Eliza Introduces Bernie Sanders

[nightshade]

It's not mandatory though, like it is in most countries, it seems to me that most people use their vacation days as maternity leave.

 

[Skanky Vamp]

It's not mandatory though, like it is in most countries, it seems to me that most people use their vacation days as maternity leave.

Just depends on where you work. Last job I was at they had 6 months paid maternity leave. New fathers even had two months paid leave. They could take an additional three weeks unpaid if they wanted.. Another place only had six weeks.

 

[Buffy Summers]

Yes, but, you're not working (and your coworkers are taking up the slack without extra pay), and it was your choice to have children, so...

 

[nightshade]

Here a lot of jobs are offered to cover maternity leave, so someone is doing your job for you for the time you are away.

 

[Buffy Summers]

Yeah that doesn't happen here. Thanks Obamacare 😀

But still, if Jane Doe can take off 12 or 18 weeks with pay, why can't I? Honestly, I think that's an incredible waste of tax money or business cost, wherever that gets paid out of.

 

[Skanky Vamp]

But still, if Jane Doe can take off 12 or 18 weeks with pay, why can't I?

Wait for it... wait for it... IT'S NOT FAIR! They are discriminating against you because you dont have kids!

Just like the people that get to take two 10 minute smoke breaks a day. That's not fair! I don't get to take two ten minutes breaks! They are discriminating against me!

 

[Taake]

Yeah that doesn't happen here. Thanks Obamacare 😀

Haha, well this thread took a new direction!

Out of sheer curiosity though, what does Obamacare have to do with that? (I'm not all that read up about the specifics of it)

 

[Buffy Summers]

It's cut our profits so much that they have fired everyone they possibly can, and would never pay for a temp to replace someone out on leave. It's basically, "deal with it".

GwenRaiden: You need to start smoking and birthing, peeps.
thetopher: Just not at the same time.

LMAO!

 

[bespangeled]

Is it possible that the Republican side is just very dark American humour trolling the rest of the world?

Not possible - and doesn't that scare you. It should. I'm not saying they have the power....yet. But they do have crowds cheering for them. There have been a few protesters beaten and thrown out of rallies. One Muslim woman went to a Trump rally wearing hijab, and was escorted out because of her clothing while people yelled and threw things at her. She said her only intent was to show these people that there was no need to be afraid.
 

Yeah, because the US public educational system is so great lol. And you want the government running universities too?

Hard to say - I live in the state that is 52 in per pupil expenditure. Yes, AZ is behind Puerta Rico and Guam. I taught for 10 years, and ended up spending at least 10 hours a week creating lesson plans and correcting work, with no pay. However, I have only worked at charter schools - because more than anything the school systems we have need competition. The agri/factory skill set is no longer needed. And I taught Montessori because the emphasis is on community, personal responsibility, independent learning, and problem solving skills.

Did those 1, 3 and 4 have financial need? Did they apply to outside grants and scholarships or did they just fill out the school's form and expect to get one? Just making As isn't enough.

And no offense, truly, but, plenty of people manage to work and go to school. It's difficult, but if you want it, then you'll do it. But saddling graduates with a lot of debt IS a problem, which is why I said the system needs to be revamped so the money is going to scholarships rather than into University presidents' pockets. BUT that's not the same thing as giving everyone "free" education, which is not actually free at all. The money's there, it's just not being used the way it's supposed to be. And voting for someone because you think he's going to forgive all your debt is still expecting something for nothing.

They applied for everything - not much out there. Once again - public colleges - same curriculum and teachers - just not graduating 80k in debt. As for working full time and going to college ( figure at least 8 years for a degree going part time), no it really isn't possible for most people. Not anymore. I did it - but that was quite a while ago. I could get a job on campus, and have one off campus. The trouble is that tuition per credit has gone up about 200% and wages have not.

That is just not true. But better a lunatic than a liar and criminal.

Give me a break - do you really think they aren't all liars and criminals?! The reason I like Bernie is that he isn't owned, and that's the entire problem with our country.

I don't mean to offend. I think individualism has taken over a lot in America, generally speaking - obviously not all, and it's hard to create or feel empathy and community out of that.
I may be completely the wrong person to speak on this since I grew up with tax paid higher education and healthcare (which I am so thankful for).
I cannot get my head around the aversion to paying taxes for education and healthcare. What else would anyone rather their taxes went to? Like, really? What is more important? That would be my top 2 picks if we had a say in the matter! It has flummoxed me my entire life.

