President Donald J. Trump

[starrmtn001]

"ME ME ME ME, I won the election, I solved the world's problems, ME, love ME, wall, Clinton, ME, fake news, ME"

Well, it sure as hell wasn't you. :

[Yorkshire pud]

What is your problem with gas powered leaf blowers?  I don't know if you know this Pud but over here in America we have large lots with plenty of trees.  I live on 1.5 acres. Too far to use an electric blower. I could cut the trees down I suppose but I like the shade.  Helps keep the house cool and it is smart environmental policy to keep the trees.

A rake..use a rake. Leaf blowers just blow shit in the air to be breathed in. 

[Yorkshire pud]

Well, it sure as hell wasn't you. :

Eh? I'm not eligible to be POTUS. Because if I was, you'd be having a revocation of the D of I, replacement of the missing vowels in your illiterate dictionary, a ban on 'Have a nice day', Starbucks, McDonalds, Taco Bell and Trump tower, and in fact anything to do with Trump. And orange, I'd ban orange skin tones.

[21st Century Man]

A rake..use a rake. Leaf blowers just blow shit in the air to be breathed in. 

I use both.  Rakes are good if you don't clean up the yard routinely.  Great for pushing huge loads of leaves but it you routinely clean up, it is faster to use the blower.  I breathe fine.  I could see where that could be a problem if the blower is aimed at your face but not otherwise.  The breeze from the blower doesn't reach my neighbors property and vice versa.

[starrmtn001]

Eh? I'm not eligible to be POTUS. Because if I was, you'd be having a revocation of the D of I, replacement of the missing vowels in your illiterate dictionary, a ban on 'Have a nice day', Starbucks, McDonalds, Taco Bell and Trump tower, and in fact anything to do with Trump. And orange, I'd ban orange skin tones.

Orangist!

[Yorkshire pud]

Orangist!

Sue me.

[Kidnostad3]

Poop transplants.

http://thefecaltransplantfoundation.org/what-is-fecal-transplant/

Imagine that, a Fecal Transplant Foundation.  I wonder if they have an annual telethon and fund drive. 

[Yorkshire pud]

Imagine that, a Fecal Transplant Foundation.  I wonder if they have an annual telethon and fund drive.

They did, but they ended up being crap.

[albrecht]

I use both.  Rakes are good if you don't clean up the yard routinely.  Great for pushing huge loads of leaves but it you routinely clean up, it is faster to use the blower.  I breathe fine.  I could see where that could be a problem if the blower is aimed at your face but not otherwise.  The breeze from the blower doesn't reach my neighbors property and vice versa.

I use an electric blower for the decks, porch, etc but usually try to mulch the leaves in when I mow, except during the time of the year where the leaves really drop hard (which is in spring here for the Live Oaks) and then rake, which also dethatches the lawn which is good anyway because the grass is waking up from winter.

[GravitySucks]

I use an electric blower for the decks, porch, etc but usually try to mulch the leaves in when I mow, except during the time of the year where the leaves really drop hard (which is in spring here for the Live Oaks) and then rake, which also dethatches the lawn which is good anyway because the grass is waking up from winter.

Jesus does my lawn. He bags up the leaves, but I have to take them to the curb. A more loving Jesus wouldn't make me take them to the curb.

And Jesus uses a leaf blower. An orange one.

[Kidnostad3]

They did, but they ended up being crap.

I guess no one was willing to help these folks get their shit together.  (Okay, you started us down this road.)

[Kidnostad3]

Jesus does my lawn. He bags up the leaves, but I have to take them to the curb. A more loving Jesus wouldn't make me take them to the curb.

And Jesus uses a leaf blower. An orange one.

Yes but still Jesus Saves you a lot of time and effort.

[Yorkshire pud]

I guess no one was willing to help these folks get their shit together.  (Okay, you started us down this road.)

A road with skid marks?

[Kidnostad3]

A road with skid marks?

Okay, you win. 

[PB the Deplorable]

Here are a few specifics.  Can you tell us why drugs are so much more expensive in the USA than virtually anywhere else.  Have we Americans been designated to be the principal bearers of research costs.  Also, Big Pharma spends more on advertising than it does on research and consumers pay
for it.  If these drugs are so wonderful, why do they have to be marketed like toothpaste and deodorant? 

https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2015-drug-prices/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/02/11/big-pharmaceutical-companies-are-spending-far-more-on-marketing-than-research/?utm_term=.8aaab1d99a54

None of that is the FDA's doing is it?

[PB the Deplorable]

Instead, insurance companies control your life. They can change the parameters and conditions en masse and you can't do a thing other than comply.

The USA pays more per capita for its health care and has for years, than any other developed country, but far from being demonstrably better for it, is eleven out of the top eleven

I think the numbers are manipulated, but since I've posted exactly how numerous times in response to your posts it seems like a waste of time to try to educate you.  Hell, you still think Cuba's healthcare system is preferable to ours from the same statistical table you pulled the above information from.

As far as ''insurance companies controlling your life'', my post this morning included this as a reason why people should be buying their own policies instead of receiving it as a employment benefit where their company chooses it and is the true customer.

