Rules For Radicals

[Pandora]

I simply don't understand how people can seriously watch Glen Beck. For that matter I feel the same way about Justin Beiber. I'm a Jon Stewart - Stephen Colbert guy myself.

But listening to NPR might have dangerous subliminal repercussions on your political persuasion.

I agree with you about Justin Beiber, he is gross! I also agree with you about Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, both very funny!

What exactly is it you do not like about Beck?

What I do not like about him is he spends too much time selling his books. Wasted part of my hour

What I loved best was some of the people he interviewed and how he tracks what the unions are doing

My fav 2 broadcast were these

one was on abortion, interviews of kids who survived abortion and how it effected their lives.

The other was a 3 part series on black conservatives and how hard it is to be a minority and a conservative... I have a million personal stories about that and theirs were much like mine but worse.

 

[Lagboltz]

If someone else wants to go and blow their cash on a new Porsche and ignore their retirement income, it isn't up to you to pay for that retirement when they find themselves to be middle aged and broke.

That person does become a problem for society. He will need homeless shelters and may use the emergency room as a substitute for a free family doctor.

It is immoral for the government to have collected SS funds from working people all these years, spent the excess, and now start making noises about how we need to end SS. That is highly immoral and unacceptable.

Hear! Hear! I have been thinking that for the last 6 years when I first heard about it.

 

[Lagboltz]

I agree with you about Justin Beiber, he is gross! I also agree with you about Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, both very funny!

What exactly is it you do not like about Beck?

I think he is a shock jock. He is more interested in being entertaining than trying to solve problems. He is an example of the people that foment distrust and hatred between opposing groups.

What I do not like about him is he spends too much time selling his books. Wasted part of my hour

What I loved best was some of the people he interviewed and how he tracks what the unions are doing

Unions really were important in bringing reform to the industry. When I dealt with them in the 60's at Ford Scientific Lab, they were outlandishly inefficient. They are better now, but still have outlived their usefulness in a number of ways.

My fav 2 broadcast were these

one was on abortion, interviews of kids who survived abortion and how it effected their lives.

The other was a 3 part series on black conservatives and how hard it is to be a minority and a conservative... I have a million personal stories about that and theirs were much like mine but worse.

I can understand that given your views on abortion, but when ever I channel flipped to him he seemed to have an exaggerated sentimentality, and was an elaborate conspiracy theorist.

 

[Pandora]

Of course, it's not immoral for you to retire at whatever age you plan to retire. You have a plan to make the money, it's your money after all, to spend however you choose.

If someone else wants to go and blow their cash on a new Porsche and ignore their retirement income, it isn't up to you to pay for that retirement when they find themselves to be middle aged and broke.

It is immoral for the government to have collected SS funds from working people all these years, spent the excess, and now start making noises about how we need to end SS. That is highly immoral and unacceptable.

I'm not in the SS system. I put my 8% into State Teacher's Retirement, matched by 8% from my employers, just like SS. Unlike SS, that money went into a real trust fund, thanks to that "evil and socialistic" teacher's union that wouldn't let the state spend it, where the excess grew with the stock and bond markets. As a result, STRS is not in danger of going bankrupt, and my retirement is far, far better than it would be under SS. I also put additional into a TSA or two, and now am not worried about personal finances in the least.

I hope your plan to retire works out for you. If you do retire early, you need to have some hobbies or you'll be bored.

Is your state teachers pension program called PERS? Ours is and for years they put in the 6% and now we put it in our self.

I dont see how it wont work, I will have 30 years in my job giving me full retirement from PERS, Money from my TSA that I put in for 30 years and an IRA that I put in for about 20 plus my house is paid for and I have a simple lifestyle.

I plan to blog all day and play video games and baby sit grandkids if I can get some If not I will do like my own Grandmother did and dote on the kids who come from poor homes that live around me and babysit for their parents free and take them to sporting events. I am glad you do not think its terrible, I was kind of shocked to find some considered it immoral.

 

[Pandora]

I think he is a shock jock. He is more interested in being entertaining than trying to solve problems. He is an example of the people that foment distrust and hatred between opposing groups.

Yeah, I wish more people wanted to help the planet than wanted to entertain us for an hour. Moreover I wish that people were more interested in someone who wanted to help the planet than someone who wanted to entertain us for an hour.

really were important in bringing reform to the industry. When I dealt with them in the 60's at Ford Scientific Lab, they were outlandishly inefficient. They are better now, but still have outlived their usefulness in a number of ways.

Agreed 100% That they have outlived their usefulness. They have become as corrupt as the mob IMO. But there was a time and a place for them and they were needed when they were formed.

can understand that given your views on abortion, but when ever I channel flipped to him he seemed to have an exaggerated sentimentality, and was an elaborate conspiracy theorist.

Well, yeah I think he leaps but he shows you the logic in how he got to here from there.... Keith olbermann is much the same (except meaner) but I don't here much complaints about him.

This is where we need to learn critical thinking. Examine what we are being told and analyze it. The truth is in there someplace.

 

[PLC1]

Is your state teachers union called PERS? Ours is and for years they put in the 6% and now we put it in our self.

I dont see how it wont work, I will have 30 years in my job giving me full retirement from PERS, Money from my TSA that I put in for 30 years and an IRA that I put in for about 20 plus my house is paid for and I have a simple lifestyle.

I plan to blog all day and play video games and baby sit grandkids if I can get some If not I will do like my own Grandmother did and dote on the kids who come from poor homes that live around me and babysit for their parents free and take them to sporting events. I am glad you do not think its terrible, I was kind of shocked to find some considered it immoral.

In California, teachers have their own retirement system that includes only teachers and certificated administrators. I like to hold it up as a shining example of what SS should have been, as the money is not in the general fund and is only spent on retirement and nothing else. Were SS to have been run that way for the past 50 years, there would be plenty of money, and payouts would be a lot greater.

