Politics

[steve white]

On the education topic: at the risk of splitting hairs and/or engaging in semantics…

Because of how I was raised, I’ve always seen being educated and being trained for a job as two totally different things. You can absolutely be both. I have a Chemical Engineering degree for which I worked my butt almost completely off. But my parents, both Ivy League-educated professionals with advanced degrees, made it clear: that degree made me employable, but “educated”? Not quite.

They actually said that. They didn’t consider just a Chemical Engineering degree as being truly “educated.” If you’ve ever tried having a real conversation with an engineer who can’t string together a clear sentence, you probably get where they were coming from.

In their minds, being educated meant majoring in the liberal arts — then going on to get a graduate degree in something STEM-related to be employable. Or the other way around. That’s what they both did. My dad even joked that I could major in liberal arts and skip the advanced technical degree altogether… if I married rich.

That said, my engineering degree did exactly what it was supposed to do: it enabled me to support myself, become quite successful and retire early. Along the way, I was able to take classes, study whatever I wanted, and even fund the arts. So maybe I’ve earned a bit of that “educated” label — even if I don’t have a degree hanging on the wall to prove it.

Being truly educated is a LIFELONG pursuit, not just a degree on the wall. I have learned 20 times what I learned in my masters degree by applying myself to lifelong learning.

 

[deewayne2003]

Wait until the data disproves the myth!

The myth: Illegals are good, hard working people, PAYING THEIR TAXES and trying to make a better life. Heck, they're doing jobs legals won't do anyway!

The data will show: Illegals get a bogus SSN or get issued a TIN, collect money via a DBA, then dissolve it and form a new one every so often so they pay no taxes whatsoever. Imagine that, people that commit crime A to get to America commit tax evasion crime B while in America?

As a native Texan who grew up doing farm and residential construction work, then went on to work at some of the largest heavy civil contractors in Texas; I can tell you the swamp of illegal tax returns is deep and DARK.

I wouldn’t be surprised if the fraud from the child tax credit alone is a billon+ dollars.

If you are employing illegals as part of your business model and providing them with fake I.D’s and SS #’s then by definition you are running a criminal enterprise.

So if a drug dealer can have his assets and property seized through the civil forfeiture act; why can’t we seize the property and assets of businesses operated by illegals or the individuals who own businesses that employ them?

If I were king for a day, companies that don’t
e-verify their employees and get caught flaunting the law would lose their LLC protections and have sole proprietorship liability both civil and criminal.

 

[LivingTheDream]

My 6 year old grandsons claim was just denied. 2 night hospital stay with rsv .
Dr. Said he needed to stay, UHC says it was unnecessary and he could have stayed home. 100% denied

Really sorry to hear that. That is complete B.S.

 

[steve white]

Wait until the data disproves the myth!

The myth: Illegals are good, hard working people, PAYING THEIR TAXES and trying to make a better life. Heck, they're doing jobs legals won't do anyway!

The data will show: Illegals get a bogus SSN or get issued a TIN, collect money via a DBA, then dissolve it and form a new one every so often so they pay no taxes whatsoever. Imagine that, people that commit crime A to get to America commit tax evasion crime B while in America?

I already got a "dislike" for basically saying that in a past post. I don't know ANY hispanic contractor who doesn't operate cash only for income tax evasion purposes. Doesn't matter if it's roofing or cutting hair, it is a given. Then they even qualify for medicaid and other benefits. Doesn't even count the cost to society of having to build more schools, fire departments, police departments, larger water treatment facilities or service, or depressed wages. It is at least zero sum.

 

[Brent in Az]

Whoopi Goldberg stated that American's need to "Suck it up" and pay more in taxes......lol.

 

[wesheltonj]

. . . The murderer will get the electric chair and the narcissistic sociopaths running the healthcare industry will curtail their misconduct out of fear of a copycat. . .

Doubtful on both counts.

 

[deewayne2003]

I'm certainly not for A.) emboldening the left, nor B.) abandoning the rule of law....however...

It would do the world some good if a jury let that murderer get off scot free. United Healthcare was and is a diabolically crooked, too big to fail organization. A message of "watch your ass" sent to the boards of the healthcare companies would be helpful to society. They can buy all the politicians, but they can't buy off homicidal lone-wolves.

There, I've used up all my anarchy and leftism in my blood for fiscal year 2025.

