[mekrob]

$245 billion for Iraq (and Afghanistan a little)? We've spent about half a trillion in Iraq over the past four years and we're about to increase that by 50% in one year? That's quite a step up, Mr. Bush. I believe that's about triple what it was last year. Is that because of the extra 15% troops? Are those troops firing golden bullets or what?

[Zardoz]

More details here:

11.3 percent hike proposed for Pentagon budget

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'P')resident Bush's 2008 budget request includes $624.6 billion in defense spending and marks the first time he has offered an estimate of how much the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will cost a year in advance.

On top of $93.4 billion in additional money for this year's war operations and $141.7 billion in projected war costs for next year, the administration is seeking $481.4 billion to run the Defense Department in the budget year beginning Oct. 1. That is an 11.3 percent increase over the $432 billion approved by Congress for this year. Also in the request for department spending is a little less than $2 billion for benefit programs.

[Prince]

My question is how does anyone HONESTLY expect his policies to balance the budget by 2012? He's made it clear that his tax cuts are to be made permanent if he has any say in the matter. Unless they ax a TON of social programs, I can't imagine the budget being balanced with the current policies.

[mekrob]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', '
')On top of $93.4 billion in additional money for this year's war operations and $141.7 billion in projected war costs for next year,

[Tyler_JC]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('mekrob', '
')Ok, so that's not a 200% increase. But they are projecting an increase of 50% next year? Now why would they think that? What exactly could cost an additional 50 billion dollars in Iraq? That's quite a steep increase.

[strider3700]

Also remember that last year was an election year. It's budget probably should have been far worse but they did their best to let things slide until this year when it all caught up again.

[careinke]

21.5 percent of the federal budget for the military. That sounds completely reasonable to me. I wonder where the rest of the money is going?

Cliff (Start a revolution, grow a garden)

[Ayame]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('mekrob', '$')245 billion for Iraq (and Afghanistan a little)? We've spent about half a trillion in Iraq over the past four years and we're about to increase that by 50% in one year? That's quite a step up, Mr. Bush. I believe that's about triple what it was last year. Is that because of the extra 15% troops? Are those troops firing golden bullets or what?

[Denny]

See France is healthcare leader, US comes dead last: study

Though I am no fan of privatized health care, I find this article hard to believe. I think it may be mixing up lifespan with health care. I think in most ways, the U.S. has superior health care facilities and equipment. For instance its common for Canadians in southern Ontario to be sent to New York or Michigan for certain treatments when their local hospitals are backed up. So, while it may be expensive, health care in the U.S. is high quality. For instance, back five years ago, there were more MRI machines in Buffalo than there were in Toronto, though Toronto is at least twice as populous.

I think much of our North American problems, both U.S. and Canada, revolve around lifestyle. Too little exercise for starters. When in Ireland and Denmark this past summer, it was amazing to see so many people walking or biking everywhere. You'll see Irish people in their 60's giving a typical American half that age a run for their money just walking down the street.

Then, there is the food we consume. I find many African-Americans make very bad food choices. You go to the shopping centre and you see so many out of shape. Really out of shape, even the young ones. And many whites are not any better.

So, to be fair to the health system, the reality is that much of the population does not practice a healthy lifestyle to begin with. And, then there are drugs and guns, they kill many young people. Also, car crashes. We all drive too much. Unsafe sexual practices too.

I think if many Americans and Canadians adopted the strict lifestyle of the Mormons for instance, the lifespans could not help being longer. And, it would also leave more space in the hospitals to deal with those who became ill through no fault of their own.

I don't know if it would really help if U.S. health care was made public. Sure, on one hand, it may open the door for poorer people to seek earlier treatment. But, even if you are poor, I don't think anybody is denied health care, don't they usually extend credit? And even if your are poor, you should take responsibility to seek early treatment for your body, just as you would for your automobile if its not running well.

[lateStarter]

I wouldn't be suprised to find that the US spends more per capita than anyone else. Unfortunately it seems to be spent primarily on treatment rather than prevention. It is also strange to hear numbers like: 48 million Americans have no health coverage at all...

But c'mon! Prevention is not a 'growth' industry like treatment is,(especially involving pharmaceuticals) so that would be un-American to promote it. Public provided health care is never going to happen in the US.

[Roy]

You all didn't see the Presidential debates last Saturday?

The one where the candidates kept saying that the US had the best health care in the world, and the one where Mitt Romney said that 47 million Americans don't have health insurance because they "choose not to".

The one where Mitt, if elected, would mandate that all Americans purchase health insurance. I bet his donations from the health insurance companies surged when he said that.

What a great idea!!! Obvioulsy more of the same fucked up policies that got us where we are is the answer. Now, why didn't I think of that?

[vision-master]

Here's a snip about our Healthcare system from another forum. FYI: This guy is a Doctor.

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'W')hen will the people wake up and realize what an absolute ass fucking they are getting from insurance companies?

You think government will be any different?

