That's good to know! His Black Watch certainly built a HUGE wall to keep the wildlings out.Quote:
Originally Posted by Alan
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That's good to know! His Black Watch certainly built a HUGE wall to keep the wildlings out.Quote:
Originally Posted by Alan
No friend of the media? Are you kiddIng? The mainstream media MADE him by giving him so much free coverage for his antics that he was in front of us 24/7. It is deliciously ironic that those who made him despise him, but he is ratings gold.Quote:
Originally Posted by Rogar
Health care could be a lot less costly if the powers that be, with their hands in the pockets of drug manufacturers and insurance companies, would do the responsible thing and remove profit from the equation. Because of the huge profit margins involved, we pay twice as much as any other country for much poorer outcomes.Quote:
Originally Posted by ApatheticNoMore
People say this sort of thing all the time - "remove profit from the equation".Quote:
Originally Posted by JaneV2.0
What does that look like in practice? Who pays for the R&D, trials, approval process, and manufacturing of new drugs, with "profit" removed? Who pays for manufacturing/distribution/litigation costs for existing drugs, with "profit" removed?
Are you envisioning the government stepping in and doing the whole job, or some legislated maximum ROI for this sector, or ...?
I've never quite understood the details. I know what happens when you remove "profit" from the housing market, and it's not pretty. And we see what happens when you remove it from the manufactured-goods and food sectors.
Also, as an investor, which specific pharmaceutical companies and insurance companies have excessive above-market returns, compared to other investment options? I'm always looking for a decent return, but those sectors don't seem strikingly different from others, on average.
I beg to differ. All that media coverage exposed his "weaknesses". The media coverage was a result of people's interest in him. You can't make people watch. And you can't make them believe this or that simply by media coverage. The people drove the coverage. He has a wide following.Quote:
Originally Posted by iris lilies
Anyone know if his steaks are any good?Quote:
Originally Posted by Williamsmith
Removing profit from the equation takes a re-imagining of one's purpose on the planet.Quote:
Originally Posted by bae
So you are envisioning some indigo-children-led radical change in human consciousness unprecedented in the history of mankind?Quote:
Originally Posted by UltraliteAngler
Sweeeeet!
The government pays for a lot of the R&D already--which must include the hundreds of slight variations on existing drugs to dodge patent expirations, etc. Drug companies pay more, if I recall correctly, far more, on advertising than they do for R&D. I think non-profit medicine would look a lot like it looked when I was growing up in the ice age before people went bankrupt trying to pay for hospitalizations. And of course all the greedy industries probably started looking alike, return-wise, since the eighties when the "greed is good" philosophy took hold. All hail Martin Shkreli, the patron saint and icon for what medicine has become.Quote:
Originally Posted by bae
I don't have the figures to back it up, but suspect that a large portion of the new and better drugs come from the U.S. where the profit motive is an large incentive. However, it came as a surprise at least to me that Kaiser and Blue Cross/Blue Shield are not for profit organizations that seem to have made it work, compete in the health care market, grow their market share, and make loads of money and pay giant CEO salaries.
Quote:
Originally Posted by bae
I can imagine working diligently and conscientiously for plenty of reasons other than money.
But then again, I am an imaginative person.
Also: The same profit motive that everyone stimulates themselves to drives the things that destroy our health -- fast food, driving cars, buying all sorts of cheap plastic chit made in China, strawberries in January, etc.
Of course money drives people to do at least as much harm as good, because how can the impetus of greed and if not that high up the income scale then the impetus of survival and the fear of impoverishment not lead to any corner that can be cut being cut, any corruption that can be engaged in engaged in. All pressure is to $ell one's $oul. So you cover up that the Teflon is poisonous, that the fossil fuels cause climate change, that the drug is more dangerous than it's worth or barely works and the researchers were paid off, you even lie to your stockholders, you take the money tit for tat if your a politician, you struggle with the economic consequences of whistleblowing (on a company I mean) and decide against them etc.. The examples in the news everyday are literally endless.
That may sound overly cynical as in: no body has any principles ever. No ... but I think those who have principles will if all other factors are constant do less well economically, relative to not having principles, because not having principles IS an economic advantage all other things held constant. Now of course all other things are NOT equal and so many things have their effect, but nonetheless the effect of having principles is an economic negative.
One of my Trump supporting friends ordered his wine. i drank some, it was ok.Quote:
Originally Posted by bae
she waxed poetic anout the customer service, it was great! They were out of product and she had to wait or reorder or some such snafu, but it was all great! Making wine great again! It was epic, the wine experience.
