Conservative Mind Set & Conspiracy Theories
- Thread starter piezoe
- Start date
Lucrum, as you know, I am an admirer of George Soros. I consider him to be one of the great philanthropists alive today and a prominent public intellectual. He has been, again as you know, a staunch opponent of repressive governments around the world and a supporter of democracies.
I'm not sure how I personally feel about perfect democracy. It seems to me rather dangerous outside of the unattainable world were everyone is bright capable and educated. But I'm even more concerned about the alternatives. I'm resigned to living with imperfections.
If Soros, and his son Jonathan are properly described by this remark: "...a champion of voters' rights, who is 'quietly bankrolling an effort to limit the very influence of rich donors like him.' ", then I think that is quite admirable.
Once a person has obtained great wealth, they can afford to be nice, but they don't have to be.
But, doesn't a firefighter, who makes his living putting out fires, HAVE to be in support (if only secretly) of fires?
No, because he works for the government, he gets paid regardless of whether there is any fires.
If there were never fires, no government would pay him. But we do have fires, so it makes sense to pay him, publicly or privately. Likewise, as piezoe pointed out, we do have billionaires, and if some of those are self-sacrificing for a higher good, then they are not necessarily immediately suspect.
You also admire the Koch brothers?
If not, why not?
The average salary of the American people is around $45,000. Members of Congress make a minimum of $174,000. They bring in a bit more every year if they are in leadership.
Americans who were forced into the Obamacare exchanges that they didnât want by the Democrats in the House and Senate are forced to pay the exorbitant costs on their own since employer contributions are not allowed. Congress, however, received an exemption from Barack Obama in exchange for the passage of his health care law. They, unlike other Americans, will still have around 73% of their Obamacare costs paid by the American taxpayer. In addition, the plan that Americans are paying for Congress to have is the top of the line Gold plan.
But, at least one member of Congress doesnât think this is all good enough. As his party pushes for a 39% increase in the minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10, with many advocating for a $15 minimum wage, Jim Moran thinks his $174,000 annual salary plus benefits is not sufficient.
Democrat Rep. Jim Moran, from Virginia, thinks that members of Congress are underpaid....
Americans who were forced into the Obamacare exchanges that they didnât want by the Democrats in the House and Senate are forced to pay the exorbitant costs on their own since employer contributions are not allowed. Congress, however, received an exemption from Barack Obama in exchange for the passage of his health care law. They, unlike other Americans, will still have around 73% of their Obamacare costs paid by the American taxpayer. In addition, the plan that Americans are paying for Congress to have is the top of the line Gold plan.
But, at least one member of Congress doesnât think this is all good enough. As his party pushes for a 39% increase in the minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10, with many advocating for a $15 minimum wage, Jim Moran thinks his $174,000 annual salary plus benefits is not sufficient.
Democrat Rep. Jim Moran, from Virginia, thinks that members of Congress are underpaid....
No. Lucrum, I know nothing whatsoever about the Koch Brothers other than what you guys have posted here. And is that reliable? I don't no enough to answer your question.
It would be better if the money that goes for paying 73% of a Congressman's obamney care was paid to them directly in salary and they went to the insurance exchanges and arranged for their own coverage. Don't you think? I think it is a bad idea to have health care linked to employment in any way. Is it only employed people who should have access to health care? What do you think. I also think it is a bad idea to have health insurance regulated state to state. And I also think O'Romney care is tragically flawed, but perhaps better than the disastrously flawed health care we had before RomBombney care. I think we'll have to wait three to five years to see if we have made any net improvement. That we couldn't just copy any one of the much better, and far lower cost, plans in any of the other 13 industrialized nation is, of course, an indictment of U.S. Style capitalism. It's flawed to a greater extent than we are prepared to admit..