[PrestonSturges]

It really is "The Shock Doctrine." A year after the bank bubble burst, we've seen the corporations basically pull off a coup by buying Congress.

And the terrifying thing is that we have the corporations have managed to purchase all the outrage of the public and use it to protect the corporations on health care, global warming, and the redistribution of wealth to the top 1%. The teabagger are the "useful idiots" of corporate America.

[Ibon]

I will share a story, a bit of personal history that is far enough in my past to no longer incriminate myself. I was a regional director managing international distributors once for a large multinational corporation. We had a large project in Mexico that was for over a million us$ supplying a number of public hospitals with equipment. Before the tender was released I visited the government officials and government purchasing office with my local representatives and we made "arrangements" so that we would be awarded the project. We gave the officials the details of our products so that they would put specifications in the tender that only our products could fulfill. This is referred to as a lock out spec.

So we were essentially "awarded" the project before the tender was released. Like all our competitors we entered the tender with our bids, won the project, fulfilled our obligation as part of the "arrangement".

That was a small project worth only a million dollars but even at that level it was large enough to already be negotiated on beforehand.

And now we look at the health care reforms here in the US that for the insurance industry and pharmaceutical companies has a consequence worth tens of billions of dollars annually.

The final health care bill that will emerge from congress and signed by our President was negotiated a long time ago. What you have seen on the television with Lieberman and all the different options has all been theater. All going through the motions.

The Bush agenda was overt and basically in your face FUCK YOU we will do it our way.
What we have with Obama is a FUCK YOU that is a more subtle form.

[flapjax]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Ibon', 'T')he Bush agenda was overt and basically in your face FUCK YOU we will do it our way.
What we have with Obama is a FUCK YOU that is a more subtle form.

[PrestonSturges]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('flapjax', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Ibon', 'T')he Bush agenda was overt and basically in your face FUCK YOU we will do it our way.
What we have with Obama is a FUCK YOU that is a more subtle form.

[Ibon]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('PrestonSturges', '
')
"Blue Dog" Democrats are the ones fowling things up, and the senators from small states that feel free to ignore their constituents because they can get enough industry money to be undefeatable.

[PrestonSturges]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Ibon', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('PrestonSturges', '
')
"Blue Dog" Democrats are the ones fowling things up, and the senators from small states that feel free to ignore their constituents because they can get enough industry money to be undefeatable.

[frankthetank]

I don't take sides, but this country is doomed anyways. Anyone read the other story today? The one where the House upped the debt limit? That is the real story. We are bankrupt and nobody knows how to stop spending. Take what you can while you can!

[leaflight]

Its a Wealth care bill more than health care bill period. Where they thru it intend to tell you where you wealth goes and how much for what they say.

I still have no regrets for not entering the middle class mirage maze rat race.

I'm a minimalist, and at least I can say is no gooberment has fleeced me.I dont make enough money to be fleeced.And I dont have any material possessions in my name.

I do have home security home and land paid for but its not in my name, nice vehicle paid for and its not in my name either. Lucked out basicly inheritance you could say.And where I live the property taxes are cheap cheap.

I feel for all those middle class people who went thru high school some thru even college worked 40 to 60 hours a week plus made middle class income for the bells and whistles of this or that , and now some in the gooberment is going to tell you what bells and whistles you can have and how much for them.

I dropped out in 9th grade and got a GED , and no I'm not stupid, so some Iq test showed.

I just couldnt see spending 25% of your life to get a highschool diploma be it going by avg lifespan is
75 and you go to school till year 18, then , go to college and spend more years of your life,to work many hours a week for bells and whistles of this or that and then just to get fleeced, and or to say the least told how you can spend your wealth by the gooberment.

Just like I cant see the sanity of having to make minium wage of your pay to just pay for property taxes, and calling that home ownership.And later having to lose all that because maybe got laidoff, medical reasons etc etc, after all the years of working for it.

Dont get me wrong I believe in hard/smart work, but not to lose it all in such a easy way, or to get it fleeced.

Experience is a costly master as some say, and I seen years ago what was coming in the 90s they were talking about such wealth/health care bills, in some circles, to bring up years down the road like now they are trying.

I feel for those getting fleeced, I truly do.As the saying goes to each their own, and experience is a costly master.

[Plantagenet]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('PrestonSturges', ' ')Isn't this what the GOP... wanted

[Tyler_JC]

You really can't blame this one on the Republicans.

Every single amendment proposed by Republicans in the House was voted down along party lines. Every single one.

In the Senate, the only amendments that were accepted were purely technical and had no impact on the actual policy.

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2009/sep/09/barack-obama/Obama-says-health-plan-incorporates-ideas-of-Democ/

[highlander]

The latest news says the bill is dead. I don't buy it. I agree with a previous post that all this is just theater. The insurance companies wrote the bill and bought the lawmakers. The repubs get to slide this time because they are the minority. We will get a bill that mandates health care insurance for everybody. It will then be time for civil disobedience.

[Homesteader]

I am so glad I moved out of the US two years ago. My families health insurance is 100% covered, no copays. That alone is saving us $700 a month compared to the state plan for teachers in NC.

No plans on going back either.

Oh, and we've bought some truly beautiful persian rugs.

[flapjax]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('highlander', 'T')he latest news says the bill is dead. I don't buy it. I agree with a previous post that all this is just theater. The insurance companies wrote the bill and bought the lawmakers. The repubs get to slide this time because they are the minority. We will get a bill that mandates health care insurance for everybody. It will then be time for civil disobedience.

[PrestonSturges]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Tyler_JC', 'Y')ou really can't blame this one on the Republicans.

Every single amendment proposed by Republicans in the House was voted down along party lines. Every single one.

In the Senate, the only amendments that were accepted were purely technical and had no impact on the actual policy.

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2009/sep/09/barack-obama/Obama-says-health-plan-incorporates-ideas-of-Democ/

[PrestonSturges]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('flapjax', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('highlander', 'T')he latest news says the bill is dead. I don't buy it. I agree with a previous post that all this is just theater. The insurance companies wrote the bill and bought the lawmakers. The repubs get to slide this time because they are the minority. We will get a bill that mandates health care insurance for everybody. It will then be time for civil disobedience.

[flapjax]

Absolutely, Preston. My thoughts exactly. I'm glad someone lives in the same world I do.

[hardtootell-2]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('PrestonSturges', '
')That's the truly scary part: you have a large demographic that wil ONLY accept information in Orwellian Newspeak of screaming right wing gibberish.

The teabaggers will be told it's the UN invasion, Fox news will claim it's Obama's ACORN army, the fundies will be told it is the demon-possessed forces of the Anti-Christ, the Minute Men will be told they are Mexicans, the White Supremacists will be told they are race traitors.

All these groups live in a propaganda fantasy world where they are primed for violence against other Americans, and they will accept whatever they are told not matter how absurd. They have been getting pumped up for this since 9-11, and they are just waiting for the order.

We are looking at the Libertarians morphing into literally corporate-controlled Brownshirts.

[bshirt]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('PrestonSturges', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Revi', 'W')hat happened to the public option? How about buying into medicare early? What is left?

They can get stuffed in my opinion.

You can't get blood from a turnip.

[flapjax]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('hardtootell-2', 'W')ow! Bizarro world. I am SO glad I don't live there.

[PrestonSturges]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('flapjax', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('hardtootell-2', 'W')ow! Bizarro world. I am SO glad I don't live there.