tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post851223775394681014..comments2024-03-15T05:45:01.402-05:00Comments on Grits for Breakfast: Christmas behind barsGritsforbreakfasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10152152869466958902noreply@blogger.comBlogger71125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-34836268253237692032010-01-06T11:29:20.324-06:002010-01-06T11:29:20.324-06:00Well I hope we opened up Sunray's eyes. I'...Well I hope we opened up Sunray's eyes. I'm pretty sure she has not become a born again libertarian, but at least she has something to think about.<br /><br />The closest we have to an unregulated market in the US is the dating market. Thank goodness I don't need to purchase malpractice insurance for that!PirateFriedmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14490889950268741305noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-42674961434925531922010-01-06T11:23:02.580-06:002010-01-06T11:23:02.580-06:00RAS, you are badly misinformed.RAS, you are badly misinformed.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-7201285866444588972010-01-04T17:19:19.643-06:002010-01-04T17:19:19.643-06:00The more socialism expands (with the inevitable go...The more socialism expands (with the inevitable gov't inefficiencies), with higher taxes =less spending money, fewer potential homebuyers, fewer jobs in home construction, and on and on. How much does the average British citizen contribute to preventing starvation in Africa or Bangladesh? (through personal contributions or gov't aid thru taxes) How much from the average American? How many will die in Africa and elsewhere to pay for universal healthcare in the U.S.? Universal as in 'all but 19 million' I heard. Twenty years ago a Canadian I worked with paid 50% of his income in taxes and he worked in the oilfields, earning about an average salary. Also after we fix our healthcare where will the socialists go for healthcare that they can't get in their country or don't want to wait 6 to 12 months for?RASnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-81834085438311865442009-12-31T12:48:13.070-06:002009-12-31T12:48:13.070-06:00Sunray's Wench
"What I dont understand i...Sunray's Wench<br /><br />"What I dont understand is, you already pay taxes."<br /><br />Thats not completely true. About 50 percent don't pay or get a refund (EITC) of their taxes including social security and medicaid payroll taxes. The government has to borrow to make up the budget. <br /><br />Otherwise who could argue with all the services being talked about here. <br /><br />Also on incarceration, what percentage are status criminals from the failed war on drugs? Or eligible for parole and yet not paroled? Or not paroled due to waiting for non existant treatment for Chemical dependency? <br /><br />I like being number 1, but to get the honor for number of prisoners, I'm not so sure. <br /><br />Ham2mtr<br /><br />Yes I know we must have law and order for our society to survive. (ah)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-69120053801475535502009-12-30T12:11:25.721-06:002009-12-30T12:11:25.721-06:00Bringing it down to name-calling shows what true i...Bringing it down to name-calling shows what true idiots "anonymous cowards" truly are.Hook Em Hornshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04660612847019528535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-19137658339127178762009-12-30T12:09:51.538-06:002009-12-30T12:09:51.538-06:00Anonymous said...
Boy....you are the idiot; I...Anonymous said...<br /><br /> Boy....you are the idiot; I did not give you permission to be on this post. Go to your room and shutup.<br /><br /> 12/29/2009 11:29:00 AM<br />==============================<br />EAT ME MORON!Hook Em Hornshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04660612847019528535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-67975290530810114062009-12-29T11:29:24.125-06:002009-12-29T11:29:24.125-06:00Boy....you are the idiot; I did not give you permi...Boy....you are the idiot; I did not give you permission to be on this post. Go to your room and shutup.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-78791456877347450882009-12-28T22:20:08.868-06:002009-12-28T22:20:08.868-06:00sunray's wench said...
