Trump thread part 2 (Or anything else we want to talk about that's ridiculous in politics today)

[HempKat]

Where are you getting your information? America's inflation rate is one of the higher ones amongst the developed world. It also has one of the highest debt to GDP rations in the world, currently ranked #11. Not that it's on Biden, but the US economy isn't as great as you're presenting.

Inflation by Country 2023 - Wisevoter

Inflation is a persistent increase in the overall price level of goods and services in an economy over time. It is one of the most closely watched economic indicators as it affects the purchasing power of a currency. Inflation can be caused by various factors such as an increase in the money...

wisevoter.com

And from the perspective of being outside the US, Trump was a fucking joke, he did a more damage to the image of the US abroad than any other president, by far. But Joe Biden is also a lame duck and a lot of us see the US actions in the middle east and Ukraine as inflammatory, not positive in any way, and potentially leading us into WW III. This "But, he's not Trump" bullshit doesn't really mean shit to the countries who are still being bombed, their resources still being pilfered, their journalists still being silenced, the head of the snake still belongs to a snake.

The American empire is in a steady decline and it doesn't matter who sits in the drivers seat, your too far off the road to come back now.

Okay I'll admit I likely misquoted some old information from ealier this year where it was said the US had the lowest inflation rate in the G7. So I'll stipulate that the US isn't the lowest in the world. The point mainly is that the US is not as bad off under Biden as others like to make it out to be. Is it the shining star that it once was? No not by a longshot but you don't turn a ship that big on a dime either and it is doing much better then it was under the previous administration. I'm not saying Biden is the greatest president ever but I am saying he's hardly the feeble bumbling idiot many try to make him out to be. Could there be a better Democrat candidate with a better plan for the future of the country? Sure, anything is possible but so far I've not seen this better candidate emerge. Given that at present it looks like the choice is going to boil down to Biden and Trump after the primaries are over, unless something blocks Trump from even being on the ballet, then I'll vote for Biden any day over Trump and not just because I think Trump is a piece of human excrement that if allowed in office again will do far more damage then what he's already done but because his only agenda so far is to exact revenge on those he percieves as his personal enemies or who he feels has betrayed him. I've got no time for revenge politics and therefore no time for any Republican candidate. Personally I think the best thing Biden could do for his legacy would be to step aside for a younger candidate that has as good or possibly a better plan for America's future. That however is so unlikely to happen that it's not worth considering at this point. I'm open to changing my mind but if it's going to happen, whoever this person is going to be needs to hurry up and start grabbing the imagination and support of the American people because the window for such a candidate to emerge is closing fast.

 

[GOT_BUD?]

Gotta love seeing "Go Fash, no Cash" absolutely wrecking the Republican party faster than they can say "Go Woke, go Broke".

 

[HempKat]

I have to say Obamacare wasn't all bad. It definitely wasn’t good, but not pure horseshit.

Due to the preventative care coverage, my insurance paid for 25 chiropractic/therapeutic massage a year with zero copay.

You may say “big deal”. But for someone like me, a non opiate user who worked some of the most demanding and dangerous jobs, collecting some nice injuries along the way. I needed a way to treat pain without opiates regularly:

That shit is the devil.

It would have been nice if ObamaCare was allowed to achieve it's full vision. I can't say it would have been much more amazing if it had but since many Republicans in Congress made sure that certain key elements weren't allowed, in hopes of causing it to fail, it's impossible to say what it could have been. I can say given that it survived and became even more well liked then it was a first, is a strong testiment to it's potential but we'll likely never know if it would have ever become what it was meant to be.

 

[HempKat]

Before Obamacare my insurance had a $500 max out of pocket per year. Now my employer is lucky to find us a plan we can afford with an $11,000 per year copay. And I work for a Fortune 500 company!

Healthcare in this country costs far more than it needs to. And Obamacare made it far worse much faster.

You can actually thank the Republicans for that who managed to strip out key elements of the Affordable care act that would have prevented much of the problems you're talking about. Things that would have forced insurance companies to lower their rates in order to remain competitive.

