right this time
enjoying summerProfile
Blog Entries
No blogs have been written yet
Comments
Questions
SodaFeed
right this time has no recent activity.
Latest Question
Top SodaHeads
Top Comments
-
Did you know that more people believe in UFOs than o... Did you know that more people believe in UFOs than oppose public option? (more)
+4 raves A majority of the public as well as a majority of doctors favor a public option. As for UFOs it ... A majority of the public as well as a majority of doctors favor a public option. As for UFOs it is easier to believe that they exist than it is to believe the insurance companies will reform themselves without competition from a public option. (more) -
+5 raves A few years ago I would on occasion enjoy watching Lou Dobbs. I did not always agree with him but... A few years ago I would on occasion enjoy watching Lou Dobbs. I did not always agree with him but thought he was smart and edgy. Then somewhere along the way he got to be more and more bizarre. For CNN's sake he needs to refocus on journalism or he needs to find another job. (more)
-
+2 raves Thank you for this post even though I know the very title of it is going to bring gnashing of tee... Thank you for this post even though I know the very title of it is going to bring gnashing of teeth and wailing by the Reagan worshippers. The issues raised are ones I had long observed but wondered about because no one else seemed to bother with them. For instance the cold war was virtually over by the time Reagan came to office. Gorbachev has said, and recently released Soviet documents confirm this, that Reagan's bellicose approach almost sabotaged the efforts of reformers in Russia. The few hard liners left in government were given talking points and Gorbachev was almost thrown out by people who wanted a military confrontation with the U.S..
My own experience in Central America can attest to the damage that was done when we supported terrorism under the guise of resisting communism. Especially in El Salvador I saw the progressive and democratic influence within the Catholic Church crushed only to be replaced by a paternalistic and materialistic church that supported the oligarchy.
I have been especially interested in recent years to read about the transition from Carter to Reagan. Reagan's "sunny style" covered up in my opinion three stunning reversals of Carter policy. One was that Reagan began a policy which continued through to
Bush II of using terrorists and extremists when it suited his interests. Ignoring human rights abuses and negotiating with terrorists was a major mode of operation for Reagan. Secondly, if Reagan had not reversed Carter's energy policies there is evidence that today we would not be dependent on foreign oil. Lastly, the Federal government was actually beginning to shrink under Carter. It reached then unprecedented size under Reagan.
There is much more that I could say but there is one huge thing the article leaves out. Reagan's vaunted supply side economics were such a dismal failure that Reagan instituted not one but two huge tax increases. One of these was the largest in American history and became necessary because the government was on the verge of collapse. Even as he saved himself from the embarrassment of "losing the American government" on his watch his friends to this day only refer to his earlier tax cuts, the ones he had to make up for later.
I don't know if Reagan was the worst President ever but I can say I get tired of the adulation based on his style and lack of substance. (more) -
Unlimited Healthcare for Everyone is Unaffordable. S... Unlimited Healthcare for Everyone is Unaffordable. Should it be Rationed to Maximize Profit for Health Insurance Companies or Rationed to Minimize Cost to Taxpayers? (more)
+3 raves This is a complicated question. Our current system is the worst possible combination. Health Ca... This is a complicated question. Our current system is the worst possible combination. Health Care for most Americans is already rationed, they just don't know it. The rationing takes place by denying coverage to the poor, the elderly and children, while denying legitimate insurance claims for those of us who can afford health insurance but who cannot afford the lawyer it takes to contest rejection of "usual and customary" claims. Not getting the optimum care they need, on the other hand, children, elderly and the poor suffer from chronic and degenerative diseases that may have been curable in earlier stages but which finally end up costing us all dearly when they get really sick. On the other hand the wealthy and the lucky few with good insurance sometimes get more care than they need with expensive tests and procedures that aren't really necessary. Much of the "rationing" that would occur in Health Care reform would be to eliminate unnecessary and wasteful procedures that drive up the cost for tax payers while making the insurance companies rich. It is no accident that insurance companies countinue to increase their record profit margins while actually providing less and less coverage for fewer and fewer people. Planned rationing rather than the current rationing would make sure that everyone who wants it can have a minimum standard of health care while insuring that all of us, including the federal government, don't go broke. (more) -
Why do people live longer in nations with socialized... Why do people live longer in nations with socialized medicine? (more)
+2 raves Let' see . . .(1) Standing in all of those lines waiting for health care builds bone density,... Let' see . . .(1) Standing in all of those lines waiting for health care builds bone density, abs and core muscle groups. (2) Knowing that you have health insurance, no matter how bad, relieves anxiety and worry -a major killer. (3) Unable to pick your own "Doctor-feel-good" you end up with a doctor who actually tells you what is wrong with you. (4) The heavy handed, jack-booted, totalitarian approach actually makes you brush your teeth and get regular check-ups from the moment you come into the world. (5) Since your care is rationed you choose to get sick less often. But there is a down side to all of this. You spend your entire life with deep feelings of inferiority because your rich American cousins have big expensive health care programs and even bigger expensive funerals. Oh, the pain and humilitation of living with socialized medicine! (more) -
If you could change something about SH what would it... If you could change something about SH what would it be? (more)
+2 raves I have been threatening to leave SodaHead for over a month because of all the spy ware and advert... I have been threatening to leave SodaHead for over a month because of all the spy ware and advertizing. It really clogs up a person's computer and it often keeps me from being able to read replys to my comments. This was a great site when I first joined a year ago but the last few months have frustrated the hell out of me. SodaHead is clearly making a ton of money selling our contact info to advertizers but I am not sure it is worth it to me anymore. (more) -
If God really hated Muslims, would you choose to go ... If God really hated Muslims, would you choose to go to heaven? (more)
+2 raves So you are asking me to choose between hell and . . . uh . . .hell?
or
Linnaeus
Hi right this time, thanks for the rave. Nice avatar.
MO.gal
-sasman-
Where are you in New England. Beautiful images... Looks like the White Mountains?