Boyness ~ you real...sunray's wench said...<br /><br /> Boyness ~ you really shouldn't use words that you don't understand the meaning of.<br /><br /> 12/28/2009 01:00:00 AM<br />-----------------------------------<br />You mean words you don't understand the meaning of...idiot!Hook Em Hornshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04660612847019528535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-12394783527933892532009-12-28T13:21:03.400-06:002009-12-28T13:21:03.400-06:00"And if you have no heirs? It is not beyond p..."And if you have no heirs? It is not beyond possibility that many people could have no living relatives at all and die in their own homes. What then?"<br /><br />If someone dies with no indication of who should inherit their property, then their property is fair game to be homesteaded by anyone. So the new homeowner would dispose of the body.<br /><br />I believe taxation is theft, I also believe that any restrictions on an innocent person's behavior is a form of slavery. Of course that would not exist in Freedomville.PirateFriedmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14490889950268741305noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-34977973047278649502009-12-28T13:13:12.602-06:002009-12-28T13:13:12.602-06:00Pirate ~ hmmm, that would be Freedomville as in Am...Pirate ~ hmmm, that would be Freedomville as in America being the land of the free (except the 2 million incarcerated), but I'll roll with it :)<br /><br />you said: "In Freedomville, if you die on someone elses property, they will have incentive to clean it up to remove the stench. "<br /><br />Or I suppose, pay someone else to do it for them?<br /><br />"If you die on your own property, your heirs will have incentive to clean it up. (Of course, many very poor poeople don't own land)."<br /><br />And if you have no heirs? It is not beyond possibility that many people could have no living relatives at all and die in their own homes. What then?<br /><br />Am I right to think that in Freedomville there would be a lot fewer laws too, thereby reducing the numbers of possible criminals and reducing the need for more Corrections staff / prisons?sunray's wenchhttp://www.helium.com/items/1458601-the-most-dangerous-jobsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-28661339312692465552009-12-28T09:52:42.432-06:002009-12-28T09:52:42.432-06:00"Pirate ~ perhaps we should rename your exclu..."Pirate ~ perhaps we should rename your exclusive community Darwinville."<br /><br />Hmmm... I prefer Freedomville.<br /><br /><br />"Surely by relying on charities and religious organisations to mop up the dregs in Darwinville, you are also abdicating your responsibility?"<br /><br />Not at all. In Freedomville everyone can practice any religion or ethical system they want, and if they feel they have a moral responsibility to help the poor they can act on that.<br /><br />"If a resident of Darwinville died because they have no money, no family and no charity found them appealing, would they just be left to an air burial"<br /><br />In Freedomville, if you die on someone elses property, they will have incentive to clean it up to remove the stench. If you die on your own property, your heirs will have incentive to clean it up. (Of course, many very poor poeople don't own land).PirateFriedmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14490889950268741305noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-64792022452947517282009-12-28T09:38:54.235-06:002009-12-28T09:38:54.235-06:00Pirate ~ perhaps we should rename your exclusive c...Pirate ~ perhaps we should rename your exclusive community Darwinville. It seems only concerned with the survival of the fittest (as in, wealthiest and best connected). Surely by relying on charities and religious organisations to mop up the dregs in Darwinville, you are also abdicating your responsibility? Shouldn't you be wanting to outlaw all charitable donations as theft too, because the charities rely on the guilty feelings an appeal can raise in an individual?<br /><br />If a resident of Darwinville died because they have no money, no family and no charity found them appealing, would they just be left to an air burial?sunray's wenchhttp://www.helium.com/items/1692848-prison-canteen-commissary-storenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-5341298831134524392009-12-28T09:20:25.695-06:002009-12-28T09:20:25.695-06:00Sunray,
"Communities need to invest in their...Sunray,<br /><br />"Communities need to invest in their people too."<br /><br />This is a euphimism for redistributing wealth from one group to sick children. Show me evidence that this actually creates wealth. If you take 100K from Pfeizer and give it to a sick child, you may prevent a great medicine from being discovered. <br /><br />"For most people, you have periods of work and of unemployment, good health and poor health, wealth and relative poverty."<br /><br />Not at all. I think that a free society can deal with these circumstances better than a socialist one. Insurance, religious organizations, charities, family connections, savings and responsible behavior are the best solutions for difficult circumstances.PirateFriedmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14490889950268741305noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-18687440352451864102009-12-28T01:00:38.559-06:002009-12-28T01:00:38.559-06:00Boyness ~ you really shouldn't use words that ...Boyness ~ you really shouldn't use words that you don't understand the meaning of.sunray's wenchhttp://www.helium.com/items/1458948-prison-reform-and-rehabilitation-curenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-47471778068341400872009-12-27T22:57:55.646-06:002009-12-27T22:57:55.646-06:00Poor Boy...I bet none of sleep tonight knowing you...Poor Boy...I bet none of sleep tonight knowing you are so upset - Boy.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-36292006743093489462009-12-27T21:58:51.755-06:002009-12-27T21:58:51.755-06:00TDCJ EX said...