 

[HempKat]

Obama entered under the peace banner while expanding GW's wars from 3 or 4 to 7. In the end I viewed it as more Beltway and partisan sleight of hand. And clearly being another who was largely owned by Wall St.

I never did figure out what his 'amazing achievements' were that would warrant a Nobel Peace prize shortly after entering the Oval Office.

Yes, it was a statement to racists, but it also riled them sufficiently that it became a peripheral rallying cry for many Trumpers.

He really never should have gotten that prize because it was based more on what he represented rather then on anything he did. Unfortunately his presidency while at first making it seemed like America had made huge strides growing freee of the racial prejudice that held it back, only end up revealling that the same racial prejudice was still there, strong as ever, it had just grown quiet for a while.

 

[GOT_BUD?]

You can actually thank the Republicans for that who managed to strip out key elements of the Affordable care act that would have prevented much of the problems you're talking about. Things that would have forced insurance companies to lower their rates in order to remain competitive.

I blame Republicans for the entirety of what we have now. It was Nixon who allowed hospitals to become for profit in the first place, setting us up for the shit show.

 

[HempKat]

all true....

yep 2 warzones visited.. trump didn't visit any cause... THERE WERE NONE... how did sleepy do getting us out of affie... ask the '13' families who lost love-ones, how much equipment was left behind... north korea was not lobbing missiles over the sea of japan, iran didn't lob shit 49 times into our bases... ohhh they did lob some, n we shoved a missile up the generals ass.... putin didn't invade ukraine... but he did invade Crimea... ohhh wait that was under the other scumbag obama...

No warzones during Trump, my what a selective memory you have. The whole fiasco of Afghanistan was due to Trump. If he could have done so much better why didn't he? Instead he did what he's criticised many others of doing, he telegraphed America's plans by commiting us to a withdrawl date. So all the Taliban had to do was kick back and wait and then as our time was almost up start moving in forcing us to either continue to quickly withdraw or to break our commitment to withdraw and turn back with our troops asses hanging out in the wind. Either way would have looked bad on us Biden just went with the lesser of two evils. Had we been able to withdraw on our own timetable without being constrained by Trump's promised deadline we would have been able to withdraw more effectively and without leaving as much equipment behind. Although much of whatwas left behind was intended for the forces we trained to use but we never counted on them to fold so quickly which they shouldn't have done if the Trump administration allowed to be as well trained as they should have been but obviously weren't. You also seem to forget the Nuke N Korea lobbed when the Prime Minister of Japan was dining with Trump at Mar-A-Lardo. You know, the one where istead of Trump getting off his fat ass and retreat to a secure facility to address the matter he decided it would be a good idea to show everything off in front of all his guests, one of the first of many security breaches even an incompetent President would know not to make.

 

[buzzmobile]

Well you left the first sentence out so there is that. Everything else I wrote granted it was just my opinion but I think a fairly fair one directed at anyone who thinks it's okay to force a 10 year old to go full term for any reason but most especially for a pregnancy resultinging from rape.

 

[GOT_BUD?]

Where are you getting your information? America's inflation rate is one of the higher ones amongst the developed world. It also has one of the highest debt to GDP rations in the world, currently ranked #11. Not that it's on Biden, but the US economy isn't as great as you're presenting.

Inflation by Country 2023 - Wisevoter

Inflation is a persistent increase in the overall price level of goods and services in an economy over time. It is one of the most closely watched economic indicators as it affects the purchasing power of a currency. Inflation can be caused by various factors such as an increase in the money...

wisevoter.com

And from the perspective of being outside the US, Trump was a fucking joke, he did a more damage to the image of the US abroad than any other president, by far. But Joe Biden is also a lame duck and a lot of us see the US actions in the middle east and Ukraine as inflammatory, not positive in any way, and potentially leading us into WW III. This "But, he's not Trump" bullshit doesn't really mean shit to the countries who are still being bombed, their resources still being pilfered, their journalists still being silenced, the head of the snake still belongs to a snake.

