3 minutes ago, Alan Zweibel said:

An electoral disaster for the Republicans:

Millions of Republicans on Obamacare want enhanced subsidies extended. Most Hill Republicans don’t

I don't think electoral politics has anything to do with it. Half of Congress are millionaires. They've got blinders on. And their constituents don't hold their feet to the fire because they're watching Fox News with a can of Blatz in their hand.

20 minutes ago, unblocktheplanet said:

I don't think electoral politics has anything to do with it. Half of Congress are millionaires. They've got blinders on. And their constituents don't hold their feet to the fire because they're watching Fox News with a can of Blatz in their hand.

What? Can you find one Democratic rep or senator who is opposed to the extension? The only Republicans house members you'll find who support the extension are from swing districts. And Senators from electorally competitive states.

13 hours ago, unblocktheplanet said:

Russia has universal healthcare...

Russian universal healthcare is generally considered poor and underfunded, offering a fair standard of care at best, with significant regional disparities, outdated infrastructure, long waits, and a growing reliance on out-of-pocket payments, despite being tax-funded and free at the point of use, leading to unmet needs and low public satisfaction. While some urgent care might be accessible, quality varies wildly, and it ranks poorly internationally for efficiency, often described as struggling due to budget cuts and systemic issues. 

how good is russian universal healthcare - Google Search

How about going back to the root of all problems concering "little people"? The election of Ronald Reagan and Margareth Thatcher. The beginning of "monetary liberalism". No more restraints. Under such circumstances, the rich must become richer and the poor must become poorer.

During those times, the "Laffer Curve" was all the rage. Reagan and the "laffer curve" was the gospel. Claiming that if the rich get richer, it will "trickel down" to the lower income segment.

It never happened.

It seems, that the current US Administraition is trying to re-invent the "laffer curve". Enriching the rich and impoverising the poor. Nothing trickerling down, as before.

Rinse and repeat.

7 hours ago, Alan Zweibel said:

An electoral disaster for the Republicans:

Millions of Republicans on Obamacare want enhanced subsidies extended. Most Hill Republicans don’t

GOP lawmakers are deeply divided over whether to extend the enhanced Affordable Care Act premium subsidies, but millions of Republicans enrolled in Obamacare plans have a clear message for them — don’t let the beefed-up subsidies lapse.

Some 72% of Republican enrollees — and the same share of MAGA supporters with Obamacare coverage — favor extending the more generous assistance, which is set to lapse at year’s end, according to a new poll from KFF, a nonpartisan health policy research group. The same is true of 95% of Democratic enrollees and 84% of independents

https://www.cnn.com/2025/12/04/politics/obamacare-trump-subsidies-poll

It’s funny how the Democrats are teflon to the results of their disastrous programs.

27 minutes ago, Mike_Hunt said:

It’s funny how the Democrats are teflon to the results of their disastrous programs.

Bad metaphor. It isn't that the majority of Americans don't blame Democrats for Obamacare. They actually believe it's a plus.

17 hours ago, Patong2021 said:

The oil argument is weak. The Canadian oil sands oil and the Venezuela oil is comparable in its grade. The USA through its stranglehold on Canadian refining gets Canadian crude at below market cost. The USA would be exchanging 4 quarters for a dollar.

Aren't those speedboats loaded with drugs? Or are you suggesting they are pleasure craft plying the pacific spreading goodwill?

If the USA gains control of Venezuelan oil, then the cost argument becomes equally weak.

20 hours ago, Patong2021 said:

Playing the race card? Oh my. I believe that the ACA intent was good and that a national healthcare program is needed in the USA. However, it is a cop out to blame the ACA failure on racism. The states had a role to play and too many did not want to make the ACA work. That's a reflection of the US. mentality and culture. Young people, healthy people did not want to pay for public health care options because they thought they would never get sick or need it. Quality healthcare costs money and the people who need to contribute including the lower income beneficiaries do not wish to contribute their fair share.

Why does "quality health Care" cost so much more in the United States than in other developed Nations yet it has worse outcomes?

50 minutes ago, Alan Zweibel said:

Bad metaphor. It isn't that the majority of Americans don't blame Democrats for Obamacare. They actually believe it's a plus.

Obama care failed. It did not lower cost as they claimed it would. The dems only solution to any problem is more spending to prop up a failed program.

8 hours ago, Alan Zweibel said:

What? Can you find one Democratic rep or senator who is opposed to the extension? The only Republicans house members you'll find who support the extension are from swing districts. And Senators from electorally competitive states.

The extension should opposed.

21 hours ago, JAG said:

Because of a sustained deliberate campaign of sabotage by The Republican Party, funded by the health insurance mafia industry interests.

It is also a pretty damning and revealing glimpse glimpse of the racism and lack of concern for others inherent to American politics - does anyone think the scheme would have been allowed to founder, dragged down thus, if it hadn't been introduced by, born the name of and been the signature achievement of a black President, elected by the working class voters?

