Here's my perspective, and I don't expect all of you to agree with me...

Over the past 40-50 years, the U.S. government has mutated into a two-party, giant bumbling mess of counterproductivity and corporate favoritism. Whoever has the deepest pockets wins elections and neither democrats nor republicans have true opinions anymore, and just follow what their respective party wants them to think. Presidential candidates might swing on certain topics, but Congress itself has mutated to the point where they can't pass a bill unless there's a catastrophic event such as 9/11 to bring about rash (bad) decisions such as the PATRIOT Act.

I don't consider myself a democrat, nor a republican, or anything for that matter. I consider myself right in the middle, because I think what I want to think...and I THINK the country is too far off the deep end to save.

Thoughts?

I agree 100%. It isn't about doing what's best for the country anymore, it's about blaming the other side for all the problems.

Agree 100% as well. It will ultimately be the ruin of our country.

You are correct, except it has been going on longer than 40-50 years. Both sides are the same. They serve the same masters. Thye bicker about gay rights and abortion to distract the sheep from what they are really doing, seizing control of every aspect of our lives. There is no left, right, or center. We either have unalienable rights to life, liberty, and property, or we have whatever rights the government is gracious enough to allow us to have. Those are the two sides. Both parties fall on the same side.

I disagre that it's "too far off the deep end to save". I am not hopeless in my thoughts in that regard.

I not only think it can still be saved, I also think it is worth saving. Even in our lowest times this is still the best and brightest in the world. I can't think of anywhere else that has the freedoms and the standard of living we enjoy. It's up to all of us to get involved, hold our elected representatives to doing what is good and just for all of us and to speak out against anything which jeopardizes our freedoms. Giving up is easy. This country should require hard work to keep it what it is.

Cleveland Buck;1245298 wrote: except it has been going on longer than 40-50 years

I would imagine people have felt disenfranchised by politics forever.

sleeper;1245238 wrote:I agree 100%. It isn't about doing what's best for the country anymore, it's about blaming the other side for all the problems.

Very true. You get a lot of that here (and the previous JJ poli board). All I can do anymore is laugh and be glad I was born with a functional brain.

When the time comes, I will move to Canada :laugh:

gut;1245855 wrote:When the time comes, I will move to Canada :laugh:

I;m with you....I hear they have the best socialized health care system in the world. :thumbup:

It's actually much better than what we have here. Rather than listen to the scare tactics, you should talk to some real Canadians. They think our system is a joke.

stlouiedipalma;1246242 wrote:It's actually much better than what we have here. Rather than listen to the scare tactics, you should talk to some real Canadians. They think our system is a joke.

I guess that's why some Canadians come to the United States when they need urgent care. That's scary.

Here's a good health care story from Canada. I was consulting there in 2010 when one of my buddies from Iowa had a perforated ulcer which required emergency surgery. He was taken to the hospital and the surgery was performed and he recovered in a couple of weeks. A few days after the surgery the plant manager got in touch with me and asked me if I had insurance coverage from the States. I told him that I did, but wanted to know why he asked. It seems that my buddy's insurance provider disallowed his entire claim because he didn't get pre-approval for his surgery and post-surgery care. The Canadians were flabbergasted at this. The company we were consulting for picked up his entire medical bill, however, even though it wasn't work-related.

Not one single worker at that plant was willing to trade what they had in health care coverage for what we "enjoy" in the U.S.

believer;1246268 wrote:I guess that's why some Canadians come to the United States when they need urgent care. That's scary.

Again, having some of the best hospitals and doctors in the world is really an anecdote when talking about an overall health system.

(I say "again" because I've mentioned this on the board before, I'm unsure if you were in the discussion though)

stlouiedipalma;1247176 wrote:It seems that my buddy's insurance provider disallowed his entire claim because he didn't get pre-approval for his surgery and post-surgery care.

There are stupid issues in the American health care insurance industry to be sure. In fact I've gone on record many times agreeing that many things need fixed like pre-approvals, pre-existing conditions, etc.

