And to all you libertarians, thpbthpbthpbthpbthpbt (picture me with thumbs in ears, fingers extended and wiggling, and tongue out). They’re not listening to your ridiculous anti-state paranoia.

#35
Seems they’d learned from their parents that when people aren’t doing what you want them to do, you threaten them with violence.

To be fair, that’s how government solves all it’s problems. Just as people can’t imagine life without government, so too can’t they imagine life without violence (I’m no exception). It’s just that violence is a much uglier word than government.

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Cynical, that might be the only bumper sticker idea I’ve ever heard that I’d seriously consider putting on my car. I have a thing for jokes nobody around me will ever get.

So, the parents who have to resort to threats of violence to get their kids to behave are the “good” ones? And the parents who teach their kids that making moral choices is about acting out of an understanding of right and wrong, instead of out of fear of being beaten, are the “not very good” ones?

Funny, I worked for years with kids who were too violent for regular schools. I never had to threaten any of them with violence, even when they threatened me, to get them to do their schoolwork and follow the rules. Seems they’d learned from their parents that when people aren’t doing what you want them to do, you threaten them with violence.

“I’m dropping it in the mail, Zargon,” wrote Cynical.

“I assume you meant you’d be dropping it at Fedex or UPS? Won’t they take away your anarchist card for using the government mail system?”

All part of the irony, Chance. Not only would Lysander Spooner have never run for President, he fought the U.S.P.S. tooth and nail on first-class mail delivery.

Your friends must have had good insurance plans in the states.
Most of the people who I know who live in Europe seem to be satisfied with the health care systems over there (there is quite a bit of variation on how it is implemented). I am sure it is better here in a lot of ways, provided you have good insurance, but it is not the horror show that a lot of people try to make it out to be over there. A lot of people, right or wrong, would rather have the security of it always being there that have the best and fastest care.

I oppose government mandated/provided health care here, but mostly because of the taking people’s money without their consent and giving it to other people problem.

I have a few friends or acquaintances who live in various western European countries, but have made extended visits to the US (year or more, typically for school). They are uniformly of the opinion that our healthcare system is a major downside to life here.

I have one acquaintance who currently lives in Germany (moved there 2 years ago). We are not close, but he has never complained about their healthcare when we do talk.

Obama supporters are slowly coming around to how bad he is and that could be a pretty solid silver lining.

Your parents’ lives may seem more secure because of Social Security and Medicare, but they’re not. What government gives, government can take away, regardless of “contributions” (taxes). Sometimes I think the main “benefit” of these programs is that they free the soon-to-be-retirees from the responsibility of saving, and their offspring of the responsibility of helping their parents as they grow older.

But your point that ineffectual private sector companies fail due to their own incompetence is well taken. That’s how capitalism is supposed to work: the companies that perform well are rewarded with growth and profits, while the useless or inefficient ones close their doors. Unfortunately, governments, government agencies and now government-supported businesses that are inefficient simply get yet another transfusion of taxpayer dollars, and continuing failing their way into riches.

I assume you meant you’d be dropping it at Fedex or UPS? Won’t they take away your anarchist card for using the government mail system?

Healy sure takes a lot for granted where credulity is concerned. As a middle-aged man whose parents’ lives are more secure thanks to Social Security and Medicare, the federal government is a net good. The various companies I’ve worked for that went bust due to bad or ineffectual management don’t seem particularly efficient in hindsight.

Inefficiencies in government can be found and addressed in ways that don’t lead to the kinds of market dislocations that result from corporations like Enron and AIG hitting the skids. To nonchalantly assert that the 62% are obviously keener observers than the 42% is an act of ideological faith, not keen observation.

anti-Iraq war but pro-Democrat adventures

Anti-war on marijuana but pro-war on tobacco

alarmed by police misconduct against young people

pro-transparency on entertaining government scandal and UFO-style theories, unconcerned with transparency on things like budgets and graft.

In other words, they are your typical propaganda-created partisan narcissists.”

Totally agree!

Yes, you’re not really a parent unless you seriously threaten to kill your children. And it works, too! Nothing motivates kids and teenagers like threats of violence.

Sure are a lot of grumpy old folks out today.

In states with right-to-work laws, that’s somewhat true. In states with compulsory-union-membership laws, unions embody everything that’s wrong with democracy, without anything to do with the free market.

Well, they are their parent’s children.

I suppose your generation, whenever that was, brought sunshine, lollipops, and puppy licks to the world because your cohort defied every example before or since, grew up level headed, well adjusted, critical without being cynical, optimistic without being maudlin, and rolled up your sleeves and solved all the problems your parents had wrought for about five minutes before your children fucked it all up.

While reading these comments I can’t help but think of Statler and Waldorf.

Most people think the US is a single nation. It is not. The words nation and national were removed in the summer of 1787 at the behest of Mr. Ellsworth because they were not forming a nation. Why do people think the US is a nation? Pledge of Allegiance. Brain washing.

For those of you with children that age, remind them of Bill Cosby’s saying: I brought you into this world. I can take you out. And be serious.

These young people are wussy, crybaby, whiny, ignorant, little wannabies. They don’t want to wrok for anything. They believe jobs, money, and degrees should be given to them just for being alive.

To them I quote Twain: “Don’t go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first.”