Going Rogue

[rhadin]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

My "options" are the plans my employer offers.

What happens if your employer ceases to do business, or decides to no longer offer health insurance or decides that the only plan it will offer has a $10,000 yearly deductible (i.e., only covers catastrophic illnesses, non-preexisting), or simply fires you because there is more money to be made by having fewer employees?

[desertgrandma]

Originally Posted by Superlucky

190 replies, and no one's read the ******* book!

Am I going to have to take one for the team?

Did she actually write the book? Do any politicians including the sitting prez, write their own stuff?

If not......how the heck are we to believe anything thats read?

I would read it if it were her words...but if someone else wrote it for her........what am I reading?

[Madam Broshkina]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

(We are all so busted!)


Better you than me!

I only do eBooks these days. Might check it out Dec 26 though.

[93terp]

Originally Posted by ardeegee

Is it so unusual to want your national leadership to be very highly educated and very highly intelligent? I want a "philosopher king", not Groo the Wanderer.

Or Joe the Plumber/Joe Six-Pack for that matter! Gawd forbid that we might want our President to be smarter than the "average Joe". Sure would be nice to see a return to the days where intellectualism and intelligence were revered instead of reviled.

Just as an aside, I find it incredibly ironic that the ignoramus' on the right constantly rail against "Hollywood elites", yet there most reverent St. Ronnie came straight from Hollywood! Or Chuck Norris campaigning for the Huckster...I guess we can't let stupid little things like facts get the way of our pre-conceived notions and party talking points... As Rep. Daniel Patrick Moynihan famously said, "You are entitled to your own opinion, but you are not entitled to your own facts."

[desertgrandma]

Originally Posted by Madam Broshkina

I only do eBooks these days. Might check it out Dec 26 though.

Wonder if someone will upload it sooner......

[Madam Broshkina]

Originally Posted by desertgrandma

Did she actually write the book? Do any politicians including the sitting prez, write their own stuff?

If not......how the heck are we to believe anything thats read?

I would read it if it were her words...but if someone else wrote it for her........what am I reading?

You do not really think that any ghost written book does not have any insight from the listed author. One would think that they would work together on the project. I cannot really see a conversation something like this:

Author- I want you to write a book about my life.

Ghost Writer - Ok lets schedule some time so I can interview you and learn your life story.

Author- I do not have time for that. Make something up.

[desertgrandma]

Originally Posted by Madam Broshkina

You do not really think that any ghost written book does not have any insight from the listed author. One would think that they would work together on the project. I cannot really see a conversation something like this:

Author- I want you to write a book about my life.

Ghost Writer - Ok lets schedule some time so I can interview you and learn your life story.

Author- I do not have time for that. Make something up.

Of course, they are careful to find someone totally impartial also, right?

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by 93terp

Or Joe the Plumber/Joe Six-Pack for that matter! Gawd forbid that we might want our President to be smarter than the "average Joe". Sure would be nice to see a return to the days where intellectualism and intelligence were revered instead of reviled.

Just as an aside, I find it incredibly ironic that the ignoramus' on the right constantly rail against "Hollywood elites", yet there most reverent St. Ronnie came straight from Hollywood! Or Chuck Norris campaigning for the Huckster...I guess we can't let stupid little things like facts get the way of our pre-conceived notions and party talking points... As Rep. Daniel Patrick Moynihan famously said, "You are entitled to your own opinion, but you are not entitled to your own facts."

You make some good points, and I appreciate your passion, but at the same time I believe we do well to remember that not everyone on the other side of the political spectrum is an "ignoramus," and I hope and trust that's not what you meant to imply. For the record, I've met many on the right who can run rings around me intellectually. It's best, I think, to avoid derogatory terms when discussing matters about which people on both sides have strong opinions.

[Superlucky]

Originally Posted by desertgrandma

Wonder if someone will upload it sooner......

I haven't seen a pirated copy yet.

And yes, you are all busted. Some of us actually wanted to read about the book.

