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Edited by Mrph1 on Nov 30th 2023 at 11:03:59 AM
Pronounced YAK-you-luss
Single-payer works pretty well so long as the government isn't actively trying to sabotage it in order to advance the interests of private healthcare. Britain spends roughly half as much as the US per capita on healthcare, in return for far broader coverage at a generally higher quality, and until 2012, it was a net earner for the government. Unfortunately, the Conservatives then decided to kneecap it with the Health and Social Care Act 2012, a partial privatisation and dismantling of the organisation's structure which... well... had the effects listed in the article. Notice how the massive debt suddenty shows up from 2013 onwards.
Destroyer of Worlds
Yeah but the country has never been as diverse as it is now. Less than 60 % of the population is white and political polarization is moving faster than ever before. Both halves think the biggest threat to America are their fellow Americans on the other side.
It's completely possible that at one point in the next century we go the way of the USSR if we can't deal with these problems.
"You can't change the world without getting your hands dirty."
![[up]](https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/smiles/arrow_up.png "[up]"){kind=icon}
see @RealPresSecBot on twitter. Someone set up a boy that converts Trump tweets to official whotehouse statements.
edited 6th Jun '17 3:50:24 PM by megaeliz
I don't think it's less than 60% but your point stands. Image either things will get to the point where a lot of people are going to notice that "hey, the world isn't falling apart because the country isn't as white as it used to be" or at some point some new thing to hate and worry about will come along. The former would be preferably, but I image things like that tend to coincide with one another.
At this point like five states (plus D.C.) should already be majoriy-minority and a few others are pretty close. It would probably be better if more red states were closer than that, but at least Georgia and Florida are inching towards it.
edited 6th Jun '17 3:55:53 PM by LSBK
Jeff Sessions suggested he could resign under rising tensions with the president
The friction between the two men stems from the attorney general's abrupt decision in March to recuse himself from anything related to the Russia investigation — a decision the president only learned about minutes before Sessions announced it publicly. Multiple sources say the recusal is one of the top disappointments of his presidency so far and one the president has remained fixated on.
Asgore Adopts Noelle
... That would be a great thing for everyone, I think.
Of course, Trump could try to nominate someone even worse then Sessions. Or we end up with the Deputy AG (Rod Rosenstein) basically being AG because Trump can't get anyone to be the new AG.
I don't know about going the way of the USSR, but do I believe we may already be seeing a major shift in the way many people think about America.
Prior to the Civil War, it was these United States. After, it became the United States. It could be that things are shifting back.
But there's a whole complex web of localism, regionalism, federalism, nationalism, and globalism going on here that I don't know how to entirely parse.
edited 6th Jun '17 4:04:47 PM by Eschaton
I find the second scenario more likely. Not going to be easy to find someone willing to take the job in the current political climate, and even harder to find one who could actually get confirmed.
And we all know what Trump usually does when it comes to things that would take effort to accomplish.
edited 6th Jun '17 4:21:54 PM by Gilphon
As amusing as the idea of Sessions resigning is, I too fear the prospect of someone worse getting the position. I admit that I have no idea who that would be.
I liked it better when Questionable Casting was called WTH Casting Agency
Trump: making Lady Lysa Arryn neé Tully look good.
edited 6th Jun '17 4:19:09 PM by Euodiachloris
A real bad hombre
Obama was speaking in Montreal today...I miss that man
"I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." -Thomas Edison
Nothing about the tweet last page saying AHCA complies with reconciliation?
I doubt it will be passed in a version acceptable to the House, either the Dems will filibuster it or the Republicans will adjust it because there are enough sane Senators who at least don't want to build their own party to the ground.
Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
Asgore Adopts Noelle
Since it's Reconciliation approved, it couldn't be filibustered: That's the entire point of Reconciliation, they want to pass a terrible, horrible Budget that the Democrats in the Senate can't over ride.
The only positive so far is that the AHCA and Trump's Budget cannot pass in their current state (Especially the Budget, which neither the House nor the Senate will touch if they don't want to be screamed at and voted out).
use political terms to describe, not insult
[Politico] An Outrageously Early Field Guide to 2020:
Instead of brackets, think of this preliminary phase of the 2020 Democratic presidential primary as a mad scramble to earn "badges" of distinction. With every badge, presidential aspirants win points from primary voters casting about for leaders they trust to both fight for what they believe in, and fight to win.
List of "badges":
In the 2016 Democratic primary, Sen. Bernie Sanders was the undisputed populist champion. But if he runs again, he'll be scrapping to reclaim the title. Sen. Elizabeth Warren would start 2020 as the best-positioned populist. [...] But the pride of Scranton, Pennsylvania, former Vice President Joe Biden, won't be ceding any populist turf without a loquacious fight.
