All-purpose news and politics thread: Two Steps Beyond!

[Malvolio]

I'm not dogpiling. I got shafted by the pathetic way the ACA has been handled too. Getting caught between a government fine and $400/month for insurance that covers nothing. But I don't despise everyone that signed it into law. It still managed to help a lot of people, and would have done more if it hadn't been blocked at every turn.

Though I still can't for the life of me figure out why we can't just get a decent healthcare system in this country and be done with it.

We can't do it because there are too many people profiting off of the current system who don't want to give up so much as a dime of those profits. Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not against doctors making money. I just think it's possible to provide health care for everyone so that no one has to decide between feeding their kids and getting their kids the medicine they need, and still allow a decent profit for doctors. I just don't see why when it becomes a choice between profit and a patient's health, profit always seems to win.

[7thangel]

Whoa whoa whoa. Let's pump the breaks on the assumptions.

Is it the politicians in Texas playing politics with the ACA in refusing to set up the exchanges fault. Absolutely. I did not and would not deny that. My point is that a proper bill wouldn't have ALLOWED for the execution to be so widely varied as it is. Texas politicians aren't the only ones to blame, some of that blame has to shifted to the writers who crafted the bill, too, for not seeing this coming.

to see what coming? state gov't screwing their own people over? attempt after attempt to kill aca like they killed every other attempt in u.s history?

what would a 'proper' bill look like and more importantly, how would it have passed? and how would it have avoided being brought to the SC over and over again?

the supreme court allowed states like yours to opt out of the medicaid expansion

[7thangel]

anyways, what's this i hear about abstinence advocate, bristol palin, knocked up again?

i'm trying to ignore the hypocrisy

[Goggindowner]

Abstinence does a fantastic job of preventing any sexual related problems. It's kind of its thing. However, even if you are having sex, as I mentioned, make sure you can afford it- don't make other people pay for your luxury.

Because that's what sex is in this case- a luxury. It's a beautiful part of humanity, a literal gift of God, but it is not essential to day to day life. Everyone who has ever existed has the capacity to not have sex. My experience is not universal, and I'm not claiming it is, in fact I'm hoping it's not (survivor of sexual molestation for one, and started doing things that I regretted at a later age but stopped short of having sex then because it can be done) but it is definitively obvious that every human being on the planet can go without having sex, and when they do, they can be responsible for their own actions. Don't make others pay for your contraceptives, and definitely don't let them pay for your legal slaughter

Yes, abstinence is the only 100% way to prevent "sexual related problems" but that method being pushed as the ONLY method does not work. Teaching kids that sex is bad just makes them want to do it more, and telling adults to not have sex is no one's place. Teaching and providing the resources to embrace your natural sexuality responsibly is far more desirable and effective.

[Goggindowner]

to see what coming? state gov't screwing their own people over? attempt after attempt to kill aca like they killed every other attempt in u.s history?

what would a 'proper' bill look like and more importantly, how would it have passed? and how would it have avoided being brought to the SC over and over again?

the supreme court allowed states like yours to opt out of the medicaid expansion

First of all, the Dems were going to vote for it anyway, and since it managed to become law without a single GOP vote, I don't think it would have been an issue.

Second, I'm not an elected official, lobbyist or law maker in any fashion, so I'm not going down that rabbit hole.

And finally, if you're telling me that the people pushing and crafting the ACA didn't think the GOP would do anything and everything to sabotage and derail it at every step, then they were naive from the beginning.

[Goggindowner]

Though I still can't for the life of me figure out why we can't just get a decent healthcare system in this country and be done with it.

This is the root of my issue with the ACA. It puts in place a pathway for everyone to get health coverage, but having insurance doesn't mean you can afford the co-pays, deductibles and bills that still come along with having insurance.

[worstblogever]

Yes, abstinence is the only 100% way to prevent "sexual related problems" but that method being pushed as the ONLY method does not work. Teaching kids that sex is badhttp://www.livescience.com/45355-tee...-by-state.html just makes them want to do it more, and telling adults to not have sex is no one's place. Teaching and providing the resources to embrace your natural sexuality responsibly is far more desirable and effective.

It's ironic to me that the most die-hard people behind abstinence only sex education are the same people who practice a religion where you worship a god conceived to an abstinent mother.

(But it WORKS you guys, except for that one time we all get happy about it Christmas.)

Meanwhile, Colorado provided low-cost contraception for teens and lo and behold their teen pregnancy rate plummeted by 40% over a four year period.

As Texas practices abstinence-only education and has the 3rd highest teen pregnancy rate in the nation.

But it WORKS you guys...

[7thangel]

First of all, the Dems were going to vote for it anyway, and since it managed to become law without a single GOP vote, I don't think it would have been an issue.

Second, I'm not an elected official, lobbyist or law maker in any fashion, so I'm not going down that rabbit hole.

And finally, if you're telling me that the people pushing and crafting the ACA didn't think the GOP would do anything and everything to sabotage and derail it at every step, then they were naive from the beginning.

this shows you don't know what you're talking about or don't remember how hard it was to get even dem votes. ignoring the repubs, it was blue dog dems that were the biggest roadblock. they, like the repubs, were more than happy to keep the system the way it was

of course they prepared for the ridiculous gop attempts, but again, what would a perfect bill look like that would prevent it? what would a perfect bill look like that can withstand every single SC decision? and make it so absolutely no state had a say in, if or how, they would administer the law?

