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treadhead1944 wrote:

Hordini wrote:

biccat wrote:

GalacticDefender wrote:I wish your dad luck, we need more people in the government who actually care.

What if the people don't want a government to take care of them? What if they are happy with their life and don't care about more welfare benefits, or getting free health care, or any of the other promised benefits?

Don't be silly biccat. Some people, like the uneducated backwards Appalachians need smart people like the ones in the government to make these important decisions for them. They simply don't know what's best for them, so someone else needs to step in and protect them from themselves!

Please tell me this is sarcasm...

Frazzled wrote:It is sarcasm, but at its heart its true viewpoint of others espousing control over the progs.

Bingo!

Just to clarify though, you mean proles, right?

Progs, proles, they're all munchies to us Morlocks.

Yeah, because we all know that the only thing government does is steal from the hardworking Atlas class and redistributes their hard work and genius to the parasite class.

Or, you know, protect people from the excesses of unfettered capitalism so they can drink clean water, breathe clean air, have schools to go to, and have health care provided for them. Or is there a utopia where the free market manages to deliver all of these things? Is it Somalia? Probably Somalia.

Of course, you'll then start talking about how this is all about freedom! The freedom to choose between working for a sweat shop that will likely kill you or to not work and starve to death. The freedom to be cruelly exploited and forced to work in whatever conditions your boss demands so that you may be the .00001% that can rise through the ranks to become the boss and exploit others.

But, yes, government provided healthcare is evil and goes against liberty because of something.

I think youmissed your pill this morning.
(look down to the keyboard and notices the light grey pill)
Crap I did anyway.

TheHammer wrote:Yeah, because we all know that the only thing government does is steal from the hardworking Atlas class and redistributes their hard work and genius to the parasite class.

Or, you know, protect people from the excesses of unfettered capitalism so they can drink clean water, breathe clean air, have schools to go to, and have health care provided for them. Or is there a utopia where the free market manages to deliver all of these things? Is it Somalia? Probably Somalia.

Of course, you'll then start talking about how this is all about freedom! The freedom to choose between working for a sweat shop that will likely kill you or to not work and starve to death. The freedom to be cruelly exploited and forced to work in whatever conditions your boss demands so that you may be the .00001% that can rise through the ranks to become the boss and exploit others.

But, yes, government provided healthcare is evil and goes against liberty because of something.

But look at this crappy area. There are areas were people just wait to get terminally sick, then go in to the hospital so they have to help them, wasting other peoples money because the prices need to go up. Not to mention the horrifyingly bad education system makes it so it might as well be Somalia, at least Somalia is improving.

Southern Virginia is just a stagnated mess.

Alexzandvar wrote:
But look at this crappy area. There are areas were people just wait to get terminally sick, then go in to the hospital so they have to help them, wasting other peoples money because the prices need to go up. Not to mention the horrifyingly bad education system makes it so it might as well be Somalia, at least Somalia is improving.

Southern Virginia is just a stagnated mess.

I'd be surprised if they 'just wait to get terminally sick, then go in to the hospital so they have to help them, wasting other peoples money because the prices need to go up.' (And just what does the last section mean? I would have said 'wasting other people's money by making the prices go up.') There is probably an extended period where they would LOVE to go see a doctor, but simply cannot afford to, because it comes down to a choice between paying for medical insurance, or rent. Both make up approximately 40% of the wages of someone making less than $10/hour, and if you DO manange to pay for both... you certainly won't be able to afford the copays.

So the person gets sicker and sicker, then goes to the emergency room when it gets so bad the can't cope with it anymore. And the hospital has to eat the cost.

To make it up, the hospital then has to charge everyone MORE for the services they are getting paid for. So, what we have ACTUALLY IS SOCIALIZED MEDICINE... just of a terribly inefficient sort. ALL OF US pay extra... to cover the poor people who can't afford normal medical care going to the emergency room instead.

Frankly, it would be far cheaper to have the poor go to the doctors regularly on the taxpayer's dime. Doctor's visits cost a couple hundred dollars and catch a LOT of big issues... while they are still small, easily, INEXPENSIVELY treated issues. Visits to the emergency rool cost thousands... for simple stuff. A heart attack could run fifty, a hundred grand easy. But no, we don't want to keep the poor from having the heart attack through regular treatment, heaven forbid we have socialist stuff in 'Murica!