THIS!

No they dont. Most businesses are small or mid-size businesses. That is a fact. Another fact is many small businesses have been crippled by Obama's 'affordable' healthcare. We let thousands of people go at my previous job because of 'affordable healthcare' added onto that is the fact many businesses have gone out of business as a result.

Huh? I keep hearing this as a talking point but have no idea how it works in reality. The ACA set up a health care exchange so that people can purchase medical insurance. Insurance companies have to provide full care and can't refuse to cover pre-existing conditions. So exactly how - what is the mechanism - that has made other businesses go under? I saw hospitals going under because they had to provide care to people who couldn't pay - and I really don't want the Calcutta vibe of let them die begging on the streets - so insurance is the way to solve that problem.

It's about efficiency. Are you really getting what you pay for already or is the money already going to waste? The answer isn't always 'more money, more money', sometimes the answer is something else.
Nobody wastes money like big government, no matter what political ideology they are. whether it's either incompotent or corruption- take your pick.

Amen to that! This little piggy wants to fill pockets and then jump ship and become a lobbyist so they can keep filling pockets.

I'm not sure most (I won't say none, but it's possible) countries with social medicine doctors provide better care than US doctors. Why do so many students come here for education? Why do so many non-American doctors come here to work? If other countries have made this work, that is great for them, but the US has proven they can't oversee education by the piss poor job they do at K-12 education.

I thought you said our education system sucked? Oh, you mean that the folks who can afford private k-12 education can get their kids into a legacy school? Yeah - but that hardly gives us an educate workforce. I have no problem with the wealthy who earned their way - who create jobs and needed products. I have real problems with the Paris Hiltons and the Kardashians. Those are the one profiteering on so many levels.

 

[thetopher]

Give me a break - do you really think they aren't all liars and criminals?! The reason I like Bernie is that he isn't owned, and that's the entire problem with our country.

Trump isn't owned either (this is his 'appeal' apparently) but he still isn't fit to be President. Just sayin'

The difference between all the other candidates and Hilary is that Hilary has been proven utterly dishonest, criminal and incompotent many times now. Also the Clinton media machine is something to behold, they couldn't touch Obama but just wait to see what they do to poor Bernie as th elction continues on.
Honestly I hope Bernie and his supporters crush her because she represents pure Washington entitlement.

 

[bespangeled]

The trouble is that tuition per credit has gone up about 200% and wages have not.

Left a few zeros off that. Let's see - the local community college costs between $4-500 per class. It used to be free.
 

Trump isn't owned either (this is his 'appeal' apparently) but he still isn't fit to be President. Just sayin'

The difference between all the other candidates and Hilary is that Hilary has been proven utterly dishonest, criminal and incompotent many times now. Also the Clinton media machine is something to behold, they couldn't touch Obama but just wait to see what they do to poor Bernie as th elction continues on.
Honestly I hope Bernie and his supporters crush her because she represents pure Washington entitlement.

I won't argue about the Clinton machine. But the alternative seems to be Cruz or Rubio - both of who do agree with Trump that Mosques should be closed and Muslims should be considered terrorists and banned from the US - even returning citizens. We had scary-dumb with Bush. Corrupt liar is just politics as usual.

Besides, Hilary has a real problem going after Bernie if she wants any of his supporters. What she is really doing is trying to take over his entire slate of ideas and move to the left - which is funny really.

 

[thetopher]

I won't argue about the Clinton machine. But the alternative seems to be Cruz or Rubio - both of who do agree with Trump that Mosques should be closed and Muslims should be considered terrorists and banned from the US - even returning citizens.

I've never heard this from Rubio who's actually fairly reasonable (read 'soft') about immigration and very informed/pursuasive on foreign policy. He lacks hard expereince but he's still better than Trump or Hilary (both of whom have shown their true colours too often to ever be trusted with power).

We had scary-dumb with Bush. Corrupt liar is just politics as usual.

You forgot the third type- completely ineffectual, which we had with Obama.