Sorry, I'm a little cranky because it has become abundantly clear that I am going to have to martyr myself and read this book on behalf of the MR community. Maybe I'll start a new thread at that time so that Madam Broshkina and I can discuss it. The good news is that it appears to be bereft of philosophy or policy so the actual book conversation can't devolve into politics. Who am I kidding - anything can devolve into politics.

[desertgrandma]

Originally Posted by ardeegee

I want a "philosopher king", not Groo the Wanderer.

Personally, I want a "warrior king", with brains and the balls to do whats best for the country.....period.

Thats not the same as "highly educated", which has become way overrated.

Just look at our 'highly educated' so called leaders.

PPffft!

[Superlucky]

Originally Posted by desertgrandma

Personally, I want a "warrior king", with brains and the balls to do whats best for the country.....period.

Thats not the same as "highly educated", which has become way overrated.

Just look at our 'highly educated' so called leaders.

PPffft!

I don't want any kind of king. I want a weaker executive branch. And a viable third party. But that's neither here nor there...

[Madam Broshkina]

Originally Posted by 93terp

Or Joe the Plumber/Joe Six-Pack for that matter! Gawd forbid that we might want our President to be smarter than the "average Joe". Sure would be nice to see a return to the days where intellectualism and intelligence were revered instead of reviled.

Just as an aside, I find it incredibly ironic that the ignoramus' on the right constantly rail against "Hollywood elites", yet there most reverent St. Ronnie came straight from Hollywood! Or Chuck Norris campaigning for the Huckster...I guess we can't let stupid little things like facts get the way of our pre-conceived notions and party talking points... As Rep. Daniel Patrick Moynihan famously said, "You are entitled to your own opinion, but you are not entitled to your own facts."

I can't speak for all the ignoramus's on the right but I doubt that many of them would consider Ronald Reagan or Chuck Norris a part of the Hollywood elite. The fact that you consider the people on the right as ignoramus' just lets me know that you also cannot get past your own pre-conceived notions.

[93terp]

Originally Posted by Ea

There is this thing - very strange - that I seem to be reading between the lines of the more republican/conservative/libertarian USA posters, and that is that you seem to perceive a government as primarily an oppressor - something to be avoided.

You seem to abhor governmental influence and do not trust a government. I don't understand at all.... Do you not vote for a government to act as a government - to rule the affairs of your country? It all sounds quite anarchist to me. You seem to equate government with oppression.

I mean, the point of a government is to have someone handle the affairs that are to big to handle on one's own - affairs that should be shared among member of the population of one's country. That would include the things that are to the benefit of the country and nation, things that support and help people and businesses to grow and stay healthy to the benefit of everyone. Sometimes that involves things that are not universally popular, but that would be normal - you need to invest in the future, or in people that are not you, to keep everyhting running.

To me it's such a me - me - me - individualism that does not take society, the nation, the people into account. I can not percieve it. I don't think I can discuss it, because I can't understand it at all, which I have tried a number of times - I'm sorry.

Ea,

You are incredibly observant & correct in your observations! You have touched on 2 all-important tenants of conservatives in the US. The first is a famous quote by their St. Ronnie Reagan, "The nine most terrifying words in the English language are 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help'". Another famous Reaganism was "the government isn't the solution, it's the problem". The 2nd important tenant you highlight is the conservative belief in "I've got mine, screw you".

I personally find these beliefs repulsive, ignorant, and shallow.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by Superlucky

I hate to be a pill, but has anyone actually read the book yet? My morbid curiosity is threatening to get the best of me. I just love a bitchy tell-all. I hope to write one someday.

Thank you, thank you thank you!

[desertgrandma]

Originally Posted by 93terp

Ea,

You are incredibly observant & correct in your observations! You have touched on 2 all-important tenants of conservatives in the US. The first is a famous quote by their St. Ronnie Reagan, "The nine most terrifying words in the English language are 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help'". Another famous Reaganism was "the government isn't the solution, it's the problem". The 2nd important tenant you highlight is the conservative belief in "I've got mine, screw you".

I personally find these beliefs repulsive, ignorant, and shallow.

Could you explain exactly what you think the purpose of government is?