This prize can be claimed only by those who hail from the "real America." But mere geography is not enough. Winners must be able to show they possess the secret sauce to turn red states blue. [...] Montana Gov. Steve Bullock—the Democrats' only red state governor in his second term—just happened to share his thoughts on "How Democrats Can Win The West" in the New York Times op-ed page last week. Beyond a cloying folksiness ("try casting the fly line a little farther out into the river"), Bullock mapped out a strategy for erasing the classic partisan dividing lines. [...] Gravel-toned Ohioan Sen. Sherrod Brown, if he can win reelection next year in a state Trump won by 8 points, will have proven he still has populist punch. [...] And Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar has begun emphasizing her Midwest roots and working-class ties as well as her moderate disposition.
Those who can't out-populist the populists will have to work extra hard to collect other badges. And Trump's constant reminders that he didn't know how “complicated” the job would be makes the EXPERIENCE badge far more valuable in 2020 than in past primaries. {Personal opinion: 2/3 candidates here are probably Dead On Arrival} [...] One of them is New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who has attracted many home-state progressive critics who call him "Governor 1%" for his aggressive tax-cutting agenda and his fiscal restraint. After a gubernatorial primary scare in 2014, Cuomo tacked left, enacting a $15 minimum wage, paid family leave and a limited free college plan. [...] Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper (a recent guest on NPR's “Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me”) is also viewed with suspicion by some on the left, as he has promoted TPP and fracking. But the state's economy has been ranked the best in the nation. And he has navigated his purple state through some tricky cultural issues and lived to win a second term. [...] {This is the one who I think might be actually worth considering} Some believe California Gov. Jerry Brown is too old to run for president, as he'd be 82 in 2020 (three years older than Sanders, four years older than Biden). But the man who has already run for president three times may still have the itch.
Another way to compensate for ideological impurity is by throwing a lot of punches. Proving you can cut Republicans down to size can go a long way with partisan primary voters. [...] For example, Rep. Seth Moulton, who [...] hit a Twitter home run when he mocked Trump’s complaints of a "witch hunt." His deadpan reply—"As the Representative of Salem, MA, I can confirm that this is false,"—has scored 140,000 retweets and counting. [Let's also consider] 'Virginia Gov. Terry Mc Auliffe [who]' is the antithesis of Sanders, having once been a hard-charging fundraiser for Bill Clinton’s presidential runs and the Democratic National Committee. (He wrote in his memoir about taking his wife and newborn son to a fundraiser on the way home from the hospital: "I felt bad for Dorothy, but it was a million bucks for the Democratic Party.") But he would bring to the table an unmatched record of stymying Republicans, breaking the state’s record for vetoes with more than 100, all sustained.
With the Trump presidency generating one scandal after another, Democrats who take the lead in holding the administration accountable will be lavishly awarded. [For example] Sen. Mark Warner had faded from presidential, and vice-presidential, shortlists as his Southern moderate brand of politics [...] has fallen out of fashion. But as vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Warner is the highest ranking Democrat involved in investigating Trump’s ties to Russia. [...] Sen. Al Franken stepped on the toes of Sanders' fans when he endorsed Clinton early and heartily. But his progressive stock bounced back with his grilling of Trump cabinet nominees, especially Education Secretary Betsy De Vos. Now he's being credited for indirectly causing the Justice Department to appoint a special prosecutor. After drawing Attorney General Jeff Sessions into a false statement about contacts with Russia, Franken accused Sessions of perjury.
The lifeblood of the Democratic Party may be economic and social equality, but candidates who don't have foreign policy chops take a big risk. {Biden has already been mentioned, so I'm skipping him} [...] But as Obama's, and therefore Biden's, foreign policy record is not unblemished, he can expect competition for the badge. Sen. Chris Murphy, from his Foreign Relations Committee perch, has been busy crafting a fresh foreign policy vision for the Democratic Party. [...] But Murphy's views might be too nuanced for some primary voters. Those wanting a more dramatic shift may embrace Rep. Tulsi Gabbard. { NOPE }
{First is Sanders, so I'm skipping him, then second is} Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee [who] is aiming to do Sanders one better—pass a carbon tax. {and the other two are the already mentioned Jerry Brown and Cuomo}
The Democratic Party's primary electorate in 2016 was 58 percent female. Nevertheless, Sanders took a big risk when he went out of his way to label Democratic candidate for Omaha mayor Heath Mello a "progressive", despite Mello previously sponsoring multiple pieces of state legislation curtailing abortion rights * . [...] But many primary voters don’t treat reproductive freedom as just "one issue," so expect candidates to prove they won't treat it as one. [...] Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York has taken a leadership role on women’s rights with her still-unsuccessful attempt to pass legislation that would have military prosecutors, not military commanders, handle sexual assault cases within the armed services. She recently was awarded with a glowing profile in New York magazine highlighting her commitment to gender equality. [...] Sen. Kamala Harris also brings some street cred to the abortion debate. As California attorney general last year, she oversaw a raid on the apartment of anti-abortion activist David Daleiden, who released undercover videos intended to malign Planned Parenthood.
