Arkansas City will not be the focus now, but we can still talk about the town. For now the blog is a blog in search of an identity. Considering what the new niche will be.
This is funny, people are so afraid of change and change is good. If things never changed we would still be riding horses back and forth to work, using kerosene to light our nights and the pony express would be going strong. I think this cartoon says alot!
Well we need to get something going! That cartoon is right, things change and evolve all the time, it doesn't always mean socialism. I imagine when social security and medicare was developed, people were saying socialism. Some changes have been better then others. Otherwise we'd be a stagnant nation. and... I wouldn't have my hair dryer!!(JUST KIDDING)
Two comments Abbreviated - interesting point about what our founders expected .. should we interpret the constitution on that basis, or as if it were a living document. What's good biblical exegesis - what the original author intended - is not necessarily good government. I Love Being Right - Good question. That is indeed the question to debate. how far ?
I have no problem considering health care a public utility. But i am not at all sure that reforming insurance is the answer. Eliminating insurance would be a better option.
JJ - I don't think you ever discuss being worried about the government running our health care and what that means to us.
What happens when the government (the people) can't afford this any more?? What happens when they tell you that you can't have a proceedure?
Or when the fraud really doesn't get any better. They can't control Medicare fraud now, but they are going to open up more government insurance to how many more people?
Plus I don't think it is right to force other people to pay for some. You can argue all day about whether it is the right thing to do as a Christian. God doesn't force us to give. But the government is getting ready to.
Here are some comments on your questions. I think they are good questions, and im just giving opinions, so dont take it as anything other than that ok :)
What happens when the government (the people) can't afford this any more?? > Well, you could reduce some corporate welfare payments - we still spend more for corporate welfare than social welfare - and cut other needless government expenses. like ummmmm say wars against small middle eastern countries. taxation is always a problem, and govt will take as much as it can. the question is where it is spent. . >
What happens when they tell you that you can't have a proceedure? >> What happens now when an insurance company tells you that you cant have a procedure? I know for a fact that some doctors and medical facilities do not tell people about procedures that could save or improve their lives because they know the patient does not have insurance for it. I think this is the weakest argument against health care reform. Currently you have someone who's job is to watch the profit margin and find ways to deny claims... .as opposed to a government agency who is not operating for profit. Im not sure we would be worse off at all. No one has yet explained to me why a HMO is fine but socialized medicine is not ?? >>
Or when the fraud really doesn't get any better. They can't control Medicare fraud now, but they are going to open up more government insurance to how many more people? > There will always be fraud and people abusing the system. That should not be an excuse to not help people who need help. Lets try putting some corporate CEO's in jail for fraud. Like charging the govt $1,000 for a hammer. >>>>
Plus I don't think it is right to force other people to pay for some. >> But its ok to force us to pay for corporate welfare - private jets and 100 million dollar bonuses for executives ? Or, its ok to force us to pay for a war that we have no business being in .. Where is the outrage over that? People turn a blind eye to corporate welfare, but scream when asked to help a poor person.
... You can argue all day about whether it is the right thing to do as a Christian. God doesn't force us to give. But the government is getting ready to. ... God will hold us accountable though, for what we did - or did not do - to help others. Governments were established by God - See Romans 14, and that has to be financed somehow. The govt has always forced people to pay taxes, thast just a part of life. To use some of that to help people who need help - as opposed to giving millions to people who already have millions - seems only fair to me.
I don't think corporate welfare is ok either. But apparently the politicians (the government) like it. Including our current President who gave all those companies the stimulus money.
How about the Dems getting the Louisiana senator to sign onto the Health Care reform for giving her state $100 million? Is that ok?
socialism - a stage of society in Marxist theory transitional between capitalism and communism and distinguished by unequal distribution of goods and pay according to work done
Are we in the transitional period? Why or why not? JJ - you believe in taking from the rich to give to the poor. Do you believe in socialism then?
I dont think we are in that transitional period. I think communism is dead as a social experiment. It didnt work. I dont think it will be coming back any time soon. Cuba is almost done with communism, and that leaves only North Korea as the only "advanced" nation to even by trying it anymore. I am not totally opposed to socialism. Capitalism is great, but there needs to be some laws and such to keep it in check. Any form of government is going to have strengths and weaknesses. I do think the charge of socialism is just a smokescreen to try to distract from the real issue. I would still rather have the government taking care of poor people than building bombs or handing out huge amounts of money to big corporations. Why is it that conservatives cry about some poor joe getting a couple hundred bucks, but you dont hear then complaining about BILLIONS in corporate welfare?
I think we are absolutely in the transitional period between Capitalism and Communism. The liberal democrats, including our President, would LOVE to make this a communist nation. They wouldn't CALL it that, or course, but we are already a socialist nation that still calls itself capitalist. Capitalist nations don't bail out private businesses, or pay for healthcare. In a true capitalist nation, we would not have social security, or give welfare to anyone except for the disabled. This country has been heading toward socialism for a very long time, but this government healthcare will be the largest leap any of us have seen in our lifetime. Ask yourselves this: What will the leap after that be? No more elections for President? An Emperor perhaps? A police state? Nothing you can imagine is impossible as long as good people do nothing.
