Bush's Resignation Speech

[SUMG]

As to national health care:

1) There are more MRI machines in Cleveland, than there are in all of Canada.

2) In certain parts of Great Britain....you can't get dialysis if you're over the ripe old age of......55.

All I'm saying is, if we ever get national health care here, you better take good care of yourself. Take your vitamins, exercise, eat healthy...because you sure don't want your life in the hands of government health care and government health care rationing.

[DeepGreen]

While on vacation in South Carolina last year, I ran into a chap from England. He seemed well to do and we ended up chatting about government run health care in England. He explained that for surgeries, folks are put on a waiting list, and, according to him, it didn't matter what the scope of the surgery was. He explained that people with money simply pay for the procedures (surgeries), medication, etc., themselves, thus bypassing the health care system. If you want to wait for three months for a gall bladder or treatment for gall stones, then fine. The government will pay for it.

Sorry, this is not how I choose to live my life.

[Quoner]

While on vacation in South Carolina last year, I ran into a chap from England. He seemed well to do and we ended up chatting about government run health care in England. He explained that for surgeries, folks are put on a waiting list, and, according to him, it didn't matter what the scope of the surgery was. He explained that people with money simply pay for the procedures (surgeries), medication, etc., themselves, thus bypassing the health care system. If you want to wait for three months for a gall bladder or treatment for gall stones, then fine. The government will pay for it.

Sorry, this is not how I choose to live my life.

That's why I hate adoption and just buy what I can find.

[yyz28]

I'd say something about the exception proving the rule here, but I already have tired head. Nothing powers me down more than "I'm right, and here are the numbers that prove you should think like me."

Numbers are funny about being black and white...

The long and short of it is that I believe while numbers don't themselves lie, their relative truth depends wholly upon interpretation. And, since humans are fallible, that interpretation is subject to criticism. For example, we can point to a poverty rate, but when you look at the underlying "numbers" behind it, it is nothing more than an arbitrary calculation of human need, saying that everyone above a certain income threshold is "ok" and everyone below is "not." That's kind of an oversimplification. By the way, the current poverty threshold, for a family of four is about $21,000. I would have a tough time living along on that salary, let alone feeding a family of four.

The calcluation is still valid. It has been adjusted, always to a larger number, over time since such measurements have been taken. The number goes up via inflation, and sometimes as a "political" adjustment. ...but always up. While you may contend that the number that descirbe poverty is greater than 21K per year, the numbers still show that the poor aren't getting poorer, despite the propoganda to the contrary.

The same goes for unemployment. Depending on which way you want to spin things, you can say it is better than it has been for a long time using your arguments, or you can say that jobless rates are higher than they've been in 3.5 years, that May's spike was the highest in 22 years, and that a flat economy coupled with a five month decline in jobs suggests the worst is yet to come.

Oh, nobody's arguing that unemployment is on the rise right now, but you can say that it goes up under any President. If you're going to judge a President by employment%, then it should be an average, not what happend in one month.

Green Mean, you're simply wrong about healthcare in Europe and Canada. These countries are bankrupting themselves at an alarming rate with their social programs. Here's Illuvius screaming about 5.5% unemployment, yet you're pushing us to follow systems of high taxes and bigger social programs embraced by the EU countries... ...that yeild 12% unemployment.

Ummmm... No. Tell ya' what. I'll shop and provide the insurance that is right for my family. No country has ever taxed itself into prosperity. Not one. Lower taxes, fewer government services. Let the people keep more of what they earn and make more of lifes decisions for themselves.

[DeepGreen]

Let the people keep more of what they earn and make more of lifes decisions for themselves.

Are you kidding? What the hell would big government/Democrats do then? They'd be out of work.

Insert sarcasm.

[yyz28]

Don't kid yourself on this one there are plenty of crappy clones in 3rd world nations that are not even close to the quality of those in the US ask a friendly doctor if you know one. If you look back I did not say every thing was a clone. I said that the R&D has to get paid for in many cases and that is why the prices are high here. Like I said Hourdas had a month average income of under $40.00 a week or less. Thats 8 bucks a day! Think about how much more 50 cents means to a person in this situation.

King - you are correct. But there is even more to it than that. He claims the pills are cheaper. They really aren't. They are when you actually plunk money on the counter for them. ...but you've paid 50+% in income taxes to subsidize the system.

If a vial of pills cost $10 and you’re getting $8 from the taxpayers, you only have to charge the end-user $2 and he thinks he’s getting cheap pills.