You might want to actually consider what people who understand statistics, economics, and the US in general have to say once in awhile, instead of just repeating your ideological assumptions.

[PB the Deplorable]

File "free" under the list of clichéd buzzwords used in every defense of Trump and the GOP. Along with "Hillary", "Obama", "Fake News", "entitlement" and others. Speaking of "entitlements", that's exactly what the Repubs prefer to call the money I've paid in to Social Security since I was 17 yrs old. Why isn't "entitled" used to describe corporate welfare and big bank bailouts? Repubulican puppets would rather save the word to describe the poor working stiff making minimum wage who wants to visit the doctor when he's sick.

You are all over the place in this post.  Why don't you pick an issue and discuss it instead of mudding the waters with all this.

Is your question what is the government definition of entitlement, or that people should include every single thing they don't like about what government does whenever they criticize any specific issue?

[PB the Deplorable]

You're more than happy for insurance companies to effectively decide who and what can be treated based on their monetary and selfish needs, rather than medical need?

The government is bad because they hold sway, but insurance companies aren't bad for doing the same?...

But they aren't the same.

Government can regulate the insurance companies, no one else has the authority to fix problems in a government agency.  Bad corporate employees - including doctors, nurses, and customer service - are fired, useless government workers stay in place forever.  Private companies are governed by the profit motive and have motive to keep costs down, governments do not - they make decisions based on politics, while costs soar and service declines.  If a customer doesn't like their insurance company they can go elsewhere, with the government running things the customer is stuck. 

I realize you have an ideological attachment to socialized medicine, but this isn't really that difficult to follow

[PB the Deplorable]

Here are a few specifics.  Can you tell us why drugs are so much more expensive in the USA than virtually anywhere else.  Have we Americans been designated to be the principal bearers of research costs.  Also, Big Pharma spends more on advertising than it does on research and consumers pay
for it.  If these drugs are so wonderful, why do they have to be marketed like toothpaste and deodorant? 

https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2015-drug-prices/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/02/11/big-pharmaceutical-companies-are-spending-far-more-on-marketing-than-research/?utm_term=.8aaab1d99a54

Every company markets their products.  Doctors have a dizzying amount of information to keep up with, from the latest research, to new medical techniques, to new pharmaceuticals, to new regulations.  They have to either deal with tons of corporate BS, or keep up on all the business-end crap necessary to run their own practice.

As far as pharma products being more expensive in the US, the US is the primary market.  They sell into other markets when they can, and for what they can get.  Third world countries can't afford to pay what we do, so they either don't market them there, or take less.  National healthcare systems in the West set limits, the choice is to either accept that or don't sell.

The cost is in the development and testing.  Once that's complete, the drugs aren't usually that expensive to make.  If a pill sells for 50c in the US, but the Brit NHS will only pay 35c, they take it because they still make money manufacturing and selling those pills.  Then the Brits tell us their healthcare system is cheaper than ours.  If we did that, there are plenty of pharmaceuticals that just wouldn't have been developed.

[PB the Deplorable]

The base position is people should provide for themselves.  If there is a chance of a major event striking randomly, buying insurance is prudent - whether it's fire insurance for a home, auto insurance for a car, or health insurance.  People should decide what they need and can afford, and obtain it.

Healthcare is in the same category as food and shelter.  We should provide a safety net for those who can't afford it.

Let the market work.  There's nothing about healthcare that makes it a better candidate for Socialism than any of the rest of our economy. 

[Kidnostad3]

But they aren't the same.

Government can regulate the insurance companies, no one can fix problems in a government agency.  Bad corporate employees - including doctors, nurses, and customer service - are fired, useless government workers stay in place forever.  Private companies are governed by the profit motive and have motive to keep costs down, governments do not - they make decisions based on politics.  If a customer doesn't like their insurance company they can go elsewhere, with the government the customer is stuck. 

I realize you have an ideological attachment to socialized medicine, but this isn't really that difficult to follow

She is apparently unaware that states have an insurance commission/commissioner that functions as a regulatory agency and grant licenses to sell insurance.  It's not like insurance companies can arbitrarily raise rates or dictate terms.   They can however decide not to sell insurance in states where it is unprofitable for them to do so.

[PB the Deplorable]

She is apparently unaware that states have an insurance commission/commissioner that functions as a regulatory agency and grant licenses to sell insurance.  It's not like insurance companies can arbitrarily raise rates or dictate terms.   They can however decide not to sell insurance in states where it is unprofitable for them to do so.

Pud doesn't live here, doesn't believe in capitalism, would rather place his trust in government than business (when in fact neither sb trusted, but only one can check the other), and gets less than full information from media sources and his friends that live here.  And only hears what he wants to hear.  Socialized medicine is a Ponzi scheme - that he and his parent's generation have benefitted from, and good for them. 

But it's a nightmare scenario for us going forward, especially considering the national debt and all the poor people we are constantly importing and adding to what we already have.

[Kidnostad3]

Pud doesn't live here, doesn't believe in capitalism, would rather trust government than business, and gets less than full information from media sources and his friends that live here.  And only hears what he wants to hear.  Socialized medicine is a Ponzi scheme - that he and his parent's generation have benefitted from, and good for them. 

