🙅 THE BAD IDEAS THREAD
-
You have yet to present any example of a person with recorded, reasoned support of obamacare who now feels lied to.
Particularly, the Harvard carry-on is not an example of such a thing, rather, it is an example of two groups with an existing ideological dispute using a particular event as political ammunition, and irresponsible journalism.
-
I recall other examples of people who didn't understand the consequences of the law, but supported it anyways, and weren't at all happy with what actually happened.
Mmm, yes, like Mrs "I thought that it was important that people be taxed more to give others health insurance; I just never thought I'd be one of the ones taxed!"
Of course, a lot of the "pro" sentiment was probably due at least in part to the outright lies that they believed.
As a former New England liberal, I know a number of people who fit that category, including some who were negatively affected by one of the hospitals that closed more or less due to Obamacare.
-
I wonder what it's called when a country's leaders are always members of the same family?
In general, a monarchy.
With that particular last name, a shrubbery?
-
You have yet to present any example of a person with recorded, reasoned support of obamacare who now feels lied to.
I don't agree, but I also can't help but feel that you haven't been paying attention. Nevertheless...
Particularly, the Harvard carry-on is not an example of such a thing, rather, it is an example of two groups with an existing ideological dispute using a particular event as political ammunition, and irresponsible journalism.
I disagree with your characterization of what's happened at Harvard. But I think the LA Times has the most famous example that should satisfy even you (unless you go all blakey and rely on the fact that they're using different words than I did):
"She said, 'I was all for Obamacare until I found out I was paying for it,'" Kehaly said.
-
I was all for
Obamacaresomething I didn't understand / someone else paying for it* until I found out what the fuck it meant / I was paying for it** Delete as appropriate, but I suspect that - since very few people actually pay attention to the minutæ of politics in their country - it's actually the former of the pair.
-
You have yet to present any example of a person with recorded, reasoned support of obamacare who now feels lied to.
I suppose you could reject this on the basis "recorded, reasoned," but I thought of another way to verbalize how the Harvard guys fit this. They all expected that their health insurance plan wouldn't have to change. After all, "If you like your plan, you can keep it."
It's pretty well established that was a lie. Maybe the cognitive dissonance in Cambridge is too great for them to acknowledge that they feel lied to, but they aren't happy about the sequence of apparently believing the lies and living through the consequences of the truth.
-
"She said, 'I was all for Obamacare until I found out I was paying for it,'" Kehaly said.
And it's not as if that's even all that rare. "I vote for every proposition that might improve the culture of this city, but I can't afford my property taxes!" Lady, the one is caused by the other!
-
I assume you're referring to Austin(?) where that happened recently. I'm not sure if @Buddy was just trolling me (I'm an easy target, I know) or was really that clueless.
-
assume you're referring to Austin(?) where that happened recently
Specifically that, yes. It's like she had no idea who was going to pay for all those civic improvements.
-
Other people. Especially "The Rich."
Heh....Ann Coulter's column yesterday talks about police and taxes...
As I have repeatedly tweeted, the correct chant for Garner’s case is: Hey, de Blasio! Black lives matter more than your $%^&* tax money! What “brought us to this day” is not a “history” of racism; it’s the left’s maniacal pursuit of taxes — the precise reason cops were arresting Eric Garner. He was selling untaxed cigarettes. He resisted arrest and, in the tussle, had a fatal heart attack.
By contrast, the only time liberals like cops is when they’re enforcing tax laws, so dear to the heart of politicians like de Blasio. Liberals will call out the Marines to collect taxes in order to pay public school teachers’ exorbitant pensions.
Recall that when Gov. Andrew Cuomo told de Blasio he could fund his precious universal pre-K without raising taxes, de Blasio angrily objected. No, he wanted to raise taxes on “the rich.” You know, like those filthy rich tycoons who sell loose cigarettes on the street in Staten Island.
...more at the link.
-
He resisted arrest and, in the tussle, had a fatal heart attack.
What bothers me about this--well, one thing--is, for example, Eric Raymond's attitude about this. The modern police force is trained to use overwhelming force. If you want to argue with them when they try to arrest you, unless you've got a bunch of friends with you, they're going to arrest you. Given that, if you want to disagree, the only safe way is to let them arrest you and then sue 'em. But ESR was calling people cowards for not being prepared to die, to the point where he was getting into public vitriolic arguments with long-time friends about it.
I don't feel like being beaten to death by 8 cops, so if they try to arrest me for something, I'm probably not going to resist. Or I'll try an alternate tactic I once had described to me: A guy was carrying concealed, and he told a cop who he was talking to that, in a situation where he wasn't required by law to do so. The cop grabbed him, flipped him up against a wall, and threatened to arrest him, because he was wrong about the law. The guy told the cop, "listen, I'm not going to resist you, but I recommend you call your chief before you put handcuffs on me, because you're going to lose a lawsuit if you do." (Hint: don't try to act like you know more about CCW law than a CCW instructor :) ).
