The Political Thread

[Arcadia]

https://mic.com/articles/172361/trump-executive-order-president-signs-order-rolling-back-obama-s-clean-power-plan?utm_source=policymicTBLR&utm_medium=main&utm_campaign=social#.LQjR3YfDF

Oh, this is absolutely wonderful :(

 

I read news once in awhile, not necessary daily as they are depressing.

I used to have safe place without all those for quick reading materials, an apps where the contents are only about science, environment, medical, mostly science. Yet, since he took office, I see the news about him EVEN in there, because he actually affects things in science, environment and medical. &&^$#^%@$#%

 

Yep. This is why when people who don't vote say it's because it doesn't matter who's in office, I want to thump them over the head. Of course it matters. Lord help us.

 

Now Congress has decided to let our internet providers sell our browser history to advertisers. Wonderful. Maybe someone will invent an app to block that, that I will have to pay a hefty fee for. Whoopee.

[J.P.]

Yeah, but it's more the situation they are talking to and the pictures says the story. This poor teacher - I cannot even imagine what she's through with her teeth. People pulling their own teeth because they have no money.    It's like Middle Age and you would expect scenes like this in the Third World.

 

I mean the health care here is not ideal, and actually getting worse, but we are still far away from such situation.

 

What I fear now, is that Trump will indeed let the ACA blow up, simply by destroying the infrastructure. People will blame Obamacare for the disaster and than he will come to help, like a knight on a white horse.

[Arcadia]

Oh, I don't think you have to worry about him riding to the rescue, on any color horse. I think the attitude there is pretty much if you can't afford health care, you don't deserve it.

 

When you say the health care is getting worse where you are ... in what way? Longer waits? Less care? Worse care?

[J.P.]

All of it. Especially not enough staff and doctors. Hygiene problems in the hospitals. And the usual amount of cheating and taking your money for nothing, which is probably something you see in every system. The situation in geriatric care is quite bad, and because the retirement payments are going down it's too expensive for many. People are scared of nursing homes.

 

Because ppl in the health care are underpaid, they tend to go to other countries. And because the hospitals have to actually earn money, they tend to do more than necessary, if it brings funds, like hip replacements or other expensive treatments, which again takes the funds from other important things. From what I experienced, the equipment like wheelchairs, special beds, down to the compression hosiery, are ridiculously overpriced, which makes me think about price-rigging, not to mention the pharmaceutical industry influencing the whole system (eg. decreasing the level of cholesterol in your blood that's seen as pathologic, so more people can be "cured") - but this is an international problem I think.
Toby would have more such stories I suspect.

In the last 26 years I'm in Germany many of refundable services were taken down, e.g. if you don't want to have the amalgam fillings, you need to pay, some preventive check-ups. The waiting times tend to be longer, and ambulant psychiatric care is a catastrophe here where I live.

 

But still, if I'd break a leg, the last thing I'd worry about, is money.

[Fantasy Lover]

http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2017/03/30/flynn_asked_for_immunity_to_testify_on_russia_like_any_totally_not_guilty.html?utm_content=inf_11_2641_2&wpsrc=socialedge&tse_id=INF_64f8bab015ac11e79289519acc179544 the iconic thing is that he said that those who want immunity, probably committed a crime.

[Arcadia]

All of it. Especially not enough staff and doctors. Hygiene problems in the hospitals. And the usual amount of cheating and taking your money for nothing, which is probably something you see in every system. The situation in geriatric care is quite bad, and because the retirement payments are going down it's too expensive for many. People are scared of nursing homes.

 

Because ppl in the health care are underpaid, they tend to go to other countries. And because the hospitals have to actually earn money, they tend to do more than necessary, if it brings funds, like hip replacements or other expensive treatments, which again takes the funds from other important things. From what I experienced, the equipment like wheelchairs, special beds, down to the compression hosiery, are ridiculously overpriced, which makes me think about price-rigging, not to mention the pharmaceutical industry influencing the whole system (eg. decreasing the level of cholesterol in your blood that's seen as pathologic, so more people can be "cured") - but this is an international problem I think.