The American empire is in a steady decline and it doesn't matter who sits in the drivers seat, your too far off the road to come back now.

Have you been to the car launch?

I learned about it from 1320 Videos on Youtube. Definitely a bucket list item now that I know about it.

 

[Hiddenjems]

It would have been nice if ObamaCare was allowed to achieve it's full vision. I can't say it would have been much more amazing if it had but since many Republicans in Congress made sure that certain key elements weren't allowed, in hopes of causing it to fail, it's impossible to say what it could have been. I can say given that it survived and became even more well liked then it was a first, is a strong testiment to it's potential but we'll likely never know if it would have ever become what it was meant to be.

Watching the government constantly fail to deliver for decades and decades, I’ve been pushed more and more libertarian. “If you want it done right, do it yourself”.

 

[zachrockbadenof]

Your logic, zach, has sometimes been referred to as 'negative relativism', and it's a losing path toward anything related to improvement of the status quo.

i like the status quo

 

[zachrockbadenof]

Gotta go through the USA to get to Canada, aye...

and we will provide the transportation...

 

[GOT_BUD?]

Watching the Republicans constantly dismantle and tear apart any meaningful legislation for decades and decades, I’ve been pushed more and more Democrat. “If you want to move a monolith you can't do it by yourself."

Pay closer attention

 

[Cannavore]

Obamacare was written up by the health care industry professionals to force you to buy a private service. It was always going to suck.

The problem is the neoliberal privatization of every commodity & service, and capitalism in general.

 

[Morcheeba*]

Glad to see you made it Mr. Bezos!!

Please, act like my mom and tell me how I've done everything wrong in my life. And never, ever admit that even if you do everything right you can still get fucked by that little thing called "Life".

maybe i was hash in my response to your belief that the American Dream is long gone but i believe you are wrong.

its not my place to tell you what youve done wrong, i could care less.

spare me the "Do everything right you can still get fucked by that little thing called life"...........we all go through tough things in life and im sure many self made people overcame failure and obstacles to become successful.

glad you know who i am and all about me....lol


peace

 

[moose eater]

i like the status quo

Why does that not surprise me in the least?

 

[zachrockbadenof]

I blame Republicans for the entirety of what we have now. It was Nixon who allowed hospitals to become for profit in the first place, setting us up for the shit show.

only back to nixon.... come-on,

No warzones during Trump, my what a selective memory you have. The whole fiasco of Afghanistan was due to Trump. If he could have done so much better why didn't he? Instead he did what he's criticised many others of doing, he telegraphed America's plans by commiting us to a withdrawl date. So all the Taliban had to do was kick back and wait and then as our time was almost up start moving in forcing us to either continue to quickly withdraw or to break our commitment to withdraw and turn back with our troops asses hanging out in the wind. Either way would have looked bad on us Biden just went with the lesser of two evils. Had we been able to withdraw on our own timetable without being constrained by Trump's promised deadline we would have been able to withdraw more effectively and without leaving as much equipment behind. Although much of whatwas left behind was intended for the forces we trained to use but we never counted on them to fold so quickly which they shouldn't have done if the Trump administration allowed to be as well trained as they should have been but obviously weren't. You also seem to forget the Nuke N Korea lobbed when the Prime Minister of Japan was dining with Trump at Mar-A-Lardo. You know, the one where istead of Trump getting off his fat ass and retreat to a secure facility to address the matter he decided it would be a good idea to show everything off in front of all his guests, one of the first of many security breaches even an incompetent President would know not to make.

trump committed to a withdrawal date... in feb 2020- from that date till aug 2021, not one soldier was killed in affie.... not a one... the actual withdraw was all biden... 13 dead americans, and billions of $$$ in equipment left behind... constrained by trump... BULLSHIT... on jan 20th 2021... his 1st afternoon in office he killed the keystone pipeline that trump was touting...

trump is def an ass... but fukin sleepy.... please.... and what nuke did n korea ever fire..... lets get some more info on that....

