Rangel-ing the Healthcare Bill

Off Topic Politics and World Issues
1

… or at least the public option.

Back when the Democrats wanted the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to end they did something I thought was pretty brilliant… instead of speaking out against the war (the obvious approach), they feigned support for the war and wanted to reinstitute the draft. This was Rangel who did this (maybe others?). Effective because obviously, who the hell wants to be drafted? No war, no draft!

I think the Repubs should feign support for the public option but insist upon sweeping Big Brother legislation to outlaw lots of things that are bad for us. Smokes, alcohol, fast food, all sweets and stuff like that. And if you believe nonsense, we could also propose outlawing eggs and saturated fats. Literally proposing absurd things but are just not quite retarded enough to be completely laughable. Like reinstituting the draft.

After all, if we’re mandated into paying for the result of people not taking care of themselves, we should mandate how people take care of themselves, right?

The only other option would be to everyone have a card that said whether or not you were on a publicly funded insurance program or not. If you were, you couldn’t buy certain items.

2

[quote]msd0060 wrote:
… or at least the public option.

Back when the Democrats wanted the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to end they did something I thought was pretty brilliant… instead of speaking out against the war (the obvious approach), they feigned support for the war and wanted to reinstitute the draft. This was Rangel who did this (maybe others?). Effective because obviously, who the hell wants to be drafted? No war, no draft!

I think the Repubs should feign support for the public option but insist upon sweeping Big Brother legislation to outlaw lots of things that are bad for us. Smokes, alcohol, fast food, all sweets and stuff like that. And if you believe nonsense, we could also propose outlawing eggs and saturated fats. Literally proposing absurd things but are just not quite retarded enough to be completely laughable. Like reinstituting the draft.

After all, if we’re mandated into paying for the result of people not taking care of themselves, we should mandate how people take care of themselves, right?

The only other option would be to everyone have a card that said whether or not you were on a publicly funded insurance program or not. If you were, you couldn’t buy certain items.[/quote]

When the income tax was introduced to the US, they fought about limiting it to 7% in the highest progression, so that it could not get out of hand.

Alas, evben the opponents of this income tax were against that, because there was no was the American people would stand for such and outrageous amount.

10 years later the highest progression rate was close to 80%.

To put it another way, is you crazy?

3

[quote]orion wrote:
msd0060 wrote:
… or at least the public option.

Back when the Democrats wanted the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to end they did something I thought was pretty brilliant… instead of speaking out against the war (the obvious approach), they feigned support for the war and wanted to reinstitute the draft. This was Rangel who did this (maybe others?). Effective because obviously, who the hell wants to be drafted? No war, no draft!

I think the Repubs should feign support for the public option but insist upon sweeping Big Brother legislation to outlaw lots of things that are bad for us. Smokes, alcohol, fast food, all sweets and stuff like that. And if you believe nonsense, we could also propose outlawing eggs and saturated fats. Literally proposing absurd things but are just not quite retarded enough to be completely laughable. Like reinstituting the draft.

After all, if we’re mandated into paying for the result of people not taking care of themselves, we should mandate how people take care of themselves, right?

The only other option would be to everyone have a card that said whether or not you were on a publicly funded insurance program or not. If you were, you couldn’t buy certain items.

When the income tax was introduced to the US, they fought about limiting it to 7% in the highest progression, so that it could not get out of hand.

Alas, evben the opponents of this income tax were against that, because there was no was the American people would stand for such and outrageous amount.

10 years later the highest progression rate was close to 80%.

To put it another way, is you crazy?

[/quote]

I didn’t realize this. Imagine if they had limited income tax at 7% or 11% or whatever reasonable (low) number–the progressions would have rapidly converged at that level and the nation essentially would have a flat tax today.

4

Rangel isn’t brilliant.

(Just as a minor trivia item: I lived for I think two years in the district that votes for him.)

He has been in favor of the draft basically forever, I think. That has nothing to do with Afghanistan or brilliant strategy.

Rather, it is his race-based thinking. In the volunteer Army, a relatively higher percentage of blacks chooses to enlist compared to whites, relative to population. Rangel doesn’t like this many blacks by their own choice being in the military – that is exploitation – and therefore wants people forced into it so that there will not be a higher percentage of blacks (who are there by their own choice.)

You see, as a liberal he knows better for them than they can decide for themselves.

5

[quote]Bill Roberts wrote:
Rangel isn’t brilliant.

(Just as a minor trivia item: I lived for I think two years in the district that votes for him.)

He has been in favor of the draft basically forever, I think. That has nothing to do with Afghanistan or brilliant strategy.

Rather, it is his race-based thinking. In the volunteer Army, a relatively higher percentage of blacks chooses to enlist compared to whites, relative to population. Rangel doesn’t like this many blacks by their own choice being in the military – that is exploitation – and therefore wants people forced into it so that there will not be a higher percentage of blacks (who are there by their own choice.)

You see, as a liberal he knows better for them than they can decide for themselves.[/quote]

Hmmmmm…that same position played out on an episode of The West Wing. Congressman Mark Richardson, of the Black Caucus, made that same point to Toby Zeigler, White House Communications Director in a Season Four episode. A lot of that show was based on things in real life. I wonder if Rangel was the inspiration for that bit.