-
Ann Coulter's column yesterday talks
That is a contextually excellent picture of de Blasio at the site, btw.
-
But ESR was calling people cowards for not being prepared to die, to the point where he was getting into public vitriolic arguments with long-time friends about it.
Yeah, certain principles mean more to some people and we all have a different tolerance for risk. I can respect what he says the right / best thing is to do, though I disagree. There's piles of WTF to go around in this case.
But at least now there's a high profile case I can point to when people deny that taxes are ultimately enforced by lethal force.
-
I can respect what he says the right / best thing is to do, though I disagree.
Well, yeah. The issue is, he's right in that you shouldn't have to submit to a possibly illegal arrest, but he's silly in the head if he thinks most people are willing to die over it. The problem with a case like Garner's--but not, I believe, specifically with his--is when the cops don't stop working someone over after they've quit fighting, like that homeless guy a couple of years ago, who they sat on until he suffocated, even though he kept telling them he was trying not to move and to please let him breathe. (I believe the cops didn't do that with Garner, but I could be wrong.)
-
After all, "If you like your plan, you can keep it."
It's pretty well established that was a lie.
Our plan has not changed, at all, and costs us the same as it always has.
Perhaps he should have said, "If you health insurance is not total rubbish, you can keep it"?
-
Our plan has not changed, at all, and costs us the same as it always has.
Perhaps he should have said, "If you health insurance is not total rubbish, you can keep it"?
I had good health insurance prior to the passage of Obamacare. I still have almost exactly the same plan. The only difference is that my premiums have increased about 50%. I've checked, and I still can't get a better deal for comparable insurance. I'm also not getting anything more for my money.
In the end, I don't like my plan as much as I used to. I still like it more than the alternatives.
-
Perhaps he should have said, "If you health insurance is not total rubbish, you can keep it"?
Total rubbish being defined as?
-
This post is deleted!
-
I don't feel like being beaten to death by 8 cops, so if they try to arrest me for something, I'm probably not going to resist. Or I'll try an alternate tactic I once had described to me: A guy was carrying concealed, and he told a cop who he was talking to that, in a situation where he wasn't required by law to do so. The cop grabbed him, flipped him up against a wall, and threatened to arrest him, because he was wrong about the law. The guy told the cop, "listen, I'm not going to resist you, but I recommend you call your chief before you put handcuffs on me, because you're going to lose a lawsuit if you do." (Hint: don't try to act like you know more about CCW law than a CCW instructor ).
Our city has gotten better, but 5+ years ago there were a large proportion of cops here that were total fucking pricks. One night I went in to a gas station and picked up milk on the way home and there was an officer there, drinking free coffee and BSing with the clerk. I went to pay and when I pulled out my money clip (I cannot stand wallets in my back pocket) I had a fair amount of cash on me. $500 maybe.
The officer asks me in a very snide and accusatory all tone, "Why do you have so much cash on you, boy?" That really rubber me the wrong way, and as my verbal filter has never worked properly, my reply was, "Why is it any of your fucking business?"
A brief, slightly hostile conversation later, I was on the verge of arrest. I told the officer much the same thing, "Arrest me if you want, but there is a camera right up there that just recorded this whole conversation. I know my rights, and your chief will not be happy about losing this lawsuit." His response, "You only have rights if I say you have rights, boy." When I asked him how he would like that statement being on tomorrow night's news, he finally backed off.
I am getting rankled even telling the story. Fucking asshole. A year later that same officer was in a scandal and ended up in jail for it.
-
Dear god they've broken ground.
FRESNO, Calif. (AP) — California broke ground Tuesday on its $68 billion high-speed rail system, promising to combat global warming while whisking travelers between Los Angeles and San Francisco in less than three hours.
-
While I like the idea of high-speed rail, LA-SF in three hours is only about 125MPH (200km/h). That just barely puts it into the high-speed category. Rail systems that speed were being built 20-30 years ago; ones under construction now are designed for 1.5 - 2 times that.
Admittedly, it does say less than three hours, but unless it's quite a bit less, it's still slow for high-speed rail.
Also, LA-SF by way of Fresno? Ugh. I think I'd rather walk.
-
LA-SF by way of Fresno
There's no way it ever happens. Better off taking a plane or driving. Though personally, I've never seen a reason to go to SF to begin with, so I don't really care about options to go there.
-
$68 Billion? With a "B"?
Wonder what the ROI is on that? Jesus christ, they could send a lot of people to the moon for that kind of money, let alone SF.
-
$68 Billion? With a "B"?
Yes. So far, I think only something like $13B has been "funded," between a bond issue and the Feds. I don't know about the timeline, and I'm sure they haven't sold all those bonds yet. Obviously, that's today's estimate, which is guaranteed to by way low.
