Michael Ramirez for February 20, 2016

Socialism, buried under years of mudslinging and lies, is not yet dead. (I recently read an article on how socialism is always bad, and it explained that when capitalism hurts people, it’s because that “capitalism” is actually socialism in disguise. Similarly, anything good socialism does is actually caused by capitalism.)

Run right wingers, its out to get you, bwa ha ha!

It is sad that we cannot look at developed countries around the world and use the best ideas while rejecting the bad ideas. Many aspects of socialism work really well in other countries. In the US we have problems we need to solve. Our medical and prescription costs are very high in comparison and the out comes are fifth or sixth down the list. Same with education. Compare our infrastructure to Canada. Even our productivity and wages have been slipping. There is a lot of basic issues that should be addressed and we should use the best ideas from across the world to do it. We need to become pragmatists not idealogues.

Well said, Ted.

Socialism is the solution to the things Capitalism fails at. You need both. It is the degree of each that at the moment needs to be adjusted. And, as shown in socialist countries. The reverse is also true where Capitalism is the solution to the things Socialism fails at.

1. So you admit that there are “successful” “socialist” countries!

2. Does that mean that “socialist” countries are inherently “bad?”

Nothing wrong with universal health care, As Long As Everyone Pays. This means a tax of say 10% on each and every purchase, NO exceptions for anything or Anyone. This tax would be on top of all present taxes. If you could make this a iron clad law, I would vote for it and gladly pay the extra tax. Unfortunately all the people that want UHC will not all want to pay their fair share for it. Everyone tends to think they are a special case, if you want social programs to work everyone has to pay for them. This is why Social Security worked, until LBJ decided to raid the SS trust and expand SS where it was never meant to go.

The interesting thing about “capitalists” vs socialism is that my ultra-right son-in-law condemned “socialism”, then they moved to New Zealand and he complained about the taxes, then they had a baby,total out of pocket expenses were $40. Suddenly the excellent care, prenatal, delivery, and follow up, seemed pretty cheap.

All those adamant anti-socialism folks, stop driving on my highways, drinking water government provides for drinking, and agriculture, using electricity from hydro, or ultra-cheap coal taken from government lands, or breathing cleaner air (while you can if any more “conservatives” gain more control to deregulate, and kill, industries, and people). And burn that social security card and Medicare when you turn 65 or above, and llve off what you saved, well, until corporations stole your private retirement plan and pension, leaving you broke.

Some problems are individual, and those should be solved individually. Some problems are social, and those should be solved socially. There are various kinds of social solutions. Sometimes the government ownership is the answer. Sometimes government regulation is better than government ownership. Sometimes the central government should set standards and then leave the details up to lower levels of government. Sometimes it’s more efficient to let lower level handle the whole deal; there’s no reason to have the federal government issue drivers’ licenses. Sometimes the answer is social without being governmental; unions should never be controlled by the government. Each situation has to be examined on its own merits, so different solutions can be applied to different problems. So often those who say they are opposed to socialism don’t seem to know much about it.

The first term of Washington after the Constitution was ratified a big mess (see Whiskey Rebellion).

The high cost for Medicare is because only old farts are enrolled. Expanding the insured pool to include all the young, and the old, would REDUCE shortfalls. Every insurance company knows about actuarial tables, and those large pools are exactly where they get the money to invest and make HUGE (Trump huge) profits for their boards, and investors. That’s why a full “single payer”" or “Medicare for all” would benefit. And, yes, those funds invested could make money, just as the Social Security trust fund was originally set up to do. Then. Congresses from both sides started ripping off the system to reduce debt.

Civility is certainly a virtue. Not the highest virtue, perhaps, but still a virtue. Civility shows that you are willing to engage other people with respect for their equal humanity. It’s very distressing to see these campaigns descend into such a lack of common courtesy. I thought that conservatives were supposed to value good manners.

Seems that you’re a bit on a “One Note” singer, all evil is caused by immigrants!

A note: changes because of “Obamacare”, the ACA, my Medicare premium went up a tiny bit, but my quality group supplemental plan that I carried in my working career, premiums went down by $3,000! Coverage stayed the same pretty much with a slight increase in drug copay.

As they used to say about the UK Labour Party before World War II, “they are more Methodist than Marxist.”

Premiums are going up, copays are going up, selections are going down. And I already had coverage.