P.S. - UHC is in the process of F'ing me as we speak. They required numerous delays in care, redundant tests, and triplicate referrals just so I could get coverage that I pay 100% for out of pocket until deductibles are met. (and won't be, hence they just prolonged suffering without any material benefit)

In my former career of heavy civil construction, regular drug tests & physicals came with the job title; part of the compensation was that 100% of my insurance premiums were paid for by my employer and the provider was UHC.

Everything was fine until I walked away from my career to start my own business doing excavation takeoffs and GPS models for earthmoving equipment.

When I tried to get coverage again through UHC I was denied for failure to disclose a pre existing condition….

It turned out that a nurse had accidentally entered the billing code for “drug test for ongoing opioid care” instead of the correct “routine drug test”.

So as far as UHC was concerned I was a drug addict, and I jumped through their hoops of providing 5 years of medical records as well as a note from the doctors office stating it was a mistake and that I had never failed a drug test let alone been on opioid addiction treatment and fully admitted it was a billing mistake on their end.

Resistance was futile, so I was stuck with $1,200mo blue cross blue shield; NOT good when you are trying to get a business off the ground during COVID!

So yeah in regards to the Luigi assassination of the UHC executive…..

In the words of Clarence Darrow

“I never wished a man dead, but I’ve read some obituaries with great pleasure.”

 

[deewayne2003]

Doubtful on both counts.

Agreed, he’ll get some symbolic life +9,000 years sentence; health insurance & pharma executives will continue their ways.

 

[Tanks]

I pay 100% of insurance costs of my USA employees (avg. cost $900 or so per) and they have a choice of a PPO or HMO through Anthem. I never heard of anyone being denied coverage.

 

[SaintPanzer]

Relieving her of command was exactly the right thing to do. One can assume the left will howl. I would remind that this is exactly the sort of behavior that resulted in the relief of LTC Stuart Scheller, USMC when he decided a battalion commander had the right to publicly criticize the then administration and his commander in chief about the Afghanistan withdrawal. Many on the right embraced him as a hero. Both richly deserved loss of their commands.

Two points:

1. For the love of all that is good and holy: Please remember Army Lieutenant Colonels are abbreviated as LTC. Marines, however, are abbreviated as LtCol. In the Air Force, it's Lt Col. In the Navy, it's CDR. Not everyone in the world has to follow Army rules, and contrary to popular belief, the word "Joint" is NOT spelled A-R-M-Y. In fact, in a joint environment, you can tell everyone's branch of service just by how they abbreviate ranks. It does make a difference. Pet peeve of mine.

2. Let the left howl. Ditto the Admiral that was until recently at NATO. From where I sit, it's time to start enforcing Article 88, UCMJ.

 

[rigbymauser]

More than likely well deserved…….. bad form to speak ill of your commander in chief……

Vance had no choice but fire Meyers because she had expressed “ sympathy” for perhaps for an upcomming enemy(Denmark). Where Meyers had expressed she whished to remain a good relation to the people of Greenland and Denmark VP Vance did not concure the “good relation” part. Vance and Trump wants a more hostile approach to the situation in Greenland( if there ever in first place has been a situation in Greenland?).

 

[Altitude sickness]

Rigby, as a US citizen. She can have her own opinion of the V.P. and Trump in private.

But she has no right to undermine their policies. Especially in front of her subordinates.

Heck even in the business world that would get you canned. I don’t know how many times while sitting in meetings, I completely disagreed with a strategy. But after my arguments were heard and denied, I left the room ready to support the decision made by my superiors.

 

[spike.t]

Presume this will add fuel to the fire with Donald regarding SA......

US pastor Josh Sullivan kidnapped during church service in South Africa

Police say four armed and masked men abducted the pastor in his car on Thursday evening.

www.bbc.com

 

[rigbymauser]

Rigby, as a US citizen. She can have her own opinion of the V.P. and Trump in private.

But she has no right to undermine their policies. Especially in front of her subordinates.

Heck even in the business world that would get you canned. I don’t know how many times while sitting in meetings, I completely disagreed with a strategy. But after my arguments were heard and denied, I left the room ready to support the decision made by my superiors.

I agree. Thats why I wrote as I did. “Vance had no choice”. Its so true if she had kept her mouth sealed but merely in privacy expressed her opinion she still have had a job today. I am sure many colonels and generals have had second opinions to their “masters” but its comes with a certain danger to expose it.

Nevertheless. Vance has send a 360 degree message.

 

[Altitude sickness]

White House develops plan to bring Greenland under US control - NYT

Read more

newsukraine.rbc.ua

Greenland will eventually come under a US agreement similar to the Marshall Islands and other sovereign nations agreements with the U.S.

