"Pray Away the Gay" - HYPE !

[klonk]

I'll take this one:

"Why is the economy and the dollar continuously going downhill?"

Economies fluctuate. Ours is now in a downturn of a long-term cycle that brings us highs and lows.

Contributing to the economic malaise are excessive costs of government, including the weight of a too large deficit, and the high price of oil on the world market.

And now for your question:

What conditions would be neccessary for a command based, socialist economy to succeed long term? Enjoy. We can keep up the game for as long as you like.

[CaliG]

I'll take this one:

"Why is the economy and the dollar continuously going downhill?"

Economies fluctuate. Ours is now in a downturn of a long-term cycle that brings us highs and lows.

Contributing to the economic malaise are excessive costs of government, including the weight of a too large deficit, and the high price of oil on the world market.

And now for your question:

What conditions would be neccessary for a command based, socialist economy to succeed long term? Enjoy. We can keep up the game for as long as you like.

Democratic socialism works. I suggest you visit Scandinavia someday or at least read about it. As I said a lot of Eastern Europeans and other minorities are flocking to those countries and the same system will still be in place, wait as long as you'd like. But the facts are the facts.

What's the point of your question anyway? I never said we should be a socialist country. I realize as Fong said when the conservatives run short on ammo they turn to painting their opponents as looney leftists, but you failed again. Because that has nothing to do with the election. So stick to the topic kid.

My question about the economy is what is McCain going to do about it? Other than drill, drill, drill...

If you want to keep this up all day, go ahead. I'm not trying to be right, just trying to find a conservative who can convince me that McCain should be in the White House. Palin obviously does not.

[CaliG]

DOUBLE POST

[CaliG]

No, Angel, - I would take side with the Americans, and fight the Religious Gangsters that were preventing my country from becoming a major (skiing, hunting, drug) resort destination !

Btw Mike, under the Taliban there was no opium trade. It wasn't until the invasion that poppy fields popped up again.

I seriously doubt that most people who have grown up in these muslim societies would have an American mindset.

In fact it has been shown that in middle of the road muslims, the ones who have lived and studied in the West and are not fundamentalists, are showing intense hatred for the US.

You may not care what the world thinks of us, but that is ulimately why we are attacked my terrorists. Because when you don't have a bazzillion tanks you need to rely on other means to defeat the enemy. The Brits too had little respect for the Americans during the revolution because we did not fight eyeball to eyeball, our tactics were hit and run. Not too different from what we see in these wars.

I'm not defending them, simply saying that as long as the US continues to exploit the world by looking after its own interest first "the war on terror" will never end.

[Buddy]

"Democratic socialism works."

You mean like the National Socialist Party? Hell, the trains ran on time, didn't they?

[klonk]

You didn't answer the question, you ducked it!

I think you used Denmark as your exemplary case, before. Nice place, I like it there. I have visited it several times. It is a place where you do not need to take everything with total seriousness. I open a Tuborg, poke some Stokkebye tobacco into my pipe, smile at the girls. Good times.

If you had answered my question, you would have been in a better position to explain why you think Denmark's policies will evade the fate of old style socialism (such as former policies of the PRC, etc.). But I don't think you are aware of the historical problems that doomed former socialisms.

I don't think Denmark's present policies will work in the long run. I don't think they are sufficiently different on the critical point of keeping the people motivated. Surely you do not suggest the Danish model has proven itself long term? It hasn't been going on long term!

If you're not going to address my questions squarely, I can hardly be expected to fool with yours. Sayonara.

I'll take this one:

"Why is the economy and the dollar continuously going downhill?"

Economies fluctuate. Ours is now in a downturn of a long-term cycle that brings us highs and lows.

Contributing to the economic malaise are excessive costs of government, including the weight of a too large deficit, and the high price of oil on the world market.

And now for your question:

What conditions would be neccessary for a command based, socialist economy to succeed long term? Enjoy. We can keep up the game for as long as you like.

