<p>I completely agree. Isn’t it stupid to have alternative views on things? (I’m for the healthcare bill, I just find this a little amusing)</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>You have absolutely no idea about what you are talking about. 39% of Americans like the bill as is, 13% say it’s not enough, and 43% don’t like it. So 52% of Americans like it as is or want MORE, while only 43% don’t like it.</p>
<p>Bribery? It’s called compromising. It’s probably one of the most necessary things if you want to actually get stuff done.</p>
<p>A half-trillion dollar increase in taxes? You are aware, of course, that we have just come out of an era of RECORD tax cuts for the wealthy? They got away with robbery under the Bush Administration. These new tax hikes simply repeal the Bush tax cuts and then some. Two thirds of the bill is ALREADY PAID FOR by the costs we save by taking care of these people early. E.G. No more ER visits, expensive tests, etc.</p>
<p>You sound like a complete moron. Please don’t post unless you actually know what you’re talking about.</p>
<p>^I like this guy.</p>
<p>^^ I don’t normally agree with Saugus, but he is correct in this regard.</p>
<p>^^^What about the remaining 15 million or so?</p>
<p>“^I like this guy.”</p>
<p>seconded :]</p>
<p>I’m against this health care reform bill. It will affect my family greatly as my father will have to pay for health care for the people he employs in his private medicinal practice. We’re thinking about not giving them health care and just paying the fine as it will be a hell of a lot cheaper, even if we may get taxed a bit.</p>
<p>Honestly, I don’t care to force my opinions on people. I’m just sharing my input on the situation. I feel as if the government will not be able to come up with the funds to facilitate the health care reform. I feel as if it will come straight out of the pockets of the upper middle class / high class societies and this annoys me. Did the upper class not work hard as well? Why should we be punished for being, excuse my bluntness, more successful (monetary wise, before all you guys get riled up and make a money v. happiness debate)? This just doesn’t make sense to me.</p>
<p>Though there is not much I can do about it now. Whatevs.</p>
<p>First I’d like to clarify that no where in my post did I praise Reagan, nor did I say that I was far to the right on the political spectrum and hail Obama as the antichrist. In fact, I have been liberal my entire life but have moved more closely to the centre as a result of this bill. You all can scoff as childishly as you like, tis expected on high school life after all, but let’s not forget that opposing views should be welcomed. If a country is homogenous, that is a sign of trouble. James Madison created checks and balances in our government not to protect the majority, but to protect the minority voices. Of course, this doesn’t really apply to the health care bill since more of our population disagrees with the bill according to yesterday’s gallop poll. In any case, I’m clearly a minority on these forums. Moving on :)</p>
<ol>
<li><p>I stand by my case that many Americans choose an unhealthy lifestyle. You’re anecdote about your three family members can hardly be extrapolated to the entire public. I’m sorry about your personal circumstances though. Let’s use obesity rates as an example. In Tennessee, 30% of the popluation is obese. That’s nearly one in every three people you see on the streets. In Alabama, the rate is over 31%, Oklahoma: 30% and I can go on. The argument that poor people can only afford fast food hence they get fat is absurd. Sure you can’t purchase organic food, but working out and taking jogs will burn off the calories. The fact is, many Americans live a lethargic life in front of their cubicles, television sets and computers (like me right now 
) and munch on crap all day without working out.</p></li>
<li><p>I know very well what socialism means thank you very much. Socialism centers around the belief that wealth concentrates around the minority in a population - exactly what happens in capitalism. Think about this logically. If the government is taxing the rich to support the poor, how is this not an attachment to the fundamental socialist concept behind it?</p></li>
<li><p>Under the health care bill, businesses will be forced to insure every single employee, and failure to do so will result in a $3000 fine. Hardly an incentive to hire more workers hm? </p></li>
</ol>
<p>My economic opinion is that a healthcare bill will not be the end of the world, it will be the end of the United States. (Slightly exaggerated for emotional effect). The fallout, longterm, of a bill that gives everyone a safety net is that our country will sap the dollars from the wealthy and give it to the needy. This group “the needy” will surprisingly grow with time as welfare is something that creates its own spawn. Why work hard and cover your health when you can get it for free? </p>
