UAW inflexible on concessions...

I do think doctors are biased and terribly uninformed these
days. First, more patients = more bucks. Second, the biggest
problem with health care today is access. Many doctors will
not see a patient without insurance. Even with insurance,
finding a doctor who is on the plan is often a nightmarish
labor. Plus they change all the time. With patients making
appointments for every little complaint, the more severe
cases get to wait or are not seen at all.

The internet and free nurses' hotlines are your friend,
contrary to some bs the media puts out from time to time
(brought to you by who else? The medical "profession."). The
net would have told you how high the risk of infection is
with such a wound, so tetanus, intense cleansing, etc. are
needed immediately.

I am for Universal Health Care but for it to work, a
cultural shift in attitude in the U.S. will be necessary.
More is not better in the case of health care and can
sometimes in fact be worse. Americans are not ready to
accept this.

 

How so a fraud?

Give me unregulated capitalism. You can have your socialism. Ask the soviets
or the Chinese how they liked their systems. But that's OK. The US will make
their brand of socialism/communism work I'm sure. Most or north America
hates capitalism so they sure to get something lots worse.

 

And you're are ?????

 

I sure am. When I was a kid, doctors made lots of money, but for the most
part healthcare was non-profit, esp hospitals.

Now the money managers have stepped in and are only about profits. Have to
keep the shareholders happy! (Gee, where did I hear that before). Just
like GM, but in this case you can't avoid it...unless you want to go to
Mexico or India...

 

Unfortunately, the fellow travelers from 68 are now trying to run the
country and pervert the next generation, too.

Look at Nobama and his Clintonista cabinet.

Sir Charles the Curmudgeon

 

I saw Gettlefinger on CNN last night. He said the unions gave
concessions in 2005 and in 2007 and basically asked us viewers how we
could possibly expect them to keep giving concessions. Oh brother!
Don't we all give more and more toward healthcare and get less and
less in bonuses, etc., every single year? And he thinks the precious
union workers can't give every year too? Pahleeze. I cringe when I
see that guy talk.

 

Nah, let's not give concessions...

I knew a guy from Pittsfield, MA that had an uncle working at the
transformers division that was there. Some of the transformers had their
own special rail cars, they were so huge.

He said how his uncle would come over to the house and say, "We're going
to bring this company to it's KNEES!!!"

They did. Transformers was sold to Westinghouse (pretty interesting, since
GE was started by Edison and Edison and Westinghouse were rivals...) and
moved to Ohio. All those IBEW workers found themselves leaning on brooms
in malls...

 

But they didn't give in - and that's what really counts!

 

Fascism and Socialism are distant cousins at best. Fascism is the
merger of government and business "for the benefit of both" according
to the dictionary definition, but "for the benefit of those in charge
in the government and the biggest capitalists" on a practical basis.

Fascism is what we have had under GWB/Cheney, where any government
spending is good spending, and government regulation is good
regulation, as long as it benefits them and their neo-con friends. The
bailouts are just icing on the cake of their long running fascist
state.

While their fascist enterprise has lacked the traditional dictatorial
ruler, the dramatic expansion of the powers of the Executive Branch,
combined with a penchant for ignoring the Constitution whenever
convenient, along with the most ineffective Democratic Congress in
many years has given them the closet thing you will likely ever see to
dictatorship in this country (I hope).

 

Oh, you can use it.

Just like if you PAID for that screwdriver, you should be able to USE it
to roof your house.

And you can. But that doesn't make it a good idea.

 

Yes. IOW, the common person doesn't count.

Socialism, gee the common person doesn't count either. He belongs to the
state.

I hope too. Don't count on it. All you need is one more "emergency". After
all FDR was able to extend the normal two terms. And as you emntion the
contsitution has largely been ignored or modiifed and will be again.

 

Pure fascism like pure socialism as well as pure capitalism has never
excisted for very long because the very soon result in dictatorship.
Kings, presidents, whatever name they use all eventually stop being
anything good for the general population and the one at top uses all
and every means of making sure his powers remain absolute.
In the US the two political parties make sure they divide everything
between themselfes.
It does not matter what anyone thinks they are just two sides of the
same coin.
They then dress a few monkeys up for the front in two similar colours.
You do not have any sayings about things as individuals.

 

While I agree there never has been full blown capitalism I disagree that it
can not last indefinitely. In fact the only time it has existed in it's
closest form is in the USA. Actually not quite true. Switzerland has had
something close for a longer period. Over two centuries now for the USA but
you can hardly compare today's version with how it began. That's a fairly
long period considering human history. Today it would probably be better
described as fascism. Definitely moving in that direction. It could be
halted should the citizens wake up but it is my current belief that won't
happen. A hundred years from now, probably less it won't be the best place
in the world to live. It's rapidly losing it's appeal. Most people living
there today (and in Canada) don't appreciate what capitalism has done for
them. They perceive an unwarranted ugly side of capitalism and wish to get
rid of it. Careful what you wish for. You just might get it.

 

Well, during the robber baron period it was awfully close. The last 8
years, with little enforcement of anti-trust laws and the gutting of
many regulations or the agencies that administer them, is also very
close.

Post Bush/Cheney/Neo-cons, you are correct. An ugly direction that
threatens the very foundations of our country.

Probably correct. The general populace is not all that sharp and
easily brainwashed/fooled. They live on sound bites and talk show
rhetoric. Look at what the neo-cons were able to do over the last 8
years.

You may be right. The neo-con conspiracy continues to take them for
all they are worth while the people smile and nod. A few woke up in
the last election but only after a catastrophic occurrence. I'm not so
sure they won't fall asleep again.

 

YES! They stuck to their guns! Their jobs at $14 an hour went away, and
when they were gone there were 2,500 more people in the workforce than the
area could handle. 30 applicants for every job.

So, If I need to hire someone, and figure I'll have to pay $12 an hour to
get who I need, I can now offer $8 an hour because SOMEONE will take it!

 

Actually, there are strict limits on what the government will
guarantee for pensions. And I doubt that auto workers will get any
more unemployment than an office worker or other worker.

Jeff

 

You have not watched what has happened to benefit UAW workers in other
states over the past 10 year have you? Extended unemployment benefts are
only the beginning of the preferential treatment they've received.

 

I know, they are sacred cows that need the slaughterhouse (firings).

 

Good post, thanks, Elle.