how is it that we can afford $$700 billion$$ to bail out wall street but not universal health care?

[0rganism]

Shoot, we can't pay $18 million to keep the PEACE CORPS running at full strength. Our candidates quibble over "earmarks" of a few million here or there, most of which probably did something or other for the local infrastructure. But when it comes time to underwrite the underwriters, somehow seven hundred billion isn't just possible, hell no, that check'll be in the mail NEXT FUCKING WEEK.

How many people could have been given the medical care they need but can't afford for that kind of money?

[grannylib]

1. We can afford it; we just don't DESERVE it, according to these fuckers.

Money like that is for fat cat greedy corporate assholes who make life hard for everyone else.
Government is bad unless it's transferring dollars from the bottom to the top. That's its function, according to rePigliCons.

[0rganism]

4. that's sure what it seems like to me,,, but what about the Democratic MAJORITY?

I must have been confused, because I thought our party had a MAJORITY in both houses of congress and nothing would get out of committee without their support. But they're pushing with Bush/Paulson for the bailout! And the pukes who got us into this mess are scoring big points by opposing it. :crazy:

I guess you can see I'm ticked off right about now.

[grannylib]

5. Oh I hear you! I was literally beating my head against the wall

at work the other day, after checking the news on DU and MSNBC.com, and just about losing it over this CRAP.
I realize we have the slimmest of margins in the Senate, but holy shit. Haven't we waited long enough for our party 'leaders' to do just that? Grow a set, get off their fuckin' knees, stand UP! Stand up FOR US and AGAINST THOSE REPIGLICON BASTARDS!

[Irish Girl]

17. exactly

But unfortunately the majority of the Dems who supposedly are representing us have been bought and paid for.

[Mind_your_head]

7. Bookmarking what you said. Truer words than this are hardly ever spoken!

n/t <--------made ye look, ha ha!!!! :P

[G_j]

9. wealth-care n/t

[billyoc]

2. Simple. The people without health care don't think they're too big to fail.

The minute they do, you can bet we'll have universal health care. But I guarantee that until they do, we never will.

[0rganism]

8. maybe all the uninsured should invest in a congresscritter or three.

Those guys on wall street are too big to fail because they bought all the right people. They could fail no doubt, and fail quite amusingly, if our elected representatives would stand strong for a few months at a time. But noooooooooo....

They're "big" because they bought influence.

[Union Thug]

3. Cuz' in 'Merka, we worship the CEO / Executive class...

and routinely act against our own best interests. That's the culture of the past 30 years - the position of the weatlthy is much like that of the monarch in the middle ages. They sit closest to God and as they are the defacto intermediaries between god ($$) and man, we must consider their words sacrosant and of greater value simply by their being of the breath of the earthly divine.

[0rganism]

6. dunno, I see a lot of mixed feelings going around

People do admire the wealthy, and many aspire to be wealthy themselves, but there's a real undercurrent of loathing and resentment too. It just never translates into meaningful action because we're so completely alienated. :shrug:

[Two Americas]

11. nothing to do with either

Admiring or resenting - really the same thing, because it is more acurately described as emulating and coveting - wealthy people should have nothing to do with this. It is about justice and it is about freedom, it is not about personal emotions.

[Mind_your_head]

10. Please tell me where I can lay "my worship down"

because I've had enough of these lazy lame-brains getting a piece of my *ss.

The CEO of a car corp who doesn't know a D*mn thing about cars, for instance.....But he can "run the numbers".....that's ALL that matters! (or IS it?) Time will tell.......

Instead of "girls gone wild", it's "beancounters run amok" EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW.

[NuttyFluffers]

12. because americans don't have national strikes for what they want.

if you have no power, why on earth should i fear you? and if i don't fear you, why should i care if you live or die?

welcome to the world of power dynamics and sociopaths.

[bridgit]

13. republicans consider 'universal health care' socialism, they'll filibuster till the end of time...

to keep it from becoming a reality

[chill_wind]

14. Here are some of the trade-offs.

Taxpayers in the United States will pay $700 billion for the proposed bailout of Wall Street.
For the same amount of money, the following could have been provided:

206,309,535 People with Health Care for One Year OR

724,680,382 Homes with Renewable Electricity for One Year OR

15,118,790 Public Safety Officers for One year OR

12,004,287 Music and Arts Teachers for One Year OR

108,225,108 Scholarships for University Students for One Year OR

5,445,234 Affordable Housing Units OR

308,526,346 Children with Health Care for One Year OR

96,061,479 Head Start Places for Children for One Year OR

11,498,973 Elementary School Teachers for One Year OR

10,113,780 Port Container Inspectors for One year



http://www.nationalpriorities.org/tradeoffs?location_type=1&state=888&program=581&tradeoff_item_item=999&submit_tradeoffs=Get+Trade+Off

NPP Provides Analysis of $700 Billion for Taxpayers

The plan proposed by President Bush and Secretary Paulson for a $700 billion bailout of Wall Street is difficult for most people to comprehend. At NPP, we've been crunching the numbers and offer this analysis of what $700 billion means to taxpayers.

A healthy and productive economy requires substantial investment in affordable housing, health care, education and renewable energy. Taxpayers in the United States will be required to pay $700 billion for the Wall Street bailout. They should also know that for the same amount of money, they could secure the following:

*

51.6 million people with health care for four years OR
*

181.2 million homes with renewable electricity for four years OR
*

2.9 million elementary school teachers for four years OR
*

27 million four-year scholarships for university students

$700 billion is more than what is currently allocated for the U.S. war in Iraq. This amount would allow us to repair all of our nations 77,000 deteriorated bridges and still have $519 billion to spend; or it would allow us to rebuild all of our nations 33,000 deteriorating schools and still have $664 billion to spend. For more analysis and trade-offs at the State and Congressional District level, please visit National Priorities Project's Trade-offs page online

http://www.nationalpriorities.org/node/6885


(For the cost in tradeoffs for the Iraq Occupation, also go to Cost of War Counter.)

[ForeignSpectator]

15. George Carlin had an explanation for it :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KReZyAZLI0

starts off about education but the reason is the same.

[Irish Girl]

18. ..

<3 Love that clip. George Carlin always saw through the smoke and mirrors. Smart man, he was.

Here's a better version which goes on for a bit longer ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KVTfcAyYGg">Who Owns You Americans?

[mdavies013]

16. one helps companies (good), one helps people (bad) cause some are poor people

That and you would not be scared to move to a better paying job or a job that does not require overtime making you work 6 or 7 days a week.

[mmonk]

19. The same way we can cut social services and education funding

but spend billions a month on an occupation of Iraq promoted by direct lies to the American people.

[Patiod]

20. That's the Norquist Doctrine

Break the bank so there is NOTHING for any social services

[Suspicious]

21. It's called Serfdom...

We are the peasants, they are the masters, and we should be grateful for the opportunity and right to work for them. You have the nerve to ask for health care on top of that?!


:sarcasm:

[chill_wind]

22. ..

[avaistheone1]

23. Unlike the financial industy lobbyists who given our legistlators in Washington $43Billion dollars,

we don't have any real money to help Congress and the Senate see the wisedom of universal health care.