Middle class revolt

Quote from 2cents:

just a thought... why don't you guys privatize your military for instance... am not saying you really NEED it but, just so its clearer how much of it you really need perhaps... 'zdat a good idea? or, say petro-military-arms dealer complex for instance, but thats step 2 :D i mean, if even the mob can do it...
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We could definitely get rid of most of the military overhead. Providing for the defense of the country is a constitutional requirement our our government. Would have to change constitution to privatize it. I wouldn't want GE running our nukes though. I would hate for them to take out a competitor with one.

John
 
Come on folks, I'm really having a hard time believing socialist eutopias such as Portland and New Orleans ever really have any problems. If they do, I'm sure it is blamed on some capitalistic Republican or Libertarian demanding responsibility out of folks. My years of watching CNN and network news specials have taught me that equality for all and the crushing of "winning" will lead to a better life for all. Seems to work well for France. :D
 
Quote from Mvic:

What might send people over the edge is when masses of American's have to declare BK because health care is getting more expenisve and yet people are losing their benefits (medical costs being a large precipitator of BK), and then they realize that they are going to be indentured for the rest of their lives because of the new rules.

We are either going to develop a large barter or underground economy or there will be a lot of public protest and discontent.

The question that I have longer term is will this spur creative thinking, entreprenurial spirit, and better cost and risk management (now that the BK escaoe is more onerous) and make the law produce a net positive?
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Nationalize medicine similar to Great Britan, Canada, or Japan. Nope far from ideal. Slower but "cheaper".

You know any doctors making less than 6 figures? Albert Schwitzer is dead, so he doesn't count. AMA is probably the strongest lobby there is.

Since 1954, what has been CURED other than polio? Actually it isn't techincally a cure but a vaccine, but it effectively elminated the disease.

Ever look at the line items on a hospital bill? $3 aspirin. $5 jello.

Demographics are aging every day. In 20 years, it's going to be an even more prominent issue.
 
On the other hand, I'm not interested in being "wait listed" for an MRI for 9 months if I f#cking need one now.

Some better-off Canadians cross the border to the US to bypass this sort of thing. Cheap anything comes at a cost somewhere.
 
Quote from dddooo:

Why do you think companies like IBM lay off tens of thousands college educated employees with 10 years of on the job experience in the US and Europe simultaneously hiring the same number of engineers in India? It's got nothing to do with with eduation - it's pure and simple labor cost arbitrage. No one in this country can be 20 times better educated and more productive to justify labor cost difference.

And yes, our youth don't want to spend 4-6 year, pay $100K for their education and end up competing with a $5hr indian engineer for the same position at IBM. They could have a lucrative career in plumbing without all these problems and expenses instead.
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Exactly. Thats the rub. I have thought of moving to a cheaper country, and earn a higher standard of living by outsourcing to US companies.
 
Quote from efficiency:

Nationalize medicine similar to Great Britan, Canada, or Japan. Nope far from ideal. Slower but "cheaper".

You know any doctors making less than 6 figures? Albert Schwitzer is dead, so he doesn't count. AMA is probably the strongest lobby there is.

Since 1954, what has been CURED other than polio? Actually it isn't techincally a cure but a vaccine, but it effectively elminated the disease.

Ever look at the line items on a hospital bill? $3 aspirin. $5 jello.

Demographics are aging every day. In 20 years, it's going to be an even more prominent issue.
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People are going to live much longer then anticpated. In 25 years they will have cures for diabetes, heart disease, cancer.

Anyone alive now that can live another 25 years will live another 50 years because there will be no disease that will kill them. We are talking about living to 120-130.

Once we cure disease then health care will not be a problem. We just have to get through the next 20-30 years without the wheels falling off the system.

John
 
debt_burden_history_20050204_1.gif




Debt as percentage of GDP during the Clinton years
------------------------
93 - 66.3%
94 - 66.4%
95 - 67.2%
96 - 66.8%
97 - 65.2%
98 - 63.2%
99 - 61.0%
00 - 57.8%
01 - 57.3%

TODAY 2006 - 65.1%

Compare this to 94-97 before the bull market NAZ bubble mania really had a big effect, and I dont see a recent problem.
 
Quote from jficquette:

People are going to live much longer then anticpated.
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already more than 10,000 japanese centenarians as we speak... and the eldest living person since Jeanne Calment bowed out seems to be around 125... if THEY can do it...
 
Quote from traderdragon:

debt_burden_history_20050204_1.gif




Debt as percentage of GDP during the Clinton years
------------------------
93 - 66.3%
94 - 66.4%
95 - 67.2%
96 - 66.8%
97 - 65.2%
98 - 63.2%
99 - 61.0%
00 - 57.8%
01 - 57.3%

TODAY 2006 - 65.1%

Compare this to 94-97 before the bull market NAZ bubble mania really had a big effect, and I dont see a recent problem.
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go to shadowstatistics.com and you will see that GDP is overstated and US govt has some many off-book items its scary. debt is kinda nasty - when your revs drop, it doesnt matter, debt must be serviced. additionallly, US is running mon-stop deficits and has a huge debt burden/obligations. include the $50T in off-book debt and obligations.... now calc that as a % of real GDP. whats that you say, IR going higher? its been estimate that $7 in debt was required to increase GDP by a $1... how long can that last?
 
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