-
It's California. Take the cost estimate, add a zero, you might be close.
-
Wonder what the ROI is on that?
Just pulling numbers out of myFermi estimate:
Say 10000 riders/day1 at $200 each; revenue of $2M / day. 93 years to earn $68B in revenue.That's not taking operating expenses into consideration. If it could manage 10% profit (in your dreams), 930 years to pay back the initial investment. (Not considering inflation, obviously. Nor the inevitable cost overruns.)
Sounds like a great idea to me.</sarcasm>
1 That's probably wildly optimistic, but if it were to eventually completely replace air travel between the cities, it would go much higher. Orbitz shows 500 flights to LAX from SFO/SJC/OAK tomorrow, and presumably a similar number in the other direction. The actual number is bigger, because that doesn't include SWA, which is a major carrier along the west coast.
-
Orbitz shows 500 flights to LAX from SFO/SJC/OAK tomorrow, and presumably a similar number in the other direction. The actual number is bigger, because that doesn't include SWA, which is a major carrier along the west coast.
It also ignores other airports in the LA area. At least SNA and ONT, plus probably smaller stuff like BUR....LGB.
-
It also ignores other airports in the LA area.
If I check the "Include airports within 80 miles" on both ends, I still get 500 flights, so obviously there's a
LIMIT 500somewhere in the query. It's not on the final result, though, because I get >500 if I ask for a round trip, because of theJOINon departure and return flights.
-
Perhaps he should have said, "If you health insurance is not total rubbish, you can keep it"?
Ah, right, so a plan for a middle-aged woman that doesn't include children's dental care is total rubbish.
-
I am getting rankled even telling the story. Fucking asshole.
I'll bet. The closest I have ever come to that is an asshole cop gave me a written warning "for not having a seatbelt on" because I got out of my car when he stopped me. He knew I had one, or rather, he could not have failed to know, based on the circumstances. He stopped me for an entirely different bullshit reason that he wasn't able to give me a ticket for, so the warning was his way of getting back at me.
A year later that same officer was in a scandal and ended up in jail for it.
This is my shocked face.
-
. I went to pay and when I pulled out my money clip (I cannot stand wallets in my back pocket)
ALso, not having your wallet in your front picket is TRWTF, although I think we had this conversation last yaer.
-
Dear god they've broken ground
Sweet! The faster they bankrupt themselves and we sell the land out from under them back to Mexico the better.
Aside: The people who want parts of the southwest us "back" to Mexico crack me the hell up. Look at the rest of your country, people. It won't be a cash cow; you'll just drag it down to your level and ruin it. If that weren't the case, you'd already be an economic powerhouse.
-
Also, LA-SF by way of Fresno?
Everyone knows that's nonsense, but IIRC that was the only politically viable route.
-
$68 Billion? With a "B"?
Wonder what the ROI is on that?
That's merely the current estimate for this leg, IIRC, and not the whole thing. And, like the Big Dig, no way it ever comes in at that price.
-
last yaer.
Protein Uncharacterized protein YaeR
Gene yaeR
Organism Escherichia coli (strain K12)
Spellar/Grammer Nazi badge granted for this post -b
-
ALso, not having your wallet in your front picket is TRWTF
I wear cargo pants, you insensitive clod!
although I think we had this conversation last yaer.
Yes, we probably did.
-
Enjoy your flag.
-
I wear cargo pants, you insensitive clod!
What cargo pants don't have pockets in the front, let alone pockets that aren't larger than the back ones, you inapproppriately-hirsute buffon!
-
you'll just drag it down to your level and ruin it.
Probably faster than they currently are, too. Though there is at least oil in California which the Mexicans wouldn't be as afraid to extract as Californians.
-
Though there is at least oil in California which the Mexicans wouldn't be as afraid to extract as Californians.
Oh man, wouldn't that be funny? But they'd probably console themselves with PEMEXifornia's being used for SJW work/bread and circuses.
-
enjoy your spellar
-
Ah, right, so a plan for a middle-aged woman that doesn't include children's dental care is total rubbish.
Yeah, I don't know. I mostly just wanted to get under @boomzilla's conservative skin. ;)
-
Jerk
-
One cannot resist the rightful rule of Bush III. Except for by inducting Clinton II.
-
-
>Protein Uncharacterized protein YaeR
Gene yaeR
Organism Escherichia coli (strain K12)
Spellar/Grammer Nazi badge granted for this post -b
-
Spellar/Grammer Nazi badge granted for this post -b
Should I point out that @boomzilla misspelled the name of the badge? ;)
-
Should I point out that @boomzilla misspelled the name of the badge? ;)
It's nice to have some recognition.
-
-
You angling for your own badger?
Not now. I could totally have earned a whoosh earlier today, though.
