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Re: Who, Exactly, Just Blinked in the Debt-Ceiling Showdown?

luis f — Thu, 10 Oct 2013 19:41:29 -0000

This time of both-are-to-be-blamed, or both-whatever news is so intellectually dishonest.. The Republicans have tied their fight to changes and delaying Obamacare. They have gotten none of that. How come both sides are blinking? Journalists so call it as they see it, and as it is, and not force a on-one-hand-on-another-hand type of scenario, when there is actually only one hand!

Re: Tea Partiers Say Obama's Too Mean - NationalJournal.com

luis f — Thu, 10 Oct 2013 19:56:13 -0000

Is this real? Did these people actually say that? Do they really believe that they want to negotiate anything? I just can't believe this. This group of people is getting more and more surreal by the minute..

Re: How Twitter is Ruining America

luis f — Thu, 10 Oct 2013 20:06:52 -0000

This is a very interesting article. But I think the other half is missing. For journalists to be relevant they have to actually do ANALYSIS. And very very very often they stick to on-one-hand-on-the-other-hand comments, choosing a middle (often) inadequate position. Briefly, they don't actually do their job.

Re: Labrador: Budget battle hurts immigration push

luis f — Wed, 16 Oct 2013 22:51:47 -0000

No need for Obama to destroy the Republican party. When the Tea party is being so effective at it. It is very sad what a small bunch of people could do. A long road ahead until there is another republican president..

Re: Brookings: Cash for Clunkers was a lemon

luis f — Thu, 31 Oct 2013 05:48:42 -0000

You are so right. It immediately jumped at me that paragraph. Of course people that are ALWAYS complaining that Obama is a socialist and so on, also find a way to criticize him in this case. Go figure..

Re: How the Authors of Obamacare Protected Insurance Companies

luis f — Sun, 10 Nov 2013 19:05:32 -0000

Could people who don't like Obamacare please stop calling it socialist? At the very least, it is very clear that it is a very capitalist thing, envolving first and foremost insurance companies. Why would the right dislike such a system is beyond me. Why would a left-leaning president do such a thing is also mind boggling.

Re: Report: Obamacare helps slow growth in health care costs

luis f — Wed, 20 Nov 2013 13:12:53 -0000

If you do not believe in UFOs (or at least in extraterrestrial life) you have no idea of how big the Universe is, how many planets there are, and how massively improbable is that we are the ONLY planet bearing life. But wait, you don't seem to be good on knowledge or facts, so keep going.

Re: Love It or Hate It, Obamacare Redistributes Americans' Wealth

luis f — Thu, 21 Nov 2013 06:53:36 -0000

In the previous law some people were being highly subsidized and now some of them are paying more. This was inevitable. The new system (which is of course not perfect) has to be compared to what we had BEFORE not against an abstract, unknown, perfect, inexistent system. There were millions of uninsured people before, and an unfortunate disease would make families bankrupt. Obamacare tries to solve these issues, and solves some of them. If republicans would have tried to be constructive about this, the law would have been better. Maybe they can still do it. Until then, this is the best that can be done with the current political landscape.

Re: Love It or Hate It, Obamacare Redistributes Americans' Wealth

luis f — Thu, 21 Nov 2013 12:43:08 -0000

Reetz44, that is not at all how I view what happened in 2009. Obama tried to reach out to Republicans, using as a template a system which is very much what Republicans had proposed, in opposition to what Hillary tried to do before. He got absolutely no bipartisanship engagement by the Republicans. He set up a state-based system as the Republicans want, and not only did the republicans rebuff that system, as they refused to do state exchange (making sure that the poor in their states have no access to health care, which I think has to border on criminal responsibility). I always believed that such an important change should be consensual and bipartisanship, but I truly have no idea how that is possible with the current Republican party, taken hostage by the tea party. Obama was voted twice with health change up and front, what was he supposed to do, not go ahead because of the obstructionism that the Republicans presented? (Remember: we have one mission, to ensure Obama is a one-term President?). This is a mess, that hopefully will end up in the US sitting together, tackling issues such as poor people uninsured, rising costs, covering preconditions, and making a stable system that survives political-party normal cycles. That can only happen if republicans come to the table, present solutions, and don't say no, even to their own ideas, just because it is presented by the other party.