----------------------------------...TDCJ EX said...<br />-----------------------------------<br />I just read your manifesto. You are a communist. Where do you freaks come from?Hook Em Hornshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04660612847019528535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-1400748378640821012009-12-27T21:56:51.064-06:002009-12-27T21:56:51.064-06:00Jeez...reading this board is proof once again that...Jeez...reading this board is proof once again that most people who are stupid, illiterate, dumb or just plain ignorant will post stupid comments behind an anonymous veil. COWARDS!Hook Em Hornshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04660612847019528535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-59905406718514707592009-12-27T20:50:44.820-06:002009-12-27T20:50:44.820-06:00In an Pirate,
You , you wrote
"The majorit...In an Pirate, <br /><br /> You , you wrote<br />"The majority elects politicians and the politicians oppress the minority. "<br /><br />That might be true on some occasions, One reason politicians pass laws that are unpopular is because the majority of eligible voters do not vote . If they did, we would undoubtedly have very different laws and policies .<br /><br /> Most people are neither conservative , liberal or,now in vogue "centrist ". Most of us do not fit a single ideology A person for example could be in favor of ideas that are not in lockstep any ideology<br /><br />The two party system is part of the problem . It isn't Constitutionally required . <br />The two dominant political parties have legislated a monopoly . A multiparty system would go a long ways towards making the legislative process more representative of the population and more people would vote . <br /><br />Another problem is the winner take all system . A proportional system would produce a higher voter turnout , less divisiveness and more responsive government making better legislation .<br /><br /> insurance companies rarely provide the level of care their customers want. <br />The most common reason they do not change the health insurance companies is they don't have a choice .Their employer chooses who provides health insurance , and what level the of care will be . That's not a free market. <br /><br />The idea of denying care for profit is frightening, morally and ethically troubling .<br />and part of why the health care is not compatible with unregulated free market. Profits will always come before anything else, that idea is morally repulsive. <br /><br /> If you want to see what cost driven healthcare looks like spend some time in TDCJ as a prisoner . You will be disgusted If anything that comes close to Palin's, death panels." <br /><br />On different topic Sunray ,<br /> I agree judges , prosecutors and sheriffs, should never be elected . They become politicians first , anything else is an afterthought . In places like Smith , Williamson , and Harris counties, to name a few . There justice does not exist, only win at all costs . The Constitution is just a piece of paper is not satire, it's reality .<br /><br />The Smith County Courthouse statue of Themis,Greek goddess of justice is not blindfolded. Intentional or not it is a cruel reality for who have lost years of their lives in prison so that those in power , remained there , while those in prison paid a price they can never be fully compensated for. Some possibly the ultimate price . <br /><br />Read , Chasing Justice by Kerry Max Cook . There are hundreds of cases out of Smith County that deserve reopening and at minimum, a new trial or simply dismissing the cases in the name of justice . Smith County is probably the best example of why we should never elect judges, prosecutors and sheriffs . <br /><br />A few solutions to this problem are , term limits of no more than 10 years for judges, prosecutors and sheriffs . Along with a conditional appointment . Removing any immunity they have . Making them f accountable up to the maximum penalty they are legally able to seek, which could mean the death penalty, for their actions. Just as the rest of us are. That's just a beginning. <br /><br /> Until more people become aware of how expensive mass incarceration really it is well beyond the cost of incarceration itself. People don't see that yet .Only when a large number of white middle-class and upper-middle-class people are incarcerated, In particular those who are incarcerated for most 20s and 30s . When Biff and Buffy , spend 20 years in prison for their "youthful indiscretions" you can bet there will be criminal justice reform in the US. Or when the demographics of the US changes in the next decade or so . <br /><br />All of this from healthcare to mass incarceration is not surprising when a few paranoid conspiracy theory wingnut's and a bloated drug addict can convince people to call themselves teabagger's.TDCJ EXnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-57785421282433445542009-12-27T13:53:16.647-06:002009-12-27T13:53:16.647-06:00Pirate ~ perhaps I've not stated my position c...Pirate ~ perhaps I've not stated my position clearly enough; I have nothing at all against the concept of paying for something at point-of-need/use. I have no problem with public (that's what we call fee-funded education in the UK, confusing, I know!) schools, insurance-based healthcare, or even private security / prison companies. <br /><br />What I do have a problem with is your comment:<br />"...parents will pay for their kids education and if they can't afford it that is too bad."