 

[moose eater]

Before Obamacare my insurance had a $500 max out of pocket per year. Now my employer is lucky to find us a plan we can afford with an $11,000 per year copay. And I work for a Fortune 500 company!

Healthcare in this country costs far more than it needs to. And Obamacare made it far worse much faster.

I have what is considered 'Gold' insurance now in Alaska under the ACA.

Once upon a time I worked for a prominent small city in Alaska and my wife worked for the State, back in the days when Cadillac insurance truly was Cadillac insurance.

What I have now supposedly pays for preventative measures and many/most vaccines with zero co-pay, but my deductible is $1,500 and my max out of pocket is $6,300. My co-pay for Rx Tier 1 drugs has me paying more than if I simply use an in-store coupon. Premera's way of playing a shell game, more or less saying, "Yes, you're covered, but not -really- covered."

I have zero vision coverage (though my eyesight is not great). And zero dental coverage, but for a pittance for a -minor- amount for an exam once per year (why I go to the Yukon Territory of Canada when I need to for dental...).

The definition of 'preventative' can become comical at times, too.

Now cranking up the insurance to do some costly scans and other follow-through, possibly with some amount of treatment, after barely reaching $1,000 on my deductible this year, so it's likely that between the end of this year and early next year, we'll need to cough up about $12,600 out of pocket, not counting the monthly insurance bills, before we're mostly free and clear, and that won't cover the treatments that are excluded by the insurance company.

For this nonsense I pay nearly $600/month.

And Medicare isn't a whole lot better, even if you buy the supplemental insurance that costs an average of $250/month. And still many things won't be covered.

Like the veterans in this Country who find themselves feeling like they are disposable, so too are the elderly.

 

[Microbeman]

I have what is considered 'Gold' insurance now in Alaska under the ACA.

Once upon a time I worked for a prominent small city in Alaska and my wife worked for the State, back in the days when Cadillac insurance truly was Cadillac insurance.

What I have now supposedly pays for preventative measures and many/most vaccines with zero co-pay, but my deductible is $1,500 and my max out of pocket is $6,300. My co-pay for Rx Tier 1 drugs has me paying more than if I simply use an in-store coupon. Premera's way of playing a shell game, more or less saying, "Yes, you're covered, but not -really- covered."

I have zero vision coverage (though my eyesight is not great). And zero dental coverage, but for a pittance for a -minor- amount for an exam once per year (why I go to the Yukon Territory of Canada when I need to for dental...).

The definition of 'preventative' can become comical at times, too.

Now cranking up the insurance to do some costly scans and other follow-through, possibly with some amount of treatment, after barely reaching $1,000 on my deductible this year, so it's likely that between the end of this year and early next year, we'll need to cough up about $12,600 out of pocket, not counting the monthly insurance bills, before we're mostly free and clear, and that won't cover the treatments that are excluded by the insurance company.

For this nonsense I pay nearly $600/month.

And Medicare isn't a whole lot better, even if you buy the supplemental insurance that costs an average of $250/month. And still many things won't be covered.

Like the veterans in this Country who find themselves feeling like they are disposable, so too are the elderly.

sucks eh? For 12kUSD down here you can get a new hip and 2 tooth implants.

 

[moose eater]

sucks eh? For 12kUSD down here you can get a new hip and 2 tooth implants.

Yep, I scouted spine surgery in India at private clinics with excellent reviews 8 years ago or so...

And they want your business so badly they hound you via email like a used car salesman who just noticed you walked onto the lot.

Per an acquaintance who had both knees done in India shortly before that time, India buys Johnson & Johnson titanium knee joints in bulk and receives the same titanium joints one would in the US, and she paid all of $500/joint there. I think at that time they were over $6,000 here.... Just for the titanium joint. The hardware, in other words.

"Healthcare.... A caring profession..."