[mattduke]

You should see what the government is doing to health care prices now that they account for 50% of health care spending.

[ian807]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('mattduke', 'Y')ou should see what the government is doing to health care prices now that they account for 50% of health care spending.

[mattduke]

You saw what happened to house prices when government got involved. Look what they are paying teachers.

http://www.sfgate.com/webdb/csupay

[mattduke]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('ian807', 'O')h, GIVE IT UP! All you're saying is that Americans are too lame and stupid to do what every other western democracy has done. Virtually every other western democracy has managed to come up with a public health care system without bankrupting themselves. --snip--
If we get a healthcare bill that's a mess, it will be because congressional obstructionistas will have caused the mess. Had both sides simply adopted a reasonable system like Canada's or Sweden, we'd be done and on to other things by now.

[ian807]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('mattduke', '
')Thanks Ian. We in the US started a different type of system which worked very well thank you very much until it strayed from it's libertarian roots. Yes Monaco and Andorra exist and look better all the time. Heck, Andorra has the 2nd highest life expectancy. Probably should move before the iron curtain falls on the US. So long as I am free not to participate in your medical experiments I don't care what you do. But allowing me the freedom to not participate isn't part of the plan, is it Ian? Your type always get's out the guns and threats.

[mattduke]

Medicare. Medicaid. Prescription drug benefit. Social Security. Tax breaks for medical insurance. All the programs should be completely eliminated. What we have now is socialized medicine and it isn't working. Everything the government touches ($400 gasoline, tuition, housing bubble) explodes in price. The only parts of medicine that are somewhat rational (laser eye surgery etc) are falling in price and improving in quality. And now you want more. Can you imagine what would happen if the government guaranteed everyone cell phones? How is it that the high prices that nobody can afford are getting paid? The government (already running trillion dollar deficits) prints the money. If they didn't interfere, prices would come down. Let me repeat, the government is already running trillion dollar deficits. The day the health care bill was defeated the dollar rallied. This insanity will accelerate hyperinflation, and then nobody will be getting flour, let alone MRI scans. You want to give the same institution that commits mass murder in countries around the planet control over your healthcare because you've learned to live with it? And yes, ultimately private care will be outlawed since the basis of your theory is that people who have saved money should not be able to purchase superior medical service than those who have not. Reckless endangerment with a vehicle violates a persons right to life. But that does not mean your robin-hood utopian schemes are justified.

[Loki]

This was an interesting data point from the OP's link:
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'T')he Pentagon devours 300,000 barrels of oil daily — about 1.5 percent of total U.S. consumption of 21 million barrels a day.

[ian807]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('mattduke', 'M')edicare. Medicaid. Prescription drug benefit. Social Security. Tax breaks for medical insurance. All the programs should be completely eliminated. What we have now is socialized medicine and it isn't working.

[misterno]

The topic's original question was; what will happen to Pentagon's operations when peak oil hits.

[mattduke]

Well Ian, your first task will be to get a constitutional amendment, because socialized healthcare is certainly not an enumerated power. Revoke the involuntary servitude amendment while you are at it.

[ian807]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('misterno', 'T')he topic's original question was; what will happen to Pentagon's operations when peak oil hits.

[misterno]

Pull back?

Pull back from where?

We have army deployed almost everywhere in the world. That will be a disaster if you ask me.

Iraq and Afghanistan will turn into hell overnight, that is for sure.

[Loki]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('misterno', 'P')ull back?

Pull back from where?

We have army deployed almost everywhere in the world. That will be a disaster if you ask me.

Iraq and Afghanistan will turn into hell overnight, that is for sure.

[eastbay]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Loki', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('misterno', 'P')ull back?

Pull back from where?

We have army deployed almost everywhere in the world. That will be a disaster if you ask me.

Iraq and Afghanistan will turn into hell overnight, that is for sure.

[Loki]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('eastbay', 'L')oki, you sound exactly like me. These are precisely the arguments I've been making here and elsewhere for decades. Only now, under Bush/Obama the military tentacles are reaching into all corners of the world. And you're right. A pullout won't happen. Nearly all Americans want war, war, and more war which is why the US electorate continues electing war freaks like the craziest war freak of them all Americans just elected.

[Hawkcreek]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', ' ') Nearly all Americans want war, war, and more war which is why the US electorate continues electing war freaks like the craziest war freak of them all Americans just elected.

[eastbay]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Loki', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('eastbay', 'L')oki, you sound exactly like me. These are precisely the arguments I've been making here and elsewhere for decades. Only now, under Bush/Obama the military tentacles are reaching into all corners of the world. And you're right. A pullout won't happen. Nearly all Americans want war, war, and more war which is why the US electorate continues electing war freaks like the craziest war freak of them all Americans just elected.

[eastbay]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Hawkcreek', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', ' ') Nearly all Americans want war, war, and more war which is why the US electorate continues electing war freaks like the craziest war freak of them all Americans just elected.

[Loki]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('eastbay', ' ')Anyhow, who knows what will come.... other than it NOT being capitalism.

[Roy]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'A')nd the strange thing is that it is mostly the people who have never taken their turn in the war barrel who talk the hard line. Most of the staunch hawks I know have never been anywhere near a war zone.
Nothing new, I guess. Our politicians have always been more than willing to trade 19 year old American lives for oil and gold.