Re: Love It or Hate It, Obamacare Redistributes Americans' Wealth

luis f — Thu, 21 Nov 2013 13:34:40 -0000

Your tone and the type of language you use is very elucidative why it is indeed impossible to have a reasonable dialogue with some (most?) republicans. It saddens me that this great country is taken hostage by this system that makes it impossible to advance some important issues that affects us all such as health care. Of course this type of approach will make republicans loose elections after elections, which does not make me particularly happy, as the amount of energy lost is such that the country does indeed suffer with it. But there is no alternative than to keep pushing, and hoping that somehow, hopefully in the near future, republicans will come to the table to discuss these issues, ready to compromise, accepting they won't win it all and that politics involves civility, no name calling and respect for each other opinions.

Re: Love It or Hate It, Obamacare Redistributes Americans' Wealth

luis f — Thu, 21 Nov 2013 16:29:06 -0000

Hi Reetz44. We view things differently, but it feels refreshing to be able to discuss it in a civilized way, something that is almost impossible, apparently. I think there were periods of total farce in this process, and the posturing of both camps and the hypocrisy involved is sometimes just unbearable. I do think that there are topics where common ground is very difficult (abortion, gay marriage). but in health care, and at the beginning I truly believe that Obama tried to get some republicans on board. For me, not having a public option in this law is a MAJOR concession, and to have the insurance companies with such a free reign in the law and the major prominence of the states, tells me that this was a compromise, to get republicans if not on board, at least not fuming at the law (not a lot of success there..). We view the role of government differently, although in many instances such as our personal data and information (NSA is a major scandal which nobody seems to care) we are letting the gov running wild. Again, thanks, and have a great day!

Re: Why Obamacare Isn't So Easily Fixed

luis f — Sat, 23 Nov 2013 12:04:08 -0000

What I would love to know is whether the previous system is what people opposing Obamacare prefer. And if not, what is what they want as a healthcare. It seems the law is complicated, cumbersome, but that it was all thought out, with balances and checks to make it work. I am sure there are fixes that would help making it better. But there are fixes that are basically destroying it (such as ending the risk corridors). Plus, I don't see a lot of democrats running away from Obamacare.

Re: Why Obamacare Isn't So Easily Fixed

luis f — Sat, 23 Nov 2013 21:00:29 -0000

Spyeatte, good to see someone having the courage to state something clearly. I do not agree with you, and think that the previous system was unfair, unsustainable, illogical and was doing nothing to reign in the costs. I have seen very few anti-opponents saying the old law was acceptable. And I have seen no proposals how they would change it. Only destructive behavior. You are to be commanded by your clarity, and the debate becomes much more honest like that.

Re: Why Obamacare Isn't So Easily Fixed

luis f — Sat, 23 Nov 2013 22:37:36 -0000

Well, I haven't seen in your reply what do you stand for. I am assuming you prefer the pre-Obamacare to stand as is, and that you prefer the previous system to Obamacare and think it doesn't need to change.

Re: The Splintering of America's Health System Is Underway

luis f — Mon, 25 Nov 2013 08:59:05 -0000

I think it is amazing to see Republican states-first politicians let the federal government run their health care. It is also amazing to see governors let their poor not have access to expansion of medicaid (which I think borders criminal responsibility). They are calculating the law will fail. If it does, they will be entitled I-told-you-saw bragging rights and consequent electoral gains. However if Obamacare works, and if states for Kentucky show the way to a cheaper, more sustainable, more universal care, the republican states won't be republican for much longer, and for a long time to come. Fascinating couple of years in front of us.

Re: Why Obamacare Isn't So Easily Fixed

luis f — Mon, 25 Nov 2013 09:09:18 -0000

That is an amazing reply!!! There is ALWAYS an health care system in place. If you trash Obamacare something will be in place. So the question is which is the best system. I think that you not telling what your alternative to Obamacare is, goes a long way to illustrate how this debate only has one side showing up. The other side has nothing to offer so far, and that needs to change.

