Reddy

QUOTE (Y2HH @ Nov 23, 2013 -> 11:45 AM) "WE" didn't block anything. You still seem to think you're part of that "we", and you aren't. They're rich, and part of a club you and I never will be invited too, whether there is an R or a D next to their name. I assure you, anything they do, they do it for themselves first and foremost to assure re-election, mostly by request of the corporations that own them...and maybe way down the line, ranking in at 100 or so in list of importance, come we the people. I'm saying you and others hailing it as something great, that a day will come that you look back and regret it occurred. I don't know when or how, but a loophole or otherwise will be found using a similar procedure, and this will get expanded in scope/power, and the ruling party will essentially be in absolute power ... and while I do not like a two party system, I really really really don't like a one party system, even if it's only in place for a few years at a time. I prefer they do nothing in Washington and continue blocking each other from getting anything major done, because it's clear they've all been bought and sold, and they aren't here for us anymore. The government has become the master ... while they're supposed to be the servant. A congress with a single digit approval rating should get replaced, but they won't get replaced...they'll mostly get re-elected (probably 90+% of them will win reelection despite this approval rating), because they have the money to do so...given to them by the corporations that put them there in the first place. The constitution was written -- very specifically -- to protect the people from the government, not the other way around. I think everyone in America agrees on this, yet somehow we don't act on it with our votes and it's pretty sad. You guys should watch the TV show Continuum on Netflix (Canadian show), but its premise is exactly what you described and where it all leads 60 years from now. Awesome show. But yes, I'm a Democrat, and they're Democrats, so in that regard it is a "we" - but I know how you get about semantics

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Nov 25, 2013 -> 06:26 PM) Really? Anyway, saying social security will be gone when you retire is only slightly less silly than suggesting we shouldn't use solar power because the sun could go supernova. Both are highly unlikely in your lifetime, and in both cases, if it happened, that means a lot of other things have gone horribly awry and none of it will matter. i don't think those two things are on anywhere near the same level. but hey, the whole point of this wasn't social security, but whether I'm a terrible blight on society for accepting an health insurance subsidy that the government is offering me. clearly I have not argued my case well enough.

QUOTE (Y2HH @ Nov 25, 2013 -> 03:28 PM) So then you don't have to worry about it for a long time. that's exactly my point.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Nov 25, 2013 -> 03:06 PM) It is worth pointing out that 77% of what is required in 2033 would actually be a larger amount of benefits than paid out today due to the fact that OASDI increases at a rate greater than that of inflation under the thought that if the country is becoming more prosperous it should be reflected in how we treat the elderly. And in 2033 I'll be 47. Probably not quite to retirement age I'd imagine.

QUOTE (Tex @ Nov 25, 2013 -> 01:21 PM) Which political party will allow the program to die and basically destroy the elderly? Both. They won't agree to a fix, and it will thus run out of money. I mean... shut down anyone?

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Nov 25, 2013 -> 11:24 AM) where do you get the idea of #1? I mean, I'd like to see SS shored up too, and stop the practice of IOU's against it... but it will be solvent for a few more decades even without changes, and much longer with even small tweaks. And I don't believe there is any real chance they let it fail. And I'm just supposed to hope and pray it exists 40 years from now and NOT take a health care credit because of that? That's a hell of a lot of faith to put in our clearly dysfunctional government.

QUOTE (SoxAce @ Nov 25, 2013 -> 02:11 AM) A day where Andre Johnson, Eric Decker, Julius Thomas being out (played Delanie Walker who wasn't that great at all) and Victor Cruz were absolute s*** for me and I still win. That kind of year for me. 10-2 b****es. Donald Brown = 0 Andre = 3 Gonzo = 4 Floyd and Bennett on my bench 22 points combined. Still up by 24 with 67 points. Lol. He's got two going tomorrow but it's unlikely he pulls out the win. If I do manage to get this W it'll be a miracle of the scheduling Gods. Worst week of the season.

