I think Trump is smarter than Tang.

Posted by strikeout26 on 9/17/2018 12:54:00 PM (view original):

Posted by tangplay on 9/17/2018 12:27:00 PM (view original):

Posted by strikeout26 on 9/17/2018 12:03:00 PM (view original):

Posted by tangplay on 9/17/2018 11:54:00 AM (view original):

Posted by cccp1014 on 9/17/2018 11:51:00 AM (view original):

Posted by tangplay on 9/17/2018 11:46:00 AM (view original):

Posted by cccp1014 on 9/17/2018 11:39:00 AM (view original):

Posted by tangplay on 9/17/2018 11:15:00 AM (view original):

Posted by cccp1014 on 9/17/2018 9:05:00 AM (view original):

Posted by tangplay on 9/16/2018 10:33:00 PM (view original):
Yes, I would rather be bankrupt but have social programs rather than having a great economy with no healthcare, terrible education, and no welfare. Fortunately the two things aren't mutually exclusive.

Also, yes, we are bigger, but you can account for that by making it be on a % of GDP scale. For all your talk about BL not answering questions, you haven't answered a ton of mine.

Also also, states fending for themselves is a terrible idea. I don't want Kris Kobach having any more control than he already will. Don't torture me more.

I cannot answer your question as I don't know nor do I care to delve into the economies of France, UK, Germany, etc.

Our budget is not balanced. Entitltments account for the vast majority of the expenses. They need to be reduced/revamped. Since you don't care about the economy and have zero finance accumen. This discussion is pointless. If I open my fridge up to the neighborhood. Eventually I'll run out of money and my family will starve. It is a stupid way to live.

You probably don't understand what I wrote. So again. If your dad asks you..."how much should we allocate for our cell phone budget?" and you in turn respond with. "Let's see what cccp and his family spend and go by that %"....it is stupid. You need to balance your own budget and see what % you can or want to afford. Comparing the US to other countries on budget makes zero sense. Not sure why you don't understand that.

Here's a better analogy: Your family has an about even income with other households in your neighborhood, yet your family is starving and other families have plenty to eat. Well the solution would be to look at what other households are doing and take what is successful for them.

Your analogy fails because unlike cell phone budget, entitlements are a necessity and not a privilege. Defense spending is the privilege. Yes, I am open to entitlements cutting IF you can prove that it makes life better for all Americans, not just businesses and the uber rich. The best way to prove that is by looking at what other countries do and saying "X country does this, and they have the best healthcare in the world. Maybe we should do something like that too."

But you won't do that, because the best healthcare systems in the world spend a lot and are universal. It doesn't support your argument.

Fine. Maybe those families shop and go out once a month and I go out too frequently. In the end you have revenues and expenses and if your expenses are higher than your revenues you need to cut them. Why can you not comprehend that cutting the military budget will cost jobs? And if you cut it to ZERO, which you cannot the entitlements spend will still be too high. Defense is not a privelege. It is a critical component. We have the best healthcare systems in the world. What are you talking about?

I need someone else to weight in on this before I start using ad hominems again.

To clarify, I am not saying that a defense is a privilege, I meant it more in the excess that we spend. Another way to do things is to increase revenues (COUGH TAXES COUGH). I agree that we have a relatively good healthcare system with Obama, lots of flaws, but better than many. My point is that you are trying to prove that cutting entitlements is good for the country, and I am saying to win me over you have to prove that your plan is better for all Americans. One way to do that is look at other countries.

Europe is F*CKED. China is awful. Japan has been bad for a white. What countries should we look at exactly? Are we not the world leader? We have the best healthcare in the world and it is not close.

I already told you:

#1) Raise the SS retirement age
#2) Investigate medicare and medicaid fraud and inefficiences.
#3) Alter how pharma companies provide meds to the elderly.

I can list more. Stop the darn spend less on the military rhetoric. It protects the country and creates a significant amount of jobs. Millions. And stop with the revenues. Our expenses are out of control.

Europe is not ******, in fact the best healthcare systems in the world are European. http://www.who.int/healthinfo/paper30.pdf

I don't see where you are getting the 'best healthcare in the world' argument.

Prove that your plan helps all Americans.

The military spend could be cut by 200 billion and do the same thing, far more than any other country. And if you want to balance the budget, increasing revenues is a very valid way of doing it.

Tang, what percentage would you have to tax the 1% to balance the budget and where did your $200B number come from?

I'm not sure on your first question and the answer to your second question is that we could cut the budget by 200 billion and still spend more than any other country, by far.

If you don't know, why do you keep pushing for it?

I never argued that raising taxes is the only way to balance the budget.

Posted by cccp1014 on 9/17/2018 12:55:00 PM (view original):

Posted by tangplay on 9/17/2018 12:47:00 PM (view original):
How is balancing the budget a better alternative to having healthcare? If you admit that your system means worse healthcare for Americans, then I am out.

It is not just healthcare. It is SSI as well. It would not be worse. It would actually be better. But let's say it was a little worse for arguments sake. Would you rather have worse healthcare or no healthcare? LOL.

What is the alternative with no healthcare?

Prove that it would be better. That's all I am asking for.

Posted by cccp1014 on 9/17/2018 1:17:00 PM (view original):
I think Trump is smarter than Tang.

Who isn't smarter than tang?

