Board 8 > Politics Containment Topic 119: This Place is a Dump

(+) Yeah! (+)

He has to dodge drafts, have you seen what the wind does to his hair?

(For the record I have nothing against draft dodging, but I do think it's hypocritical to do that and then judge other people for their war efforts like he did with McCain)
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HaRRicH posted...

Draft-dodgin' Donald lied to stay out of Vietnam, so.....

He had college and medical deferrals. I wouldn't qualify that as "draft dodging" unless you're one of those loons who considers anyone who didn't serve in active duty to be a draft dodger.

Blumenthal literally boasted about fighting in Vietnam when he was never actually deployed.
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http://thehill.com/homenews/house/345596-house-gop-unveils-website-criticizing-media-coverage?amp

GOP handing out participation trophies to themselves
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Nelson_Mandela posted...

He had college and medical deferrals. I wouldn't qualify that as "draft dodging" unless you're one of those loons who considers anyone who didn't serve in active duty to be a draft dodger.

I'd say there's nothing unfair about calling somebody who took extra, questionable steps to not be drafted a "draft dodger."

His college deferrals wouldn't have kept him out, so he got a medical deferral that he claims was for "bone spurs" in his heels. Despite being a college athlete up until that point.

That's definitely questionable.
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Nelson_Mandela posted...

HaRRicH posted...

Draft-dodgin' Donald lied to stay out of Vietnam, so.....

He had college and medical deferrals. I wouldn't qualify that as "draft dodging" unless you're one of those loons who considers anyone who didn't serve in active duty to be a draft dodger.

I would consider him one if the medical deferment is fake, which it most likely is.

Doesn't excuse Blumenthal but it's also completely irrelevant to anything he might say about the Russian collusion investigations
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Faking bone spurs to not forcibly be shipped to Vietnam is wayyy less scummy than falsifying combat duties to gain votes imo
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Nelson_Mandela posted...

Faking bone spurs to not forcibly be shipped to Vietnam is wayyy less scummy than falsifying combat duties to gain votes imo

Don't you worship George W?
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so you're saying it's scummy to draft dodge?
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I didn't say it wasn't

EDIT: that's to Seph
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both are scummy people
there boom done
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Right, but the core point is that Trump is trying to argue that if you're scummier than him, you can't judge his actions

Which is just false. Even Trump is right about some things, such as the idea that Jeff Sessions is a crappy AG
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A crappy AG he personally picked. And crappy for reasons other than the reasons Trump dislikes him.
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That's the joke
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That's a bad joke.
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TheRock1525 posted...

A crappy AG he personally picked. And crappy for reasons other than the reasons Trump dislikes him.

Yep

Trump hates him for literally the only good decision Sessions has made as AG
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metroid composite posted...

Interesting article about the effect of drawing out of the TPP on certain parts of rural america:

http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/08/07/trump-tpp-deal-withdrawal-trade-effects-215459

(Note, I am overall against the TPP, but yeah, this is a pretty significant downside to drawing out).

As I understand it the US agriculture industry would have won big from the TPP. Trump straight up screwed them.

Reading that article... our trade rep thinks Japan should lower tariffs for free? It sounds like he doesn't understand the basic concept behind an agreement, which is probably not a quality you want in a trade rep.
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LordoftheMorons posted...

metroid composite posted...

Interesting article about the effect of drawing out of the TPP on certain parts of rural america:

http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/08/07/trump-tpp-deal-withdrawal-trade-effects-215459

(Note, I am overall against the TPP, but yeah, this is a pretty significant downside to drawing out).

As I understand it the US agriculture industry would have won big from the TPP. Trump straight up screwed them.

Reading that article... our trade rep thinks Japan should lower tariffs for free? It sounds like he doesn't understand the basic concept behind an agreement, which is probably not a quality you want in a trade rep.

Most of our white house appointments do not understand the basic concepts behind their jobs, and possess many qualities contrary to their position.

Of course, that's probably because of the sheer lack of filled positions. If they actually had a reasonable number filled, they'd probably even out just due to statistics.
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So there's a new bill in the House with bipartisan support to reform Obamacare:

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/7/31/16068130/problem-solver-house-proposal

It sounds... mostly decent? Plus, if this thing passes and the market improves then both sides can claim victory - Republicans for fixing Obamacare and Democrats for preserving it.
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Is it gonna make the Freedom Caucus mad?
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Jakyl25 posted...

