Politics And Current Events

Postby **ExPatriatePen** » Sat Dec 12, 2015 12:07 pm

No one but the almighty dollar.

#TrumpTroll2016
#DeadPresidents

Postby **MalkinIsMyHomeboy** » Sat Dec 12, 2015 12:19 pm

The only politician I believe in is the one who looks to reduce the role (and the influence) of politicians.

Do you know anyone who fits that bill?

Guinness

Postby **AuthorTony** » Sat Dec 12, 2015 12:43 pm

http://countercurrentnews.com/2015/12/c ... rong-home/

The McKinley’s neighbor, Tama Colson was out walking Monday night when she saw the patrol cars on the street. She then heard the gunshots.

It wasn’t just the dog, who police shot, however. After hearing police shoot his dog in the kitchen, Chris McKinley walked into the room to assess the situation. That’s when he too was shot by the Dekalb County police.

“I hear Leah screaming, I see Chris walking out, ‘They just shot me, they just shot me, and they killed my dog,’” Colson recounted of the incident. “So I got him to lay down, took my shirt off and rendered first aid. And Chris just kept saying, ‘Why did they shoot me? Why did they shoot my dog?’ He says, ‘I opened the door to see what the dogs were barking at, and I see black uniforms and I hear pop-pop-pop-pop,’” Colson continued.

But the epic blunder wasn’t over just yet. After they broke into the wrong home, killed a family pet, and shot the innocent and unarmed homeowner, they also shot their fellow cop!

Postby **ExPatriatePen** » Sat Dec 12, 2015 1:28 pm

http://countercurrentnews.com/2015/12/c ... rong-home/

The McKinley’s neighbor, Tama Colson was out walking Monday night when she saw the patrol cars on the street. She then heard the gunshots.

It wasn’t just the dog, who police shot, however. After hearing police shoot his dog in the kitchen, Chris McKinley walked into the room to assess the situation. That’s when he too was shot by the Dekalb County police.

“I hear Leah screaming, I see Chris walking out, ‘They just shot me, they just shot me, and they killed my dog,’” Colson recounted of the incident. “So I got him to lay down, took my shirt off and rendered first aid. And Chris just kept saying, ‘Why did they shoot me? Why did they shoot my dog?’ He says, ‘I opened the door to see what the dogs were barking at, and I see black uniforms and I hear pop-pop-pop-pop,’” Colson continued.

But the epic blunder wasn’t over just yet. After they broke into the wrong home, killed a family pet, and shot the innocent and unarmed homeowner, they also shot their fellow cop!

The only solution to this problem is more government and more power concentrated in the hands of "the authorities"

Postby **Freddy Rumsen** » Sat Dec 12, 2015 1:30 pm

Postby **Freddy Rumsen** » Sat Dec 12, 2015 1:39 pm

So he's just a standard run-of-the-mill right wing populist.
They are less common here than in Europe, mind you.
True, true.

I have this conversation fairly regularly with folks in America ignorant of the political scene in Europe.

They hear, for example, of the rise of the "right wing" in Europe and they get excited thinking that means GOP-style politics, when it has really nothing to do with it.

It is similar to when folks argue about Hitler and Mussolini.

American Right wing is not analogous to European right Wing

Postby **columbia** » Sat Dec 12, 2015 1:44 pm

Pat Buchanan, the new look Huckabee and Santoum all are in ballpark. It's hard to think of any who actually hold a federal office. Perhaps some in the House that I'm unfamiliar with? Although I think I would be.

Postby **slappybrown** » Sat Dec 12, 2015 1:52 pm

So he's just a standard run-of-the-mill right wing populist.
They are less common here than in Europe, mind you.
True, true.
I have this conversation fairly regularly with folks in America ignorant of the political scene in Europe.

They hear, for example, of the rise of the "right wing" in Europe and they get excited thinking that means GOP-style politics, when it has really nothing to do with it.

It is similar to when folks argue about Hitler and Mussolini.

American Right wing is not analogous to European right Wing

The difference is that the latter seeks to protect a national identity forged over millennia; the former seeks to protect a national identity that never existed, or, more accurately, that is precisely contrary to what someone like Trump espouses.