Posted by tangplay on 9/17/2018 1:19:00 PM (view original):

Posted by cccp1014 on 9/17/2018 12:55:00 PM (view original):

Posted by tangplay on 9/17/2018 12:47:00 PM (view original):
How is balancing the budget a better alternative to having healthcare? If you admit that your system means worse healthcare for Americans, then I am out.

It is not just healthcare. It is SSI as well. It would not be worse. It would actually be better. But let's say it was a little worse for arguments sake. Would you rather have worse healthcare or no healthcare? LOL.

What is the alternative with no healthcare?

Prove that it would be better. That's all I am asking for.

I didn't say eliminate it. LOL. I said spend more wisely. How can I prove it when it has not happened?

That is like saying we are spending $100 per week but only make $95. Our food bill is $35. We need to reduce it to $25. And you saying. Prove that we are better off spending $25. We are better off because we have a surplus aka savings. We just need to eat smarter not necessarily less.

Posted by cccp1014 on 9/17/2018 1:36:00 PM (view original):

Posted by tangplay on 9/17/2018 1:19:00 PM (view original):

Posted by cccp1014 on 9/17/2018 12:55:00 PM (view original):

Posted by tangplay on 9/17/2018 12:47:00 PM (view original):
How is balancing the budget a better alternative to having healthcare? If you admit that your system means worse healthcare for Americans, then I am out.

It is not just healthcare. It is SSI as well. It would not be worse. It would actually be better. But let's say it was a little worse for arguments sake. Would you rather have worse healthcare or no healthcare? LOL.

What is the alternative with no healthcare?

Prove that it would be better. That's all I am asking for.

I didn't say eliminate it. LOL. I said spend more wisely. How can I prove it when it has not happened?

That is like saying we are spending $100 per week but only make $95. Our food bill is $35. We need to reduce it to $25. And you saying. Prove that we are better off spending $25. We are better off because we have a surplus aka savings. We just need to eat smarter not necessarily less.

Yes, I understand that. Explain why your plan will be better for healthcare and SS.

Let's say that I am a 65 year old elderly person who is low middle class/below poverty line. How does your plan impact my life?

It may not impact their life, but the governments job is not to provide for each citizen. It is to make provide for the union as a whole. Balancing the budget and lowering debt is better for the union as a whole.

Posted by tangplay on 9/17/2018 4:31:00 PM (view original):
Let's say that I am a 65 year old elderly person who is low middle class/below poverty line. How does your plan impact my life?

Simple. Now she calls the MD and says my leg hurts. The office assistant asks. What is your insurance? She says Medicare. She says we can see you in 3 weeks. MD makes less from Medicare than those with Corp. coverage so they postpone her. By week 2 the leg is really bad and the old lady goes to the ER. It is just a foot sprain but she made it worse by walking on it. They give her an air cast, meds, etc. and charge ER rates.

My plan would be to have Medicare cover as much as Corp. Ins. So now the MD sees her right away. He says its a mild foot sprain stay off it for a few days and take some Advil. She gets better and no ER visit. Delta in fee is about $2k.

That is ONE example.

Posted by strikeout26 on 9/17/2018 5:39:00 PM (view original):
It may not impact their life, but the governments job is not to provide for each citizen. It is to make provide for the union as a whole. Balancing the budget and lowering debt is better for the union as a whole.

I respectfully disagree. The well-being of its citizens should be a primary focus of a government.

Posted by cccp1014 on 9/17/2018 6:16:00 PM (view original):

Posted by tangplay on 9/17/2018 4:31:00 PM (view original):
Let's say that I am a 65 year old elderly person who is low middle class/below poverty line. How does your plan impact my life?

Simple. Now she calls the MD and says my leg hurts. The office assistant asks. What is your insurance? She says Medicare. She says we can see you in 3 weeks. MD makes less from Medicare than those with Corp. coverage so they postpone her. By week 2 the leg is really bad and the old lady goes to the ER. It is just a foot sprain but she made it worse by walking on it. They give her an air cast, meds, etc. and charge ER rates.

My plan would be to have Medicare cover as much as Corp. Ins. So now the MD sees her right away. He says its a mild foot sprain stay off it for a few days and take some Advil. She gets better and no ER visit. Delta in fee is about $2k.

That is ONE example.

OK, that sounds good. If that is how it truly works, I agree that it should be that way. There would probably be some dissenting opinion. As I said I am not an expert. I won't disagree with you. Where is BL when you need him?

we have to have a government because of the lord of the flies.

Posted by tangplay on 9/17/2018 6:38:00 PM (view original):

Posted by strikeout26 on 9/17/2018 5:39:00 PM (view original):
It may not impact their life, but the governments job is not to provide for each citizen. It is to make provide for the union as a whole. Balancing the budget and lowering debt is better for the union as a whole.

I respectfully disagree. The well-being of its citizens should be a primary focus of a government.

Yes, as a whole. It is not responsible for each individual citizen. To say otherwise is just naive.

Posted by tangplay on 9/17/2018 1:20:00 PM (view original):

Posted by cccp1014 on 9/17/2018 1:17:00 PM (view original):
I think Trump is smarter than Tang.

Who isn't smarter than tang?

bad_luck?

Posted by dino27 on 9/17/2018 6:47:00 PM (view original):
we have to have a government because of the lord of the flies.

great book