Toby would have more such stories I suspect.

 

In the last 26 years I'm in Germany many of refundable services were taken down, e.g. if you don't want to have the amalgam fillings, you need to pay, some preventive check-ups. The waiting times tend to be longer, and ambulant psychiatric care is a catastrophe here where I live.

 

But still, if I'd break a leg, the last thing I'd worry about, is money.

Well, heck, that sounds like our system. Except for the worrying about money part.

[Surelock]

So today the White House welcomed President Sisi of Egypt; the guy who overthrew the first democratically elected government of Egypt and then became a dictator.

 

 

 

 

Sounds like our President got a lot of ideas on how to run the country from Sisi. 

 

 

 

I can't wait until America is great again... whatever that even means. Seriously what does 'Make America Great Again?' even mean? What previous point in history is it even referring to?

[Boton]

So today the White House welcomed President Sisi of Egypt; the guy who overthrew the first democratically elected government of Egypt and then became a dictator.

 

 

 

 

Sounds like our President got a lot of ideas on how to run the country from Sisi. 

 

 

 

I can't wait until America is great again... whatever that even means. Seriously what does 'Make America Great Again?' even mean? What previous point in history is it even referring to?

 

I'm breaking my self-imposed ban on commenting on politics in this forum, but I think the Twitter account you referenced above is a parody account.

[T.o.b.y]

About health care in Germany: Compared to lots of other places it's great, compared to itself a while ago and / or to what I would consider ideal, it's bad.

 

Above all, it is complicated. Everybody is insured, that's the good part. If you earn less than a certain sum per month and are not self-employed, you must sign up with one of the public insurance companies. They can't refuse your membership and your fees are not dependent on your age or state of health but your income. A certain percentage of your salary is withheld each month and goes into a fund from which the insurance companies are paid based on how many members they have, how ill those are and also where they live. This is not a tax, btw. If you are unemployed or retired, you remain insured even though you have no income. When you go to the doctor or the hospital, you usually never see a bill, you just hand over your card and your insurance pays the provider for your care.

 

Problem? Only people who earn a salary pay into the system but it has to cover the costs of all. We live longer than we used to and produce fewer children. So fewer and fewer people are paying for more and more care --> fees go up, services covered become less. To make them more cost-efficient, both public insurance companies and public hospitals are run like for-profit businesses and many hospitals are privatized.

 

Another problem: if you make enough money, you can opt out of the public system and get private health insurance. This means those who would bring in the most money if they had to, don't.

 

Our future is paying more money for less care. That's inevitable, imo. And it sparks some, let's say, interesting discussions about what we consider necessary and just for everybody to get and what we want to deem a luxury people should pay for out of their own pockets.

[Surelock]

 

So today the White House welcomed President Sisi of Egypt; the guy who overthrew the first democratically elected government of Egypt and then became a dictator.

 

 

 

 

Sounds like our President got a lot of ideas on how to run the country from Sisi. 

 

 

 

I can't wait until America is great again... whatever that even means. Seriously what does 'Make America Great Again?' even mean? What previous point in history is it even referring to?

 

I'm breaking my self-imposed ban on commenting on politics in this forum, but I think the Twitter account you referenced above is a parody account.

 

 

I know but there's no difference between parody and reality atm. That's why I keep referencing a parody account.

 

Why have you have a self-imposed ban on the politics thread? Nowadays politics is a new form of black comedy. 

 

I think this meme summed it up best:

 

[Fantasy Lover]

http://www.distractify.com/trending/2017/04/05/pmrpX/steve-bannon-fired-national-security-council?utm_content=inf_11_53_2&tse_id=INF_ce7aeb801a1f11e7bc74f3397ca17eb9 good news everyone!

[Arcadia]

Finally, some good news. Does that mean the apocalypse is not far behind? :o

[Surelock]

So CNN interviewed a bunch of Trump supporters and got them to grade Trump's presidency so far:

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZ5LsWWNG8Q

 

 

Surprisingly almost all of them gave Trump an A (probably the first A that Trump has ever received in his life).

[J.P.]

Who are those people? Are they the only 6 in the whole USA?

