mpohl

No doubt, there are Republicans who actually support the country. Who I am glad to have involved as elected members of Congress in our democracy; even though they will never represent me. But diversity is good. But the voices of these Republicans have been drowned out by money, special interests, and the Tea Party. In my opinion, either the GOP will rid itself of the 50 extremists, forcefully excluding them from the party. Or you can kiss the GOP and the US as a country good-bye. P.S.: This feels more and more like the Separated States of America, rather than the United States.

I will do your homework for you. Anarchism advocates a state-less society. Anarchism holds the state to be unnecessary, undesirable, or harmful. TEA PARTY, any one? And yes, democracy relies on accepting the rule of the majority. And being able to compromise. Something Republicans don't any longer. They are killing the system from within. And quite effectively at that... You may sit now, student, and be quiet. Live and learn. P.S.: Of course, that's the pre-K, 4 yr-old version. I think you can't intellectually handle any more than that based on your demeanor and comments. I didn't think you did. Do your own homework. Let me know when you discover that working within a government under the rules that the government has set down as LAW, is called , and compare that to Anarchy again. Please do. It's funny.

Will do. As soon as I see something positive. Unfortunately, I haven't figured out yet how to positively spin NSA, Government shut-down and looming default, let alone state-sanctioned torture. Shall I go on?

Americans are not made to be warriors. They file a complaint if the temperature gets above 75 F, if they can't access their XBox on base, email, Skype. Or Orio cookies! They think war is like a Sunday ballpark game. Until they encounter the reality, at which point of time they just run home crying to their mommy. Of course, Discovery Channel and alikes make them look tough as nail. Simply because they can shout obscenities the loudest. That's my opinion. Do you disagree that the American public have hamstrung the US military by not having the appetite to fight wars for years on end? Or maybe you think that the US military wasn't up to the job regardless?

It doesn't take much to win against Americans, never did. Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan...each and every time they go home like a beaten dog with its tail between its legs. Works every time. Sad thing is that they create a lot of death and carnage along the way. Nothing else.

What are you trying to say? Can you be a bit more specific? If that stretches your intellectual capabilities to its breaking point, I apologize.

AT MOST, it represents a majority of the districts. But because of Republican re-districting, that is no longer the same as the majority of votes. The fine art of democratic terrorism...honed over 20 years!!! But even then, we are talking about 40, maybe 50, extremists within the Republican caucus of 250 taking the whole country hostage. And not for the better of the country, but for their own personal welfare and advancement of tea-party ideology. To me that's treason!!!! Eh... the majority of the House is in theory what represents the majority of the people.

Obama was elected by a vote of majority. Who elected this terrorist, radical Republican nim-wit? If you count the numbers of electoral votes, it is nowhere near a majority. Maybe 5% of electoral votes are holding US all hostage!! I am sick and tired of having my life governed by Appalachians, Texans, etc. with a 4th grade education who still believe in Father Christmas at age 30.

He is still a TERRORIST, an ANARCHIST. He softens because he can't defy the law-of-the-land. As far as I am concerned, send him to Guantanamo Bay; he probably has done more harm to the US than anyone else incarcerated there. He and his ilks have truly turned this country into a Banana Republic. (And that includes setting one-self on fire in the National Mall.) Let's have no mercy with them, as they have no mercy with the poor!!!! P.S.: Let there be no doubt!!!! People die daily from lack of affordable medical care!!!!

Not even having read the first sentence of whatever you posted, just the subject line. Yes, I would much rather prefer to live in CA or NY than in GA. And yes, I am a Commie at heart and will never understand, nor try to understand bible-thumping Christians.

Agreed. GOP is bad shit. And it is turning up America. Unfortunately. We should just get rid of it. Sorry about the clicky. I grew up a copy-and-paste guy.

Old, OLD news. Like 2011! Seems you aren't especially conscious about what's going on in the world. Just realize. Because it is news to you, does not mean that is is real news. To whit: http://www.vice.com/vice-news/siberia-krokodil-tears-full-length The worst Zombie Apocalyse drug available in the USA right now is spelled GOP. Whatever you do, stay clear of GOP!!!!! Your life depends on it. P.S.: This is Speakers Corner after all.

For one, spare me your sob story about hard-ship and arrogance that your forefathers encountered. But not you yourself. Save THAT posturing for the court-room... For the other, Uwe Reinhardt is a well-respected political economists as far as economics of health care are concerned. I am sure you know how to google...don't disappoint me! As you reading up on the subject and getting a modicum of knowledge. No, there is not THE perfect system in the world. But by all accounts, the US has the worst among its peers...so, it can only improve from here!

