Obama nearly there

[TX Bill]

How does your health care system work, Bill? Would I be right in assuming that each person takes out a policy and pays into it every month? Is the cost the same for everyone? Does a millionaire effectively pay the same as a grocery store clerk? Or would the millionaire simply bypass that system and pay the better doctors and hospitals for superior care if and when he needed it?

In my company insurance policy, the more you make, the more you pay into it. If you make less, then you pay in less but still get the same coverage as someone who makes more.

Now if you start getting into specialized treatments, doctors, etc., that are outside of what your insurance will pay, then if you can afford a better doctor/specialist, then you'll gladly pay for it.

But insurance will still cover the basics and that's not to say that you'll be lacking as the USA has a good hospital/medical facility system. Many plans also have some sort of copay system where regardless of coverage, you'll bear some of the costs, say 10-20%.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

So you don't get policies that charge the healthy less than the sick?

 

[TX Bill]

So you don't get policies that charge the healthy less than the sick?

You do when it comes to life insurance policies. Preferred, Standard, and Rated.

 

[Nebbiolo]

In my company insurance policy, the more you make, the more you pay into it. If you make less, then you pay in less but still get the same coverage as someone who makes more.

Now if you start getting into specialized treatments, doctors, etc., that are outside of what your insurance will pay, then if you can afford a better doctor/specialist, then you'll gladly pay for it.

But insurance will still cover the basics and that's not to say that you'll be lacking as the USA has a good hospital/medical facility system. Many plans also have some sort of copay system where regardless of coverage, you'll bear some of the costs, say 10-20%.

I can see a couple of problems here which I'll address sometime tomorrow (I'm needed at Glasgow airport to pick up my wife and I've got some disgusting beer-battered onion rings burning in the oven which need "swallowing" pretty soon).

One thing, although I'm pro socialised (as you call it) health care, I can also recognise problems with it, which I'll also address tomorrow. Perhaps it will turn out that both systems are in need of modernisation.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

I was just wondering what the benefit of competition in healthcare is if you don't get cheaper premiums for living a healthy lifestyle.

 

[Dylan]

Like I said, I'm not knowledgeable about U.S. politics, but I've read some reasonable things about McCain, including him being not afraid to sometimes go against traditional Republican doctrine. Maybe I'm wrong but surely he'd be an improvement on Bush?

McCain wasn't my first choice, but he is now by far the best that is on offer. Actually thought he was going to be pout of it for a while after his campaign for the GOP nomination basically stopped early on. But he recovered!

Hope he gets in. McCain would just be like Bush mark II imo.

Not that I know anything about politics

How can you even say that!!!! He is nothing like Bush! If anything he is neutral with a couple of views that lean to the right!

Lets face it, it's been a popularity contest thus far. All the protectionist twaddle both Obama and Clinton have been blurting out throughout the campaign is positively scary. Unless they've been borrowing policies from Chavez.

So true. But from the media coverage you'd have thought Obama just won the Presidential race from Hillary.

I do notice that most of the criticism Bush gets is mainly piped in by a media with serious political agendas. Therefore what is presented to the public is more likely to influence their decision. Now I am not saying everybody are sheep, but the media does factor in opinion.

So this media (who have nothing on the line other than their own self-righteous arrogance) get to castigate the guy with no real accountability. I still think we were right to go into Iraq. So does Bush and so does McCain. We are actually doing good things there that said politically tainted media don't report.

But that is only applicable in the fact that Iraq is one of the FEW things McCain agrees with Bush on. What I do like about McCain is that he is a TRUE American hero, who was a POW in Vietnam. He knows what it is like to be treated by an enemy with no respect for the Geneva Convention or basic human standards. He isn't afraid to vote against things he doesn't agree with.

Trying to end in a chico-esque style here. Came across this joke last night:

A man was washed up on a beach after a terrible shipwreck. Only a sheep and a sheepdog were washed up with him. After looking around, he realized that they were stranded on a deserted island.

After being there awhile, he got into the habit of taking his two animal companions to the beach every evening to watch the sunset.

One particular evening, the sky was a fiery red with beautiful cirrus clouds, the breeze was warm and gentle - a perfect night for romance.

As they sat there, the sheep started looking better and better to the lonely man. Soon, he leaned over to the sheep and put his arm around it.

But the sheepdog, ever protective of the sheep, growled fiercely until the man took his arm from around the sheep.

After that, the three of them continued to enjoy the sunsets together, but there was no more cuddling.

A few weeks passed by and, lo and behold, there was another shipwreck on the reef.

The only survivor was Hillary Clinton.

That evening, the man brought Hillary to the evening beach ritual. It was another beautiful evening - red sky, cirrus clouds, a warm and gentle breeze - perfect for a night of romance. Pretty soon, the man started to get 'those feelings' again..