 

Now look at this

http://www.oregonlive.com/today/index.ssf/2017/04/science_discovers_the_secret_t.html

[Arcadia]

WHU.....?????????????
 

[J.P.]

What he hasn't achieved yet, is to become Mr Universum. I'll give him 3 months to get there. :P

[Boton]

 

 

Why have you have a self-imposed ban on the politics thread? Nowadays politics is a new form of black comedy. 

 

 

 

Breaking the ban one more time...

 

I don't comment about politics in here because I don't think it is funny, and I don't necessarily have the same complaints others in the thread seem to have about some issues (although I do about others). To me, participating in this thread could threaten some of the online friendships I've started to hold dear, because I would want to debate certain points in the same way we debate things about the episodes in the other threads, only politics right now (especially in the U.S.) is so contentious that this is the way you lose friends.  I don't want to risk that; I want this forum to be a place that I can come and enjoy myself, and I don't know if I can do that as easily if I think politics has gotten in the way of a friendship.

 

I do, however, occasionally look in this thread, mostly to see what people from other countries are saying.  I want to hear a broad perspective of opinions from those who want to share them.

[Surelock]

So Trump just started bombing Assad's airbase in Syria in response for Assad's recent chemical attacks in Idlib.

 

Trump just declared war on Syria, a sovereign state.  :o

 

 

 

Hello World War III. Looks like we'll be experiencing World War III under Trump. Can't get any better than this.

[J.P.]

And it's still not 100% clear that the attack came from Assad.

 

And Mrs May goes to war over Gibraltar.

 

That went quick

[Arcadia]

I keep thinking life under Trump can't get any worse .... and it keeps getting worse.

[T.o.b.y]

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why have you have a self-imposed ban on the politics thread? Nowadays politics is a new form of black comedy.

 

 

Breaking the ban one more time...

 

I don't comment about politics in here because I don't think it is funny, and I don't necessarily have the same complaints others in the thread seem to have about some issues (although I do about others). To me, participating in this thread could threaten some of the online friendships I've started to hold dear, because I would want to debate certain points in the same way we debate things about the episodes in the other threads, only politics right now (especially in the U.S.) is so contentious that this is the way you lose friends. I don't want to risk that; I want this forum to be a place that I can come and enjoy myself, and I don't know if I can do that as easily if I think politics has gotten in the way of a friendship.

 

I do, however, occasionally look in this thread, mostly to see what people from other countries are saying. I want to hear a broad perspective of opinions from those who want to share them.

I don't think it's funny either, really, but I still enjoy satire and political cartoons. Let's call it a coping mechanism.

 

Now of course I am curious what kind of potentially infuriating views you have, but I understand wanting to keep the peace around here, there's so little of it online in general... I am not easily riled up though, so if you're interested in a respectful conversation comparing different opinions, do PM me... :-D

[Fantasy Lover]

I keep thinking life under Trump can't get any worse .... and it keeps getting worse.

Maybe we should stop thinking that, the last time we were thinking that we had 2016.

[Arcadia]

Okay, folks, a ray of sunshine ... Steve Bannon and his circle appear to be losing favor, according to the Washington Post (and maybe some other sources, but that's all I've had time to read this morning.) Of course, there's a downside ... Jared Kushner and his moneyed elite are gaining power. Still, somehow the uber-rich are less scary to me than the alt-right.

[J.P.]

My first thought - Trump used all those influential people to get what he wanted. Now he starts to drop them. We'll see.

[Van Buren Supernova]

Help me understand these:

- Why attack, regardless how limited it claims, is the reasonable move in current international situation, because it seems like it's actually supported by awful lot of people.

- why US thinks it has the right to do it.

- why a lot of people in their comfortable and safe office decide what should be done, who should be bombed as if it's regular office meeting. Armchair war? Are we living in simulation?

 

Maybe we should strap those who are so thirsty with war, give them adequate ammunitions and throw them in arena if they like it so much. Whoever, whatever color, religion, ideology and reason, don't care. Don't use or involve or harm ordinary people who want to live in peace in those bloody games.