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Off-topic forums => Completely Unrelated => Topic started by: Kudistos Megistos on 2009-08-20 15:50:25
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In the course of my daily procrastination, I came across this:
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/johann-hari/johann-hari-republicans-religion-and-the-triumph-of-unreason-1773994.html
I don't read the newspapers very much (for good reason: British newspapers are the worst in the world), but I have liked most of the articles I've read by Johann Hari, and I found this one very amusing. My favourite bit was:
These increasingly frenzied claims have become so detached from reality that they often seem like black comedy. The right-wing magazine US Investors' Daily claimed that if Stephen Hawking had been British, he would have been allowed to die at birth by its "socialist" healthcare system. Hawking responded with a polite cough that he is British, and "I wouldn't be here without the NHS"
I'll just sit here and see what kind of trouble this causes :-D
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:lol: (D) Rep. Barney Frank's response at a town hall meeting on Tuesday. Some lady asked how he could support a Nazi policy like this health plan. He responded with, "On what planet do you spend most of your time?"
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But socialised ( :lol: ) medicine is EVIL! What's next? Socialised education? Socialised police forces? Socialised fire services? Socialised armed forces? Oh, wait...
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Whilst this kind of thing is stupid and useless to debate, it is true that the british NHS has become a free for all for any dosser, sponger and foreigner... There are pros and cons to everything. But that type of talk is stupid.
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Whenever I hear the rantings and ravings of people like Palin and Ann Coulter, it really puts things into perspective. At least things aren't that bad over here. Yet...
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I'm glad you brought up this topic Kudistos Megistos. I'm not understanding either the Democrats or Republicans actions. George W. Bush has put the Republican party on life support. The Republican policies of leaving big business to capitalism and less regulation was part of what led to the economic disaster many Americans face. The election of the new congress shows many have lost trust in the party. So why are they playing these games? If you disagree with some legislation that's fine, but put up a decent argument. They are doing the same nonsense by having the Fox "News" Network say how there will be death panels deciding your fate. The Republican party will not earn the trust of a nation back with more lies and fear. I don't know, they might say the bill contains weapons of mass destruction or something as a last ditch effort. The Democrats have been held down for years unable to pass their legislation. They have the power now but they don't have the balls to go along with passing their legislation with the majority in both offices of congress and a new popular president in office.
If others haven't seen the town hall meeting with Barney Frank, it is hilarious. When challenged about Canada's prescription coverage, he mentioned something along the lines that he hasn't seen a bunch of dead Canadians lying around during his visits. How is this socialist health care when the private companies still exist? If you want to see some interesting statistics, try and find the Rachael Maddow show with Bill Maher the other night. Over 20% of republicans polled believed Medicare was not a government program and over 80% of those polled got their "facts" from the Fox "News" Channel. If there is gonna be debate both sides need to get their facts straight.
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not bad? in britiain? you guys have it much worse there than in the US....well for now.
we're going to get the same treatment as brits very soon.
i can't really specifiy atm, but i have read countless reports of brownshirt activity, police brutality, rioting, protests, medical issues involving vaccines being forced on people (who thankfully knew not to take them)
that and the bills that they are attempting to pass such as being required to install government cameras in your home to make sure you are "raising your children properly"
...yup
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medical issues involving vaccines being forced on people (who thankfully knew not to take them)
(http://borgborg.org/double_trek_facepalm.jpg)
Pandemics FTW!
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Lawl bandito
i'm wondering what you have to say about all of this?
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not bad? in britiain? you guys have it much worse there than in the US....well for now.
we're going to get the same treatment as brits very soon.
i can't really specifiy atm, but i have read countless reports of brownshirt activity, police brutality, rioting, protests, medical issues involving vaccines being forced on people (who thankfully knew not to take them)
that and the bills that they are attempting to pass such as being required to install government cameras in your home to make sure you are "raising your children properly"
...yup
Been watching the O'Reilly factor? :-D
I was talking about the craziness of some American politicians and pundits. We have a few ourselves whose perception of reality is questionable, but yours are on a different level.
Now a few words on the other things you said. It's true that Labour have been pissing all over personal freedoms and privacy recently. Fortunately, the number of people installing cameras* is a lot greater than the numbers watching them. A camera on its own can't invade your privacy; someone needs to be watching through it. Most of what the government has been trying to do is completely unfeasible, much like attempts by Australian politicians to censor the internet. The thing that's most worried me is their attempt to say what pron we can watch: f*ck you, puritan freaks.
Also, Labour only has nine months left to try to pass as many laws as possible, and Gordon Brown's authority as leader (he was almost ousted a few months ago) is so weak that Labour MPs don't worry very much about rebelling and voting against him. Why nine months left? Because Brown needs to call a general election at some time before 3rd June 2010 (since the last one was in 2005), and ATM the only thing that could stop the Tories winning would be an announcement by David Cameron that he is a paedophile or a terrorist. The Tories are way out in front of Labour in the polls; in fact, at one point earlier this year Labour became the third most popular party in the UK, overtaken by the Liberal Democrats (although I think that's changed now). Since Labour usually benefits from the first-past-the-post system, the general election will probably be closer than the popular vote, but still, their time is up. Hopefully the Conservatives won't be as bad (you know something is wrong when you hear yourself saying this :-P). I mean, they can't be any worse, right?