You don't have insurance- you have a service plan. Go get an extended service plan on your vehicle. It's exactly the same as "health insurance." They tell the mechanic what brand parts to use; what type (rebuilt or new), or even if the repair is authorized. EXACTLY what your insurance company does to doctors and other providers.

The revolution is coming. Try to find a doctor in your single payor system once it comes online. They will be swamped with new patients, eager to get their free healthcare. Costs will skyrocket, but never fear- the government is here. They will ration the doctors, MRI's, surgeries, drugs, and medical devices. IF you die waiting... well, that just saves a few bucks.

[Kingcoal]

Yeah, I think that the problem with these studies is that they blame the healthcare industry for all health problems. Go to any US hospital and you'll find them stuffed with people who lead unhealthy lifestyles. That is not the fault of healthcare providers. Eat shit and your body will turn to shit. American food choices are often very poor, literally overdosed with sugar and starch. I would guess that the French, on the whole, just eat better food, probably prepared from scratch at home. There's nothing like home cooking. If you look at a lot of modern US households, no one knows how to cook and they eat a lot of prepared crap. They also eat out at a lot of fast food restaurants. You can lead the horse to water...

The stupid thing is that you can eat so well in the US - for cheap! Prepared foods are very expensive, but the ingredients are really cheap at US grocery stores. We can make a delicious meal at home for maybe $3 per plate.

[idomar]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', ' ')The 19 countries, in order of best to worst, were: France, Japan, Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States.

[I_Like_Plants]

I agree - the US having a money-based system, if you have the money, you can buy the best healthcare.


for the other 80% of us, yes, adopting the Mormon lifestyle is probably best - they are rightwing racist mofos, and I've never met one of those I didn't like! If adopting a lifestyle because of belief, and getting health benefits out of it also, happens, then so much the better!

[vision-master]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('I_Like_Plants', 'I') agree - the US having a money-based system, if you have the money, you can buy the best healthcare.


for the other 80% of us, yes, adopting the Mormon lifestyle is probably best - they are rightwing racist mofos, and I've never met one of those I didn't like! If adopting a lifestyle because of belief, and getting health benefits out of it also, happens, then so much the better!

[Tyler_JC]

Roy,

The government of Massachusetts is providing subsidies to poor people so that they can afford to buy health insurance.

The biggest problem with health insurance is that people can opt out of it.

Young, healthy, 20-somethings rarely buy health insurance because they don't think they need it.

This shifts the risk pool and means that less healthy people are stuck with higher bills, encouraging healthy people with insurance to drop it...and so on.

It's the same problem with auto insurance. Safe drivers don't want it and unsafe drivers can't afford it. But if you force everyone to get it and make them pay for a part of it, rates drop for everyone.

As for RomneyCare, I think it's working (the number of people in Massachusetts without insurance is falling dramatically) and I hope that the rest of the country adopts it.

[I_Like_Plants]

Vision-Master yes in fact I'm on a sort of health plan, after about 15 years of no health insurance. What's very good about out here is the vast majority of the population are White and right-wingers. Which means, I can get help like this which I could not get in California, with all the non-whites and discrimination against Whites.

Yes, I'd like to see the Governator be more of a Hitler/Bormann and do more to eliminate non-whites from California. this is why I campaigned for the guy and so far he's let me down. Damn it, I campaigned for a Nazi and it's a Nazi I want!

And I'd like more fellow Whites to wake up to reality that White is Right, and that if they don't live in a decent area, it just takes some Whitening and brightening to turn things around.

Europe is doing better than the US because except for some racially polluted tourist destinations, it's a very White set of countries. Plain and simple - the Volk care for the Volk.

[vision-master]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('I_Like_Plants', 'V')ision-Master yes in fact I'm on a sort of health plan, after about 15 years of no health insurance. What's very good about out here is the vast majority of the population are White and right-wingers. Which means, I can get help like this which I could not get in California, with all the non-whites and discrimination against Whites.

Yes, I'd like to see the Governator be more of a Hitler/Bormann and do more to eliminate non-whites from California. this is why I campaigned for the guy and so far he's let me down. Damn it, I campaigned for a Nazi and it's a Nazi I want!

And I'd like more fellow Whites to wake up to reality that White is Right, and that if they don't live in a decent area, it just takes some Whitening and brightening to turn things around.

Europe is doing better than the US because except for some racially polluted tourist destinations, it's a very White set of countries. Plain and simple - the Volk care for the Volk.

[Pixie]

The report isn't talking about the quality of our facilities. It is talking about our ability to serve our population, which is abysmal. How many people you know won't go to the doctor when they are sick and injured, because it will cost them too much? Even if you have insurance, this is often the case, and it is even worse if you don't. A one-hour visit to an emergency room costs $2800, even if they can't figure out why it hurts. I state this from personal experience.

I broke a rib last summer, but didn't go to the hospital, because I couldn't afford all the x-rays, etc, after which they would just have told me that there was nothing they could do for me. Better to risk serious injury than lose your entire savings for them to tell you that you will survive without treatment. I have a friend who got HIT BY A CAR and made the same choice.

That is why health care in the USA sucks--it is so expensive that people can't afford to take advantage of it.