If he just beats Hillary in the general election, I'll be happy. After that, he can choke on one of those steaks for all I care and leave the rest of the job to his Vice President who is probably going to be infinitely better than Trump whoever it might be.........but please don't let it be Sarah Palin.....
That's not what modern games theory suggests generally happens, in the long run.Quote:
Originally Posted by ApatheticNoMore
http://www.bernhardrossmann.com/imag...operation1.jpg
Many Australians move to the Phillipines to get out of the struggle - and Australia has much more safety net than the US does, though there have been recent cuts to their dole. If it's good enough for Australians, it's for sure on my radar. Though one thing - I'm finding you want to get out of Manilla Pronto and to avoid Mindinao complety. And I will agree their Presidential frontrunner - Rodrigo Duterte - the Phillipines answer to Donald Trump - is a cause for concern. RobQuote:
Originally Posted by UltraliteAngler
Depending on when my Mom's no longer around. RobQuote:
Originally Posted by iris lilies
Lol. Iris means well. RobQuote:
Originally Posted by UltraliteAngler
Wow. Very deep and very true. I don't know how many Americans and to be fair, how many citizens of Western nations are up to this task...Quote:
Originally Posted by UltraliteAngler
Rob
Something to think about for all aspiring US expatsQuote:
Originally Posted by gimmethesimplelife
Australia probably doesn't insist that its citizens overseas pay taxes in Australia. I seem to recall reading that the USA pursues all its citizens, wherever they live, for taxes (if payable) on monies, wherever earned, and allowing for local taxation. Look at the recent case of our own, beloved dual UK-USA citizen, Boris Johnstone MP!
What would you expect from a government whose stated foreign policy is to spread democracy which is code for Global Domination. The USA pursues all its citizens because citizen is also a code name for slave. A profit motive leaves no room for compassion. Would a government that summarily executes it citizens worldwide with the push of a hellfire button from an unmanned drone insist on extracting taxes from income earned in a foreign country? Easy with a push of an electronic button. After all, imminent threat, can be defined in terms of a very very long narrative with plenty of stretching the truth.Quote:
Originally Posted by IshbelRobertson
There are only two options, williamsmith:
Global domination or isolationism. You choose.
You're leaving out the Obama doctrine of preemptive capitulation.Quote:
Originally Posted by UltraliteAngler
Errmmmm some of the rest of the other nations on this globe might not wish, or allow your version of global domination... The Chinese and Russia to give just two examples.
My preference would be Global Partner with a more Constitutional adherence to National State of Emergency and more respect to the War Powers Act. A place where we do not create false narratives to excuse Acts of War for every situation that is not an actual or imminent threat to our nation. A place where UN approval is not the highest standard for global action. In my view, both parties are guilty of abuse but the last eight years "hope and change" we're just feeble words.Quote:
Originally Posted by UltraliteAngler
A sovereign, respected, peaceful cohabitant with a military used for preserving those things.
You're right. Should Russia start making aggressive moves against an enfeebled Europe, the US should keep its hands clean and limit it's involvement to press releases.Quote:
Originally Posted by IshbelRobertson
Then they face the consequences, I would guess.Quote:
Originally Posted by IshbelRobertson
Hoorah! ! for An Atlantic And Pacific Ocean full of nuclear subs.
I ran across an old box of odds and ends in my dads attic. There were some books on the Russian language. Hmmm.
Most would see that as weak.Quote:
Originally Posted by Williamsmith
I have told many people this, just before I imposed my will on them....
"Don't confuse my kindness for weakness."
Look, I am not saying you or your idea are week.
I am just saying that is how the world might see it, either that or somewhat reasonable.
Today, West Virginia will tell Clinton to go to hell. A state where nearly 1/5 th of the population lives in poverty. One in ten has no health insurance and less than 20% have a degree past high school. And a state whose coal production made and still makes life infinitely more comfortable for the rest of the country. In return, they get slapped in the face.
Dont worry, government who taketh away jobs will surely provide. May I puke now?
http://youtu.be/OOrJLot-ER0
A now a different view of slavery.......
http://youtu.be/hyK5MErw3r4
williamsmith:
You might enjoy this brief video/oral history of a coal miner who is also an "outsider" artist.
https://vimeo.com/15339238
What I see as a real sign of weakness is a country that needs to spend more on its military than the rest of the planet combined, just to feel safe - and even then that's not enough, there's So Much To Fear out there!!!Quote:
Originally Posted by UltraliteAngler
There you go again, thinkin'!Quote:
Originally Posted by bae
Fear and greed go hand in hand.Quote:
Originally Posted by bae
Ted Cruz is starting his campaign up again!
A couple of zombie campaigns may garner votes tonight, if only to rage against the dying of the light.Quote:
Originally Posted by UltraliteAngler