<p>Again, I understand this is a lost cause since this forum is festered with high-schoolers who have yet to develop serious independent thinking rather than eating up everything our media and the New York Times throws our way. I only took my time to write all these points to give you all some food for thought. Again, I’m not a republican. I’m not even a conservative. But when it comes to universal health care, I feel enough is enough and we need to curb government control. Babble all you want but I’m not coming back to this thread because I know what the overwhelming majority thinks.</p>
<p>Peace sonn</p>
<p>Be glad you don’t live in my country, Canada, where the government has pulled off a complete takeover of the health care system and we are all slaves to its death panels.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Your father will also be given a large tax credit that will pay around 50% of those costs.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>And I feel like the answer to 2 + 2 is 5. It doesn’t matter what you FEEL, because what you FEEL is based on your own stupidity and personal biases. Facts are facts. Two-thirds of the bill is paid for by the waste we will be cutting out of the medical system with this bill. </p>
<p>To use a version of the childish “My dad can beat up your dad” statement, my dad is most likely much wealthier than your dad. My dad understands the importance of taking care of those who are not as fortunate.</p>
<p>Have you ever read the book A Christmas Carol? Remember Tiny Tim? That one kid who was screwed because his parents were poor? Fast forward to 2010, and before this bill, the situation was much the same for many people. Isn’t there something strikingly scary about the fact that we are no better off in modern day America than in 19th century Manchester?</p>
<p>People are people. It’s sickening that you would trade the lives and welfare of millions just so you and your father can stuff your pockets with money earned at the expense of the poor.</p>
<p>If you would actually take the time to read, you would realize that we are merely repealing the RECORD Bush tax cuts and then adding a bit more. We’re not raising taxes to levels not seen before, we’re fixing the massive mistake of the Bush administration.</p>
<p>Of course there’s not much you can do, because you are talking out of your ass.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>You can look down upon us “high school kids” all you want, but you are ill-informed and are about to get your ass handed to you as soon as I or someone else gains the motivation to actually decipher the word salad that has just polluted our corneas.</p>
<p>^ <a href=“http://xkcd.com/386/[/url]”>http://xkcd.com/386/</a></p>
<p>^
So instead of actually making a cohesive effort to reply to my complete beatdown of your warped perception of reality, you’re just going to post a link to a cartoon that describes you just as well as me. It goes to show how little you know and how little you belong in any discussion requiring more than an iota of thought.</p>
<p>It does not refer to me as well as you, because I am making no effort to impose my ideas or will upon others. I was just sharing my opinion.</p>
<p>Relax dude. It got passed. You won. No need to get your knickers all tied up.</p>
<p>^
If you’re not prepared to have your opinion shot down due to patent factual errors, then it’s clear that you should stay out of this thread.</p>
<p>Your opinion is crap. You are an idiot and should stay out of any thread which entails discussion since you know about as much as a fourth-grader regarding this issue. And I apologize to any fourth-grader who is offended at being placed in the same sentence as yourself.</p>
<p>^
If you really want to share your political knowledge with others it would be better not to act like a child and resort to name calling. Have you considered the fact that it is possible that I may change my mind if you allow me to see your point of view through enlightened discussion?</p>
<p>For such an intelligent guy you sure have a way of discouraging intellectual growth.</p>
<p>lol @ sanctimonious high schoolers up in this thread.</p>
<p>^^
I hope you understand the laughable irony of you posting this after having posted a cartoon as a response to my criticism of your post.</p>
<p>^
I hope you realize how blatantly obvious it is that you are avoiding my previous post.</p>
<p>and who doesn’t love xkcd?</p>
<p>^The people at xkcdsucks?</p>