QUOTE (DukeNukeEm @ Nov 24, 2013 -> 08:53 PM) You seriously don't know what I'm going to say here? Really? Yea I'm not stupid, you know my reply and probably have some big "gotcha" planned that I'll weasel out of and eventually this back-and-forth runs put of gas. All the while you get more posts and more pages between the last reply of this thread and that initial post I made that has pretty obviously made you feel uncomfortable. "Answer this simple question", "I asked you to answer my question", "WHY WONT YOU ANSWER MY QUESTION WAHHH", that kind of talk is the hallmark of someone trying to come about on something previously brought up because it scares the crap out of them. You've deflected everything I've said that applies to you to other people or organizations. You want to be judged against them because you know you're a lot less fundamentally evil than Monsanto, Halliburton or Eli Lily. Congratulations, you are a lot less evil than they are. I don't think any single person save genocidal dictators is as evil as Big Pharma. You aren't off the hook though just exonerating yourself from that level of theft and murder those people engaging. But I pretty openly challenged you to provide an ethical rationale for your leeching the system, and by extension, other people. No response. My tone in that post was pleading, it was intentionally desperate for you to either prove you can justify your frivolous healthcare expenses passed on to the general healthy public or (highly unlikely) snap out of this free-money induced coma you're in. What's it going to be? You want to keep engaging me? You want to talk? Well, make it f***ing interesting! If the best you can do is "explain to me a society without regulati-- zzzzzzz" then I'm just going to flat ignore you. Oh, come on. Let's be honest. You just can't help yourself with me. Ok, you want the answer to why I don't feel I'm leeching the system? Very simple as well. 1) I'm not going to get social security, so I might as well get something out of the gov't seeing as how I'm paying for the retirement of all the baby boomers but won't see a dime of it myself. 2) If/When I become successful - whether in acting or otherwise - I'll be putting my money back into the system. And being as I'm a good person, if I ever had ANY semblance of notoriety I would absolutely use that power to help other people where and when I could. Does this happen for everyone? No. But people like JK Rowling for example are a perfect model of why government assistance can be a boon to society. It's a long term investment, and when it pays off, it pays off in a big way.

QUOTE (Tex @ Nov 24, 2013 -> 09:07 PM) The Catholic and Jewish votes went to Obama. That's not who I was talking about and you know it

QUOTE (DukeNukeEm @ Nov 24, 2013 -> 07:34 PM) If you're going to get sassy and butthurt with me at least bother to write more than one line. Seriously, I gave you enough material to warrant an actual response. Unless you're done? Are you? I'd like to have had this settled and just go on to a blissful Soxtalk experience ignorant of your existence. I'm just asking you to answer my original question. That's all. How would a subsidy and regulatipn-less society work? How would consumers be protected from exploitation?

QUOTE (DukeNukeEm @ Nov 24, 2013 -> 03:44 PM) Ok, when I said "food" I was merely referring to it as an umbrella term for stuff we absolutely need to sustain life in reference to an example you gave. Changing your example does not effectively dodge my argument. And yea, hmm I wonder if we stopped subsidizing Big Pharma and doing other fun little things to entrench their status as a state-endorsed oligopoly we might introduce a great cost limiting mechanism known as competition. I dont know, just a thought. I didn't ask for a snarky hypothetical. Please explain how this system would work in your Utopia.

QUOTE (DukeNukeEm @ Nov 24, 2013 -> 02:46 PM) Youre not talking about the subsidies argument you made, are you? Hey, heres my novel idea, no subsidies for anyone or anything. None! Because all it does is take our money, filter it through a bureaucracy then take whats left and dump it to whoever is politically connected enough. You wouldnt like that though, becomes someone needs to pay for your vocal chords and it sure as hell wont be you. And even if I had to accept a world with subsidies I'd rather they go to food than your voice. So in this no-subsidy, no-regulation world of yours, doctors and pharma companies should be able to charge whatever they want, right? And you expect them to keep prices reasonable out of the goodness of their hearts? Explain how this system would work.

QUOTE (DukeNukeEm @ Nov 24, 2013 -> 02:58 PM) Oh please. Dude, I dont really care about poking fun at me for driving q truck. I know in New York the blue collar world is seen as just a romantic vision of the Gilded Age that you only say you "respect" because you're so devoid of masculinity due to a lifetime of childhood, but dont go playing innocence lost now. You took a shot at me, I was OK, grow up and stop running to some authority figure to protect you. Also, as an aside, want to know why the wage earning middle class votes conservative they way do? I give you Reddy, your party would own every seat in both houses if it wasnt for smug liberal elitism oozing from the trendy cities whos existence we enable. The reason the wage earning "middle class" (is there one?) votes conservative is Jesus. The end. But that's another discussion. And yes Balta is right, I think Duke meant lower class.