But it's a nightmare scenario for us going forward, especially considering the national debt and all the poor people we are constantly importing and adding to what we already have.

That's exactly why I have no problem with people my age paying a bit more than we currently do for coverage as the AHCA provides for.

[Dr. MD MD]

I've definitely moved a little more to the right as I've gotten older as we're all supposed to, as the saying goes. I value freedom and the constitution and less meddling in people's lives from government. However, I think that there are some here whose love of freedom takes them almost to anarchy and all systems of government are formed out of a response to anarchy, not with the express goal of going back to it. I mean, how far do you want to take this? If my house is on fire will I need to negotiate with the local fire chief before getting service? Will police eventually become a pay for play private service? There are some good reasons for government and the physical health of it's citizens might be one. 

[GravitySucks]

I've definitely moved a little more to the right as I've gotten older as we're all supposed to, as the saying goes. I value freedom and the constitution and less meddling in people's lives from government. However, I think that there are some here whose love of freedom takes them almost to anarchy and all systems of government are formed out of a response to anarchy, not with the express goal of going back to it. I mean, how far do you want to take this? If my house is on fire will I need to negotiate with the local fire chief before getting service? Will police eventually become a pay for play private service? There are some good reasons for government and the physical health of it's citizens might be one. 

There is a huge difference between expecting local services in your community when your neighbor's are serving as the cop in The patrol car or working on the hook and ladder and expecting the federal government to intervene to decide if your fire is really worthy of attention. It doesn't take a federal agency to run a volunteer fire department' a city, or even a state. There are roles established for the federal government, they have become a behemoth that will continue to grow unless common people stand there ground. I am not advocating anarchy. Simply personal responsibility.

[Dr. MD MD]

There is a huge difference between expecting local services in your community when your neighbor's are serving as the cop in The patrol car or working on the hook and ladder and expecting the federal government to intervene to decide if your fire is really worthy of attention. It doesn't take a federal agency to run a volunteer fire department' a city, or even a state. There are roles established for the federal government, they have become a behemoth that will continue to grow unless common people stand there ground. I am not advocating anarchy. Simply personal responsibility.

Well, They're not federally run, of course, but if you think cities and state taxes don't fund them then what does? The essential services fairy? 

[albrecht]

I've definitely moved a little more to the right as I've gotten older as we're all supposed to, as the saying goes. I value freedom and the constitution and less meddling in people's lives from government. However, I think that there are some here whose love of freedom takes them almost to anarchy and all systems of government are formed out of a response to anarchy, not with the express goal of going back to it. I mean, how far do you want to take this? If my house is on fire will I need to negotiate with the local fire chief before getting service? Will police eventually become a pay for play private service? There are some good reasons for government and the physical health of it's citizens might be one. 

THIS is actually a thing some places and situations, still relatively rare but I recall a few cases in which a FD wouldn't help because outside of jurisdiction. Most places have some reciprocity agreements. Also many neighborhoods here hire some security guys, or retired or off-duty cops, to patrol or work the gate house, if they have that kind of set-up. In some ways the nice parts of town (essentially places that incorporated so not a part of the city but growth has expanded around them.) The police "are" a private service, sorta, since small enclaves and the cops know who pays their salary by taxes- and it aint some suspicious looking "youth" driving a crappy car in the area. Heck, even some of the churches have off-duty hired Sheriff deputies directing traffic etc on Sundays. Not sure who is paying for that but, hopefully, the tax-free entities will be paying. After Katrina the better-off hired mercenary outfits for protection from looters etc and had contractors bring in generators, guards, etc.

[Dr. MD MD]

THIS is actually a thing some places and situations, still relatively rare but I recall a few cases in which a FD wouldn't help because outside of jurisdiction. Most places have some reciprocity agreements. Also many neighborhoods here hire some security guys, or retired or off-duty cops, to patrol or work the gate house, if they have that kind of set-up. In some ways the nice parts of town (essentially places that incorporated so not a part of the city but growth has expanded around them.) The police "are" a private service, sorta, since small enclaves and the cops know who pays their salary by taxes- and it aint some suspicious looking "youth" driving a crappy car in the area. Heck, even some of the churches have off-duty hired Sheriff deputies directing traffic etc on Sundays. Not sure who is paying for that but, hopefully, the tax-free entities will be paying. After Katrina the better-off hired mercenary outfits for protection from looters etc and had contractors bring in generators, guards, etc.

Word 

However, this is what a democracy is supposed to be about. Do we want it that way or should we try something else The people were supposed to have a say here, no?

[GravitySucks]

Well, They're not federally run, of course, but if you think cities and state taxes don't fund them then what does? The essential services fairy? 

That is obtuse, even for you. Of course my taxes fund them. Taxes I pay directly to the city and state. There is no need for federal government for essential services.

[Dr. MD MD]

That is obtuse, even for you. Of course my taxes fund them. Taxes I pay directly to the city and state. There is no need for federal government for essential services.

Well, the federal government is involved. Do you think fire and police departments are just free to run themselves the way they see fit locally? Perhaps in some ways but standards are set and enforced federally, I believe.