The rest of the world thinks you're silly

[rvg]

Because we don't like bulldust where someone states they are #1 but smell like a #2

That's rather subjective, no? What smells like #2 to some, smells like big profits to others.

[Papewaio]

I'm fine with roses too and they need a bit of manure every now and then too.

[rvg]

Right. Just remember, folks, we're on the same side. It would be best if we remain on the same side. Best for everyone, I might add.

[Papewaio]

It is funny that a Canadian is bringing this up considering a lot of people mistake them for Americans :)

[rvg]

Crossing the border into Canada is in many ways akin to crossing the ocean. Canadians are very much in line with the Old World values and way of thinking.

[Husar]

We toppled them because we could. Nobody's really giving us anything back because nobody can. You can talk all you like about how bad the American social/political/whatever system might be, but it's worth pointing out that your impact upon that aforementioned system equals to zero. A big, fat zero.

Just sayin'.

That's wrong, I made Vuk cry.

[Papewaio]

That's wrong, I made Vuk cry.

That's cause you stole his lip gloss.

[rvg]

That's wrong, I made Vuk cry.

Quite a feat indeed. I'll alert the CNN.

[Xiahou]

Basically, what started as a good idea got turned retarded by Republicans and Democrats, most of whom never even read the law.

At what point or in what form was it ever a good idea? Healthcare reform may be a good idea- but at no point did the Affordable Care Act ever resemble anything that could be called "a good idea".

Our healthcare system is a mess- it started circling the drain with The New Deal and has had a steady decline since. But I'm not aware of any country's healthcare system that doesn't have its share of fleas- unsustainable costs, poor service, and so on....

Real reform in the US would start by breaking the perverse relationship between insurance and employment. Once should not depend on the other. When I was last unemployed, I was able to purchase a great HMO plan for my family. Reasonable prices- and it gave us the level of coverage we needed.

In fact, I liked it so much that I wanted to keep it when I did get a job. I asked to turn down my employer's insurance and keep my private plan. Guess what? They told me they were legally unable to off me individual coverage if coverage was offered by my employer. How stupid is that?

[HopAlongBunny]

Something that might help with spiraling cost would be breaking the linkage between "reverence for life" and "infliction of unlimited suffering"; having myself been brought back from the brink in the past, I realize this is a touchy subject...

[Brenus]

"your impact upon that aforementioned system " The impact of Bin Laden on USAnians way of life was quite big...

[Ironside]

At what point or in what form was it ever a good idea? Healthcare reform may be a good idea- but at no point did the Affordable Care Act ever resemble anything that could be called "a good idea".

Our healthcare system is a mess- it started circling the drain with The New Deal and has had a steady decline since. But I'm not aware of any country's healthcare system that doesn't have its share of fleas- unsustainable costs, poor service, and so on....

True, but the thing is you pay about 50-100% more than anyone else (in ppp GDP/capita) and it's not noted in coverage nor quality (it's mediocre at best on average), except for a top few people.

That's pretty severe.

In addition, we traditionally have not been willing to accept the rate of taxation necessary to fund such a program as the Austrian two-tier. The total tax burden on yanks with the highest income streams is usually less than 50% including federal income taxes, state and local sales and property taxes/fees, and other minor levies. Our capital gains tax is set at 23.8% for our highest earner brackets (and many of our richest have little or no wage income thus qualifying for the 15 capital gains rate).

A tax reform with fewer brackets and more importantly, place the capital gains tax on a fixed value comparable to the average income holder or even higher, rather than having "legal tax dodging for the rich" avenue open. Have it ever been a real movement to fix the capital gains loophole? It's a such obvious one.

[Husar]

Quite a feat indeed. I'll alert the CNN.

"your impact upon that aforementioned system " The impact of Bin Laden on USAnians way of life was quite big...

This.
While my influence may be small or nonexistant because all the Americans here are inflexible and cannot accept my superior arguments, there are quite a few terrorists on whose plans a single American has zero influence and who also make Americans cry. It's funny because their plans to make Americans cry are a direct consequence of the attitude displayed here that America doesn't care what the rest of the world thinks. Which isn't even true because you wouldn't topple other governments then. In other words, you also have zero influence over whether I tell you here what I think about your healthcare system. In fact your tears and arguments to make me stop are fuel to my arguments because it clearly shows you run out of proper arguments concerning the healthcare debate and resort to "Why can't you just let us have our imperfect system just because!!!".