<br /><br />Too bad for whom? The kids themselves, or the missed opportunity by the community to have a future cure for cancer, or brilliant engineer, or possibly a successful entrepreneur? Surely the free-market accepts the need for investment? Communities need to invest in their people too.<br /><br />A life is not static. For most people, you have periods of work and of unemployment, good health and poor health, wealth and relative poverty. The community you are advocating feels like it is based on a static picture of an individual's circumstances. The basic facts are, you would struggle to earn enough to cover all the insurance payments you would need to make in order to cover yourself at the same level should you ever become unemployed. This is why most societies put in place a safety net, such as the NHS, because it is understood that a community is only as strong as it's weakest member.<br /><br />I do agree with you that there are very under-used alternatives to the mass incarceration currently seen in the US and other western nations. I strongly support the idea of more probation and parole where the criminal can work and contribute financially to their supervision costs as well as to the community as a whole. <br /><br />Loving this discussion :)sunray's wenchhttp://silvaculture.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-25982048087537896472009-12-27T13:06:31.079-06:002009-12-27T13:06:31.079-06:00TDCJ Ex:
Since Obama has decided to start using Mo...TDCJ Ex:<br />Since Obama has decided to start using Monolopy money we shouldn't worry how much of it our representatives spend.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-54953857748700494382009-12-27T12:25:17.077-06:002009-12-27T12:25:17.077-06:00Ex,
The majority elects politicians and the polit...Ex,<br /><br />The majority elects politicians and the politicians oppress the minority. <br /><br />"Paying for lots of healthcare is not in their interest they have incentive to deny care not provide it"<br /><br />Of course insurance companies can and SHOULD deny care sometimes, otherwise they would go bankrupt. But if they deny care too much they will lose customers. So they have incentive to provide a level of care that the customers want.<br /><br />Cheers,<br /><br />PiratePirateFriedmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14490889950268741305noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-45415018994736491962009-12-27T12:16:43.336-06:002009-12-27T12:16:43.336-06:00Pirate, Taxation in the US is not stealing. We ele...Pirate, Taxation in the US is not stealing. We elect representatives to our legislatures , they in turn create legislation . Some of this legislation includes different forms of taxation and other means of generating revenue. <br /><br />Disagreeing with how our tax money is raised and spent does not mean the money has been stolen from anyone. <br /><br />While a total free-market system might work in Ayn Rand novels . In the real world, unregulated markets never work. The the concept is based on the idea that, A ) Corporations are individuals. B ) Corporations and individuals will through competition , be honest and fair. C ) Will due to competition create the best product for the best price. D ) People will treat each other respectfully and humanely, because it is in their self-interest to do so. E) because of the the preceding notions, there is little need for any rules regulations or laws, especially learning comes to regulating business. In a utopian society it might work. <br /><br />Human history provides overwhelming evidence that the idea of totally unregulated markets and behavior does not work. Our current economic problems are a direct result of not regulating markets. In this case simply not enforcing laws. <br /> <br />As for healthcare, private insurance is the worst possible way to provide it. Insurance companies exist to make lots of money. Therefore, they will do whatever possible to insure they make lots of money. Paying for lots of healthcare is not in their interest they have incentive to deny care not provide it. Employer-based healthcare insurance is the worst of the worst possible way to provide healthcare. Employers do not want to pay insurance companies lots of money. So, they seek out the cheapest possible plan, in turn, the cheapest possible insurance plan provides the least possible healthcare.<br /><br />A well regulated capitalist system does some things well, producing cars trucks, computers, television sets, etc. there is some things. You simply cannot do well at all, healthcare, among them. The idea of , if you can afford it too bad for you, now please die. Because horror of horrors, some billionaire might not have enough to buy his 8th mansion is just grotesques.