire world as green lighting Iran's nuclear weapon and ICBM programs, let us know.  When he sets an entire region the size of the Middle East on fire through a blundering series of actions and inactions, do let us know.

[21st Century Man]

Ah, I see. I was talking about education and children in general, before you wanted to make it about a specific cult. 

Muslims coming up in the Trump thread, strange. AmIRite? Stranger still is how you only focus on the Muslims making chattel of young girls, when this kind of behavior goes on worldwide. Such myopia could seem disingenuous, or possibly bigoted. Especially when it comes from a worldly person whose possessed of a first world I.Q. like yourself.  <Jan Bradys voice: "Muslims Muslims Muslims!">

Being the underage chattel of a husband currently happens within Christianity, even in the good ol' USA. Many sects worldwide currently practice this behavior. Yet I see no gnashing of teeth opining about such ills on this thread. Unless it's Muslims, sad. Bigly. This thread may not be the hero Muslims want, but the hero they need.  :

Lets save our own child brides and Lost boys* first, and not worry about 3rd world shitholes. #MAGA

Lost boys:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_boys_(Mormon_fundamentalism)

Umm, polygamy and pedophilia are outlawed in this country.  Sure there are some renegade Mormons who break the law and in most instances, they get caught and are put in jail.   Such was the case with Warren Jeffs.  Engaging in pedophilia and polygamy is abnormal behavior and is not tolerated by legitimate Christian churches.  I say legitimate as opposed to the cult that Jeffs was in charge of.

However in Muslim society, men are encouraged to take child brides.  This is normal in their society.  BIG difference.

[smccomas69]

You could pay for the entire ACA, and an overhaul of the pools and Medicaid/Medicare mechanisms, if you scrapped the F-35.

Subtract a single weapons system from the budget and it would pay for everything.

That's Eddie Munster's math in the Speaker's office.

I doubt that the one system would cover it however I do agree it should be scrapped, the people involved taken out and shot. It is bad very very bad.

Why would you want the same people that decided the F35 was a good system, the same people that run the VA setting up health insurance for the country?

[Yorkshire pud]

I doubt that the one system would cover it however I do agree it should be scrapped, the people involved taken out and shot. It is bad very very bad.

Why would you want the same people that decided the F35 was a good system, the same people that run the VA setting up health insurance for the country?

As TL suggested, just get rid of all and anything that helps people who aren't rich. Natural selection; You're of average wealth or worse, poor? Get over yourself, its your fault you're poor now you can suffer. Then re name the rich people 'Jack'. As in "I'm alright Jack".

Simple