What Americans really think.

[ironsides]

"You're missing an important point, people don't figure Bush is a nice guy, but they figure Obama is and THAT makes ALL the difference."

Yup, as I've said he is seems like a nice guy.

 

[GreenFish66]

Drop the big business social safety net?

Thanks again Obama...right on the money....No such thing as too big to fail...Absolute power corrupts absolutely...

Perhaps allowing one big company to fail will help the others to grow stronger ...

Why should ford stocks fall because Gm is in trouble?..

Center in on the trouble and let the others go free to grow into the new sustainable environment !..

..I do believe however, if Gm/Chysler get's itself out of its difficulties ..It will grow twice as big as before..If it can stop relying on others to support it!..Big money leaders hate giving social saftey nets, yet have no problem asking for money to help themselves....It's Ridiculous..

B.S. games with negative gains is no way to run a business or a country !

I stand and applaud you for your efforts Obama...

Americans thank-you for giving them a true voice ...

 

[SirJosephPorter]

As a nation, we spend more public money per child on education than any nation in the world and our education record is an embarrassment.

Interesting, ironsides. USA also spends more money on health care (per person) than any other nation in the world, its health care is an embarrassment, and that doesn’t seem to bother your far right ideologue.

Who is it an embarrassment to?

It is an embarrassment to the country, to USA. USA spends more than any other country on health care, yet comes near the bottom in all the health care indicators, such as life expectancy, infant morality, obesity, pre and post natal care etc.

American people are unhappy with their health care system (which is really the only ultimate criteria) and they want a change. It is just that they are not sure what kind of change.

But there is definitely a demand for change. The only ones who oppose any change to health care, who want to keep it just as it is are the far right (who think that everything American is good) and some (but by no means all) of those who have the Cadillac coverage.

But a majority of people want some change to the system. The issue did not receive traction in the recent election for nothing. Incidentally, I remember seeing an opinion poll a couple of years ago, which said that while a majority of Canadians are satisfied with their health care system, a majority of Americans are not. It also said that a minority of Americans (I think it was 30 to 40%) would like to see Canadian style, single payer system in USA.

So, many Americans would say that the health care system is an embarrassment to USA. Don’t get me wrong, if you can afford to pay or have the Cadillac coverage, you get the best health care in the world. However, if you are middle class, have to pay for your own insurance, or are poor can cannot afford health insurance, the system doesn’t feel so good.

 

[SirJosephPorter]

No, don't get rid of public education. why is it that in States like NY, Conn absically the whol;e Northeast the schools are excellent. In the rest of the country they are horrible. Florida for example around 47th or so.

Ironsides, could it have something to do with teachers’ salaries? Are salaries higher in New York and New England?

In Canada we pay our teachers quite well. As a result we attract good quality people to teaching, and our schools by and large are quite good (there are some exceptions, obviously).

But you know what they say, pay peanuts, you will get monkeys. So I wonder if it has anything to do with teachers’ salaries.

 

[SirJosephPorter]

Thanks again Obama...right on the money....No such thing as too big to fail...Absolute power corrupts absolutely...

Unfortunately that is true, Greenfish, companies like AGI or Citibank are too big to fail. Financial system is all interconnected. If AIG or Citibank fails, that will send shock waves through the entire US financial sector and abroad as well. We may well be looking at something like the Great Depression.

The fault lay before this, why did government let these companies get too big to fail? They should seriously look at the possibility of breaking up AIG, Citibank etc., into several smaller units, so that if one or two of them fail, it doesn’t have serious repercussion for the sector as a whole.

It was really the lack of any regulations (especially during the six years when Republicans controlled everything) which is responsible for this mess.

 

[GreenFish66]

education reform

New computer technology is the key to teaching the adults of the future...It is an affordable way to make sure everyone gets a fair and good education...New computer and internet technologies can help teachers ease their work overload ,while at the same time keeping the kids attention ..Allowing both teachers and students to better enjoy the wonders ,of this quickly emerging tool of unlimited information and knowledge...

 

[SirJosephPorter]

Why should ford stocks fall because Gm is in trouble?..

That is what always happens, Greensmith, sectors move as a whole. If one company is in trouble, the sector as a whole moves down.

Thus, why are Canadian banks down? They are down to half (or less) of their peak values. They are not in any trouble, their fundamentals are basically sound, they are making profit.

The only reason they are down is that American banks are down. But while American banks deserve to be down, Canadian banks don’t. But when a bank is in trouble, the entire banking sector suffers.

Anyway, that has opened up some great buying opportunities in Canadian banks. Canadian banks are now paying fantastic amounts of dividend.

