Thoughts on Ryan as VP?

[iris lily]

Yes and no. The countries I am looking at do have a system of socialized medicine in place HOWEVER just getting there with a business visa does not get you on it and it takes time to get on it, and in the case of Chile and Uruguay, citizenship (theirs) to get on it. Hence the math assuming cash payments for health care services or perhaps private insurance. Rob

I don't mean this to be snarky towards you, but given the number of times liberals here on this board have bemoaned the idea of limiting social services to citizens here in this country, I wonder why you'd be interested in moving to a country that is so selfish with its resources? I mean, limiting public health care to only those with citizens papers? So, do they turn down non-citizens and non-insured in Emergency Rooms in hospitals?

Please note that I find that policy to be reasonable. Do you?

[freein05]

Let them die in the streets Iris. Sounds like the ideas of a typical conservative.

[bae]

Let them die in the streets Iris. Sounds like the ideas of a typical conservative.

[SteveinMN]

Ahh, Saint Ronald. A President who was practically a Leftist compared to some of the current wanna-bes...

[gimmethesimplelife]

I don't mean this to be snarky towards you, but given the number of times liberals here on this board have bemoaned the idea of limiting social services to citizens here in this country, I wonder why you'd be interested in moving to a country that is so selfish with its resources? I mean, limiting public health care to only those with citizens papers? So, do they turn down non-citizens and non-insured in Emergency Rooms in hospitals?

Please note that I find that policy to be reasonable. Do you?

Actually Iris, in Argentina anyone can get healthcare covered, even tourists, and I understand this is true in Britian too - but Britian has had recent heavy cutbacks in social services so this may no longer be the case. But to answer your question, (don't be shocked, ok?), I don't think it's wrong to limit healthcare to those who are citizens or a least permanent residents making some kind of contribution to the system, exceptions being disabled persons, mentally ill persons, and children under acceptable working age, and those over working age. I also think if one is able to pay cash for services there should be no turning down of services in ER rooms. Rob

[gimmethesimplelife]

Let them die in the streets Iris. Sounds like the ideas of a typical conservative.

I don't think ALL conservatives buy into this kind of thinking at this kind of a level - but the idea of ones who do at the leadership helm of this country for at least four years - I don't know if I am up to dealing with that again, I really don't. I'd better sign up for Rosetta Stone and build up the Spanish skills.....Rob

[LDAHL]

Ahh, Saint Ronald. A President who was practically a Leftist compared to some of the current wanna-bes...

Jonah Goldberg has noted this phenomenon of liberals seeing the good in prominent conservatives after they are safely dead:

http://townhall.com/columnists/jonah...ves/page/full/
The only good conservative is a dead conservative.

That, in a nutshell, describes the age-old tradition of liberals suddenly discovering that once-reviled conservatives were OK after all. It's just we-the-living who are hateful ogres, troglodytes and moperers.

Over the last decade or so, as the giants of the founding generation of modern American conservatism have died, each has been rehabilitated into a gentleman-statesman of a bygone era of conservative decency and open-mindedness.

[Alan]

I don't think ALL conservatives buy into this kind of thinking at this kind of a level - but the idea of ones who do at the leadership helm of this country for at least four years - I don't know if I am up to dealing with that again, I really don't. I'd better sign up for Rosetta Stone and build up the Spanish skills.....Rob

You know I'm always impressed with the ability many people have of buying into a meme, regardless of facts. To me it shows a single minded determination that could lead to great things, if applied properly.

We've seen a lot of talk in this thread about the Ryan budget plan and it's effect on Medicare. So many have expressed the Democrat talking point that it will "gut" or "destroy" Medicare. And why not? It's what they hear out of the Obama campaign and all of the associated talking heads, and they've been at it for a long time. Long enough for Politifact to go over the matter, point by point, and declare it the Lie Of The Year in 2011.

I find this politics of fear approach disheartening, not because it is waged, but because it works. I think the country deserves better.

[gimmethesimplelife]

You know I'm always impressed with the ability many people have of buying into a meme, regardless of facts. To me it shows a single minded determination that could lead to great things, if applied properly.

We've seen a lot of talk in this thread about the Ryan budget plan and it's effect on Medicare. So many have expressed the Democrat talking point that it will "gut" or "destroy" Medicare. And why not? It's what they hear out of the Obama campaign and all of the associated talking heads, and they've been at it for a long time. Long enough for Politifact to go over the matter, point by point, and declare it the Lie Of The Year in 2011.

I find this politics of fear approach disheartening, not because it is waged, but because it works. I think the country deserves better.

The problem with what you have posted here is that the fear approach works so well pretty much due to the inequalities of wealth in the US and the lack of upward mobility or job security these days. USA Today recently ran an article to the effect that if you want upward mobility, you are better off in Sweden or the other Nordic countries as that famed upward movement with hard work is not happening here like it used to. Many realize this and there is a great deal of anger out there about so many issues - jobs being offshored, outsourced, health care being so inaccessable and unaffordable to so many, no job security, constantly rising costs but wages going nowhere - point being in this climate, fear works Alan. I myself have been afraid of the US for some time now. I seriously doubt I will ever really be able to trust this system again - hence the wish to leave. Like anything else, it's cetainly not for everybody. Rob

[gimmethesimplelife]

Really? The die in the streets slap again? How original. Seriously Rob, do you know what the policy for emergency treatment is in Uruguay or any of the other places you're looking at? We'd be very interested to hear how they handle it.

Uruguay and Chile and Argentina all have socialized medicine, and in Argentina anyone can get health care, this includes foreign tourists, free of charge. If you are not a citizen of Chile or Uruguay, health insurance is much cheaper there than it is here but I will admit I don't know if they pull that pre-existing condition nightmare that insurance companies here love so much. I need to look into this STAT. Rob