The Democratic Party electorate is not only heavily female, but also racially diverse. [...] Any serious nominee will need to exert leadership on civil rights. [...] Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey is not a favorite of economic populists with long memories, who recall he chided Obama in 2012 for criticizing Mitt Romney's business record ("I’m not about to sit here and indict private equity"). They also grumble about his long list of Wall Street donors and his past work advocating for school choice with now-Education Secretary Betsy De Vos (though he voted against her confirmation). {My opinion: working with DeVos is a no-no, especially on "school choice", also, Murphy, Harris and Mc Auliffe have already been mentioned, so we're done here}
What's the "Wilson" badge, you ask? It's in honor of Woodrow Wilson, a man elected president in 1912 despite never having run for office or served in government until three years earlier. [...] In 2020, Democrats may want a nominee with some governing experience to contrast with Trump, but who is also a fresh face that lacks political baggage. Might there be a newly elected governor in 2018 who could copy Wilson’s fast track? [...] California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, now running for a promotion, is a likely prospect. [while] Virginia's Tom Perriello is being boosted in his race for governor by former Obama administration aides (he served in Obama’s State Department as an envoy to the Congo) who may be very useful in the presidential campaign. And keep an eye on Georgia state House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams; if an African-American woman can win a governor's race in the Deep South, then Democrats may look to her to turn the Peach State blue in 2020.
just keep digging yourself in deeper. I'm sure Mueller will appreciate it.
edited 6th Jun '17 5:28:41 PM by megaeliz
Yeah, guys, the US is not the USSR, is not designed to work the way the USSR was, nor is it subject to the same pressures that made the USSR fall apart as an organized society. Remember, at least in name, a lot of the USSR countries were supposedly "sovereign", with their own presidents and such, and not part of Russia proper.
Basically, we haven't had decades of economic decline under despotic leaders with decades of distinctly undemocratic government. Somehow, I find it unlikely that we'll "go the way of the USSR" simply because, well, different histories. It's kind of a weird comparison to make, actually, given that the history of the US and the USSR are so different.
And all this talk of "isms" makes it sound like, oh, we haven't already been dealing with this for the entire time we've been a country. Nativism has always been a thing, Racism has always been a thing. It's a lot better than it used to be, despite the megaphones that some extremists have managed to get their hands on. The thing to do is watch for the next opportunity to talk back against all these things, whatever you consider to be an opportunity to you.
use political terms to describe, not insult
I didn't see Iaculus respond (apologies if I've missed his post), but I can answer this. You're right to be suspicious about the accuracy of that comment.
The problem with the NHS isn't because it's a single-payer system. It was created by the Labour Party. As a result, the Tory Party has been opposed to it since the beginning of its existence. It has engaged in a wide-spread, systematic, and very well-documented sabotage that consists of (but is not limited to):
- Starving of funding - research, medical treatment, pharmaceutical costs, salaries, job placements, student training places, building running costs, GP services, home help services, and university medical training.
- Undercutting the links between different areas of healthcare (A&E, hospital departments, nursing & doctors, medical staff and admin staff, social care, home help, maternity services, preventative care, ambulance services, emergency telephone services, etc.). By de-funding parts, privatising other parts, out-sourcing parts, etc., the health service becomes disjointed and unable to properly coordinate between the different areas or function as a unified whole.
- There was even a policy of running hospital buildings into the ground before allowing new ones to be built, but at inflated costs, where the NHS had to divert its medical budget to funding the construction costs and then pay extortionate rent for the use of their own hospitals that will last for a period of 15-30 years, or more in a couple of cases.
- Under the Tory Party, the UK spends far less on its health service than most other good quality developed nations, to the point where the OECD has now stated that there is a definition crisis regarding the classification of the NHS (as a public health care service) due to increasing removal of government funding from the service.
- The Tory Party has a proven track record of de-funding public services to collapse, claiming the collapse happens because public ownership doesn't work, then using that as an excuse to privatise the service.
- In short, single-payer can work perfectly well when properly funded, resourced and unified, but it is vulnerable to any political ideology that opposes not-for-profit, single-payer, public services.
edited 6th Jun '17 5:52:55 PM by Wyldchyld
If my post doesn't mention a giant flying sperm whale with oversized teeth and lionfish fins for flippers, it just isn't worth reading.
The faces of the press Corp while listening to Sean Spicer talk are priceless
They all look so tired already. The guy at the end looked like he was having his soul sucked out.
Oh, bother.
So basically the NHS not doing so well isn't due to issues with single-payer in general, but because the people running the gov't in the UK want it to fail.
Gee, doesn't that sound familiar? Almost like the UK has a Republican Party, too.
edited 6th Jun '17 7:00:51 PM by TrashJack
Hell, his plan to livetweet responses to Comey's testimony might just qualify as that. Imagine any other President issuing recorded statements like that.
This notice is to formally announce that the person testifying against me in court at the time of authoring this notice is a lying butt weasel and should not be heeded.
Also, do not listen to that terrible German man and his overrated handshake.
Prez Out
Donald J. Trump