[Cutter]

We live to derail and go off topic and settle on different topics.

[Q_BE]

Well Q you tried, but in typical fashion...

Don't you worry, my good man. This is all according to plan. In fact, in a jovial joint such as this, one anticipates the liberal riff-raff to populate the general quarters--it's good for business, you see. Political discussion (conservative as it may be) happens at the roundtable, and, in true Gooberesque fashion, I will begin a topic without any input.

Healthcare Summit--good, bad, or indifferent? Discuss.

Q-"Beer, anyone?"-BE

[3deroticer]

Q_BE, you need to watch "Beyond the Gates" because this language that you use about Democrats and Republican is borderline the Rwanda genocide. The Hutu and Tutsi were nearly alike and yet they had this fear of the others that led the genocide solution to the problem.

Hoping that this administration to fail, we can't afford, and will only show the failures of both party. Meanwhile the rich will just keep getting richer while bleeding the country dry. If you hadn't notice that although Obama turning around the economy, the rural area are the one still hardest hit, and it will take awhile for them to recover. Hoping to fail for the next three year we can not afford. Hoping to fail is to give up on those that still need recovery. Hoping to fail is to give up on your fellow Americans who need a job! Hoping to fail is to give way to fear of the others and make them the blame for it, and eventually use them as scapegoat to genocide. History will repeat itself if you let it.

Just saying there are many more hoping to succeed as people. The Canadian just beat us for the gold in Hockey, but they also beat us in the health care system. Do you like not being number one?

[Shara]

Except for that last line, that post by 3dero was pretty inspiring

[Shara]

This raises a more important question which hasn't been brought up in a long time but is yet to be answered sufficiently.

Meerkats or Otters?

Shara 'or the bunny with a pancake on its head?'

[TheZookie007]

Otters. No doubt. Meerkats got a bit of a boost with The Lion King but still otters for the win.

[JJ]

Basic Economics 101 -

The stated goal is more jobs for more workers?  The other stated goal is to tax the wealthy to death?
The two are at odds with each other.

Indulging in class envy, wanting the wealthy to be taxed to death, only means fewer jobs. It is the wealthy who own and operate businesses and who expand their businesses; hire more workers; make more money for everyone.  Anyone in such a free society as the USA operates can become wealthier, even filthy rich, by hard work and by working smart.  The society provides the opportunity.  You make the choice.

Everyday there are thousands upon thousands of people trying to get into the United States for one reason only - to take advantage of the OPPORTUNITY they don't have in their homeland.

When is the last time you recall a boatload of Americans trying to get into a foreign country?

When is the last time a large group of Americans were arrested for attempting to sneak over the border to a foreign country?

If the Canadian health care system is perfect why is it that those Canadians who can afford it always prefer getting their health care over the border, in the USA?
========================================================================

The 'Bama man and his cohorts in the U.S. Senate and House at work on their health plan for Americans.  

Problem - it's not the same health plan THEY have.  

[JJ]

Speaking of Canada.............................

Congrats to Canada and to the Canadian National Olympic Hockey Team for their victory over the USA yesterday.   Congrats to Sidney Crosby, the Canadian hockey star, who scored the winning goal in overtime, bringing the GOLD home to Canada.   

And Canada deserves a big thank you for staging (safely) the competition from Vancouver!   

A side note - Crosby, a star of the first magnitude and a credit to his nation, plays and makes his living in the United States, playing for the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Penguins in the National Hockey League, a league that includes many teams from Canada, but includes even more teams from the USA that support the league.

Other major hockey stars from around the world, primarily from Eastern and Northern Europe also make their living playing in the American based National Hockey League, a league that has become truly international in displaying the talents of these outstanding individuals.

[Shara]

you shouldn't be so fast as to dodge meerkats, for one reason, it sounds way too dutch

[gOOber]

Star Trek sounds Dutch.

[pedonbio]

Star Trek sounds Dutch.

Here I always thought it was!

I was really impressed with Shatner's performance at the close of the Olympics.

Meerkats forever!

[Real]

on topic; watching mccain babble like someone's incoherent grandpa at that summit i was just waiting for him to make up his mind.  is barack obama anti-business or in bed with business?  i guess both probably works best for the never ending republican campaign.  i mean people support sarah palin, eating that up that bullshit would be relative filet mignon.

more "substance":

http://www.wisdomquotes.com/001727.html#001727

Ann Richards on How to Be a Good Republican:

1. You have to believe that the nation's current 8-year prosperity was due to the work of Ronald Reagan and George Bush, but yesterday's gasoline prices are all Clinton's fault.

2. You have to believe that those privileged from birth achieve success all on their own.

3. You have to be against all government programs, but expect Social Security checks on time.

4. You have to believe that AIDS victims deserve their disease, but smokers with lung cancer and overweight individuals with heart disease don't deserve theirs.

5. You have to appreciate the power rush that comes with sporting a gun.

6. You have to believe...everything Rush Limbaugh says.

7. You have to believe that the agricultural, restaurant, housing and hotel industries can survive without immigrant labor.

8. You have to believe God hates homosexuality, but loves the death penalty.

9. You have to believe society is color-blind and growing up black in America doesn't diminish your opportunities, but you still won't vote for Alan Keyes.

10. You have to believe that pollution is OK as long as it makes a profit.

11. You have to believe in prayer in schools, as long as you don't pray to Allah or Buddha.

12. You have to believe Newt Gingrich and Henry Hyde were really faithful husbands.

13. You have to believe speaking a few Spanish phrases makes you instantly popular in the barrio.

14. You have to believe that only your own teenagers are still virgins.

15. You have to be against government interference in business, until your oil company, corporation or Savings and Loan is about to go broke and you beg for a government bail out.

16. You love Jesus and Jesus loves you and, by the way, Jesus shares your hatred for AIDS victims, homosexuals, and President Clinton.

17. You have to believe government has nothing to do with providing police protection, national defense, and building roads.

18. You have to believe a poor, minority student with a disciplinary history and failing grades will be admitted into an elite private school with a $1,000 voucher.

[DruulEmpire]

Riff-raff!?  Well, that tears it, no Pittsburgh gentleman's club guidance, then.

But a little more seriously -- I liked the summit, if only because just about any objection to it seemed awfully baseless or far-fetched.  If the Reps want to save civilization, they've got to state an actual case.

And even more seriously -- I'll be interested to see if JJ or PregNut pop up.  Neither side seems to show up as a coherent bloc, but I think sometimes the left-of-center folk have opportunities to sort of continually rediscover each other, whereas the right-of-center never seems to come together that much, since each individual is so devoted to his personal style.  But we shall see.

[Real]

that's simple as can be.  rich canadians choose to cross the border to the us for services because the us has great health care for the rich.

the us has bigger population centres able to better sustain competitive pro sports teams because of the available fan base.  still for a plethora of reasons free agents choose to sign in places like calgary, toronto, montreal and vancouver over columbus, charlotte, miami and atlanta all the time.

when was the last time canadians were arrested trying to break into a foreign country? lol

you and you surrogate opinion almost made an actual point though.

[Prophet_Tenebrae]

I'll give the Republicans this - they're VERY good at getting turkeys to vote for Christmas. Those honest working class folk just get SO ANGRY about the rich having to pay a little more tax but I already linked that article and it goes without saying that the LAST thing people think about when voting or forming opinions are facts or evidence and the first are emotions.