Is it gonna make the Freedom Caucus mad?

Probably, but if it actually has Democratic support that's mostly irrelevant as to whether or not it can pass.

Actually, thinking about it, the bill does repeal the medical device tax, so maybe that's enough for the teabaggers? (Probably not because it's not a full repeal, but hey.)
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I was mostly just asking so as to be prepared to laugh at their values
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This article is old as dirt, but I just found it for the first time.

You guys want to read the worst take ever?

https://www.forbes.com/sites/harrybinswanger/2013/09/17/give-back-yes-its-time-for-the-99-to-give-back-to-the-1/
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ChaosTonyV4 posted...

This article is old as dirt, but I just found it for the first time.

You guys want to read the worst take ever?

https://www.forbes.com/sites/harrybinswanger/2013/09/17/give-back-yes-its-time-for-the-99-to-give-back-to-the-1/

Harry Binswanger , CONTRIBUTOR
I defend laissez-faire capitalism, using Ayn Rand's Objectivism.

I already know this isn't worth reading.
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Wow, you weren't exaggerating that much when you said worst take ever

Selling across state lines is good.

Giving more money to insurance companies or setting up government funded reinsurance to "limit their losses" though, is not good policy in my opinion. Insurance companies don't need to be protected, if you pay them more they will happily eat the increased profits without reducing premiums.

In a market-based system, you need an incentive for insurers to lower premiums. This problem solver plan still doesn't do that. This kind of laser like focus on the supply side without considering the demand side at all is really spurious. All I can say is that Reagan won. Won really really hard.
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red sox 777 posted...

Selling across state lines is good.

Except you know... regulations aren't the only barrier to selling across state lines.
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Ashethan posted...

red sox 777 posted...

Selling across state lines is good.

Except you know... regulations aren't the only barrier to selling across state lines.

What other barriers are there? State laws? I mean, if a state votes to have laws that create barriers, that's their choice. It's actually not that easy for states to legislate about interstate commerce without getting superseded by federal law under the supremacy clause and commerce clause, by the way.
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red sox 777 posted...

What other barriers are there? State laws? I mean, if a state votes to have laws that create barriers, that's their choice. It's actually not that easy for states to legislate about interstate commerce without getting superseded by federal law under the supremacy clause and commerce clause, by the way.

State laws are regulations. There are non-regulatory barriers. Such as cost and networking. Is it really worth it to set up a network with doctors and hospitals in an area where you aren't going to have many customers? I mean some states already allow sales between state lines, and we've not seen the expected result of lowering premiums or expanding access.
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State laws are not regulations under the control of the federal Congress, so I don't see the relevance to a federal bill to modify Obamacare (a federal statute).

As far as the rest, of course, economies of larger scale have an advantage. Now, if you let, say, California and Wyoming be in the same market, it's very doubtful CA would see much change at all. On the other hand, WY could see a significant change.

I don't buy the state lines thing as some panacea for the US because my sense is that overall, the state lines are not having a very big effect on health insurance now. But it's some small step in the right direction.
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And in case it isn't obvious, no one is suggesting that anyone be forced to sell across state lines.
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Selling health insurance across state lines will just result in basically every plan being sold in the state with the fewest costs and restrictions. The credit card market is already this way.
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Reg posted...

Selling health insurance across state lines will just result in basically every plan being sold in the state with the fewest costs and restrictions. The credit card market is already this way.

So lower premiums for everyone and more jobs for poor Republican states that voted for Trump.
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Reg posted...

Selling health insurance across state lines will just result in basically every plan being sold in the state with the fewest costs and restrictions. The credit card market is already this way.

From what I've read this is largely not the case, but the reason is basically that allowing plans to be sold across state lines is more or less useless.

Basically this is because insurers have to negotiate with individual hospitals/doctors/etc, so if I'm in Nevada it doesn't do me much good to buy a CA plan that's mainly negotiated with CA doctors. From the insurer's perspective it's a ton more work to negotiate with doctors everywhere when a person's mostly going to be accessing doctors in their own state.

