For those who think Bush is the problem...read.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Eki

The insurance companies could try to find real jobs instead of feeding from peoples' misfortunes.

Today, I was at a private dentist. The dentist bills the city on her own rate and the city bills me on their own cheaper rate. The tax payers (me included) pay the gap. No need for insurance companies to skim money from the middle. The city acts as an insurance company, but they don't expect any profit.

---

We had a better system; unless you were on welfare or an illegal alien, no government was needed period, but costs went up and NO ONE, especially the Fed. Government gives a damn about the exceedingly high costs (to challenge that one would have to create tort reform and lawyers are one of the major contributors to the Dem. candidates) so the Dem. float paper boat telling lies about insurance companies and the huddled masses, as usual, are obtuse to the extreme and suck it up, UNTIL it comes back to bite them in the ass, but then Pandora's box is open.

The fact the huddled masses have awakened is one of the major reasons the Dem. are fighting to keep the gate open so the illegal alien debris can continue to flood in, they DO vote for Dem., legal or not, as they live off of others tax money.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bob Riebe

We had a better system; unless you were on welfare or an illegal alien,

---

Do you believe that people on welfare or illegal aliens never need medical care? Do you prefer insurance companies to make profit instead of people on welfare and illegal aliens getting medical care?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bob Riebe

The fact the huddled masses have awakened is one of the major reasons the Dem. are fighting to keep the gate open so the illegal alien debris can continue to flood in, they DO vote for Dem.

---

How can illegal aliens vote in the US? Here only citizens of Finland can vote.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Eki

Do you believe that people on welfare or illegal aliens never need medical care?

---

They already had it.

As expenses went up only two classes could easly afford going to the hopsital, those with enough money to pay out of pocket, and the ones you mentioned.

Even into the nineties when I went to the doctor it was ALWAYS paid cash, that that, is now not easily done WAS NOT ADDRESSED by anyone in the "health care" scam.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Eki

How can illegal aliens vote in the US? Here only citizens of Finland can vote.

---

Some areas, not all, proof of residence is required, the Dem. are fighting hard to make that illegal, saying that discriminates. (That was one reason Dem. fought hard to get illegal aliens drivers licenses, they could have used those as an ID at a voting booth.)

Now think about that for a bit.

A Harley rider is passing the zoo, when he sees a little girl leaning into the lion's cage. Suddenly, the lion grabs her by the cuff of her jacket and tries to pull her inside to slaughter her, under the eyes of her screaming parents. The biker jumps off his bike, runs to the cage and hits the lion square on the nose with a powerful punch. Whimpering from the pain, the lion jumps back letting go of the girl, and the biker brings her to her terrified parents, who thank him endlessly.

A reporter has watched the whole event. The reporter says, "Sir, this was the most brave and gallant thing I saw a man do in my whole life." The biker replies, "Why, it was nothing, really, the lion was behind bars. I just saw this little kid in danger, and acted as I felt right." The reporter says, "Well, I'm a journalist from The New York Times, and tomorrow's paper will have this story on the front page ... So, what do you do for a living and what political affiliation do you have?"

The biker replies, "I'm a U.S. Marine and a Republican."

The following morning the biker buys The New York Times to see if it indeed brings news of his actions, and reads, on the front page:

U.S. MARINE ASSAULTS AFRICAN IMMIGRANT AND STEALS HIS LUNCH!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bob Riebe

They already had it.

As expenses went up only two classes could easly afford going to the hopsital, those with enough money to pay out of pocket, and the ones you mentioned.

Even into the nineties when I went to the doctor it was ALWAYS paid cash, that that, is now not easily done WAS NOT ADDRESSED by anyone in the "health care" scam.

---

You people are really complicated. Here, if I need hospital, the city just sends me a bill.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Kristjan

I think the analogy is not entirely incorrect, though. Russian conventional forces are not as strong as you might think. (Finland and Poland could probably put up a very good fight.) But currently way stronger than those in the Baltics. Yes, we need a "roof". If we didn't have a Western one, we'd be in danger of getting an Eastern one... Just look at Georgia.

But NATO is obviously not like the Mob. It's the voluntary defence alliance of the democratic, Western world. An august institution. It's a privilege to be a part of it.

And coming back to the topic of this thread: the moral clarity that the Bush administration had about the Baltics certainly contributed very positively to peace and stability in our region. No, he wasn't all bad.

---

It has been said only those who understand how precious and fragile peace and freedom are can really understand it. You growing up there, understand this since the Baltics were NOT free until the fall of the Soviet Union. I was old enough to understand what the Soviet Union was like from afar....so I not only understand why the Baltics joined NATO, but I can sense why you value it. Many, Eki for example just fail to really appreciate that while they constantly argue about the merits of this and that.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Eki

If the Warsaw Pact were still alive and kicking, how would you describe it?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warsaw_Pact

---

THAT would be the Mob...no one voluntarily joined the Warsaw Pact and was given the option of leaving while the Soviet Union was around. NATO on the other hand is a club where you can join or not join...or rather leave. Hardly the mob...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Eki

Do you believe that people on welfare or illegal aliens never need medical care? Do you prefer insurance companies to make profit instead of people on welfare and illegal aliens getting medical care?

---

They can need medical care...and they get it..and Bob pays for it as a taxpayer. He would probably prefer the insurance company makes a profit, he can at least buy stock in that, and he knows that the insurance company has to compete for his business. When government does it all for you, there is no incentive other than good will for them to do a good job, and they don't care how much money they spend. They know they can just raise more taxes....

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Eki

You people are really complicated. Here, if I need hospital, the city just sends me a bill.

---

Yes...and in Bob's world, he gets hurt, the hospital sends him the bill...or his insurance looks after it. Take your pick. The only difference is Eki is Americans like having that choice..and they have seen how the Medicare program is all screwed up and they were reluctant to let Gov't do that now....