Quote:Filmmaker Michael Moore glorified the United Kingdom’s National Health Service in his 2007 documentary ”Sicko,” making a cult film argument that socialized medicine works. But Prime Minister David Cameron, the Tory MP who heads a coalition government in England, is apparently not a Moore fan: He is working to partially privatize the NHS, beginning a massive outsourcing of medical services to private health care providers throughout the U.K.

Britain’s media, in particular the Washington Post–Huffington Post hybrid The Guardian, is publishing near-panic-attacks alerts daily about the conservative plan, which comes as the British government scales back on entitlement spending, hoping to avoid a Greek-style financial meltdown.

But in the United States, left-wing enthusiasts of socialized medicine don’t seem bothered at the loss of a role model. Many won’t even acknowledge it.

But we've all seen this story in our news, right? Wait, what?

Quote:Major U.S. media are also ignoring the story. As Cameron’s own health reform bill gathers momentum and heads for a vote in Parliament, online searches show no coverage at all of Britain’s move in The Washington Post or The New York Times.

Quote:Sally Pipes, an American health policy expert who leads the Pacific Research Institute in San Francisco, told TheDC that President Barack Obama, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi will likely ignore any changes in U.K. health policy. Their allies in the U.S. media and public policy establishment, she said, would follow suit.

“They are ideologues,” Pipes said. “They don’t care whether the system really works or not. They have an ideological goal in mind.”

http://dailycaller.com/2012/02/17/as-oba...alth-care/

Quote:Joseph A. Morris, a former Reagan White House lawyer who now serves on the board of the American Conservative Union, told TheDC that socialized medicine has turned out to be a threat to Britons’ health, and to their economy as well.

“Europe’s message to the world is no longer that the socialist dream of the cradle-to-grave welfare state is an easy achievement,” Morris said. “Rather, it is the shouted warning that it is a fool’s paradise. The bills are coming due and the only real alternatives — serious financial reform of government or national bankruptcy — are not pleasant.”

Morris added that the British government, “unlike the Obama administration, is hearing the warnings, identifying its greatest vulnerabilities, and trying to race ahead of the deluge.”

The British media has been predictable in its' response and the Times of London wrote that Health Secretary Andrew Lansley should be “taken out and shot” for pushing the bill through Parliament.

No problem - the NHS will be ready to treat those wounds within about a month or two.

Shocking! A conservative acting like a conservative! Who would have thunk it?

(02-18-2012 04:52 PM)RobertN Wrote:  Shocking! A conservative acting like a conservative! Who would have thunk it?

Shocking! A lib ignoring the failures of the exact same policies they want to replicate here.

The GOP seem to be more like the European Socialist as austerity measures are failing, flailing and causing chaos across the continent while driving their economies further towards the cliff

(02-19-2012 09:01 AM)Mr. Peanut Wrote:  The GOP seem to be more like the European Socialist as austerity measures are failing, flailing and causing chaos across the continent while driving their economies further towards the cliff

Yes, it's the austerity measures that are hurting them, not the enormous debt. The austerity is only causing chaos because of entitled people not willing to give up their handouts in order to save their country. Obviously, that strikes pretty close to home with you.

(02-19-2012 10:49 AM)BlazerFan11 Wrote:  

(02-19-2012 09:01 AM)Mr. Peanut Wrote:  The GOP seem to be more like the European Socialist as austerity measures are failing, flailing and causing chaos across the continent while driving their economies further towards the cliff

Yes, it's the austerity measures that are hurting them, not the enormous debt. The austerity is only causing chaos because of entitled people not willing to give up their handouts in order to save their country. Obviously, that strikes pretty close to home with you.

It is causing chaos because when you fire a large number of people, the economy will suffer and tax revenue will decrease, making the situation worse. But you are from Alabama- one of the bottom states in edumacation- so it is no surprise you wouldn't understand.

So you haven't a clue Robert.

(02-19-2012 10:53 AM)RobertN Wrote:  It is causing chaos because when you fire a large number of people, the economy will suffer and tax revenue will decrease, making the situation worse. But you are from Alabama- one of the bottom states in edumacation- so it is no surprise you wouldn't understand.

Robert when you fire a government worker your net tax revenue goes up... Every dollar they take home is already a tax dollar, so what they might 'pay in taxes' is really inconsequential.

