Setting fair expectations

[angerona]

Я видела, что демократам (справедливо ?) говорят, что чтоб Трамп не сделал, все нас будет не устраивать: сделает, как обещал -- так это ж ужасно. Не сделает, как обещал -- так это он, лгун, никаких своих обещаний не выполняет

Comments

[angerona]

when I read his book "Make America Great Again," the anti-environmental and anti-climate change slant was the only conviction that was evident there. For every other issue, he seemed to be talking on both sides of the isle at the same time: e.g. a paragraph praising school vouchers and local control, and then a paragraph talking about how government should be monitoring schools and controlling them, etc. Same with all foreign policy, taxes, even healthcare.

The only issue that stood out as being unequivocal was the "climate change is all made up, and there's nothing worse than regulations/actions that would get in the way of companies doing what they want, especially building huge golf courses." He had a whole long passage to the stupidity of Scottish (?) regulators who allowed off-shore wind farms to be positioned where they could be seen from his "beautiful gorgeous golf course" -- and how it was clear to anyone, of course, that a golf course means so much more than any of that "renewable energy crap."

So I'm not at all surprised at him wanting to appoint someone who's as rabid on that issue as Trump is. Now the fact is that Ivanka maybe wants to make the environment "her issue" is funny, but I think she'll be far too busy playing the White House hostess (the role typically plaid by the spouse) plus running all the Trump businesses to do much else. Although... we'll see.

So what things/actions would be clear-cut positive/negative for you?

[tandem_bike]

i responded at length to yours... for me obviously medicine reform is paramount, but htere i have few hopes.

with respect to environment, clean energy etc - he is IGNORANT, but can be educated, Gore or no gore.

like Xaxam once said and i agreed 146% - the subject is so polluted that nobody is to be truste but facts. facts are - GW exists. why? don't trust anybody to give it to you because they are deeply in one pocket or another.

[angerona]

but what do you personally want to see in the medicine reform? Different people have different understanding of what it means, and I admit I don't quite understand what you think would be a good reform there -- at least what changes would you welcome vs. not.

[tandem_bike]

i want to see:

1. universal single-payor system run by the feds, compulsory for all citizens or green card holders. a stripped-down Medicare for all, much less generous than Medicare, a VA model, but more skeletal. no choice or pampering. very strict care for all basic needs including cancer therapy, ICU, etc.

2. complete disassembly of state medicaids, with the money going to people in vouchers and to the state back.

3. absolute free-market for insurance SUPPLEMENTAL to 1. - workplace or private purchase of supplemental insurance including nonmedical needs and specific noncrucial services and a better choice of doctors and institutions.

[angerona]

Interesting. Why bother with insurance for (3) then? If your basic needs are covered, why not leave it to "pay in cash at the time of service" kind of system? At least then we'd solve this current problem of people not knowing the prices for services, not being able to get fair estimates, etc.

[tandem_bike]

because people want better care.

VA veterans usually have two insurances. VA and Blue Cross, VA and Aetna, etc. what they cannot get through teh VA they will get from their otehr one.

cash won't do.. a dental visit is a lot of cash, and skeletal insurance will only cover emergency dentistry with a medical need... like an abscess. or derm - acne treatment is covered by the skeletal, but removing a wart is not.