Pea and Shell…

[FirefightnRick]

As pertaining to a conversation I had at about 3 a.m. June 25th from my previous post to you:

Me: So why can't you walk back up to the street from under here(Riverside bridge over the Trinity River north of the 1800 Block of E. Lancaster)?

wine-o: Because I cant walk.

Me: Yes you've said that already. Why can't you walk, what is wrong with you other than the fact that you had all of that to drink(Pointing to several empty 40's)?

wine-o: I have to have knee surgery tomorrow, they are taking these pins out of my knee and replacing them for me.

Me: Where are you to have this done?

wine-o: JPS(John Petersmith county hospitacl).

And sure as can be, when the ambulance crew showed up they recognized the guy because they had run on him earlier in the week. He had 9 pins placed in his knee from an earlier injury and knew about him being scheduled for another surgery later on. We loaded him up and off he went, at the tax payers expense. One thing is for sure, these folks never have money to eat on, pay rent, pay for a car or a bus token or anything else many other folks can afford. But they ALWAYS have money for their Beer/Wine, Cigarettes and Crack. ALWAYS.

Rick

I'm on duty again today, saturday June 28th. And not surprisingly, we just made this same guy on the outer loop of the Riverside southbound exit, north of I 30. He got out of the hospital and got right back over to his area where he stays. Same exact story, same exact excuse, but he's now extended his knee surgery until monday. Come Monday it will extend to another date more than likely. Each ambulance trip costs the tax payers between $400 and $700 each. No questions asked.

Rick

[MDH]

Depsite the administration I still love my country and know it is still the land of the free and the home of the brave! Any of you liberal arts majors out there that are in love with Canada or France I encourage you to live there

[Censored by Laurie]

Depsite the administration I still love my country and know it is still the land of the free and the home of the brave! Any of you liberal arts majors out there that are in love with Canada or France I encourage you to live there

The liberal arts as defined by wikipedia - "In modern colleges and universities, the liberal arts include the study of theology, art, literature, languages, philosophy, history, mathematics, and science."

These things clearly have no place in America.

[meangreenacct]

The liberal arts as defined by wikipedia - "In modern colleges and universities, the liberal arts include the study of theology, art, literature, languages, philosophy, history, mathematics, and science."

These things clearly have no place in America.

Sweet, I can stay!

[FirefightnRick]

Depsite the administration I still love my country and know it is still the land of the free and the home of the brave! Any of you liberal arts majors out there that are in love with Canada or France I encourage you to live there

You gotta love the Canadians though. The only French settlement yet to surrender to the Germans.

Rick

[emmitt01]

You gotta love the Canadians though. The only French settlement yet to surrender to the Germans.

Rick

Only because they border the U.S. and our military.

[meangreendork]

But I can't help but wonder when, if ever, it'll stop being about "my team winning" and start being about "our country winning."

Brilliant. The whole post. Brilliant.

I think far too many people get bogged down in that mindset...that "Liberals are wrong because blah, blah, generalism" and "Conservatives are wrong because blah, blah, generalism". I cringe BIG TIME when I read or hear generalize statements about any of the polar ends of the political spectrum, mainly because they're exactly that- generalisms, and they don't pay attention to the people in between, and to make things worse, generalized statements also have a horrible tendency to widen that divide between people.

I can't stand to read "Conservatives are all war-hawks and Bush drones" because there's good reason to why many people in the party are distancing themselves from his policies. I can't stand to read that statement about them all being war-hawks because not all of them are, and not all think it's a great idea to send soldiers overseas, especially in this case, where the war and post-war strategies were faulty.

I nags the hell out of me to read that "Liberals only read liberal media, are all hippies, and hate the military". Don't get me wrong, just like the Conservative side, you have your extremists and extremists are rarely ever good for any side. The media tends to draw whatever audience draws commercial dollars. They're not all hippies, especially up north, and barring the extremists, most like the existence of the military provided it's not used against them and it's not deployed irresponsibly.

The name-calling really hacks me off because when I hear it from either side, it probably means that the people doing it are probably never going to be able to see each other's point of view and probably never going to be able to act in a cooperative manner, even when the situation may benefit them both.

Edited July 8, 2008 by meangreendork

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

Mathematics is Liberal...????

--- I don't know about that one.. I am very conservative in what I consider the correct answer. In fact in that respect we may be the most conservative guys on campus.... we see everything as black or white... right or wrong.... etc. ...LOL

---I do know some folks that wish I and the rest of the math department would just go away..... maybe to Canada.