Guys, I think the anti-healthcare insurgency is in its last throes.

[Sir Moody]

Don't get me wrong, I'm totally in favour of subsidised health-care. Just not in the way we do it in the UK. It clearly isn't working as intended.

don't blame the model blame the administration.

The NHS is still one of the best examples of socialized Healthcare in the world but it is currently suffering under major administration problems.

Demand for the NHS has risen inline with the population, which as we all know has swelled massively - the Government (both Labour and the Conservatives) however have failed to manage this and instead of expanding services with more Hospitals and more staff, they have instead either pumped more money into existing Hospitals which ends up spent on middle management or worse CUT the budgets which has led to closed Hospitals and dangerously low levels of the key staff (aka Nurses and Doctors).

What the NHS needs is a culling of the middle management, a recruitment drive for Nurses and Doctors, and new hospitals to be set up in areas where demand is highest... then the service might be able to handle the demand being thrown its way

[rvg]

...there are quite a few terrorists on whose plans a single American has zero influence and who also make Americans cry.

That's what the shoe bomber thought. And many others. We might not be perfect at catching them, but we do a reasonably good job of apprehending them, as well as killing those who managed to slip through.

It's funny because their plans to make Americans cry are a direct consequence of the attitude displayed here that America doesn't care what the rest of the world thinks...

Hmm, I thought their plans were a direct consequence of them being religious fanatics. I don't see Dutchies flying a plane into WTC because we have not allowed gay marriage or marijuana on a federal level.

[Husar]

That's what the shoe bomber thought. And many others. We might not be perfect at catching them, but we do a reasonably good job of apprehending them, as well as killing those who managed to slip through.

You mean you send targets ver there so the don't have to cross the ocean anymore. Pretty much everyone seems to think that Afghanistan will be swarmed by the Taliban once we leave so I wouldn't celebrate the victory yet.

Hmm, I thought their plans were a direct consequence of them being religious fanatics. I don't see Dutchies flying a plane into WTC because we have not allowed gay marriage or marijuana on a federal level.

I thought most of them demand that the US have no bases on islamic territory because that's an unwanted influence on their region. Or that was one of the original demands, by now they probably have a lot more. The dutchies apparently like McDonald's and your military bases on dutch territory enough to want to keep them.

[rvg]

You mean you send targets ver there so the don't have to cross the ocean anymore. Pretty much everyone seems to think that Afghanistan will be swarmed by the Taliban once we leave so I wouldn't celebrate the victory yet.

Good. When they hang Karzai I'll be cheering. Then we'll just drone them like we do in Pakistan. Cheap, safe and efficient.

I thought most of them demand that the US have no bases on islamic territory because that's an unwanted influence on their region.

Unwanted by whom exactly? No matter what America does, somebody somewhere will not like it. So screw them, we'll be doing whatever needs to be done.

The dutchies apparently like McDonald's and your military bases on dutch territory enough to want to keep them.

Most countries do. Those military bases keep lots of people employed.

[Brenus]

"Then we'll just drone them like we do in Pakistan..." Then they will blow-up one of your embassies with a car full of explosives like in Libya. Cheaper than drones and much more effective. Then you will buy more expensive materiel. Then they will attack tourists trekking in the Mountains or in Hotels... They will find other lateral way to hurt... The North Vietnam won the war because it was willing to have more dead than the USA...

[rvg]

...Then they will blow-up one of your embassies with a car full of explosives like in Libya.

We can deal with that.

Then you will buy more expensive materiel.

Did the Illuminati tell you that?

Then they will attack tourists trekking in the Mountains or in Hotels...

Tourists? In Afghanistan?

The North Vietnam won the war because it was willing to have more dead than the USA...

Is that some kind of expert opinion or something? Do you know much about Vietnam war?

[Husar]

Good. When they hang Karzai I'll be cheering. Then we'll just drone them like we do in Pakistan. Cheap, safe and efficient.