(02-19-2012 10:53 AM)RobertN Wrote:  

(02-19-2012 10:49 AM)BlazerFan11 Wrote:  

(02-19-2012 09:01 AM)Mr. Peanut Wrote:  The GOP seem to be more like the European Socialist as austerity measures are failing, flailing and causing chaos across the continent while driving their economies further towards the cliff

Yes, it's the austerity measures that are hurting them, not the enormous debt. The austerity is only causing chaos because of entitled people not willing to give up their handouts in order to save their country. Obviously, that strikes pretty close to home with you.

It is causing chaos because when you fire a large number of people, the economy will suffer and tax revenue will decrease, making the situation worse. But you are from Alabama- one of the bottom states in edumacation- so it is no surprise you wouldn't understand.

So, we can blame Illinois for you?

(02-19-2012 11:07 AM)Bull_In_Exile Wrote:  

(02-19-2012 10:53 AM)RobertN Wrote:  It is causing chaos because when you fire a large number of people, the economy will suffer and tax revenue will decrease, making the situation worse. But you are from Alabama- one of the bottom states in edumacation- so it is no surprise you wouldn't understand.

Robert when you fire a government worker your net tax revenue goes up... Every dollar they take home is already a tax dollar, so what they might 'pay in taxes' is really inconsequential.

Keep on believing that firing a mass number of government workers won't wreck the economy and decrease the taxes the government recieves. I am not saying we shouldn't cut the number of government workers, we just have to be smart about it and do it over time which would cause much less damage to the economy.

(02-19-2012 02:25 PM)RobertN Wrote:   Keep on believing that firing a mass number of government workers won't wreck the economy and decrease the taxes the government recieves. I am not saying we shouldn't cut the number of government workers, we just have to be smart about it and do it over time which would cause much less damage to the economy.

Yes yes look at Greece, Italy, Spain, and some of the European socialist nations... How well is the welfare state working out?

I never said mass firings will help. I said *a* government worker losing their job does not hurt tax revenue. Obviously there needs to be a staffed government but keeping that staffing to an absolute minimum should be the goal.

So you think we *should* reduce the number of workers? By how many and where?

(02-19-2012 10:53 AM)RobertN Wrote:  

(02-19-2012 10:49 AM)BlazerFan11 Wrote:  

(02-19-2012 09:01 AM)Mr. Peanut Wrote:  The GOP seem to be more like the European Socialist as austerity measures are failing, flailing and causing chaos across the continent while driving their economies further towards the cliff

Yes, it's the austerity measures that are hurting them, not the enormous debt. The austerity is only causing chaos because of entitled people not willing to give up their handouts in order to save their country. Obviously, that strikes pretty close to home with you.

It is causing chaos because when you fire a large number of people, the economy will suffer and tax revenue will decrease, making the situation worse. But you are from Alabama- one of the bottom states in edumacation- so it is no surprise you wouldn't understand.

At this point, the only alternative to austerity in Greece is bankruptcy. Is that what you are advocating? If not, please show us that superior Chitcago public education and describe in detail how they could implement a debt-reduction plan that would not create "chaos" by firing a bunch of public employees.

(02-19-2012 02:56 PM)Bull_In_Exile Wrote:  

(02-19-2012 02:25 PM)RobertN Wrote:   Keep on believing that firing a mass number of government workers won't wreck the economy and decrease the taxes the government recieves. I am not saying we shouldn't cut the number of government workers, we just have to be smart about it and do it over time which would cause much less damage to the economy.

Yes yes look at Greece, Italy, Spain, and some of the European socialist nations... How well is the welfare state working out?

I never said mass firings will help. I said *a* government worker losing their job does not hurt tax revenue. Obviously there needs to be a staffed government but keeping that staffing to an absolute minimum should be the goal.

So you think we *should* reduce the number of workers? By how many and where?

And look how well cutting significant numbers of workers is helping their debt crisis. It isn't. It is making it worse because those people no longer spend money to keep the economy going which effects the private sector. Which then pays less taxes. I am not saying that an over abundance of government workers is a good thing because obviously you can't have only a public sector with very few in the private sector won't work. As for how many we should cut, I don't know. I just think that cutting them all at once is not a good idea. You need to do it over time. THe good thing for the US is that many in the government sector are getting to the retirement age so when they retire, they can just not replace them.

