Re: Obamacare - What would you like changed?
I don't give a rats ass what an actual socialist would call Barack Obama. The fact of the matter is that we, as a nation, are DEMANDING more socialist safety-net nanny state programs and I assure you that the vast majority of people in this country, whether you believe it or not (or want to admit it or not), would vote in favor of a proposition to implement socialized medicine. It's gonna happen. If you don't believe anything I've ever said, you can believe that. We're headed that way and there aren't nearly enough conservatives to stop it from happening.
Every other industrialized nation has national health care. We don't. If you think that makes us better, then there's no hope for you.
"There aren't nearly enough conservatives to stop it from happening"? My first instinct is to say, "Thank God!"
But the truth is different, isn't it? What will stop it isn't more conservatives, it's too many liberals having spines of jelly. They know what they want, but a few nasty right-wingers scare them into not going for it. They're afraid to actually act like Democrats, because they're afraid Wayne LaPierre or Grover Norquist or Dick Cheney or whoever runs the anti-choice movement now will call them a socialist or a traitor or the anti-Christ. It's like on
The West Wing:
I'm tired of working for candidates who make me think that I should be embarrassed to believe what I believe, Sam! I'm tired of getting them elected!
We all need some therapy, because somebody came along and said, "'Liberal' means soft on crime, soft on drugs, soft on Communism, soft on defense, and we're gonna tax you back to the Stone Age because people shouldn't have to go to work if they don't want to!"
And instead of saying, "Well, excuse me, you right-wing, reactionary, xenophobic, homophobic, anti-education, anti-choice, pro-gun, Leave It To Beaver trip back to the Fifties...!", we cowered in the corner, and said, "Please. Don't. Hurt. Me."
No more. Let's have
two parties, huh? What do you say?
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This nation needs a strong liberal party, to ensure that government does what it must. It also needs a strong conservative party, to ensure that government doesn't go too far.
The problem is, right now, the party working like crazy to make sure that government doesn't go too far is the Democratic Party. They're working their kiesters off to make sure that the reforms of the 20th Century aren't all dismantled. While the Republican Party is working to do that dismantling. There is no strong liberal party in this country: There's a lukewarm conservative party, a crazy authoritarian party, and a great liberal constituency crying out for someone to step up and say, "You're right, and I will fight for what you demand."
We wanted universal health care. We got Obamacare.
We wanted an end to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. We got the former, and the promise of the latter, and we're staying tuned.
We wanted gay marriage. We've gotten it in a few States, but not in a majority, or even in enough States to provide 270 Electoral Votes.
We wanted a government that respects the truth that corporations are not people. We're still waiting for it.
We wanted a big increase in the minimum wage. We're still waiting for it.
We wanted electric cars and a transition away from an oil-based economy. We got... the American auto industry saved. Which is important, but where's Step 2?
We wanted our crumbling schools, roads and bridges fixed and/or replaced. We're still waiting for it.
Socialism? This isn't even Social Democracy.