Re: Why Obamacare Isn't So Easily Fixed

luis f — Mon, 25 Nov 2013 09:15:15 -0000

Dear guest, I have to agree with a lot of what you said, in particular, that this had to involve at least some republicans. I have nonetheless observed that debate at the time, and I saw a sincere effort of Obama to reach out, and I saw an absolute unwillingness of republicans to accept something that was even based in some republican ideas. I could be wrong (no way to be in their heads..) but I think that the lack of dialogue was more from one side than the other. Do you not move along with your platform if the other side doesn't engage at all? Do you keep trying? Do you show more humility? Difficult to say what to do then. But in principle I have to agree with you, this should have been a bipartisanship change (or at least get some republican on board)

Re: Why Obamacare Isn't So Easily Fixed

luis f — Mon, 25 Nov 2013 10:33:25 -0000

That's an answer. You prefer the old system to Obamacare. That's a discussion starting point. You think Obamacare's problems are bigger than the previous law's problems (people uninsured, no pre-conditions covered, and escalating costs). As you can guess, I think Obamacare's issues are overall less than those. You don't. Again, I'm happy to know your opinion in this debate.

Re: The Splintering of America's Health System Is Underway

luis f — Mon, 25 Nov 2013 10:37:23 -0000

Perplexed, your tone of easy insult is what is wrong in this debate (and in the american politics in general). I have checked the doctors I am interested in. They are all there. My policy won't change (as it won't for the vast majority of people). Government health care actually works very well in the countries that have implemented it (I have live in three of them, and one of my kids was born in one of them). Obamacare is as far removed from Government healthcare as one could imagine, so I don't know why you would mentioned that in the context of this debate.

Re: The Splintering of America's Health System Is Underway

luis f — Mon, 25 Nov 2013 12:40:47 -0000

Re: The Splintering of America's Health System Is Underway

luis f — Mon, 25 Nov 2013 12:42:26 -0000

Actually if you read what I wrote, comparing them was EXACTLY what I didn't do. Of course from the tone of your post, reading what other people wrote, if they don't agree with you, is not your strong suit.

Re: The Splintering of America's Health System Is Underway

luis f — Mon, 25 Nov 2013 13:32:21 -0000

I don't know the details of that situation, and I would love to hear more of it if you have knowledge about that issue. I am guessing that like everything else, best doctors and best health care goes to the best plans, richest regions, richest countries, affluent people. I am sure none of that is going to change with Obamacare. Medicaid care will be worse than the best plan that money can buy. My health plan which hasn't changed, is better than Medicaid. The issue is not to compare Obamacare with a perfect, abstract, non-existent system but that what the alternative is. In my view the previous was very problematic, Obamacare is better than that. I am sure there's other systems, and I personally am open to discuss them.

Re: The Splintering of America's Health System Is Underway

luis f — Mon, 25 Nov 2013 15:00:40 -0000

And you can speak for small business people and individuals? Interesting, last time I checked I hadn't given you the right to speak for myself.

Re: The Splintering of America's Health System Is Underway

luis f — Mon, 25 Nov 2013 19:57:33 -0000

Hi Divingmedid. For people that were uninsured before Obamacare, not getting to Mayo or Sloan-Kettering is probably not that problematic. I would imagine that they will be happy with having health insurance, even if they don't get access to the best biomedical facilities in the world. In my view Obamacare should not be compared with a perfect abstract never existing situation. It should be compared with the previous system, or to some other alternative.

Re: Democrats Fear Obamacare Will Cost Them The Senate

luis f — Tue, 26 Nov 2013 12:07:00 -0000

No worries here. Democrats will be able to run on Obamacare. I will be so happy to see some races like KY and see how Republicans will be able to explain to people that if they win they can forget about their health care. Which they had for the first time in their lives. I will also be very interested to see how these reporters will discuss their prescient prognostics of Nov 2013