Better explanation than mine:
https://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/01/upshot/the-problem-with-gop-plans-to-sell-health-insurance-across-state-lines.html
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http://time.com/4887574/trump-raise-act-immigration/

Fun facts: You can literally win a Nobel Prize and still not qualify to immigrate to America under Donald Trump's plan.

For some reason, planning to invest in the country is approximately as valuable as being fluent in english.

Being fluent in english is already extremely valuable here.
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So in a rare moment of "listening to the other side" there was a former Planned Parenthood executive claiming that all PP centers have to meet an abortion quota and I'm legit interested if any of this is verifiable.
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TheRock1525 posted...

So in a rare moment of "listening to the other side" there was a former Planned Parenthood executive claiming that all PP centers have to meet an abortion quota and I'm legit interested if any of this is verifiable.

A few months ago a former PP employee claimed that, but the center she worked at didn't do abortions to begin with, so her claim was very dubious.

I wonder if it's the same person.
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LordoftheMorons posted...

Reg posted...

Selling health insurance across state lines will just result in basically every plan being sold in the state with the fewest costs and restrictions. The credit card market is already this way.

From what I've read this is largely not the case, but the reason is basically that allowing plans to be sold across state lines is more or less useless.

Basically this is because insurers have to negotiate with individual hospitals/doctors/etc, so if I'm in Nevada it doesn't do me much good to buy a CA plan that's mainly negotiated with CA doctors. From the insurer's perspective it's a ton more work to negotiate with doctors everywhere when a person's mostly going to be accessing doctors in their own state.

Better explanation than mine:
https://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/01/upshot/the-problem-with-gop-plans-to-sell-health-insurance-across-state-lines.html

Basically yeah. Merging different networks is an enormous undertaking and wouldn't produce many, if any, savings to the consumer for a long time.


Also, i only scored a 27 lol
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Woo, hit the minimum (30 points) exactly!

Though in another two years when I finish my PhD that's another 5 points, plus probably some salary points (I am definitely not making $78k at the moment as a grad student!)
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I got a 28, which appears to mean that under Trump's rules I don't qualify to enter the United States.

I do make enough that next time I get a raise will probably bump me over the salary threshold though

Or in 17 months I'll be old enough to score 10 points instead of 8 on that question LOL

Either way, this is nonsense.
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SupremeZero posted...

http://time.com/4887574/trump-raise-act-immigration/

Fun facts: You can literally win a Nobel Prize and still not qualify to immigrate to America under Donald Trump's plan.

For some reason, planning to invest in the country is approximately as valuable as being fluent in english.

Being fluent in english is already extremely valuable here.

I like that Olympic medals only have value if they were recent.

did you win your medal three olympics ago? Then eat shit, asshole! No America for you.
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Presumably, if you won your medal 3 Olympics ago, you are retired from the sport and can't help America win any more medals.
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Halving legal immigration also makes Trump's ridiculous economic growth forecasts he needs to make his math work even more laughable.
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red sox 777 posted...

Presumably, if you won your medal 3 Olympics ago, you are retired from the sport and can't help America win any more medals.

either way they shouldn't be winning us more medals. We don't want people who are willing to play against their own homeland in this country. How could we trust them?
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I got 27 points on that Immigration thing.

(I make a little above the median income for my state)

All four of my grandparents were immigrants. I doubt they'd be able to make it either. (My maternal grandmother came with her parents, and I don't know much about them since they died when my grandmother was young--but I doubt they'd have made it given what i do know about them)

My wife would make it--she'd earn 40 points I think. But she still wouldn't be let in because I think your spouse ALSO has to qualify.
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don't we already screen immigrants based on merit and intent?

this just looks like a dumbing-down of an already existing system in a way that is designed to appeal to idiots

also what the hell, why is 26-30 such an ideal age
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24 points :-(
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https://twitter.com/MEPFuller/status/894671350757023744

Ryan better be able to get the votes on this

Fucking around with the budget is bad enough, but anyone who claims to care at all about fiscal responsibility should be even joking about not raising the debt limit.
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21 points. Go stay-at-home dads?
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https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/894659355324424192

Probably longer than you'll be alive, Don
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I see Kelly is doing a great job reining in those tweets
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