Wrap it up in as much poitics as you like - people, quite a lot of them, are going to die as a result of this fiasco, even pretty young white mums like this lady.

what a <deleted> mess!

The dems wrote and passed Obamacare with zero votes from the Republicans. Obama has not delivered. The program has failed.

What racism?

20 hours ago, JAG said:

Take a long hard look at its 11 aircraft Carriers, 73 (!) nuclear submarines, 950,000 man army and an air force larger than the combined strength of the next four countries?

The US is on the hook to defend most of the defend most of the Western world. The cost of the military is a tad under 1 trillion per year.

20 hours ago, Patong2021 said:

Why? Because it allowed the poor access to medical care?

1) The ACA still pays credits to people making up to 400% of the poverty line.

2) The Democrats claimed the ACA would be revenue neutral.

2 minutes ago, Mike_Hunt said:

Obama care failed. It did not lower cost as they claimed it would. The dems only solution to any oblem is more spending to prop up a failed program.

It cut the percentage of uninsured Americans by half. And it's still a lot cheaper than employer provided healthcare which is highly subsidized.

On 1/2/2026 at 9:19 AM, ronnie50 said:

Richest, most powerfully economic country in the world. Gives billions in tax cuts to the richest 1% of Americans, gives millions to Israel each year, claims that it's making billions in duties/tariffs, yet it has no system of universal health care for its population - and no political will to create one. Possibly the only country in the OECD in that regard. Why would anyone vote for these guys? Talk about an 'own goal'..

Compare the billions that you cry about the scale of trillions.

1 minute ago, Alan Zweibel said:

It cut the percentage of uninsured Americans by half. And it's still a lot cheaper than employer provided healthcare which is highly subsidized.

It’s not cheaper that employer provided healthcare.

Just now, Mike_Hunt said:

It’s not cheaper that employer provided healthcare.

Only if you don't include subsidies for employer provided health Care.

Just now, Alan Zweibel said:

Only if you don't include subsidies for employer provided health Care.

The Federal government is not sending a check to fund employer healthcare.

Just now, Mike_Hunt said:

The Federal government is not sending a check to fund employer healthcare.

So relinquishing revenue doesn't count? Is that what you're claiming?

Sadly, it is hopeless to argue nuance about Obamacare to people who are only capable of thinking what they are told to think.

I just hope enough people in the USA continue to fight the good fight even as the light of my country dims.

Seems only the Republicans knew what to do. Any year now.

2 minutes ago, Purdey said:

Seems only the Republicans knew what to do. Any day now.

He does have concept of a plan 😄

In every other Western country, the purpose of legislation and policy is to benefit society. In the US (where I lived for some years) the purpose of legislation and policy is to benefit corporations and magnates.

In order to achieve that, corporations and magnates and their servants (congressmen and senators) have degraded education and created false threats and bogey-men.

The money pours in for the ultra-wealthy and they laugh themselves sick at the MAGA boneheads.

19 minutes ago, Alan Zweibel said:

So relinquishing revenue doesn't count? Is that what you're claiming?

What do you mean?

12 minutes ago, novanova said:

In every other Western country, the purpose of legislation and policy is to benefit society. In the US (where I lived for some years) the purpose of legislation and policy is to benefit corporations and magnates.

In order to achieve that, corporations and magnates and their servants (congressmen and senators) have degraded education and created false threats and bogey-men.

The money pours in for the ultra-wealthy and they laugh themselves sick at the MAGA boneheads.

You can suck my MAGA balls. The lions share of the federal budget are social benefits.

22 minutes ago, ricklev said:

Sadly, it is hopeless to argue nuance about Obamacare to people who are only capable of thinking what they are told to think.

I just hope enough people in the USA continue to fight the good fight even as the light of my country dims.

Are you trying to argue that ObamaCare is an outstanding program that met its stated goals? Make your case.

Many Americans hate Obamacare.

But love the Affordable Care Act.

This is to do with having a black president

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/07/upshot/one-third-dont-know-obamacare-and-affordable-care-act-are-the-same.html

https://www.npr.org/2017/02/11/514732211/obamacare-and-affordable-care-act-are-the-same-but-americans-still-dont-know-tha

14 minutes ago, Mike_Hunt said:

What do you mean?

What's the taxation rate on the employer benefit of health insurance?

7 minutes ago, Purdey said:

Many Americans hate Obamacare.

But love the Affordable Care Act.

This is to do with having a black president

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/07/upshot/one-third-dont-know-obamacare-and-affordable-care-act-are-the-same.html

https://www.npr.org/2017/02/11/514732211/obamacare-and-affordable-care-act-are-the-same-but-americans-still-dont-know-tha

You’re lame.

5 minutes ago, Alan Zweibel said:

What's the taxation rate on the employer benefit of health insurance?

Since you know, you tell me.