<br /><br />Possibly this. I've got mine Fuck you attitude contributes to crime , and legislators making more behaviors felonies carrying lengthy prison sentences. Just a thought. <br /><br />It's nice to see all the "compassionate conservatives" showing their compassion . Interestingly, when they are on the receiving end of the (in) justice system . They discover the Bill of Rights and that it applies to individuals as well as corporations. They also developed a profound love for those pesky fourth fifth and sixth amendments they once despised as "technicalities." <br /><br />If doctors do not like getting sued. Don't do things that will get them sued. When they do something wrong or whatever reason, admit it and pay for the damage they caused. But like everyone else. Nobody wants to admit they did something wrong and be held accountable. That's why we have civil suits to settle our differences. <br />Ironically, those who want tort reform, are the same people who want to lock people up and toss the key for the most petty of "crime." Perhaps it's all relative steal a few thousand with a weapon it's a felony that can land you in prison for 20+ years . Steal billions with the stroke of a pen, and you're a "financial genius." <br /><br />So much for the "compassionate conservatives " endless whining about "moral relativism. "TDCJ EXnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-74975704854460155342009-12-27T11:32:49.348-06:002009-12-27T11:32:49.348-06:00Sunray, parents will pay for their kids education ...Sunray, parents will pay for their kids education and if they can't afford it that is too bad.<br /><br />I've given you one possibility about how correctional officer's salaries could be financed, through the private market creating "incarceration insurance". Lets remember that our era has a prison fetish, but really there are other ways to punish someone, such as banishment or corporal punishment.<br /><br />I do see that you do not agree with the idea of the privatization of law enforcement. But if you can't accept that public schools are a bad idea how are we going to get to that point?PirateFriedmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14490889950268741305noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-41675445052537886892009-12-27T11:24:54.851-06:002009-12-27T11:24:54.851-06:00Pirate ~ you need a link for the NHS??? OK, try th...Pirate ~ you need a link for the NHS??? OK, try this one: http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Pages/NHSEngland.aspx<br /><br /><br />You said: "There will be no regulations saying who can be a doctor. You could go to someone with less knowledge, like an LVN, if you were poor. You could buy any drug you wanted without seeing a seeing a doctor. Doctor's would charge less because there would be no malpractice lawsuits."<br /><br />Woah there, that's a big leap! No regulation at all on anyone mixing toilet cleaner with aspirin and calling it a cure for cancer? You might need this link too then: http://www.nice.org.uk/<br />because NICE are the people who decide for the UK which drugs are safe and which are not.<br /><br />But where does this leave us in your hypothetical community with law enforcement and incarceration? In theory, everyone has a potential need to be served by a police force of some kind, so surely everyone may as well hand over their taxes to a single authority, instead of several insurance companies making up their own rules as they go along? I know you elect your Sheriffs in the US, but we dont do that in the UK. We dont elect our Judges either. It's not seen as something that should be a popularity contest.<br /><br />You still havent answered where the money would come from to pay for the teachers or the Correctional Officers. The laws of supply and demand would seem a little screwed in your community if it happened to be in Texas where no one wants their money to go towards incarcerating criminals, yet just about everyone seems to want to lock up as many people as possible.sunray's wenchhttp://www.helium.com/items/1692848-prison-canteen-commissary-storenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-73705605502507834642009-12-27T10:49:02.308-06:002009-12-27T10:49:02.308-06:00Sunray I could not find any good links on this nat...Sunray I could not find any good links on this national health care insurance scheme you are talking about.<br /><br />Suffice to say, if the system was supported by taxes, if it was regulated, if there were regulations against the competition or if people were forced to buy into it, there would be valid reasons to criticize it.<br /><br />"Many people are born with mental disabilities. How are children to pay the insurance premiums in your community?"<br /><br />I'll reiterate: in a free society you try to find a way to purchase goods and services without violating someone's property rights. In a free society insurance companies might start offering(they may already, I don't know) "disabled children's insurance" which you would purchase before the baby was conceived. <br /><br />I will say this, in a free society the cost of medical care will go down dramatically. There will be no regulations saying who can be a doctor. You could go to someone with less knowledge, like an LVN, if you were poor. You could buy any drug you wanted without seeing a seeing a doctor. Doctor's would charge less because there would be no malpractice lawsuits.PirateFriedmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14490889950268741305noreply@blogger.com