Maybe Communism isnt as big any more, but there is plenty of socialist countries. All communists are socialist, but not all socialist are communist. There is a difference. Ask Hugo or Obama. He has a fondness for both, not my words, his.
Do you think because you believe in government run health care that makes you a good Christian? Why do you make it the biggest part of your political view? What happened to seperation? I am asking, because I am a Christian also. I give to charity and also volunteer. Isn't that what God asks of us?
I'm sure Jesus would think, why does JJ have extra money to have a computer, how does he have money to go on all these trips instead of giving that extra money to the poor? All the extra's ALL American's have, we are all guilty of that. Why do democrats think they are so generous, by giving away other's people's money? Nancy Pelosi, Obama are wealthy. Why?
God wants YOU to do your part, not force others to. Most of these Democrats are very wealthy and believe in abortion. Isn't that against God's ways?
I'm not asking these questions hatefully, just for the discussion.
and cut other needless government expenses. like ummmmm say wars against small middle eastern countries.
---------------
JJ,
First, I think you miss the point that what they are actually giving away is being done on BORROWED MONEY! Thats the most CRIMINAL part of it all! When they want to correct the deficit and then start redistributing thats an entirely different thing! Make those people ACCOUNTABLE!!!
Second, We are in those wars for the very same reason - we need their oil - and we have spent alot of time and money by previous administrations which were directly or indirectly invovled in nation building. We backed the Afgan freedom fighters in the 80's in their war agianst Russia. But our political will was to not rebuld that country. We simply left it to be ravaged by those who had the Guns. Similar senario in Iraq. Iraq/Iran war! Like it or not we did have a part in the how those Countries turned out. But due to the politcal winds and the budget we stepped away from those areas. We have built a house on sand (oil) and it will be ugly if we can't sustain it! I really have to question whether we have the will today to stand by Isreal! But we will stand for oil!
BTW: According to Pickens Plan.com we spent something like 26 billion on foriegn oil last month! 70% of the U.S. oil consupmtion!
This is funny, people are so afraid of change and change is good. If things never changed we would still be riding horses back and forth to work, using kerosene to light our nights and the pony express would be going strong. I think this cartoon says alot!
ReplyDeleteI think your vain attempt to boost comments says much more than the cartoon does.
ReplyDeleteWell we need to get something going! That cartoon is right, things change and evolve all the time, it doesn't always mean socialism. I imagine when social security and medicare was developed, people were saying socialism. Some changes have been better then others. Otherwise we'd be a stagnant nation. and... I wouldn't have my hair dryer!!(JUST KIDDING)
ReplyDeletewell at least no one has declared a jihad over the cartoon ... not yet anyway.
ReplyDeleteMy question is, how far do we let 'change' go?
ReplyDeletePublic education didn't turn into socialism until Carter founded the Dept of Ed in the late 70's.
ReplyDeletePublic water pays for itself. Money was used to build power & water plants & they are today capitalistic institutions.
The military & highways are two to the things our founders expected government to pay for.
Having health care creates healthier and more productive citizens. Billions of dollars are lost each year due to illness.
ReplyDeleteTwo comments
ReplyDeleteAbbreviated - interesting point about what our founders expected .. should we interpret the constitution on that basis, or as if it were a living document.
What's good biblical exegesis - what the original author intended - is not necessarily good government.
I Love Being Right - Good question. That is indeed the question to debate. how far ?
I have no problem considering health care a public utility. But i am not at all sure that reforming insurance is the answer.
Eliminating insurance would be a better option.
JJ - I don't think you ever discuss being worried about the government running our health care and what that means to us.
ReplyDeleteWhat happens when the government (the people) can't afford this any more?? What happens when they tell you that you can't have a proceedure?
Or when the fraud really doesn't get any better. They can't control Medicare fraud now, but they are going to open up more government insurance to how many more people?
Plus I don't think it is right to force other people to pay for some. You can argue all day about whether it is the right thing to do as a Christian. God doesn't force us to give. But the government is getting ready to.
Here are some comments on your questions. I think they are good questions, and im just giving opinions, so dont take it as anything other than that ok :)
ReplyDeleteWhat happens when the government (the people) can't afford this any more??
>
Well, you could reduce some corporate welfare payments - we still spend more for corporate welfare than social welfare - and cut other needless government expenses. like ummmmm say wars against small middle eastern countries.
taxation is always a problem, and govt will take as much as it can. the question is where it is spent. .
>
What happens when they tell you that you can't have a proceedure?
>>
What happens now when an insurance company tells you that you cant have a procedure? I know for a fact that some doctors and medical facilities do not tell people about procedures that could save or improve their lives because they know the patient does not have insurance for it.
I think this is the weakest argument against health care reform. Currently you have someone who's job is to watch the profit margin and find ways to deny claims... .as opposed to a government agency who is not operating for profit. Im not sure we would be worse off at all.
No one has yet explained to me why a HMO is fine but socialized medicine is not ??
