Forget all the stuff about Vietnam. Both Kerry and Bush were in some regards idiots the best I can tell. Both were little rich kids with agendas. Neither man should be basing a political campaign on events from 35 years ago anyway. Let the American people note be confused. This election is about major issues.
Here are some thoughts that were brought to light on the YS boards and my “not so politically correct answers.” For the record, though I am not a card carrying republican, it just so happens that they get most of my votes.
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I am voting for Kerry but I still feel that I am voting for lesser evils than the right choice. I hate that! Does anyone else fee the way I feel?
I always feel that way. So I error on the side of being conservative.I know how you feel. I’m not in love with Bush, but John Kerry is the wrong man. If they had John Edwards as the front-runner they would have a chance… but I digress.For me, there is a single issue that dictates my vote. Abortion. I cannot justify voting for anyone who is OK with killing babies. This dictates my vote from local elections on up. Sad, but true.But I will disagree with the stuff about Kerry caring for the middle class. Under Bush I have been freed up tax wise in unprecedented ways. I expect that if Kerry wins I will be paying 2-3 times more taxes within 4 years. His plan will put less money in my pocket, which I don’t like. The health care has nothing to do with Bush. Here’s a little history lesson that Bush would be wise to start looking at. (I used to work for a monster health insurer, I know why these increases are happening.) In 1993 Bill Clinton inacted HIPPA. Now, on the outset HIPPA was a good thing. It ensured that insured people could take their coverage with them anywhere in the country. So, being insured in MI I would get covered if I got hurt while vacationing in FL. This part of HIPPA went into effect in 1998 for all of the BCBS plans and barely raised rates an inch. However, the vast majority of health care cost increases come from HIPPA’s dirty little secret. Hidden inside the bill were privacy laws that have literally ground hospitals and insurers to a hault. Besides the billions of dollars of HIPPA training the federal government forced insurers and providers to pay for (Who do you really think paid for this?) each company had to re-write how they do business. (Who do you think they passed this cost off to?) Now, under these new privacy laws insurers cannot use any personal information as identifiers. (Who do you think pays for this?) If you call about a bill, under HIPPA the hospital may not be able to tell you things about your bill without your doctors permission. (Who do you think pays for this?) HIPPA requires that everything containing medical information not be sent to landfills but be shredded and burned? (Who do you think pays for this?) I could go on and on. All of these privacy laws are bad. Not a single one of them prevents anyone from hacking into computer databases and stealing personal information. But they all prevent insurers from doing their jobs effeciently and cheaply, taking full advantage of technology. They all slow down claims, which raises rates! (Who do you think pays for that!) You may be wondering how a bill that was signed into law in 1993 didn’t effect health insurance rates until Bush’s term. Well, the darned thing was so nasty to understand and train for that no one was ready when it was supposed to go into effect, plus we had to deal with the Y2K fraud, that the federal government delayed inacting the privacy parts of the law until 11/1/00. Long story short, don’t blame Bush for increased health insurance rates. This has everything to do with the Clinton administration… by the way… HIPPA has been good for some people. Computer programmers, document shredders, white collar administrators for hospitals/health insurers. But all of those new facets to the business add another layer of cost to you as the consumer.
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QUOTE (Theresa @ Sep 9 2004, 08:45 AM)
It may be more urgent to get someone into office before the country goes bankrupt. Since the United States economy controls all of the rest of the worlds economy… I don’t think we have to worry about this. I think the tally has gotten to a couple trillion dollars in the early 90s. Besides, who would the federal government file for chapter 11 with? France?PA
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I would like to point out that a huge reason for rising health care costs in our country are trial lawyers like John Edwards who sue and sue and sue, often times in situations where the wrong people are sued for the wrong reasons etc…don’t have time to go into it, but look into that before you’re quick to criticize Bush/Cheney for healthcare costs.
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QUOTE (estall @ Sep 9 2004, 08:58 AM)
No, I do not blame Bush for healthcare. I do blame him for what is happening in Iraq. Therefore, I think he needs to be fired.Ed I think it’s a little funny that you are contradicting yourself. The United States has taken a stand on terrorism. The United States has taken issue with a rogue nation that refused to live under United Nations rulings as they agreed to do. Bottom line is that Sadaam Hussein broke 1441 with the ramifications being his removal of power. Under the Geneva convention, when a nation does this they are responsible for rebuilding the nation… which is what we are doing. So you think it’s wrong that the president took a stand against a man who slaughtered and gassed his own people? Yet at the same time, the bottom of your post says the exact opposite.
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I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. Elie WieselPretty contradictory… don’t you think?John Kerry has promised to “work with other nations” on solving the problem of Iraq. Who? Germany, France and Russia. Three nations that only exist because of American presidents taking a strong stand against oppressors and living up to the statement of Elie Wiesel. Pretty cute.
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I just thought these opinions were worth sharing elsewhere. We shall see how bad I get flamed!
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