 

[bespangeled]

I've never heard this from Rubio who's actually fairly reasonable (read 'soft') about immigration and very informed/pursuasive on foreign policy. He lacks hard expereince but he's still better than Trump or Hilary (both of whom have shown their true colours too often to ever be trusted with power).

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) seems to be going further than even Republican frontrunner Donald Trump in advocating the crackdown of U.S. Muslims. He doesn’t just want to consider shutting down mosques, as Trump says, but wants to shut down “any place where radicals are being inspired.”

“It’s not about closing down mosques. It’s about closing down any place — whether it’s a cafe, a diner, an internet site — any place where radicals are being inspired,” Rubio said on Fox News’ The Kelly File on Thursday night when asked if he agreed with Trump. “The bigger problem we have is our inability to find out where these places are, because we’ve crippled our intelligence programs, both through unauthorized disclosures by a traitor, in Edward Snowden, or by some of the things this president has put in place with the support even of some from my own party to diminish our intelligence capabilities.”

So, American citizens would essentially have to prove a negative - that they are not radicals - if they take in a quick dinner with friends. Sorry - we saw this show already, when we fought on the other side. It's the rhetoric that is terrifying, the raising of hatred against particular groups. The top 3 Republican contenders all agree in this area, and I will vote to keep them out of office.

 

[thetopher]

So, American citizens would essentially have to prove a negative - that they are not radicals - if they take in a quick dinner with friends.

I'd call that a radical, and rather negative, intepretation of what he said and continues to say.
Intelligence means exactly that- gaining more intelligence- just like we do here in the UK. That means working with Muslim communities and not alienating them- which could be exactly what he means btw- and not demonising or hating them.
Realising that terrorists are coming from a particular demographic is not hate speech, it is not saying that ALL muslims are like this, it is simply stating facts.

Maybe with better checks and intelligence things such as the Boston bombings (for example) could be prevented in the future? That was caused by immigrants that happened to be Muslims.
Hilary already failed to act of intel that was given to her, an inaction that cost lives, then tried to cover it up. That's not somebody I would want in office.

 

[Ethan Reigns]

Let's take a look at US healthcare, twice the cost of any other in the world and rated at 38th in the world, just ahead of Cameroon. Let's say you have a city of a million people that is served by three hospitals and one of the hospitals has an MRI unit costing tens of millions of dollars that gets 60% utilization. The other hospitals are in competition and they cannot be seen to be behind, so they all get an MRI unit and each one only gets 20% utilization. A waste of money.

And then there is gouging. A small portable bottle of oxygen costs $80 to fill with medical oxygen. The same size bottle costs $8 to fill for welding. The oxygen comes from the same tank, flows through the same fittings and is in the same size bottle, only a green bottle for welding instead of a white one. Why? Because they can.

Let's look at a typical doctor's office in the US. There would be two doctors, a nurse and seven administrators to unscramble the morass of insurance coverage. My doctor's office has six doctors, three nurses, one nurse practitioner (who can prescribe drugs), two psychologists and NO ONE HANDLING INSURANCE because the terms and conditions are standard and coverage is universal. As a resident of the Province of Ontario (and all other provinces are the same), I get medical care as required. If you have chest pains and cardiac issues in the US, the insurer may just say take an Aspirin. In Canada, you would get the bypass surgery you need without having to mortgage your house. At the American insurance company, there is a small army of people paid to write up reasons for restriction or denial of coverage. And coverage can be dropped or recosted an order of magnitude higher in the US - your first heart attack or round of chemo may be covered but the next one will cost you your house. And you can't afford insurance after you have used it. No wonder Canadians live longer.

And then there is the legal liability lottery. It costs nothing to launch a lawsuit in the US and lawyers are paid on contingency so they take a cut of the settlement. Liability insurance in the US is the single largest expense for a doctor. In Canada, the plaintiff has to assume the court costs and legal fees and can be awarded coverage if he wins, but the prospect of losing and having to cover court and legal fees tends to put a chill on any proceedings. Canadian liability insurance is far less.

I had the opportunity to get a good job in Pittsburgh, one of the only cities I would consider livable in the northeast US, and the pay was decent - $96,000 per year. But looking at what I had here and what I what insurance would cost, I made the (correct) choice to remain in Canada. Some Americans may object, but whenever I came back from a trip to the US, I felt like I was coming back to civilization. I like the US. It is a fun place with a lot of nice people. But it is not civilization.