But it doesn't negate the fact that American still enjoy the best health care system in the world.

Side note: Obamacare isn't fixing it by the way.

The biggest problem I see is that people don't accept insurance as insurance but rather use it as a funding vehicle. Insurance should be to transfer risk. How much risk a person wants to trasfer should be their choice.

It's not an escrow account used to fund all expenses relating to medical needs.

Con_Alma;1247245 wrote:The biggest problem I see is that people don't accept insurance as insurance but rather use it as a funding vehicle. Insurance should be to transfer risk. How much risk a person wants to trasfer should be their choice.

It's not an escrow account used to fund all expenses relating to medical needs.

Yes!

stlouiedipalma;1245330 wrote:I not only think it can still be saved, I also think it is worth saving. Even in our lowest times this is still the best and brightest in the world. I can't think of anywhere else that has the freedoms and the standard of living we enjoy. It's up to all of us to get involved, hold our elected representatives to doing what is good and just for all of us and to speak out against anything which jeopardizes our freedoms. Giving up is easy. This country should require hard work to keep it what it is.

We agree!

stlouiedipalma;1245330 wrote: Even in our lowest times this is still the best and brightest in the world.

US ranks:
Literacy: 7th
Math: 27th
Science: 22nd

Overall: 21st

stlouiedipalma;1245330 wrote:I can't think of anywhere else that has the freedoms and the standard of living we enjoy.

Canada, Great Britain, Australia come to mind.

Cher;1247375 wrote:US ranks:
Literacy: 7th
Math: 27th
Science: 22nd

Overall: 21st

So what is the antidote? More spending? More power for the Dept of Edumacation? More power for teacher's unions? More control by Our Dear Leader?

We've been spending more and giving more control to 3rd party players for decades and we're getting further down the rankings. Maybe we should try something different? Nah...let's just keep doing the same things over and over hoping for different results. That's how we keep bureaucrats and elitists in charge and they are best and brightest of all. :rolleyes:

Con_Alma;1247245 wrote:The biggest problem I see is that people don't accept insurance as insurance but rather use it as a funding vehicle. Insurance should be to transfer risk. How much risk a person wants to trasfer should be their choice.

It's not an escrow account used to fund all expenses relating to medical needs.

Bingo.

Cher;1247375 wrote:US ranks:
Literacy: 7th
Math: 27th
Science: 22nd

Overall: 21st



Canada, Great Britain, Australia come to mind.

Please remember when ranking the US education system vs. the world's there are two things to consider. #1: We keep shit teachers around far too long with bloated salaries protected by a overzealous and far to powerful union. #2: In the USA, we educated everyone and count everyone in the statistics(even mentally handicapped and morons). Other countries weed out crap students and only report their best and brightest(I'm looking at you China).

sleeper;1247423 wrote:Please remember when ranking the US education system vs. the world's there are two things to consider. #1: We keep shit teachers around far too long with bloated salaries protected by a overzealous and far to powerful union.

Sometimes there are shit teachers. Sometimes there are teachers who work more than they get paid.

sleeper;1247423 wrote:#2: In the USA, we educated everyone and count everyone in the statistics(even mentally handicapped and morons). Other countries weed out crap students and only report their best and brightest(I'm looking at you China).

Yes.

Sonofanump;1247730 wrote:Sometimes there are shit teachers. Sometimes there are teachers who work more than they get paid.

I agree 100%. I think good teachers are underpaid heavily.

sleeper;1247423 wrote:Please remember when ranking the US education system vs. the world's there are two things to consider. #1: We keep shit teachers around far too long with bloated salaries protected by a overzealous and far to powerful union. #2: In the USA, we educated everyone and count everyone in the statistics(even mentally handicapped and morons). Other countries weed out crap students and only report their best and brightest(I'm looking at you China).

I am not saying otherwise, just poking holes in his claims.