 

[GreenFish66]

we're playing thread tag sir joseph porter..lol...I agree with you on your message ..They should never have been allowed to get as big..It goes against everything republicans are suppose to stand for ...but I guess that is why it has now become a global problem...Thank -you Mr Bush...Bush should have been impeached ..

 

[JLM]

As a nation, we spend more public money per child on education than any nation in the world and our education record is an embarrassment.

Interesting, ironsides. USA also spends more money on health care (per person) than any other nation in the world, its health care is an embarrassment, and that doesn’t seem to bother your far right ideologue.

No it does not, because most people I know worked all their lives and received health care from their employer's. As we all grew up, we had choices in our lives, unfortunately some only gave thought to the here and now, never thinking about their retirement or old age. Now those who planned for it should give up part of our health plans for them. Some will and are being forced into gov. healthcare. Not referring to Social Security which is another program the goverment ruined by including people, borrowing etc. that was not included in its formation. The United States Goverment owes Social Security about 59 trillion dollars, no, not just Republicans fault but both parties.
Taxpayers on the hook for $59 trillion - USATODAY.com

Because it is a private system, he seems perfectly happy to live with it. But since education is run by government, he is trashing the education system. Anyway, what is his solution? Get rid of public education and hand it back to the churches (that seems to be what he far right wants).

No, don't get rid of public education. why is it that in States like NY, Conn absically the whol;e Northeast the schools are excellent. In the rest of the country they are horrible. Florida for example around 47th or so. Yes taxes in NY are higher, but not that much more. When it comes time for budget cuts education is the first to go, except for the Northeast. To be more specific, NJ, Long Island, Westchester area's in NY. Forget Christian schools, they don't pay their teachers much either, in fact less.

Spending too much money got us into "this mess", so let's spend 10 times as much as we have ever spent in our nation's history.

Leaving aside the partisan rhetoric and far right ideology in this statement (I bet he wasn’t bothered when Bush was spending like a drunken sailor) I am ambivalent about all this spending.

Bush drained us paying for a war (right or wrong), ran up a debt of 1.3 trillion or so. The education budgets were ok then, yes health was high, but at least 285 million people had some form of it. Now with unemployment we have added a few million more to the 40 million without health insurance. Remember most companies had paid health coverage as well as some self employed.

Normally I am a deficit hawk, I am strongly opposed to running deficits. But this seems to be extraordinary, once in a life time situation. Many economic experts, who normally wouldn’t advice going into deficit, are saying that government must spend money to keep banks, AIG etc. afloat. So I am not sure what the truth is here.


I was against companies like AIG getting their bailout till I found out how world wide they were. Still not sure the gov. is doing the right thing.


And frankly, neither does anybody else. You writer is obviously a far right ideologue, an Obama hater. He has no more idea than anybody else how to tackle the crises (except maybe hand over the power to McCain, with Joan of Arc the real power behind the throne).

No one has the answer, Obama is experimenting with the budget. If he is wrong there will be chaos.

Now that people have elected Obama, I say let him try it his way. If it doesn’t work, if he fails, he will be turfed out in 2012. But the fact is, nobody seems to have any idea how to come out of the present crises.

True, nothing can be done about it now.

So now we are to magically believe that Americans are eager to hand over our personal healthcare, our children's education, our financial security, and our home thermostats to the total control and jurisdiction of federal bureaucrats in Washington, D.C.

The majority of the American people are not in favor of turning over our personal healthcare, our children's education, our financial security, and our home thermostats to the total control and jurisdiction of federal bureaucrats in Washington, D.C. Were talking about those who have jobs and or health insurance already. As far as education is concerned we do need more money for teachers and less for administration.


Why not ask that to the people? There will be an election in 2010, if people don’t like the direction country is going, they will elect Republicans to the House and the senate.

Here you are absolutly right, If he is wrong, we will start seeing a change in 2010.

I don't think it can be all bad with places like the Mayo Clinic, John Hopkins University and various renowned institutions in Bethesda Md. People from Canada pay thousands of dollars to go to these institutions. Richard Bloch of H.&R. Bloch was diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer 30 years, he went to some place in Texas and for treatment and lived another 20 years.

 

[GreenFish66]

Sorry not a totally a global problem more like "THE Peoples problems"...Blow up the bubble ..burst the bubble...Then after taking big gambles with other people money and losing BIG TIME...Steal the money from the same people you screwed over!...Keep the"SLAVEDRONES" under control....Regulate everything..4get competition just buy back everything cheap when everyone goes bust!...The people will catch on eventually

 

[JLM]

Why should ford stocks fall because Gm is in trouble?..

That is what always happens, Greensmith, sectors move as a whole. If one company is in trouble, the sector as a whole moves down.

