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Author Topic: This American Health Debate thing  (Read 12743 times)

bjlong

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Re: This American Health Debate thing
« Reply #105 on: August 18, 2009, 08:33:26 pm »

The lie about health care that you provided as an example from the supporting side is not one I recall hearing from democratic politicians.  I've heard it, but then, I've heard it from just about everyone (except politicians).  It is, however, true that they are the usual profit-maximization driven company, and maximizing profits naturally involves reducing expenses.  Which in insurance companies involves minimizing payouts to customers.  Therefore it will probably be harder to get good insurance for a good price.  This is why even insured people can go bankrupt from medical bills.

It is also true that just because one side has lies on it doesn't mean the other side doesn't.  However, if the lies from, say, the republicans are more noticed than the other side, then quite clearly those that lie on the republicans are more prominent in their party than those who lie on the democratic side (and by lie I mean spread false information, not stand by).

Good argument! Well, at least for the first part--I'm pretty sure you could do a bit better on the second.

Yes, I quoted a lie that's being spread verbatim by the grassroots Democrats. It is used by Democrats in office, too, just much more subtly. (Listen to some of the speeches, and see if you can find the hidden messages. This one comes across fairly often!) And, it's true, private companies do use a profit-maximization scheme. However, profit maximization does not mean that the product must suffer--the most successful companies make sure the product truly doesn't, else they get bit by word-of-mouth marketing. What happens is the companies will maximize the gain to cost ratio as much as possible. So, if you can provide mediocre health insurance, keep your customers, and make a ton of money, then it's desirable to offer mediocre health insurance. If you make more money the better insurance you provide, then you'll offer better and better insurance. Insurance companies care about their customer because it's financially sound to do so. I won't go further than that--financial realities much more specific give me a headache.

You now claim that because lies are more noticed on the Republican side, the Republicans lie more. That's clearly false. For one, who's noticing the lies? Fact checker, or this topic? If Fact checker, then fine. If any other metric, then it's probably biased. Also, it doesn't mean that the Republicans are lying more, they're just worse at lying. The real experts only need to imply the lies--see the above instance.

Why? Well, I'll let you figure that one out.

Now, the point of my post, the object lesson. Let me point out that there have been about 10 direct statements that basically boil down to "If you don't support the health care reform as proposed, you're an idiot vomiting what you've heard before onto the screen." This is a blatant lie. There are plenty more such statements implied, but I won't bother to point them out--textual analysis takes too long.

Notice that Taniec was bringing legitimate concerns to the table from his own research, but started getting sidetracked by these personal insults. And, of course, whenever he tried to correct people, he was ignored, implied to be an idiot, and his points went unanswered, for the most part. Now he's fighting fire with fire, lying right along with you, and this also makes him an idiot, and a thread derailer, to boot. Both lies.

Shame on everyone who made that work. You especially, Vester--you were on the leading edge of the direct insults, by my count.

But this brings me back around to my point--politics is conducted through lies. Even here, the few voices of reason (Chairman Poo, kinseti, and Wiles among them) simply aren't interesting enough to discuss, so noone bothers to learn anything from them. If there is a reasonable opponent, he's brow-beaten into losing his temper, or lying right along with you. All because lies make better stories than a reasonable discussion.
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Vester

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Re: This American Health Debate thing
« Reply #106 on: August 18, 2009, 08:37:27 pm »

 :-[

I was?

I plead the 1st.
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bjlong

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Re: This American Health Debate thing
« Reply #107 on: August 18, 2009, 08:40:06 pm »

The 1st doesn't get you out of communal shame.

Also, aren't you in a different country or something?
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Vester

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Re: This American Health Debate thing
« Reply #108 on: August 18, 2009, 08:42:05 pm »

Yeah, but most of our policies try to emulate American ones, so I have a tendency to blame our problems on incompatible system.

Apparently healthcare reform is something we'll only get if America gets it first.

EDIT: Also, our constitution is based on yours, which means we have the same 1st amendment.

FURTHER EDIT: I looked back at my other post and whaddayaknow, I was being kind of a bitch. I stand by the fact that the right plastered a Al Gore with a smear campaign, though.
« Last Edit: August 18, 2009, 09:14:41 pm by Vester »
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Zangi

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Re: This American Health Debate thing
« Reply #109 on: August 18, 2009, 09:21:40 pm »

Ah insurance companies.  It is very very easy to believe that your insurer will try to weasel out of an obligation to cover you.  Considering that they are profit oriented entities...

The basics are... caused by your negligence or claiming that the damage was caused by something that you weren't insured for.

I've seen both sides, when an insurance company will try their darndest to prove that it ain't their problem and times when they'd pay out without much of a fight.

Either way, considering how humanity is and this concept of insurance.  The basic ideology of making profits is severely impaired if whatever they cover has a high chance of happening with very low premiums.  Thats why old people or people already sick with something or people who need surgery have very high premiums or get refused outright.
They look for ways to drop people who need surgery since its expensive.  The easiest reason they get people at this... is that the person needing surgery knew that they needed surgery before signing on for the insurance and not disclosing that need for surgery.  (Seriously, they'd refuse the person or ask to specifically exempt coverage of anything related to the surgery.)
(Gotta have some fondness for no-fault for car insurance in NY...)