U.S. Formalizes Agreements With the Marshall Islands | Arms Control Association

www.armscontrol.org

 

[rookhawk]

White House develops plan to bring Greenland under US control - NYT

Read more

newsukraine.rbc.ua

Greenland will eventually come under a US agreement similar to the Marshall Islands and other sovereign nations agreements with the U.S.

U.S. Formalizes Agreements With the Marshall Islands | Arms Control Association

www.armscontrol.org

They probably will, but Trump's rhetoric is galvanizing Greenland against us. He should have just undermined Denmark stating they left Greenland vulnerable, under capitalized, and alienated. "The USA intends to work with the people of Greenland to provide mutual security, investment, and cooperation whether that means they are an independent nation, they choose to become a US State, or if they wish to receive benefits of a US territory"

But that isn't how it was pitched whatsoever and now Greenland has a less favorable opinion of us. Let the CIA do what they do. Influence all 44,000 Greenlanders to join us. Create papers that show the potential Russian threat and share them with Greenland. Yadda yadda. Peddle our influence.

Sometimes Trump acts in a manner that is 180 degrees opposite of achieving his desires and this is one of those times.

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

Two points:

1. For the love of all that is good and holy: Please remember Army Lieutenant Colonels are abbreviated as LTC. Marines, however, are abbreviated as LtCol. In the Air Force, it's Lt Col. In the Navy, it's CDR. Not everyone in the world has to follow Army rules, and contrary to popular belief, the word "Joint" is NOT spelled A-R-M-Y. In fact, in a joint environment, you can tell everyone's branch of service just by how they abbreviate ranks. It does make a difference. Pet peeve of mine.

How about we just refer to them as O-5?

And while most people pronounce "Lieutenant" as "loo-tenant," the Brits have their own way of butchering it and say "left-tenant."

The word lieutenant derives from French; the lieu meaning "place" as in a position (cf. in lieu of); and tenant meaning "holding" as in "holding a position"; thus a "lieutenant" is a placeholder for a superior, during their absence (compare the Latin locum tenens).

Class dismissed!

 

[Red Leg]

I

Two points:

1. For the love of all that is good and holy: Please remember Army Lieutenant Colonels are abbreviated as LTC. Marines, however, are abbreviated as LtCol. In the Air Force, it's Lt Col. In the Navy, it's CDR. Not everyone in the world has to follow Army rules, and contrary to popular belief, the word "Joint" is NOT spelled A-R-M-Y. In fact, in a joint environment, you can tell everyone's branch of service just by how they abbreviate ranks. It does make a difference. Pet peeve of mine.

2. Let the left howl. Ditto the Admiral that was until recently at NATO. From where I sit, it's time to start enforcing Article 88, UCMJ.

You are correct, but I can honestly say, I wasn't worrying about it when I was typing and will have forgotten about it again an hour from now. I would offer if such distinctions are that important to those members of the Departments of the Navy and Air Force they probably should not have taken the ARMY rank structure. At least the navy has its own structure and it is pretty clear the service of a CDR vs a LTC. Of course, on invitations and thank you notes we would write out the whole rank.

 

[rookhawk]

How about we just refer to them as O-5?

And while most people pronounce "Lieutenant" as "loo-tenant," the Brits have their own way of butchering it and say "left-tenant."

The word lieutenant derives from French; the lieu meaning "place" as in a position (cf. in lieu of); and tenant meaning "holding" as in "holding a position"; thus a "lieutenant" is a placeholder for a superior, during their absence (compare the Latin locum tenens).

Class dismissed!

Class reopened! Nowhere did you explain where a Kentucky Colonel ranks compared to a Lieutenant, thus you didn't give us the whole picture!

And of course, where does a Colonel Angus rank across all service branches? Women find he ranks quite high:

 

[Red Leg]

White House develops plan to bring Greenland under US control - NYT

Read more

newsukraine.rbc.ua

Greenland will eventually come under a US agreement similar to the Marshall Islands and other sovereign nations agreements with the U.S.

U.S. Formalizes Agreements With the Marshall Islands | Arms Control Association

www.armscontrol.org

Of course that whole Marshal Islands thing came about as a result of the US having just a bit of leverage. After all, we invaded the archipelago, destroying the Japanese military garrison in the process and occupied them. Then, for just over a decade we tested nuclear and chemical weapons on several of the islands. I am fairly certain the population considered anything we suggested as an offer they couldn't refuse.