I hope you have cute grand kids, even though there is no possibility that they will be as cute and smart as mine are. Have fun with those video games and blogs. Who knows what they may evolve into in the next two or thee decades!

 

[Pandora]

In California, teachers have their own retirement system that includes only teachers and certificated administrators. I like to hold it up as a shining example of what SS should have been, as the money is not in the general fund and is only spent on retirement and nothing else. Were SS to have been run that way for the past 50 years, there would be plenty of money, and payouts would be a lot greater.

I hope you have cute grand kids, even though there is no possibility that they will be as cute and smart as mine are. Have fun with those video games and blogs. Who knows what they may evolve into in the next two or thee decades!

I need to do some research on your teachers union, it sounds too good to be true.

I love video games. I was totally hooked on Fallout but now I am bored with it and Ill blog again till Sky rim comes out in November. I hope to be bored with that when its time to start picking a new president. I need to do my part in getting a new president I love kids, ugly cute doesn't matter to me.

 

[Lagboltz]

Yeah, I wish more people wanted to help the planet than wanted to entertain us for an hour. Moreover I wish that people were more interested in someone who wanted to help the planet than someone who wanted to entertain us for an hour.

Agreed 100% That they have outlived their usefulness. They have become as corrupt as the mob IMO. But there was a time and a place for them and they were needed when they were formed.

Well, yeah I think he leaps but he shows you the logic in how he got to here from there.... Keith olbermann is much the same (except meaner) but I don't here much complaints about him.

This is where we need to learn critical thinking. Examine what we are being told and analyze it. The truth is in there someplace.

As two on the opposite side of the fence, this was a surprisingly non-confrontational discussion. It's too bad congress or others on this forum can't discuss things this way. I think your last paragraph is the right path.

 

[Openmind]

We shouldn't be too quick to write off SS. It has had a positive cash flow for many years now, and is just starting to turn around a little bit. The program is pretty close to being in balance right now. It's time to make some adjustments to it, as the life expectancy is a lot more than it was at the inception of the program, but it's a long way from bankruptcy.

The "get rid of entitlements and all will be right with the world" mantra is not based on reality. Were we to get rid of SS today, the actual savings would be less than 1% or so of the deficit.

Medicare is another matter, but there are two big elephants in any room where Medicare reform is being discussed:

1. The cost of medicare is out of control because the cost of medical care is out of control. The total cost (public and private) is greater than all of the non medical expenditures of the federal government by a factor of about 2.

2. Without Medicare, seniors would not have access to medical care, not at any price.

The cost of medicare is out of control because it covers only elderly people and others who would not qualify for private health care because of their high need (or high risk that they will need) costly medical care (due to age, pre-condition, or disability).

If medicare was extended as an option to everyone, young and old, healthy and unhealthy, the average cost per capita would go down drastically, everyone would qualify for much lower cost health care, and the money that currently go to "for profit" health care (which covers only the low risk population at VERY HIGH cost) would be paid as premium (at a lower rate, since it would be no profit) to fill the medicare coffers.

 

[PLC1]

The cost of medicare is out of control because it covers only elderly people and others who would not qualify for private health care because of their high need (or high risk that they will need) costly medical care (due to age, pre-condition, or disability).

If medicare was extended as an option to everyone, young and old, healthy and unhealthy, the average cost per capita would go down drastically, everyone would qualify for much lower cost health care, and the money that currently go to "for profit" health care (which covers only the low risk population at VERY HIGH cost) would be paid as premium (at a lower rate, since it would be no profit) to fill the medicare coffers.

That would bring down costs, no doubt. Another thing that would bring down costs would be to pay for zero medical care up to a point, then pay 100%, rather than pay 80% of everything as they do now.

But, try getting that idea past the insurance lobby!

 

[Pandora]

As two on the opposite side of the fence, this was a surprisingly non-confrontational discussion. It's too bad congress or others on this forum can't discuss things this way. I think your last paragraph is the right path.

We probably never hit on a topic either you or I were passionate about. Come to the abortion thread with me and we can fight like there is no tomorrow


What political topic are you most passionate about? For me it is abortion and probably polygamy

 

[Openmind]

That would bring down costs, no doubt. Another thing that would bring down costs would be to pay for zero medical care up to a point, then pay 100%, rather than pay 80% of everything as they do now.

But, try getting that idea past the insurance lobby!

I assume you are talking about a large deductible before insurance starts to cover?

That's not a bad idea, at least it should be offered as an option to people insured (like a $3,000 deductible, but in case of a catastrophic illness or accident, everything covered?)

 

[PLC1]

I assume you are talking about a large deductible before insurance starts to cover?

That's not a bad idea, at least it should be offered as an option to people insured (like a $3,000 deductible, but in case of a catastrophic illness or accident, everything covered?)

Yes, exactly. Singapore has a system like that (major medical for everyone), and pays 3% of their GDP for medical care. We spend 17% and climbing. If we don't rein in the costs pretty soon, none of us are going to be able to afford medical care.

 

[PLC1]

We probably never hit on a topic either you or I were passionate about. Come to the abortion thread with me and we can fight like there is no tomorrow


What political topic are you most passionate about? For me it is abortion and probably polygamy

I know where you stand on abortion already, but what about polygamy? I'm assuming contra...

Have you been following the Warren Jeffs trial? What a scumbag!

 

[Openmind]

I know where you stand on abortion already, but what about polygamy? I'm assuming contra...

Have you been following the Warren Jeffs trial? What a scumbag!

At least, he got the right verdict!. . . now let's see what the sentence will be. I hope it is long enough that he dies in prison!

Not for "polygamy" but for "pedophilia!"