Democratic socialism works. I suggest you visit Scandinavia someday or at least read about it. As I said a lot of Eastern Europeans and other minorities are flocking to those countries and the same system will still be in place, wait as long as you'd like. But the facts are the facts.

What's the point of your question anyway? I never said we should be a socialist country. I realize as Fong said when the conservatives run short on ammo they turn to painting their opponents as looney leftists, but you failed again. Because that has nothing to do with the election. So stick to the topic kid.

My question about the economy is what is McCain going to do about it? Other than drill, drill, drill...

If you want to keep this up all day, go ahead. I'm not trying to be right, just trying to find a conservative who can convince me that McCain should be in the White House. Palin obviously does not.

[CaliG]

You didn't answer the question, you ducked it!

I didn't duck your question I'm just trying to stay on topic.

It just so happens that I wrote my college thesis on Solidarnosc, lived in Eastern Europe and visited the Soviet Union when it was still the Soviet Union.

So yeah, I do know a few things about the Soviet socialist system. I also lived in the PRC and I'm well aware of the changes they made.

But that's still a conversation for another day.

The truth there isn't one conservative who can back up why we should vote for McCain, just tap out now.

I'm done with you anyway.

[klonk]

I am not sure why you think I am a rube. Is it only because I disagree with you? I came to my epihany about socialism while drinking kvas out of a tanker truck in the streets of Moscow. Wait, I thought! This drink is not good, and the people waiting for it are poor.

So we might have gone to different schools together. I hate socialism, root and branch. You think it has promise. The burden of proof is yours.

[edededed]

ed is correct of course. As Chas Clements is fond of quoting.."plitics is martial arts for groups".

Ha ha - well, sort of, but martial arts are much clearer and quicker in terms of losers and winners... Politics is more like, oh I dunno, how kids used to argue about which was better, Nintendo or Sega (again, noone ever convinced the other).

Chas Clements - ah, that name is quite nostalgic (I used to post on the rec.martial-arts newsgroups years ago)...

[CaliG]

I am not sure why you think I am a rube. Is it only because I disagree with you? I came to my epihany about socialism while drinking kvas out of a tanker truck in the streets of Moscow. Wait, I thought! This drink is not good, and the people waiting for it are poor.

So we might have gone to different schools together. I hate socialism, root and branch. You think it has promise. The burden of proof is yours.

Again, what does this have to do with the election?

I never said it holds promise for the States, only that medical care is basic human right. If you want to paint that as socialism, communism, maoism, or taoism go right ahead but as the richest country in the world we can afford it and we will not go bankrupt, also ending the war on terror would help.

By the way, I never said you were a rube, this isn't an emotional argument for me. I know you called me a kid but I'm older than you think. You're going to vote as you're going to vote and so am I. The beauty of this country is we can disagree about politics without trying to destroy each other.

Good times Buddy,

G

[Mike Strong]

Since when is MEDICAL CARE a basic human right ?

[dragontigerpalm]

Since when is MEDICAL CARE a basic human right ?

It should be because it's humane which is a good thing and to deny it is cruel. Cruelty oftens reaps its own rewards.

[somatai]

it is also a basic need to keep the social contract going.....without it what is the point of having "society" at all?

[Teazer]

At the very least there are advantages to society for free treatment of communicative diseases, as well as promoting cheap methods of prevention of other illnesses.

Private insurance is a lousy setup for these forms of day to day basic healthcare, and is equivalent to insuring covering the oil changes, break jobs etc on a car.

There are obvious limits to the level of treatment that can/should be supported by public sources. People need incentives for reasonable levels of preventative behaviour. This is also not well promoted in private insurance markets at the moment as far as I've seen in the US.

[MikeC]

If we were going to have socialized medicine, at least do it state by state. Keep the fed out of it. I'm not in favor of socialized med but if we somehow did have to resort to tax dollars paying for public health care then I think individual states are better equipped to manage it on a case by case basis. Rather than Big Gubmint.

Jus sayin,

Mike