Sure, drones are more beloved than gitmo after all. Not that you seem to care...

Unwanted by whom exactly? No matter what America does, somebody somewhere will not like it. So screw them, we'll be doing whatever needs to be done.

Yeah, just like I will say about your politics what I want, regardless of whether you or Vuk like it. Your complaints are thus still pointless.

Most countries do. Those military bases keep lots of people employed.

Yes, maybe you should open more in Africa to create jobs.

[rvg]

Sure, drones are more beloved than gitmo after all. Not that you seem to care...

Then drones it is.

Yeah, just like I will say about your politics what I want, regardless of whether you or Vuk like it. Your complaints are thus still pointless.

I do not recall complaining about anything. I only mentioned that nobody gets a say in how America should run herself except Americans themselves. As for Vuk, he can speak for himself.

Yes, maybe you should open more in Africa to create jobs.

We're not a charity. Jobs are just a positive influence of our bases, not their primary purpose. What we should do is pull them out of Germany. The Cold War is over.

[Husar]

I do not recall complaining about anything. I only mentioned that nobody gets a say in how America should run herself except Americans themselves. As for Vuk, he can speak for himself.

Your first reply on that subject read a bit like you were really hurt about us trying to tell you how to run your country. But noone does that here, all we do is tell you our opinion and offer some alternatives. You should be thankful that we share information about our incredibly advanced systems with you for free.
And if we laugh at you because your system is so backwards it's no different from you laughing about terrorists falling to drone strikes due to the technological difference. We all do it because we can and because it's funny to see others fail. I mean we're all in the same boat if you look at it this way.

We're not a charity. Jobs are just a positive influence of our bases, not their primary purpose. What we should do is pull them out of Germany. The Cold War is over.

It's pretty cute when you take a joke seriously.
I don't really mind whether you have bases here. Apparently bases like the military hospital in Rammstein are quite useful for your military and global power projection stuff since most injured soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan seem to be brought there for more serious treatment than can be offered in the countries where they got hurt.

[rvg]

Your first reply on that subject read a bit like you were really hurt about us trying to tell you how to run your country. But noone does that here, all we do is tell you our opinion and offer some alternatives. You should be thankful that we share information about our incredibly advanced systems with you for free.

Thank you. Your opinions are very important to us.

And if we laugh at you because your system is so backwards it's no different from you laughing about terrorists falling to drone strikes due to the technological difference. We all do it because we can and because it's funny to see others fail. I mean we're all in the same boat if you look at it this way.

I suppose that the difference is that our drones change the world that we live in, and your words do not.

It's pretty cute when you take a joke seriously.
I don't really mind whether you have bases here. Apparently bases like the military hospital in Rammstein are quite useful for your military and global power projection stuff since most injured soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan seem to be brought there for more serious treatment than can be offered in the countries where they got hurt.

It's okay, the war in Iraq is over, Afghanistan is almost over. Once that's wrapped up, it'll be good time to downsize.

[Husar]

I suppose that the difference is that our drones change the world that we live in, and your words do not.

That's too bad, I was expecting the US to change everything according to my personal advice.

[rvg]

That's too bad, I was expecting the US to change everything according to my personal advice.

Evidently so. Otherwise why spend so much time talking about it, right?

[Husar]

Evidently so. Otherwise why spend so much time talking about it, right?

Why spend so much time replying if my words have zero effect and are completely meaningless in the real world?

[rvg]

Why spend so much time replying if my words have zero effect and are completely meaningless in the real world?

I like telling people that they do not matter. It's a hobby.

[Husar]

I like telling people that they do not matter. It's a hobby.

My hobby is to tell people how bad their overrated country really is. I see it as a charitable effort.
You're welcome.

[rvg]

My hobby is to tell people how bad their overrated country really is. I see it as a charitable effort.
You're welcome.

Thanks. Any more overrated countries or just one?

[Husar]

Thanks. Any more overrated countries or just one?

I can't tell, the Australians are on my side of the argument so far, but that huge hole in the ozone layer they have has to be karma, I mean come on.

Oops.

I would love to have some North Korean or Chinese shills here but they're probably not allowed.