(02-19-2012 03:52 PM)BlazerFan11 Wrote:  

(02-19-2012 10:53 AM)RobertN Wrote:  

(02-19-2012 10:49 AM)BlazerFan11 Wrote:  

(02-19-2012 09:01 AM)Mr. Peanut Wrote:  The GOP seem to be more like the European Socialist as austerity measures are failing, flailing and causing chaos across the continent while driving their economies further towards the cliff

Yes, it's the austerity measures that are hurting them, not the enormous debt. The austerity is only causing chaos because of entitled people not willing to give up their handouts in order to save their country. Obviously, that strikes pretty close to home with you.

It is causing chaos because when you fire a large number of people, the economy will suffer and tax revenue will decrease, making the situation worse. But you are from Alabama- one of the bottom states in edumacation- so it is no surprise you wouldn't understand.

At this point, the only alternative to austerity in Greece is bankruptcy. Is that what you are advocating? If not, please show us that superior Chitcago public education and describe in detail how they could implement a debt-reduction plan that would not create "chaos" by firing a bunch of public employees.

Again, I am not saying that they shouldn't cut. It just shouldn't be a mass unemployment situation. Do it over a few years because doing it all at once will destroy the country.

http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/2...-202150355

(02-19-2012 05:35 PM)RobertN Wrote:  

(02-19-2012 03:52 PM)BlazerFan11 Wrote:  

(02-19-2012 10:53 AM)RobertN Wrote:  

(02-19-2012 10:49 AM)BlazerFan11 Wrote:  

(02-19-2012 09:01 AM)Mr. Peanut Wrote:  The GOP seem to be more like the European Socialist as austerity measures are failing, flailing and causing chaos across the continent while driving their economies further towards the cliff

Yes, it's the austerity measures that are hurting them, not the enormous debt. The austerity is only causing chaos because of entitled people not willing to give up their handouts in order to save their country. Obviously, that strikes pretty close to home with you.

It is causing chaos because when you fire a large number of people, the economy will suffer and tax revenue will decrease, making the situation worse. But you are from Alabama- one of the bottom states in edumacation- so it is no surprise you wouldn't understand.

At this point, the only alternative to austerity in Greece is bankruptcy. Is that what you are advocating? If not, please show us that superior Chitcago public education and describe in detail how they could implement a debt-reduction plan that would not create "chaos" by firing a bunch of public employees.

Again, I am not saying that they shouldn't cut. It just shouldn't be a mass unemployment situation. Do it over a few years because doing it all at once will destroy the country.

http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/2...-202150355

Nobody has said to ignore the debt but don't destroy your society in the process.

(02-19-2012 05:28 PM)RobertN Wrote:  And look how well cutting significant numbers of workers is helping their debt crisis. It isn't.

I'm sorry did you just say we have 'cut' significant numbers of Government workers?



Since the beginning of the recession, state governments have added 42,000 employees to their payrolls and Since January 2008, net of census hiring, the federal government has grown by 3.5 percent, gaining 98,000 jobs.

Really our problem is too many government jobs gone?

(02-19-2012 06:14 PM)Bull_In_Exile Wrote:  

(02-19-2012 05:28 PM)RobertN Wrote:  And look how well cutting significant numbers of workers is helping their debt crisis. It isn't.

I'm sorry did you just say we have 'cut' significant numbers of Government workers?



Since the beginning of the recession, state governments have added 42,000 employees to their payrolls and Since January 2008, net of census hiring, the federal government has grown by 3.5 percent, gaining 98,000 jobs.

Really our problem is too many government jobs gone?

First, I don't buy that graph. Governments have been slashing jobs(lots fo teachers, police and fire) as has the federal government. Second, you are an idiot. I never said anything like what you claim i said.

(02-19-2012 06:22 PM)RobertN Wrote:  

(02-19-2012 06:14 PM)Bull_In_Exile Wrote:  

(02-19-2012 05:28 PM)RobertN Wrote:  And look how well cutting significant numbers of workers is helping their debt crisis. It isn't.

I'm sorry did you just say we have 'cut' significant numbers of Government workers?



Since the beginning of the recession, state governments have added 42,000 employees to their payrolls and Since January 2008, net of census hiring, the federal government has grown by 3.5 percent, gaining 98,000 jobs.

Really our problem is too many government jobs gone?

First, I don't buy that graph. Governments have been slashing jobs(lots fo teachers, police and fire) as has the federal government. Second, you are an idiot. I never said anything like what you claim i said.

The graph is from US census data as are the numbers... You can act like a petulant child and yell about them but that does not change what they are