Viva les mathematiques de le monde !!! or whatever...

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

On Unemployment -

Average Unemployment under G. W. Bush 5.1%. This is a better proformance than the last 5 Presidents. Since FDR, only Truman, Eisenhouer, Nixon & Johnson have presided over a better employment situation in this country. Kennedy, Ford, Carter, Reagan, G.H.W. Bush and Clinton all had average unemployment figures higher than George W. Bush. Feel free to research this on your own. ...but the numbers don't lie.

Seems like a "very liberal" of a interpetation of stats to me (I teach stats) by a supposedly conservative.

Annual average unemployment rate, civilian labor force 16 years and over (percent)

Year Ann Avg

-------------- Truman

1948 3.8

1949 5.9

1950 5.3

1951 3.3

1952 3.0

-------------- Eisenhower

1953 2.9

1954 5.5

1955 4.4

1956 4.1

1957 4.3

1958 6.8

1959 5.5

1960 5.5

------------- Kennedy

1961 6.7

1962 5.5

1963 5.7

1964 5.2

1965 4.5

--------------- Johnson

1966 3.8

1967 3.8

1968 3.6

----------------Nixon

1969 3.5

1970 4.9

1971 5.9

1972 5.6

1973 4.9

---------------Ford

1974 5.6

1975 8.5

1976 7.7

------------ Carter

1977 7.1

1978 6.1

1979 5.8

1980 7.1

------------- Reagan

1981 7.6

1982 9.7

1983 9.6

1984 7.5

1985 7.2

1986 7.0

1987 6.2

1988 5.5

___________ Bush Sr.

1989 5.3

1990 5.6

1991 6.8

1992 7.5

------------- Clinton

1993 6.9

1994 6.1

1995 5.6

1996 5.4

1997 4.9

1998 4.5

1999 4.2

2000 4.0

---------------- Bush jr.

2001 4.7

2002 5.8

2003 6.0

2004 5.5

2005 5.1

2006 4.6

2007 4.6

2008 6.4 percent during June..

Last Modified Date: June 20, 2008

It Appears the Reagan years were the absolute worst, and the Bush Sr. and Clinton years dropped it greatly....then it has climbed slightly since then.

At present we are over 6% again..under Bush

By the way the low FDR numbers existed because of WWII....so many were "employed" by the military and the rest were making weapons etc. Another crazy stat again.

Edited July 8, 2008 by SCREAMING EAGLE-66

[mad dog]

Seems like a "very liberal" of a interpetation of stats to me (I teach stats) by a supposedly conservative.

Annual average unemployment rate, civilian labor force 16 years and over (percent)

Year Ann Avg

-------------- Truman

1948 3.8

1949 5.9

1950 5.3

1951 3.3

1952 3.0

-------------- Eisenhower

1953 2.9

1954 5.5

1955 4.4

1956 4.1

1957 4.3

1958 6.8

1959 5.5

1960 5.5

------------- Kennedy

1961 6.7

1962 5.5

1963 5.7

1964 5.2

1965 4.5

--------------- Johnson

1966 3.8

1967 3.8

1968 3.6

----------------Nixon

1969 3.5

1970 4.9

1971 5.9

1972 5.6

1973 4.9

---------------Ford

1974 5.6

1975 8.5

1976 7.7

------------ Carter

1977 7.1

1978 6.1

1979 5.8

1980 7.1

------------- Reagan

1981 7.6

1982 9.7

1983 9.6

1984 7.5

1985 7.2

1986 7.0

1987 6.2

1988 5.5

___________ Bush Sr.

1989 5.3

1990 5.6

1991 6.8

1992 7.5

------------- Clinton

1993 6.9

1994 6.1

1995 5.6

1996 5.4

1997 4.9

1998 4.5

1999 4.2

2000 4.0

---------------- Bush jr.

2001 4.7

2002 5.8

2003 6.0

2004 5.5

2005 5.1

2006 4.6

2007 4.6

2008 6.4 percent during June..

Last Modified Date: June 20, 2008

It Appears the Reagan years were the absolute worst, and the Bush Sr. and Clinton years dropped it greatly....then it has climbed slightly since then.

At present we are over 6% again..under Bush

By the way the low FDR numbers existed because of WWII....so many were "employed" by the military and the rest were making weapons etc. Another crazy stat again.

QED