Postby **tifosi77** » Sat Dec 12, 2015 1:59 pm

It has taken the recent demographic shift in this country for us to spawn a Euro-style right wing. That sort of nationalism is prevalent in Europe because you've got like twenty countries all packed in against each other, and they all have their own languages and cultural inheritance. It's a more competitive market, as it were, so identity preservation is more of a thing. Here, we've got Canada (which is basically the same place as the U.S.) and Mexico (which still has a huge influence on the southwestern states), and that's it. Otherwise, we've got thousands of miles of ocean between us and the nearest cultural clash.

Postby **Freddy Rumsen** » Sat Dec 12, 2015 2:06 pm

The point isn't so much nationalism per se, but the economic theories, trade policies, between Le Pen and Paul Ryan, as an example, have nothing in common.

The closest anyone in the American scene comes to the RW parties of Europe is the protectionist xenophobia of Pat Buchanan.

Postby **Willie Kool** » Sat Dec 12, 2015 2:14 pm

As is Bernie Sanders on the Left. #occupywallstreet #1%
Indeed. Except the Democrats aren't buying what he's selling.
Sanders and Trump have about the same support in the primaries.

It is just that Sanders only has one opponent and Trump has 14 and Trump has three 24/7 news channels broadcasting his every move.
What do you think he would have if there were 15 DEM candidates? A lot lower than Trump would be my guess.
Sanders would be Rand Paul.

Depends who the other 15 were. Warren would have made his run unnecessary, but I don't think 100 other establishment candidates would draw much support away from him. The D Party Establishment has been to the right of a significant percentage of the party since Bubba.

Postby **DigitalGypsy66** » Sat Dec 12, 2015 2:16 pm

If I could swing the discussion for a minute here, I need to get some input from yinz.

My family practitioner has switched to a concierge model. I had never heard of this, but you basically pay a fee to be his patient. After doing some research, he has partnered with a company that helps small offices reorganize their practice to this model. Some of these offices stop accepting insurance, others charge a fixed price a la carte style for services rendered. He is doing neither - he wants to reduce the number of patients he sees per day (as insurance companies require him to see a patient every 4-7 minutes, according to one of his office staff). He wants to spend more time with patients and provide same day or next day appointments. All for $2500 for a couple (this includes dependents). He is still billing insurance and collection co-pays. There are other details, but I won't get into them here.

Now, we live in a small town. My wife and I are healthy, and rarely see the doctor. When we do (2-3 times per year), I've never had to wait more than a day for an appointment unless it was a physical where they needed to draw blood. I like to do those first thing in the morning, as I don't have to go to work on an empty stomach, so I might have to wait a week or so. I've never waited in his office more than 15 minutes to see him. Maybe 30 minutes in the waiting room and exam room, but well out of the office in under an hour. The better service angle he is pitching - doesn't matter much to me.

The last time I saw him, he complained about ACA paperwork taking up a lot of his office's time, and that seems to be a common reason to move to a concierge or private practice model. He's also a GOP luminary here in the county, so...

Needless to say, we're looking for another doctor - not easy in a small town. Do any of you have experience with such a model?

Postby **columbia** » Sat Dec 12, 2015 2:25 pm

In the end, it's silly to worry about Trump, as he obviously won't be elected. I guess if you're a GOPer, you should be mad, because he's set to give HRC and Bubba the keys to the El Camino.

Postby **tifosi77** » Sat Dec 12, 2015 2:44 pm

It's easy to discount Trump as a turdy, aberrant fool. (I mean, it is for me, anyway) And I like to mention that 7 of 10 GOPers still prefer someone else to him.

But...............

Trump is fond of citing a recent poll which found that 2/3 of his supporters would back him if he ran as an independent. So that's 2/3 of 30% of 30% of registered voters. Electorally, that's a small number, and all but guarantees a Democrat in the White House next year. But it represents a much larger faction of nutbags than I previously thought existed in the country. It's easy to make fun of Cliven Bundy, and the knobs who thought Texas was being invaded, when you see them as isolated instances of silliness. But when you realize their numbers are significant enough to sway a national election........ that's actually really sad.

Postby **Gaucho** » Sat Dec 12, 2015 3:06 pm

I think Trump will fade once the field of other *cough* candidates is whittled down a bit.

Postby **Freddy Rumsen** » Sat Dec 12, 2015 3:19 pm

https://twitter.com/BecketAdams/status/ ... 8692723712

Postby **AuthorTony** » Sat Dec 12, 2015 3:21 pm

that's actually really sad.