All I can say is GL.

If he doesn't win, move north. I'm sure the states on my parallel would be more than happy to have you.. except for some reason some idiot hypocrite of a politician believes she can "Pray the Gay away." and supports Fox new's "War on Women." campaign. I would gladly vote for your father and have him get rid of Michele Bachman. What a joke, it's an embarrassment for my state that she's in office and everyone knows it. She got into office because of deeply gouging gerrymandering and even deeper pockets, there's literally no other way to explain how her selective district is so overwhelmingly conservative.

Your father is fighting an uphill battle, and until he can find that supportive base of like minded people (or even sensible people in your case) you'd be better off trying to better a different part of the country that is willing to have your help.. there are many places that need it desperately.

Alexzandvar wrote:Several of the counties have less than a 50% high school graduation rate, some below even 40%.
And the thing is, the people just are fine wallowing in poverty and failure, they continue to support people who have no interest in helping them.

I actually believe these things are somewhat connected. The cynic in me even thinks that it is in some influential people's interest to keep the general populace as dumb as possible because that makes it - evidently - easier to manipulate them. The ones who end up attaining top positions in governments and businesses are (unsurprisingly) often those who could afford a better education at some elite university, and what makes them afford it are parents who already are in such a position. Like some sort of veiled feudalism where the noble lords have their children inherit their social status, even though they may end up taking another job (but of similar status and prestige).

It's probably not as bad as I make it sound and there are many people may find ways to circumvent the system ... but at least for Germany, studies have proven that children from rich parents now receive preferential treatment even on the same level of education. I wouldn't be surprised if this effect also applies to many other western nations.

As Joey suggested, maybe you should indeed consider emigrating to a less "influenced" state. I switched countries, too, and didn't regret it. As they say, "every nation has the government its people deserve" - so if you can no longer identify with those people, leave them to their self-created misery. Then everybody gets what they want.

Vulcan wrote:Frankly, it would be far cheaper to have the poor go to the doctors regularly on the taxpayer's dime.

Yup, that's how it works in Europe at least.



It's a bit funny (and sad) that far too many people in the US apparently still haven't figured out that their economy is in a worse state partially because of the refusal to adopt this, one of the last century's major social achievements.
I suppose it's just a matter of being used to not having it and being fed certain politicians' PR all the time. Sadly, simply not caring until oneself is in a bad financial situation (i.e. egoism) might play a role, too, though.
Maybe you'll also find this article interesting: http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/german-attitude-toward-barack-obama-s-healthcare-reform-a-832002.html

Alexzandvar wrote:
Exactly, the population in Southern Virginia has very very bad education, not to mention the fact they have been fed lies by the Tea Party for several years now.

That's a pretty amazing feat considering the Tea Party hasn't even been in existence for several years.

Frazzled wrote:

biccat wrote:The dakka OT has gone from discussing political topics to outright campaigning by political candidates?

Vote for Cthulu! Why choose the lesser evil!

hotsauceman1 wrote:They can still breed, they have the parts. they just dont match.

Haven't any of you heard of butt babies?

Cadorius wrote:

Alexzandvar wrote:
Exactly, the population in Southern Virginia has very very bad education, not to mention the fact they have been fed lies by the Tea Party for several years now.

That's a pretty amazing feat considering the Tea Party hasn't even been in existence for several years.

Three years can be several...unless he meant conservatives instead of tea party, and a platform he doesn't agree with instead of lies.

http://www.bobmcdonnell.com/

Surtur wrote:

hotsauceman1 wrote:They can still breed, they have the parts. they just dont match.

Haven't any of you heard of butt babies?

Not OK.

Cadorius wrote:That's a pretty amazing feat considering the Tea Party hasn't even been in existence for several years.

The only thing standing in the way of progress are the enemies of the state.

Those who don't agree with progress are enemies of the state.

dæl wrote:Good luck to him, I wish him well.

Just one point, how do gay people breed? I'm not a biologist but i'm pretty sure that doesn't work.

Fabulous mitosis?

Phototoxin wrote:

dæl wrote:Good luck to him, I wish him well.

Just one point, how do gay people breed? I'm not a biologist but i'm pretty sure that doesn't work.

Fabulous mitosis?

That's pretty awesome actually...

He has my vote in spirit.