Why don't you just shut up for a moment and take some time to learn. Rather than spewing your uninformed BS and using up electrons. Look at health-care systems around the world, single payer or non-profit multi-payer. Even better...live with them for ten years. Through a major illness, child birth, regular maintenance, drug prescriptions.Then talk to us again. INSIGHTFUL, from personal experience... Looking only at your own navel...well, your view is pretty limited!!! Some things: (1) the ACA is the furthest thing from "less money." It's hugely expansive and increases costs as a whole. What it decreases are the individual costs for those who were uninsurable. Those are covered by the young and healthy. (2) It's easy to do healthcare for less money. Either lower the quality or ration it. It appears that they are working on both (take a look at the increased scopes of practice for PAs, nurses and psychologists. Psychologists are being suggested for prescribing meds to lower costs (yes. Psychologists are starting to prescribe meds. Sure, they can't prescribe blood tests or a CT, but let's give them the power to prescribe). Lower the quality and ration the doctors (HMOs ration doctors, too. It's why you'll need a referral to a specialist). (3) It apparently doesn't even work for more people, because it leaves 10% of the population uninsured and also leaves plenty without work or with fewer hours working. I really do scratch my head and ask, "Did they deliberately choose to do the worst possible thing because they wanted to say, 'Fuck you, we can' or did they do it so that Americans would find anything to be better than this?" I think the latter.

How about you clean at home first? Don't worry about the rest of the world before having accomplished that. P.S.: Any medieval society can out-do your "cleaners". Look at Afghanistan, Iraq, etc. You really feel empowered to provide advise ? There is an easy solution to all of this. Put all the good Somalians in a ship off the coast, kill all the bad Somalians, and then sink the ship.

I am surprised by your optimistic outlook and the confidence you have in the reasoning abilities of the average American. To whit: "Skydiving should be banned! No one needs to skydive! They say if you skydive you are 40 times more likely to be killed skydiving than those who don't. If we could only save one life! Just one! If skydiving was banned that one life would have been saved!" Comment on CNN.com regarding today's fatality in TN. You think you can argue rationally with those kind of people? And make no mistake...they are in the majority. P.S.: Meaningful changes don't come thru learned and reasoned discourse. I gave up on that notion a long time ago.

With 10,000 people shot to death each year, maybe it's time for UN weapons inspectors and sanctions.

America, and its inhabitants, are exceptional!!!! Don't you get it? P.S.: Putin got it! So does Europe, all of South America, Asia, etc. I think that there are not too many countries these days that want to be like the US! Yep. The pattern repeats itself over and over. A looney with a gun kills people. Isn't it about time to put a stop to that?

My passport says "European Union." And that's how I feel! Minus the Useless Kingdom!

You fill it in!! I just want them to be gone from my country! The European Union. They don't want to be part of it; let them go. I don't see anything that they have to offer/ or have offered to Europe. That is the best you can do? Come on you missed out on about 15 stereotypes there

Who cares about the UK anymore? And their antics, their royals, their tea time, and, and, and... I just wish they would drop out of the European Union rather sooner than later. The US can have them... P.S.: Heck, even Scotland wants out!!! And we welcome the Scots in the EU any time. Minus the English!!!!

In times, like these...I take comfort in the wisdom of those who came before us. Harold Pinter, British Nobel Laureate, 2005. His acceptance speech on "Art, Truth, and Politics," pre-recorded, while wheel-chair bound, near death is as timely as it was then. It is a succinct analysis of US foreign politics since WW2. If pressed for time, dial in at the 10 min mark. http://www.nobelprize.org/mediaplayer/index.php?id=620 I agree with mpohl. When the USA is perfect we can start lecturing other nations about their behavior.

"And Colin Powell made the case for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Now more blather from another Washington talking head. The people of the United States do not support our military intervention in Syria. Kerry who once campaigned against this sort of world policing role should be ashamed." P.S.: Also, I wish Sarah Palin, "I can see Russia from my doorsteps," would have been elected President. Now we have another bobblehead whose "hope" is running out. Except that Guantanomo is still open; and the NSA is eaves-dropping on all of us. Obama has been an object disappointment!!! P.S.: If Obamacare sticks, that will be his saving grace. If you were carrying your weapon and saw somebody attacking another person, what would be your purpose of getting involved? "Retribution? Punishment? Deterrence?" Might I suggest, to stop it. Then the Syrian government officials and military better get all the Skittles they can. Thus proving innocence. Still - there are other factors in that. In Syria, as much as I THINK that Syria did it I am still not "convinced." And I think that convincing evidence should be there when performing an act of war.

I am sort of, kinda getting it. Let me summarize, and you tell me where I am wrong. The scrubs I see at Costco shopping mid-day, or at my gym at 11 am are not infectious. They are just impostors. Because Americans have an infatuation with all things involving uniforms (military, FD, PD). Short of that, wearing scrubs is a back-up. Did I get that right?

Seems the British Parliament voted against it. For now. The UN hasn't voted yet, but Russia and China will certainly not support any action. If at all, the lone aggressor might be the United States. In violation of all accepted international laws and conventions.