Why NOT to vote Republican

[frugal-one]

I think you don't perhaps understand how things work...

You are the one asking the questions.... if you know, perhaps you should enlighten us.

[flowerseverywhere]

I still want to know the solution to gun violence and murder in the US. Unlike the Scandinavian countries, we don't have community support. We have many with no access to any healthcare. Even full time working Americans with insurance often delay seeking care due to costs they will occur. We have a huge homeless problem and many children go to bed hungry. Access to birth control and even day after pills and abortion is just about unattainable in many areas in the US, but abortion is accessible without question up to sixteen-18 weeks, for free. It is a decision made between a woman and her doctor. College is hugely expensive and unattainable for many in the US, free in these countries.

All these lead to depression and anger. And many have little access to mental health care to support them.

So what is the solution, in this country? All I see is republicans interfering in medical decisions, and putting money ahead of the welfare and medical needs of others as far as insurance.

[gimmethesimplelife]

I'm currently weighing Iceland, Norway, Sweden, UK, Ireland, France, Portugal, Germany, and Italy. (Well, and Canada, but WA state is almost Canada already :-) ) I've been waiting for my daughter to settle into her career over there, and for my aging parents here to progress on their journeys.



There are *different* regulations in those countries, but in most firearms ownership is legal, and with my resources, fairly trivial to accomplish. I don't give a *lot* of weight to the issue, but it is a consideration.

I vote for Portugal. Lisbon is incredible - it's a place where you can just sit for hours and absorb. And it's not that expensive given the costs of living in Europe. Just my three cents (extra penny for inflation). Rob

[iris lilies]

I still want to know the solution to gun violence and murder in the US. Unlike the Scandinavian countries, we don't have community support. We have many with no access to any healthcare. Even full time working Americans with insurance often delay seeking care due to costs they will occur. We have a huge homeless problem and many children go to bed hungry. Access to birth control and even day after pills and abortion is just about unattainable in many areas in the US, but abortion is accessible without question up to sixteen-18 weeks, for free. It is a decision made between a woman and her doctor. College is hugely expensive and unattainable for many in the US, free in these countries.

All these lead to depression and anger. And many have little access to mental health care to support them.

So what is the solution, in this country? All I see is republicans interfering in medical decisions, and putting money ahead of the welfare and medical needs of others as far as insurance.

I don’t know, THIS Republican sent $50,000 in taxes to federal and state governments this year, so I think I’m paying a pretty good amount toward government social welfare programs. Would you like me to pay even more?

[catherine]

I don’t know, THIS Republican sent $50,000 in taxes to federal and state governments this year, so I think I’m paying a pretty good amount toward those government programs. Would you like me to pay even more?

Of course the 50k is relative to wealth. You worked super hard and were super diligent to get to where you are so I would never presume to expect you to do more than you have already done. I also pay a lot in taxes, not a whole heck of a lot less than you, and I don't have any interest income. At this point, am I bummed that my taxes aren't working harder to give everyone the quality of life flowers is talking about? Yes. If we had more people feeling that they weren't slipping through the broken web in the safety nets; if we all had universal healthcare, and economic and social justice, and most people didn't lie awake at night worrying about how they were going to provide the Constitutional aspiration of general welfare to their own children, I would be fully satisfied with paying what I pay in taxes. But unfortunately our tax dollars are missing the mark.

[flowerseverywhere]

I don’t know, THIS Republican sent $50,000 in taxes to federal and state governments this year, so I think I’m paying a pretty good amount toward government social welfare programs. Would you like me to pay even more?

No. I pay a lot in taxes too, and always have. Another difference is you don't see Scandinavian countries having military bases all over the world and getting in unwinnable religious or border wars. So in response to Bae comparing other countries that have guns but very low gun homicides, perhaps how we spend our tax dollars is what to look at.

Our political machine is so tied up in big money lobbyists no wonder nothing gets done to solve immigration, gun violence and other things that might actually help normal working people.

I think the recent Clarence Thomas rich friend revelations are just the tip of the iceberg for many of our judges and politicians. For example, how can you not be influenced if the NRA supports you and influences others to support you through money donations to keep you in office?

[frugal-one]

Rachel Maddow show yesterday….. shocking?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehZSJ9OyOiE

[nswef]

We watched that Rachel Maddow and sadly I am NOT surprised...just furious actually that we seem unwilling to tackle the problems. 1935 Germany anyone???

[LDAHL]

I think the recent Clarence Thomas rich friend revelations are just the tip of the iceberg for many of our judges and politicians. For example, how can you not be influenced if the NRA supports you and influences others to support you through money donations to keep you in office?

A lot of cherry picking seems to be going on in this latest campaign against Thomas. No one seems terribly upset over Sotomayor not recusing herself from cases involving the publisher who paid her $3 million for her autobiography.

[bae]

At this point, it seems clear that the Court is corrupt throughout. From watching the shenanigans at lower levels, I have little faith in the rule of law these days.