Thus, why are Canadian banks down? They are down to half (or less) of their peak values. They are not in any trouble, their fundamentals are basically sound, they are making profit.

The only reason they are down is that American banks are down. But while American banks deserve to be down, Canadian banks don’t. But when a bank is in trouble, the entire banking sector suffers.

Anyway, that has opened up some great buying opportunities in Canadian banks. Canadian banks are now paying fantastic amounts of dividend.

I've generally found that stock market performance often depends more on mood than anything you can actually put your finger on.

 

[SirJosephPorter]

I've generally found that stock market performance often depends more on mood than anything you can actually put your finger on.

It's all about mood, Greenfish. Buy on hope, sell on fear.

 

[GreenFish66]

Things have got to change..I believe they are changing..Obama is a good politician..I feel he will make a positve difference on this economic front..Personally I think most of it is B.S..like usual..

Bail-out ...Stimulus...whatever you want to call it...It is economists using the economy to control the headlines and brainwash the people with their market games...Keep spinning the heads of the people around with B.S. economics because the people know nothing about economy cuz they have no money!!...lol..sorry for the cynism..believe it or not I hold a positive view of the future..however economy is only a small picture in my happy place!

 

[JLM]

It's all about mood, Greenfish. Buy on hope, sell on fear.

I have a better formula SJP, sell at the top buy at the bottom. :lol: Most people do exactly the opposite.

 

[YukonJack]

"The source taints the article."

Pearl of wisdom!

The yoyo expressing this nonsense would - undoubtedly - consider any work of Shakespeare or Tolstoy in paperback nothing more than pulp fiction.

 

[YukonJack]

"Buy on hope, sell on fear".

What SirJosephPorter meant was: "Sell HOPE, create fear!"

 

[SirJosephPorter]

"The source taints the article."

Pearl of wisdom!

The yoyo expressing this nonsense would - undoubtedly - consider any work of Shakespeare or Tolstoy in paperback nothing more than pulp fiction.

Yukon Jack, what does one have to do with the other? And yes, source does taint an article. I wouldn’t believe anything I see or read on FOX news, Townhall, worldnetdaily etc. On the other hand, I would believe what I read in Globe and Mail, CNN, CBC etc., unless proved false.

And what does Shakespeare have to do with anything?

 

[SirJosephPorter]

I have a better formula SJP, sell at the top buy at the bottom. :lol: Most people do exactly the opposite.

JLM, that sounds easy, but it is very difficult to do. Selling at the top is no problem, but buying at the bottom is.

How do you know when a stock has reached bottom? Let us say it has come down from 100 to 50, how do you know that it is the bottom? Is it going from 50 to 100, or from 50 to 25?

Another problem is the psychology of the investor. In the current climate, when stocks are going down day after day, when there is more bad news every day, when experts are predicting doom and gloom till kingdom come, when they say that recovery may be years away, which investor will be bold enough to buy?

Well, I would, that is how I make money in the stock market. But there are very few who have the courage to buy when stocks are low. Normally what happens is, when stocks skyrocket, the investors get caught in the euphoria, and buy stocks because everybody is buying.

When six months or a year later, market plunge and experts start talking about gloom and doom forever, they get discouraged and sell. So many investors buy high and sell low. That is why many people don’t make money in the stock market.

 

[Cannuck]

I don't think it can be all bad with places like the Mayo Clinic, John Hopkins University and various renowned institutions in Bethesda Md. People from Canada pay thousands of dollars to go to these institutions. Richard Bloch of H.&R. Bloch was diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer 30 years, he went to some place in Texas and for treatment and lived another 20 years.

Healthcare System Ratings: U.S., Great Britain, Canada

 

[YukonJack]

Quoting SirJosephPorter, who knows all there is to know about medicine, because his spouse is a physician:

"Interesting, ironsides. USA also spends more money on health care (per person) than any other nation in the world, its health care is an embarrassment, and that doesn’t seem to bother your far right ideologue."

First: you get what you pay for. I had to wait an hour and a half for a follow-up visit at Winnipeg's HSC. When the pompous peacock - known as a specialist - ambled in, he did not have the decency to say he was sorry for the delay.

Second: I had to wait six months in Ontario to see a Specialist for my shoulder. My GP - unfortunately - referred me to a specialist who only did knees and hips. Back to waiting another five months for a specialist who is capable of looking after a human shoulder. Of course, no apology from the bumbling GP.

Third: Waiting for more than another six months again for a 30 minute operation.

Fourth: How come Canadians tired of interminable and totally unreasonably long waiting periods flock to the U.S. for long-awaited and well-deserved relief?

Fifth and last: Why is anyone and everyone who disagrees with you is a: "far right ideolougue"?