QUOTE (DukeNukeEm @ Nov 24, 2013 -> 09:33 AM) This took a while, no cell service on Jekyll Island nor rural West Virginia. Im not stopping just to write on Soxtalk, sorry. Well I can think of one thing that doesn't help my "fellow" change his circumstances, the $400/mo he burns for you to keep in performing shape comes to mind. And that was kind of my initial point, not everyone gets to do whatever the hell they want. A lot of us have to settle for hard work doing something we dont like so we can save to do something else (the fact I have to explain that to you literally pains me). And what if his dream is to just not work? Like he doesnt care what hes doing now just if he can stash enough money to retire at 40 he'll be happy. Start adding up those higher insurance premiums in your head over the course of years... ow. But hey, a thousand miles away we got some guy freelancing in the most expensive city in the Western Hemisphere managing only to afford it because of state handouts saying "live your dream man!" Obviously, thats a little easy for you to say. Ive maintained consistently that if you can support yourself independently I dont give a s*** what you do. But once you cross that state subsidy line you are stealing other people's money and using it for yourself. You are no different than a viral infection, you feed off a host until either the host fights you off or you drain it to death. Youre a disease, a blight. Reddy, you are not living the dream nearly as much as you are living in one. Ive said my peice, I asked politely to be left alone by you because you're so repulsive and you instigated me into asking not so nicely. Can't make any new valid points, spends paragraphs rehashing things he's already said and resorts to name calling and insults. When are you going to grow up? And mods.... what has this kid done to deserve to get reinstated time after time when he clearly isn't learning? Blight? Disease? Repulsive? Really? I'm not at all offended because I just feel bad for the guy, but maybe the political section of this forum isn't the place for him anymore. Just my opinion. I was legitimately trying to have a real discussion this time.

QUOTE (Y2HH @ Nov 22, 2013 -> 10:27 AM) I trust that when they have the power/chance to use this in the future, they will find a way to abuse it in a way democrats didn't intend or imagine. Guess what? Democrats historically haven't been douchebags with the filibuster the way the GOP has under this president. I'm sure you've seen the numbers, but almost half of all nominees filibustered in the history of our country have come in the Obama administration. We blocked 7 Bush appointments. The GOP blocked 30 Obama appointments in the first term alone. Something had to be done, and frankly I don't see this biting us in the ass in the way you imagine for exactly that reason.

QUOTE (DukeNukeEm @ Nov 22, 2013 -> 11:57 AM) Guys, I've been saying s*** a lot worse about public employees for months. Lay off. I have to drive in like 2 minutes so I'll say my bit later. Well?

QUOTE (Y2HH @ Nov 22, 2013 -> 12:08 PM) At least you understand my sense of humor. we've gone enough rounds for me to pick up on it by this point i think

QUOTE (Y2HH @ Nov 22, 2013 -> 11:57 AM) I'll play the media to your politician: Bill O'Reilly: Nice filibuster there, Reddy. What you should have done was simply disagree with him about your chosen lifestyle, versus being insulted that a truck driver -- of all people -- has the gall to be insulted. Whether he's a janitor or a doctor shouldn't come into play. Pinhead. EDIT: (And if I were a politician you'd be absolutely right. But as I'm a person, and a person who's proud of what he does, yes... yes I actually do look down on someone who drives a truck IF he has other things he'd rather do with his life)

QUOTE (Y2HH @ Nov 22, 2013 -> 11:45 AM) Forced to agree with that opinion. Reddy was making a solid point until he took that swipe, it made it impossible for me to remember or pay attention to the rest of what he said. It wasn't meant to be a jab at blue collar jobs or others that do them. Obviously it's important that people do these jobs and yes - there is nothing wrong with being a blue collar worker. (I feel like a politician "clarifying" my position. haha) It was just meant to illustrate the martyrdom he tries to achieve and that I described in my response to pettie. I personally find it ironic that a truck driver could be so holier-than-thou about another person's chosen profession, but I also understand how that comes off as me - in turn - feeling that same superiority. So I get where you're coming from. My bad.

QUOTE (pettie4sox @ Nov 22, 2013 -> 11:26 AM) +1 Reddy don't go to that level man. It's just not worth it. But to USE that blue collar job and hold it up and shove it in others' faces as if YOU'RE doing REAL WORK while the rest of us are just "parasites"? Come on man. That's the point I'm making. Please tell me you understand that.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Nov 22, 2013 -> 11:25 AM) There is nothing wrong with driving a truck or any other blue-collar labor. I wish people wouldn't use that as an insult. After what he wrote about me, that's what you take away from my response? Pathetic.