Look at flood insurance.  Most insurance companies won't touch that, so its government or state run.  Its not profitable, especially in areas that do have flooding when the big rains come every year or so.  Unlike a fire or something, which normally occurs on 1 property and stays in that property.... a flood effects swaths of land and buildings at one time.

So to translate that to life insurance, lets say for example... swine flu or avian influenza mutates and hits america every cold season... killing a bunch of people each time.  Covering that would be unprofitable like flood insurance.  Life insurance companies would not want to cover death by avian influenza/swine flu...  not 100% anyways. 
Especially, if that death rate includes in high amounts, their favorite demographic... 'normal' young healthy people.


And hey, I havn't looked at the health care bill... and I am of the understanding that health insurance companies are still going to be alive and kicking...  but considering it, the government takes most if not all the risky customers...  at whatever low-ish rate.

It means that the health insurance companies can specifically cater to their favorite demographics... low-risk people.  Premiums go down and/or coverage gets better...  cause they still have to compete with the government.
Disclaimer: This here part is just speculation...  but I don't see the government being able to cover everything... not within good time anyways.  Health insurance companies just need to adopt to the times...
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Sergius

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Re: This American Health Debate thing
« Reply #110 on: August 18, 2009, 10:00:54 pm »

Exactly. What's with socialism? Is it, what, intrinsically evil, or something?

Nothing is intrinsically wrong with socialism. Some people do equate it to communism, which would be fine  usually devolves into dictatorship (or at least that's the popular opinion).

At any rate, to them the idea of anything based on a socialist model in America is like restricting racism on 4chan. It's a matter of principle, and they just want a country to exist in which there are no such systems.

That's about right, take for example: highways and roads. If the USA forced everybody to pay for their maintenance all over, regardless of which stretch of road you need to use to go to work or do your shopping, that's socialism, and it would devolve into communism which is considered evil. However, since USA is a capitalist country, every person is assumed to pay to build their own road whenever they need it, with their own money, instead of donating their hard earned cash to the commies, who in turn would spend it on road maintenance and construction. So the people that are poor, which is their own damn fault, have to make do with dirt roads and donkey carts, while the only really cool highways are around the richest mansions. Because, that's the way it works without that damn socialism, right?

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Heron TSG

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Re: This American Health Debate thing
« Reply #111 on: August 18, 2009, 10:39:47 pm »

Don't we already have our tax money spent on roads all over?
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Neonivek

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Re: This American Health Debate thing
« Reply #112 on: August 18, 2009, 11:13:48 pm »

Quote
For example, the idea that insurance companies just want to "fuck you" is a lie. If it was true, then they'd be out of business in a heartbeat

They wouldn't quickly be out of buisness. (As for if it was a lie... I know SOME Insurance companies... that do well... are horrible)

Early Liberalism entirely believed in a Free market without government intervention. There is a reason why Modern Day Liberalism doesn't.

That is why the Government is supposed to sometimes obligated to step in and put restrictions and regulations on buisnesses

For example In Canada the Conservative Minority government wants to make it illegal for Phone companies to charge for Junk mail (mostly because those phone companies are also the ones who give away the cell number).

The point is, just because a company is blindly ripping off people doesn't mean they will go out of buisness, especially if they are essential.
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Sergius

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Re: This American Health Debate thing
« Reply #113 on: August 18, 2009, 11:18:47 pm »

Don't we already have our tax money spent on roads all over?

Of course not! If you did, then the illegal immigrants would be able to use them too!
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ToonyMan

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Re: This American Health Debate thing
« Reply #114 on: August 18, 2009, 11:22:13 pm »

*gasp*

So that's how it works!
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Heron TSG

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Re: This American Health Debate thing
« Reply #115 on: August 18, 2009, 11:47:27 pm »

Don't we already have our tax money spent on roads all over?
Of course not! If you did, then the illegal immigrants would be able to use them too!

explain again how that's a bad thing.
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Vester

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Re: This American Health Debate thing
« Reply #116 on: August 18, 2009, 11:50:27 pm »

Don't we already have our tax money spent on roads all over?
Of course not! If you did, then the illegal immigrants would be able to use them too!

explain again how that's a bad thing.

I think he's joking.
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Enzo

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Re: This American Health Debate thing
« Reply #117 on: August 19, 2009, 12:05:22 am »

Barbarossa rolls his detect sarcasm check - Critical Miss!

Level Up! Sergius gains +1 Reputation! Serguis gains Title - Deadpan Snarker!

Alright, I'm done.
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Heron TSG

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Re: This American Health Debate thing
« Reply #118 on: August 19, 2009, 12:16:13 am »

For the record, I knew he was joking. My question was to anyone who thinks that people new to the country using things paid for by taxpayers is a bad thing.
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Enzo

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Re: This American Health Debate thing
« Reply #119 on: August 19, 2009, 12:25:44 am »

New to the country and illegal immigrant are totally different :P

Not directed at Barb :
But why do we think they would have a system where you don't need to be a citizen to get healthcare? It would be very easy to check citizenship in every situation except those where the victim is unconscious and could die without immediate care (car crashes, etc). You can't just walk across the border to get a free Canadian Doctor for exactly this reason.
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