Comments on: Whirled Views 1.30

By: SteveG

SteveG — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 16:31:30 +0000

Cameron: The dictionary definition works just fine. Any of various theories or systems of social organization in which the means of producing and distributing goods is owned collectively or by a centralized government that often plans and controls the economy.

See, actual socialism means the government owns the means of production. “Socialized medicine” would mean the government owns and manages all the hospitals and health care providers. Nothing close to that is on the table.

Just as they have done with “treason,” the rightwingers have thrown this word around so loosely that it’s lost it’s real meaning. Funding government programs with tax revenue is the way that governments have always done, but when Obama proposes it, it’s labeled “socialism” and all the panic alarms go off.

If you think about it, we’ve had socialized law enforcement, socialized emergency response, socialized water and sewer services, socialized fire protection, for decades. The government owns and manages the law enforcement agency. You don’t call a private security firm to come arrest the burglars in your house and then pay a bill for the service. This seems to work well and nobody complains about the “socialism” of it, even though it’s much closer to real socialism than anything Obama’s asking for.

Bob Buckles: So was it Hugh or Rush that told you those things? They’re both wrong.

The federal legislation defines “child” as being under 19 years of age.

The federal legislation itself delegates setting specific income levels to the states administering the programs, but it sets limits on them. The higher above the poverty level that the state sets the limits, the less federal contribution there is.

You can read the actual legislation (go to http://thomas.loc.gov and search for HR. 2), or you can take Hugh Hewitt’s word for it.

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By: Bob Buckles

Bob Buckles — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 15:56:20 +0000

#43 Steve G

“Hmm … probably because people who don’t get their information from propaganda mills understand that Obama’s policies are actually not socialism?”

SCHIP is to give medical are for children, right? In the new bill it will cover “children” up to 30 years old and there will be no means testing for income. Sounds like socialized medicine to me. How does it sound to you? Oh, and MediCare for all over 65. Only 35 years to go before we will all be covered.

If this is not socialized medicine then tell me what it should be called?

Oh, and have you looked at Powerline? Or did you just lump all of them together?

By the way, just where do you get your information from that is unbiased? Inquiring minds want to know!

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By: Cameron

Cameron — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 05:17:33 +0000

SteveG,
Let’s define our terms. How are you defining socialism?

*feels like Musing for a moment*

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By: SteveG

SteveG — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 05:16:23 +0000

So Bob confesses that his prime sources of information are three right-wing propagandists, and then that he doesn’t understand why so many people don’t share his paranoid fears of what he probably sincerely thinks is “socialism.”

Hmm … probably because people who don’t get their information from propaganda mills understand that Obama’s policies are actually not socialism?

Interestingly, the right threw up a lot of these same objections to Clinton’s economic ideas, and he ended up presiding over the greatest-ever peacetime economic expansion in the country’s hisory.

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By: Cheryl D.

Cheryl D. — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 05:07:47 +0000

I read this story earlier today, that the mother has six children ages two to seven (a kid a year except that apparently there’s a set of twins in there), and the story said it wasn’t known whether she was married. When I first heard the news story about their birth, I thought it was a very hard thing, but basically “good news.” Now I can only think those poor kids, and what a thoughtless doctor to allow such a thing. Even if she’s married, nobody who has six kids (the youngest only a year or so, if the youngest is two now) should be undergoing fertility treatments–and implanting eight or more embryos? Insane. And if she’s single, doubly wrong. The whole story sickens me now, and I wonder what kind of life these kids will have.

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By: Victoria

Victoria — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 02:02:27 +0000

Here’s a link to more info on the birth of eight, apparently they don’t want anyone to know where they are, after the babies are released from the hospital.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28927339/

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By: mumsee

mumsee — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 01:48:32 +0000

Maybe she loves having kids and is a terrific mom. Many have gone before her who were.

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By: mumsee

mumsee — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 01:47:31 +0000

Oh, there are lots of reasons for wanting more kids. She might have six kids that she adopted, how do we know? And her husband might be a new one and he and she have never had kids together. Who knows, people have lots of reasons for the things they do, not all of us will agree with all the reasons.

Here is the big one I would not agree with: my child has a terminal disease and his only hope for survival is if I have another child and his is compatible to donate such and such (bone marrow, kidney, heart,…)

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By: hrw

hrw — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 01:42:56 +0000

Bush thinks he’s still president.
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/01/clinton_lawyer_on_bushs_exec_privilege_claim_there.php

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By: NJLawyer

NJLawyer — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 01:04:33 +0000

Chas, I think the lady is married, but I fail to understand why she wanted fertility treatments with six kids. I don’t know if the father is their father, too. At the least, it seems irresponsible on the part of the doctors. Did they not inquire as to how many children she had? And why implant at least 8 embryos. Doctors, of all people, must know that it was possible that all 8 would take. I cannot fathom why the woman did this at all, certainly not the extent that she did.

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