[JCAll]

anyways, what's this i hear about abstinence advocate, bristol palin, knocked up again?

i'm trying to ignore the hypocrisy

Are the Palins still a relevant thing?

[CSTowle]

Abstinence is a lot like communism, in that it seems like a good idea on paper and might even work if only it didn't involve real people. Once you try to apply it to the real world, it falls apart immediately. But abstinence-only policies allow hypocrites who'd rather hold others to a higher standard than they likely adhere to themselves and then judge them accordingly rather than actually solve the problems they say they're concerned about do so without mucking up their conscience. It's like (hell, it's directly tied to) anti-abortion advocates who are also against contraceptives. You don't get unwanted pregnancies, you don't get aborted unwanted pregnancies. Pretty simple. The only thing that can muck it up is adhering to a religion that was crafted when people thought angering the gods caused earthquakes. Then again, we still have those people (and probably always will).

[Paradox]

JCAll didn't hear:

Are the Palins still a relevant thing?

Well, even Fox News doesn't think so, citing her irrelevancy as one of the main reasons they just fired Sarah.

[Raptor13]

Abstinence is a lot like communism, in that it seems like a good idea on paper and might even work if only it didn't involve real people. Once you try to apply it to the real world, it falls apart immediately. But abstinence-only policies allow hypocrites who'd rather hold others to a higher standard than they likely adhere to themselves and then judge them accordingly rather than actually solve the problems they say they're concerned about do so without mucking up their conscience. It's like (hell, it's directly tied to) anti-abortion advocates who are also against contraceptives. You don't get unwanted pregnancies, you don't get aborted unwanted pregnancies. Pretty simple. The only thing that can muck it up is adhering to a religion that was crafted when people thought angering the gods caused earthquakes. Then again, we still have those people (and probably always will).

First bold- assumption and generalization that simply doesn't hold merit on an individual basis

Second bold- thankfully, you're right. We will always be around, for God is eternal

I think I'll hit the rest of the points with the other quotes

Amazing how this only ever seems to be applied to women having sex. Men, it appears, can make as many people pay for their orgasms as they like.

I can't speak for everyone else, but personally? I think it should be the man paying for it every time. Men should pay for the dates, I'm old fashioned

Yes, abstinence is the only 100% way to prevent "sexual related problems" but that method being pushed as the ONLY method does not work. Teaching kids that sex is bad just makes them want to do it more, and telling adults to not have sex is no one's place. Teaching and providing the resources to embrace your natural sexuality responsibly is far more desirable and effective.

You make two different points that don't have to be related but unfortunately often are- pushing for abstinence and that sex is bad. I'll be the first to admit that those two are often intertwined in ways that are just plain wrong to me, especially by some who are misled. Sex is a beautiful thing, a gift from God, good (in certain contexts), and pleasurable. And it should be treated as such and taught about as such, something sacred. Actual communication is key

You would let a problem persist just because the solution that works isn't the solution that you want to work?

If the 'soliton' is abortion? Absolutely. It only causes harms. I am not advocating for no contraceptives, I am not advocating for a hush hush approach to sex education, or saying its evil or that you're going to hell if you do it before marriage (because that's not the criteria), etc. All I'm saying is that sex is an adult activity, so be an adult about it. Take responsibility for your own actions, or don't take the action

[Dalak]

All I'm saying is that sex is an adult activity, so be an adult about it. Take responsibility for your own actions, or don't take the action

However it's the teenage pregnancy rates that are the worst in Abstinence-Only Texas where I happen to live, if they could be adult about things like this we wouldn't call them teenagers and do things like keep them from entering legally binding contracts and more without the consent of a Parent/Guardian. Do you think it's fair to saddle a 15 year old couple with a child for the rest of their lives because of yet another impulse they haven't learned to control? Some sex-education and a few pieces of latex could save them and the potential child much misery and give them the chance to mature into adults who could care for a child properly.

[Paradox]

Raptor13 gets a drive by shot:

...I'm old fashioned

I believe the phrase I would use would be "an anachronism".

[JCAll]

If the 'soliton' is abortion? Absolutely. It only causes harms. I am not advocating for no contraceptives, I am not advocating for a hush hush approach to sex education, or saying its evil or that you're going to hell if you do it before marriage (because that's not the criteria), etc. All I'm saying is that sex is an adult activity, so be an adult about it. Take responsibility for your own actions, or don't take the action

But proper education and easy access to contraceptives would show a decrease in the abortion rate. You simply seem adamant that the government in no way aid in footing the bill, out of some sense of individual responsibility. But people aren't responsible. To quote a great movie, "People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it." If people could act the way you say they would have been for centuries. We wouldn't need things like laws and governments. But we can't, and we do, and there's not point in putting off a problem. Not like the government isn't just going to waste the money anyway.

Also, I don't know what a 'solition' is. Grammatically the only reason to write it like that is a direct quote, which it isn't because I spelled "solution" correctly, or sarcasm, which I don't appreciate.