I found this site the other day.

friendswholiketrump.com

It shows you which FB friends like Trump. Now, I do live in Somerset, but I was still disheartened to see there were a few hundred people on my friends list who like that dadhole.

Postby **tifosi77** » Sat Dec 12, 2015 3:28 pm

I only have three friends who 'like' him. Thankfully, I'm pretty confident that two of them actually support him, and have just liked his Facebook page to keep up with what he's posting for lols. Sadly, the third person I think legit digs the guy. He's an ex-con who was a high school classmate of mine. I was the only one of his friends who stayed friends with him when he went to prison, even visited him a few times and was at his parole hearing. Somehow, this feels like a betrayal of sorts. lol

Postby **large garlic** » Sat Dec 12, 2015 5:24 pm

If I could swing the discussion for a minute here, I need to get some input from yinz.

My family practitioner has switched to a concierge model. I had never heard of this, but you basically pay a fee to be his patient. After doing some research, he has partnered with a company that helps small offices reorganize their practice to this model. Some of these offices stop accepting insurance, others charge a fixed price a la carte style for services rendered. He is doing neither - he wants to reduce the number of patients he sees per day (as insurance companies require him to see a patient every 4-7 minutes, according to one of his office staff). He wants to spend more time with patients and provide same day or next day appointments. All for $2500 for a couple (this includes dependents). He is still billing insurance and collection co-pays. There are other details, but I won't get into them here.

Now, we live in a small town. My wife and I are healthy, and rarely see the doctor. When we do (2-3 times per year), I've never had to wait more than a day for an appointment unless it was a physical where they needed to draw blood. I like to do those first thing in the morning, as I don't have to go to work on an empty stomach, so I might have to wait a week or so. I've never waited in his office more than 15 minutes to see him. Maybe 30 minutes in the waiting room and exam room, but well out of the office in under an hour. The better service angle he is pitching - doesn't matter much to me.

The last time I saw him, he complained about ACA paperwork taking up a lot of his office's time, and that seems to be a common reason to move to a concierge or private practice model. He's also a GOP luminary here in the county, so...

Needless to say, we're looking for another doctor - not easy in a small town. Do any of you have experience with such a model?

As I often mention in humble brags on the board, my wife is a doctor, but not in primary care. When she was in med school in Miami, she said that concierge doctors were becoming more prevalent. I think she said the ones in Miami charged a good bit more per year (more in the $10K-$15K range), but didn't do insurance at all and would even make house calls.

In general, I can see why the arrangement is appealing to doctors--less patients, less hassle with insurance, but you make the same amount of money (or more). I can also see it making more sense in a place like Miami, which has a lot of insanely wealthy people, who probably wouldn't care about spending an extra $10K for more convenience. However, I can't imagine this would work well in a small town with more ordinary people. Who would pay an extra $2500/year just to get in slightly more quickly the 2-3 times you might need a primary care doctor?

Postby **Guinness** » Sat Dec 12, 2015 6:17 pm

when you realize their numbers are significant enough to sway a national election........ that's actually really sad.

Welcome to my everyday.

Postby **ExPatriatePen** » Sat Dec 12, 2015 6:23 pm

when you realize their numbers are significant enough to sway a national election........ that's actually really sad.
Welcome to my everyday.

Conversely, when you realize that *our* numbers *aren't* "significant enough to sway a national election........ that's actually really (even more) sad".

Postby **Guinness** » Sat Dec 12, 2015 6:26 pm

when you realize their numbers are significant enough to sway a national election........ that's actually really sad.
Welcome to my everyday.
Conversely, when you realize that *our* numbers *aren't* "significant enough to sway a national election........ that's actually really (even more) sad".

I was going more for the idea that any groups number are significant enough to sway a national election... Obama supporters, Trump supporters, Clinton supporters, athletic supporters... All I see is a bunch of busy-bodies interested in telling everyone else around them how to live their lives.

Postby **columbia** » Sat Dec 12, 2015 6:29 pm

Postby **Kaiser** » Sat Dec 12, 2015 6:34 pm

when you realize their numbers are significant enough to sway a national election........ that's actually really sad.
Welcome to my everyday.
Conversely, when you realize that *our* numbers *aren't* "significant enough to sway a national election........ that's actually really (even more) sad".

Postby **Freddy Rumsen** » Sat Dec 12, 2015 6:38 pm

https://twitter.com/elianayjohnson/stat ... 6145921025