QUOTE (DukeNukeEm @ Nov 22, 2013 -> 10:19 AM) But here's the thing man.. I really am serious. Some poor guy in an awful decaying industrial town who doesnt really go to the doctor is paying like 4 times what he should be so you can live in New York chasing the dream and getting your vocal chords checked on the cheap. Thats not ever going to end, thats a lifetime for him. He's down at the plant and youre trying to be an actor the big city. Forever. Hes got dreams too. Maybe he really wants to restore an old Mustang or he really likes the Lord of the Rings movies and wants to go to New Zealand. It could be anything, the key point is because you living your dream requires a subsidy he cannot live his. You say your appreciate it (you f***ing better) and that youd do likewise to someone else if you had enough money. But you dont, and you cant. Thats what makes everything you say so hollow. I mean its easy for you to say you'd be all magnanimous but when youre living on the backs of someone elses hard work to chase a dream youve already established a strong disconnect from reality. Its wrong. On a lot of levels. And you cant justify it by spitting out your fantasy world hypotheticals because this is actually happening. Its here, you are living your dream and hes stuck wishing. Maybe he should make more, maybe the rich are f***ing people over and maybe your big socialist dreamworld will make it all better. I feel strongly that it wont but I entertain the notion that I could be mistaken. This, the money youre getting and the unbelievable f***ing nerve you have to brag about it, is totally and unequivocally wrong. I am 100% certain there is no ethical framework short of sociopathy that accomodates it. It enrages me, makes me sad, makes me feel physically ill just thinking about it. So seriously, evaluate yourself. My grandparents who worked for Inland and US Steel for 40 years would disown me if I was doing what youre doing. My big liberal parents wouldnt invite me to Thanksgiving. Not that I would ever even think about taking the money anyways, I just couldnt sleep at night knowing what I was doing. One simple question: Why can't your fellow in that industrial town change his circumstances? You're all about freedom right? If he's not happy in his situation and wants to be doing something else or chasing his dream, then tell me why the hell he doesn't do it? He has that option available to him too! He's not a victim (as you portray him to be) unless he decides to be. That is his choice. The government didn't create this program for me personally - but for everyone in the country. Do you truly, truly believe that if your hypothetical man had the OPTION of a subsidy he wouldn't take it? Do you think he takes tax credits every April? Do you think his farm is subsidized by the government? I'm paying for that! So you see, it all goes around in one big circle. He pays for my health care, I pay for his farm. You're so good at playing the victim even though you think you're this high and mighty fend-for-myself type character. But the reality is you're a wannabe martyr. You want to fall on your sword left and right proving how high above us all you are. And the sad thing is? You drive a truck for a living. Yikes. Could you be more delusional?

QUOTE (DukeNukeEm @ Nov 21, 2013 -> 09:18 PM) Punish success, reward sloth. America, all better now! Seriously, its hard to take you seriously anymore. Now that I know youre just a parasitic drain its not fun, it just kind of makes me ill. Can you leave me alone or something? Like as a favor. I just dont like being reminded you exist. Edit- I'd like remind everyone that I put that very politely as to not offend. Its just a request. you truly believe that 60% of this country are just lazy? Really? EDIT: Oh, and I've never taken you seriously so don't worry babydoll

QUOTE (DukeNukeEm @ Nov 21, 2013 -> 07:55 PM) So in order to prove me wrong that it wouldnt require a massive bureaucracy you list a bunch of massive bureaucracies. Do do dodododo do do dooodooo. I mean the plan is flawed for a million reasons, but the overarching one to me is if we live in a country of such wealth and resources how can anyone really be so pathetic as to not make a living themselves. And do those people really deserve a $15k reward every year? did you watch the video i posted? probably not. The bottom 60% of Americans have 7% of the wealth. The top 1% of Americans have 40% of the wealth. You want to know why people can be so pathetic as not to make a living? That's why.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Nov 21, 2013 -> 08:02 PM) I pointed out that those bureaucracies would be consolidated, and that contrary to your insistence, the website for Obama care isn't representative of the entirety of government. I can't believe you actually made that second argument in good faith because it's so silly. This is Duke we're talking about.