 

[bespangeled]

That means working with Muslim communities and not alienating them- which could be exactly what he means btw- and not demonising or hating them.
Realising that terrorists are coming from a particular demographic is not hate speech, it is not saying that ALL muslims are like this, it is simply stating facts.

Sadly that is not what he or the others mean - and the rhetoric is simply alienating the majority of Muslims who are not radical, who are in fact more likely to be victims than to be perpetrators.

As for intelligence gathering - you guys had the same issue with the IRA. Gather what you will - unless you live in a complete dictatorship (North Korea) there will be some attacks.

 

[Ethan Reigns]

You forgot the third type- completely ineffectual, which we had with Obama.

The American system allows for a president who is of the opposite party to the house and the senate can be different or the same as well. In the Canadian and British systems, the Prime Minister is the leader of the party with the most members of parliament, so we never run into the problem of a leader being balked by the representatives - they are always on the same side. We can have a minority government where the government in power did not get 50% of the seats but they can usually get an agreement (partly because the other parties don't want to be seen to be obstructing the government for no reason). I have lost track of the number of times an emergency budget had to be forced through in the US because the main budget was totally blocked in the house or senate and the government was about to shut down. I don't think Obama was ineffectual, I think the job of president can become impossible under certain conditions that never happen here.

 

[Samuel Reyes]

I love how I started an actual political debate just by posting one five minute video.

 

[The Bronze]

Realising that terrorists are coming from a particular demographic is not hate speech, it is not saying that ALL muslims are like this, it is simply stating facts.

The thing is not only is it true that "not all Muslims are terrorists" but "most terrorists aren't Muslims". So the speech patterns are over the top and largely scape goating and scare mongering.

Are All Terrorists Muslims? It’s Not Even Close
 
We have the same issue in the UK. It's a little more subtle than the flat out hate from Fox News but it's still a problem. We're quite lucky with the BBC which is OK for getting a few facts with limited bias but after that you have to go hunting for independent news. It's more about the stories that get buried and what gets emphasised.

 

[thetopher]

Sadly that is not what he or the others mean

I have only listened to his words and not looked for any 'codes' or 'subtext' so I can't reinterpret what he meant.

I do know that Rubio doesn't think that all Muslims should either be deported from the US or not even allowed entry. I do know that he hasn't labelled all hispanic immigrants as lazy, corrupt rapists.
If he said any of that then he might be as bad as Trump, but he hasn't. So Trump is far, far worse.

As a fairly liberal person I have a problem with hate speech- all hate speech. And that's what radicalisation is, the ultimate hate speech that leads to actual kiling of innocent people. It's the worst sort of hate-speech and should be treated as such- as in found out at the source and stopped from spreading.

I still didn't read the part when they were going to shut down all mosques and start rounding up the muslims, I only saw that mosques (and other places) that traded on this sort of hatred would be stopped from being able to do that very thing.
I don't know why any person would object to that.

The American system allows for a president who is of the opposite party to the house and the senate can be different or the same as well. In the Canadian and British systems, the Prime Minister is the leader of the party with the most members of parliament, so we never run into the problem of a leader being balked by the representatives - they are always on the same side.

The US sytem is supposedly set up to promote collaboration between the parties and to limit absolute authority, to soften political stances and get the best done for the most good- in theory.
This has actually happened under some administrations. Bill Clinton, for example, worked with house republicans during his first term to balance the economy. Bush worked with Democrats to promote social programs.
Unfortunately Obama is an glorfied college professor who had no clue how to compromise politically. He froze out the opposition for his first two years and then when he lost control of one of the houses he was punished for it. He consistently refused to 'get involved' with the nitty gritty of capitol hill politics- letting the parties relentlessly butt heads and then he issued the occassional executive order. Poor job imo.

The thing is not only is it true that "not all Muslims are terrorists" but "most terrorists aren't Muslims". So the speech patterns are over the top and largely scape goating and scare mongering.

Sadly the article ignores the fact that, as a percentage, muslim terrorists as a group/idiology, commit more acts of terror than any one other group. Yeah, you'll get the odd left-wing/right-wing nut, but none of these nuts will work together towards the same single stated goal- their religion. So its a false comparison. *shrug*