* something a lot of people who complain about CCTV in Britain forget is that the majority of cameras are in private hands, for things like home security and small businesses.
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Kudistos... the last time the Tories were in power... Well.... ahem. I'm really not the biggest fan of either parties at the moment but as it currently stands the Conservatives are looking to be the lesser of two evils. Unfortunately, they're winning. The last time it was the SNP that actually won (only by about two seats, but still) in Scotland. I voted for them, even though I'm not overly fond of the idea of Scotland being its own country.
What scares me is that the BNP (also known as the fascist or racist party) actually got seats at the EU summit. Arrghh!!! I once witnessed a megaphone fight between the BNP and the SSP on Argyle street. It was rather funny. "Do not believe their racist lies!"
And Xelane, what exactly are you talking about "medical issues such as vaccines being forced on people"? I didn't understand that, I'm not aware of any such legislation.
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medical issues involving vaccines being forced on people (who thankfully knew not to take them)
(http://borgborg.org/double_trek_facepalm.jpg)
Pandemics FTW!
you can always count on El Ammo to post those! they always make me laugh! :-D
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Kudistos... the last time the Tories were in power... Well.... ahem.
And the last time Labour were in power... :-P
I'm really not the biggest fan of either parties at the moment but as it currently stands the Conservatives are looking to be the lesser of two evils. Unfortunately, they're winning.
Surely that's a good thing? Better than the worse of two evils winning
What scares me is that the BNP (also known as the fascist or racist party) actually got seats at the EU summit. Arrghh!!! I once witnessed a megaphone fight between the BNP and the SSP on Argyle street. It was rather funny. "Do not believe their racist lies!"
One can always rely on the BNP for lulz.
Also, consider this:
Despite the fact that they seem to get more media coverage than anyone else, they tend to get a tiny proportion of the popular vote in general elections; less than 1% in the last one. Le Front national in France often get about 15% of the votes over there and their presidential candidate came second in the 2002 elections (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_presidential_election,_2002). By the standards of continental Europe, the far-right in Britain is very weak.
They didn't get any more votes than last time in the recent European elections; they only did better because so many traditional Labour supporters didn't vote as a result of the expenses scandal.
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Awesome points.
Of course the lesser of two evils winningis preferable, but I dunno. The Tories in power again? The idea kind of gives me the creeps. I'd rather see the Lib Dems in.
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I'd rather see the Lib Dems in.
Wouldn't we all? :roll:
Unfortunately they are nowhere near media-savvy enough to do well, not to mention that the first-past-the-post system is very bad for them; they'd have a big influence if we had proportional representation.
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Lawl bandito
i'm wondering what you have to say about all of this?
That it's typical Repugnant bullshit, to put it shortly.
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ok what's bullsh*t?
me?
or what i said?
i r confuzzled
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Both, their antics pointed out in the article linked by Kudistos Megistos and your post. While every country - including UK - has issues, you seem to be buying straight into the O'Reilly-Faux News-Malkin-Limbaugh-bullsh*t, without a shadow of a doubt.
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i don't even listen to o'riley
i have never watched any of his work
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Pfft, I'm going to read through the comments. From what I've read so far (http://opinion.independentminds.livejournal.com/1130511.html?thread=11454223#t11454223), they seem to be pretty funny.
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Pfft, I'm going to read through the comments. From what I've read so far (http://opinion.independentminds.livejournal.com/1130511.html?thread=11454223#t11454223), they seem to be pretty funny.
LOLLERSKATES :-D
It's as if he were his own worst enemy. Well, either him, or logic. :-P
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I think his worst enemy is the English language. His name suggests he's a native speaker, which is very worrying.
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Well, that too. :-P
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If anyone wants a good laugh, check out Jon Stewart's full interview with Betsy McCaughey. For those that are unaware, she is the one who "interpreted" the US health care reform bill as having the "death panels." Putting value on an individuals life and others deciding whether the price of treatment was prudent to keeping the person alive. I guess she didn't count on the fact that Jon Stewart actually read the document (ZOMG 1000+ pages, no waiz). Whenever they disagreed about the wording of the document, she said he was wrong in his interpretation. His rebuttal? The document was on the desk. He simply asked her to show him the parts of the bill she was paraphrasing. She flopped like a fish out of water and made an ass out of herself, even claiming the pages she was citing were missing from the copy. The full interview could not fit in its entirety, but it is available as extended clips on the website. The air date of the show is August 20. I just found it hilarious because the day after this interview Betsy McCaughey "resigned" from her position. Many feel her position was subject to her own little "death panel" and was out of her hands entirely.
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In other news, it seems that (contrary to what some think) the NHS is very kind to pensioners. So kind, in fact, that it gives viagra to 71-year-old paedophiles
(http://i32.tinypic.com/2yocv11.jpg)
EDIT:
lol
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2009/08/rush-limbaugh-compares-new-health-care-logo-to-nazi-swastika/comments/page/4/
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32372258/ns/health-health_care/