>>
Or when the fraud really doesn't get any better. They can't control Medicare fraud now, but they are going to open up more government insurance to how many more people?
>
There will always be fraud and people abusing the system. That should not be an excuse to not help people who need help. Lets try putting some corporate CEO's in jail for fraud. Like charging the govt $1,000 for a hammer.
>>>>
Plus I don't think it is right to force other people to pay for some.
>>
But its ok to force us to pay for corporate welfare - private jets and 100 million dollar bonuses for executives ?
Or, its ok to force us to pay for a war that we have no business being in ..
Where is the outrage over that?
People turn a blind eye to corporate welfare, but scream when asked to help a poor person.
...
You can argue all day about whether it is the right thing to do as a Christian. God doesn't force us to give. But the government is getting ready to.
...
God will hold us accountable though, for what we did - or did not do - to help others.
Governments were established by God - See Romans 14, and that has to be financed somehow.
The govt has always forced people to pay taxes, thast just a part of life.
To use some of that to help people who need help - as opposed to giving millions to people who already have millions - seems only fair to me.
I don't think corporate welfare is ok either. But apparently the politicians (the government) like it. Including our current President who gave all those companies the stimulus money.
ReplyDeleteHow about the Dems getting the Louisiana senator to sign onto the Health Care reform for giving her state $100 million? Is that ok?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/21/AR2009112102272.html
socialism - a stage of society in Marxist theory transitional between capitalism and communism and distinguished by unequal distribution of goods and pay according to work done
ReplyDeleteAre we in the transitional period? Why or why not? JJ - you believe in taking from the rich to give to the poor. Do you believe in socialism then?
I dont think we are in that transitional period. I think communism is dead as a social experiment. It didnt work. I dont think it will be coming back any time soon.
ReplyDeleteCuba is almost done with communism, and that leaves only North Korea as the only "advanced" nation to even by trying it anymore.
I am not totally opposed to socialism. Capitalism is great, but there needs to be some laws and such to keep it in check. Any form of government is going to have strengths and weaknesses.
I do think the charge of socialism is just a smokescreen to try to distract from the real issue.
I would still rather have the government taking care of poor people than building bombs or handing out huge amounts of money to big corporations.
Why is it that conservatives cry about some poor joe getting a couple hundred bucks, but you dont hear then complaining about BILLIONS in corporate welfare?
I think we are absolutely in the transitional period between Capitalism and Communism. The liberal democrats, including our President, would LOVE to make this a communist nation. They wouldn't CALL it that, or course, but we are already a socialist nation that still calls itself capitalist. Capitalist nations don't bail out private businesses, or pay for healthcare. In a true capitalist nation, we would not have social security, or give welfare to anyone except for the disabled. This country has been heading toward socialism for a very long time, but this government healthcare will be the largest leap any of us have seen in our lifetime. Ask yourselves this: What will the leap after that be? No more elections for President? An Emperor perhaps? A police state? Nothing you can imagine is impossible as long as good people do nothing.
ReplyDeleteMaybe Communism isnt as big any more, but there is plenty of socialist countries. All communists are socialist, but not all socialist are communist. There is a difference. Ask Hugo or Obama. He has a fondness for both, not my words, his.
ReplyDeleteDo you think because you believe in government run health care that makes you a good Christian? Why do you make it the biggest part of your political view? What happened to seperation? I am asking, because I am a Christian also. I give to charity and also volunteer. Isn't that what God asks of us?
I'm sure Jesus would think, why does JJ have extra money to have a computer, how does he have money to go on all these trips instead of giving that extra money to the poor? All the extra's ALL American's have, we are all guilty of that. Why do democrats think they are so generous, by giving away other's people's money? Nancy Pelosi, Obama are wealthy. Why?
God wants YOU to do your part, not force others to. Most of these Democrats are very wealthy and believe in abortion. Isn't that against God's ways?
I'm not asking these questions hatefully, just for the discussion.
and cut other needless government expenses. like ummmmm say wars against small middle eastern countries.
ReplyDelete---------------
JJ,
First, I think you miss the point that what they are actually giving away is being done on BORROWED MONEY! Thats the most CRIMINAL part of it all! When they want to correct the deficit and then start redistributing thats an entirely different thing! Make those people ACCOUNTABLE!!!
Second, We are in those wars for the very same reason - we need their oil - and we have spent alot of time and money by previous administrations which were directly or indirectly invovled in nation building.
We backed the Afgan freedom fighters in the 80's in their war agianst Russia. But our political will was to not rebuld that country.
We simply left it to be ravaged by those who had the Guns. Similar senario in Iraq. Iraq/Iran war!
Like it or not we did have a part in the how those Countries turned out. But due to the politcal winds and the budget we stepped away from those areas.
We have built a house on sand (oil) and it will be ugly if we can't sustain it!
I really have to question whether we have the will today to stand by Isreal! But we will stand for oil!
BTW: According to Pickens Plan.com we spent something like 26 billion on foriegn oil last month! 70% of the U.S. oil consupmtion!
DO YOU WANT HEALTHCARE? OR DO YOU WANT OIL?
You cant' have it all and pay for it!