He fought the urges as long as he could but he finally gave in and leaned over to Hillary and told her he hadn't had sex for months. Hillary batted her eyelashes and asked if there was anything she could do for him.

He said, 'Would you mind taking the dog for a walk?'

 

[sotnas]

Thank God we'll be having a black democrat in the White House.

 

[sotnas]

Although I follow all presidential elections I confess to not knowing a lot about the candidates,but after reading your post you have me worried as I have been under the impression he was a competent politician. the last thing the world needs now is a President who is not up to the job.

The last thing the world needed was a Bush on the driving seat. And we got one, didn't we?

I guess the world lost a good chance of balance when Gore lost it in the court.

Clinton had a good spell, at least when it comes to economy vitality. Apart the blowing episode that led to bombing Libia, he wasn't the worse we could have got. And Gore could have carried away in the same direction.

But instead we got Bush. Just love to watch the daily show with Jon Stewart. Amazing how Bush can say such different things on the same matters. Amazingly sad how such a "genius" could become the leader of the most powerful nation in the planet. God save us all.

 

[gordonjblair]

I still think we were right to go into Iraq. So does Bush and so does McCain. We are actually doing good things there that said politically tainted media don't report.

nope, we were entirely wrong to go in the way we did and for the reasons we did. We were in such a rush to establish a foothold, there was bugger all thought to post 'victory' planning. The majority of the good work that is being trumpeted so loudly now should have been complete within 10 weeks of the statue coming down.

We left people, communities.. [Poor language removed] it .. whole cities without sufficient power and water. It's no great surprise that the fundamentalist element have had such joy politicising the hitherto apathetic muslim youth, when "the West are shown to treat their brethren with such disrespect"

We got away with Afghanistan, but [Poor language removed] up so royally in Iraq they both became rallying cries for the fundamentalist cause.

Perhaps it IS a time for a change of approach, after all, we want our oil prices to come back down, we're going to have to start being nicer to people.

On a related note, we've got a soundbite politician with bugger all experience that he'd wish to share in the running to be our next pm... I [Poor language removed] pray HE doesn't get in, the Cabinet will be like Eton. I give it 6 months before he makes fagging compulsory in schools

 

[TX Bill]

The last thing the world needed was a Bush on the driving seat. And we got one, didn't we?

I guess the world lost a good chance of balance when Gore lost it in the court.

Clinton had a good spell, at least when it comes to economy vitality. Apart the blowing episode that led to bombing Libia, he wasn't the worse we could have got. And Gore could have carried away in the same direction.

But instead we got Bush. Just love to watch the daily show with Jon Stewart. Amazing how Bush can say such different things on the same matters. Amazingly sad how such a "genius" could become the leader of the most powerful nation in the planet. God save us all.

Sotnas,

Please be sure your opinions are FACT based before spouting them. The courts didn't "award" Bush the Presidency contrary to moonbat tinfoil hat liberals. You can thank your lucky stars Gore wasn't the President when 9/11 happened or we'd be in a world of hurt right now as he would have certainly wanted to "negotiate" with Al Qaeda vs. retaliate as Bush did. Kinda like Clinton when he negotiated the nuclear treaty with North Korea. Did you happen to see how that worked out?

I don't even want to know what Gore would have done to this country regarding his unproven "scientific" view on climate change.

In addition, two media outlets did recounts and found that had their been another recount, Bush would have won anyway. Renders your court opinion moot.

Third, the fact that you watch Jon Stewart tells me all I need to know about where you get your political knowledge. May I recommend a few political blogs that you might enjoy as well and are on par with the Daily Show:

1) Daily Kos
2) Democratic Underground

You'd fit right in with their political thinking (extreme left) and beliefs (conspiracy theorists).

 

[atrottel]

/*chops hands off as they reach irresistibly for the keyboard*/

*I still love TXBill for the blue blood that courses in his veins.*I still love TXBill for the blue blood that courses in his veins.*I still love ...

 

[Dylan]

The Daily Show is a laugh, as is the Colbert Report. However, people should only take them for what they are, and that is comedy.

 

[TX Bill]

/*chops hands off as they reach irresistibly for the keyboard*/

*I still love TXBill for the blue blood that courses in his veins.*I still love TXBill for the blue blood that courses in his veins.*I still love ...

Good news is that I'm a known quantity. What you see is what you get.

I'll be the first to admit that we have many failings on the conservative side as well and we are by no means perfect.

Sorry for the rant.

 

[Welton Toffee]

Arnie should be the next President. True fact.

 

[TX Bill]

Arnie should be the next President. True fact.

Palmer?