*related=http://videosift.com/video/George-Carlin-Please-Wake-Up-America

"The real owners are the big wealthy business interests that control things and make all the important decisions. Forget the politicians, they're an irrelevancy. The politicians are put there to give you the idea that you have freedom of choice. You don't. You have no choice. You have owners. They own you. They own everything. They own all the important land. They own and control the corporations. They've long since bought and paid for the Senate, the Congress, the statehouses, the city halls. They've got the judges in their back pockets. And they own all the big media companies, so that they control just about all of the news and information you hear. They've got you by the balls. They spend billions of dollars every year lobbying ­ lobbying to get what they want. Well, we know what they want; they want more for themselves and less for everybody else."

"But I'll tell you what they don't want. They don't want a population of citizens capable of critical thinking. They don't want well-informed, well-educated people capable of critical thinking. They're not interested in that. That doesn't help them. That's against their interests. They don't want people who are smart enough to sit around the kitchen table and figure out how badly they're getting fucked by a system that threw them overboard 30 fucking years ago.

"You know what they want? Obedient workers ­ people who are just smart enough to run the machines and do the paperwork but just dumb enough to passively accept all these increasingly shittier jobs with the lower pay, the longer hours, reduced benefits, the end of overtime and the vanishing pension that disappears the minute you go to collect it. And, now, they're coming for your Social Security. They want your fucking retirement money. They want it back, so they can give it to their criminal friends on Wall Street. And you know something? They'll get it. They'll get it all, sooner or later, because they own this fucking place. It's a big club, and you ain't in it. You and I are not in the big club."

>> ^artician:

By the gods, someone finally broke through the bullshit. I am so thankful. I am sick of people arguing with me that the problem with healthcare being too expensive is that "it just is".


You should tell them that in the United States it is way more expensive than it needs to be and has some of the worst outcomes.

When you look at how we're rated for infant mortality and even mothers living after birth, there are 3rd world countries ahead of us. It's a joke, we're the richest country on the planet and we can't provide good healthcare for our people. It is also needlessly expensive, the reason it is expensive is because of it's heavy amount of bureaucracy and paperwork. Also we can't even negotiate drug prices, drugs in Canada are WAY cheaper simply because they can negotiate prices.

So no it's not "cause it just is" it's way too expensive in America, it could be done much more efficiently but it isn't. People don't do research, they listen to the news...which is full of idiots.

Another Amazon review.....

Alrights, I works at the bail bonds counter and mens always be taking my pens...and I'm all like, "What makes you think you can take my pens, I know you stressed trying to get your bro, dad, momma...whoever outta the clink, but I don't have like an unlimited number of pens here, so if you can't fills out your paperwork at the counter, and you know I already tole you that you can't, then you needs to bring your own pen" So I got these pens at the doller store and they all pink and purple and I even sprayed them down with Mariah Carey's perfume, the one in the pink bottle cuz the purple bottle smell like my aunt, the one who is the same age as me, and mens can't stand these pens, they never walk off with them anymore.

>> ^direpickle:

It was a terrible thing to happen, but you have to realize that some people are just crazy. These things happen occasionally even in the most nonviolent cultures. The finger-pointing isn't helping.


He wasn't pointing fingers, he's just saying it'd be nice if the tools of destruction this particular crazy person used had been harder to obtain.

Make it like health care is right now, where you can be denied for pre-existing conditions. Make it take a long time to set up, make it require boatloads of paperwork to get the bullets you need. Then, when it's all said and done, make it cost $5,000 for the cheapest possible gun, with bullets being hundreds of dollars each.

On the flipside, make it so anyone can walk into a hospital and get treatment. No background checks, no waiting periods, and if it costs anything at all, make it so cheap that a couple hundred bucks is enough to buy the lives of more than 10 people.

A better world is possible.

>> ^kceaton1:

>> ^skinnydaddy1:
FAA is going to freak if they find this video and incident has not been reported. o.0

I'm right there with you, that may in fact be one hell of a major no-no and I hope they were over empty lands.
I wonder under normal regulations if they are actually even supposed to continue operating in an event like that, considering all the regulations put on flying (there are a lot). I know it looks like some guy's dumpy car just lost a side door, no biggy, but in flying they breath fire down your neck for missing certain bolts or those said bolts even being remotely loose... I'll have to look and see if a pilot can make a judgment call concerning no mandatory operation machinery attached to the craft coming off (that may be part of the main fuselage!)
I did look and see that the national statistic on flights that should have remained grounded getting fixed (some problems not so big, some big enough that when the plane landed emergency crews were needed to put out fires, not including MANY of the emergency landings at the wrong airport before the plane truly does CRASH) that number comes in at around 65000 flights over six years... This is from the FAA, so we're talking about mostly small business's up to large airlines like Delta. BUT, it must always be remembered that they do a better job than your average driver and their car by far; they just have much more "flashier" endings I guess you could say. Which makes the media frenzy about it like a feeding pool that CNN & FOX News ALIKE, engorge until nothing is left but the tasteless morsels that just reiterate everything we have been told by them before this...it is unfortunate that not only we are exposed to this media circus, but also that 'flying' is being dragged through the toxin-filled-sludge created by our media-hype-elite...
I'd figure the ONE group of people that might actually take great care of their machinery is the smaller business and solo-flyer's. I know one of my grandfather's brother spent hours on end with his plane making sure it was in tip-top shape and making sure his flight plans were exacting (he was kinda a bush-pilot, so that was important to him, if you know what I mean). A small off-topic element to this: I remember going through his flight plans and maps that went up through the Western U.S., into Western Canada, then into lower Alaska...it was amazing to see what detail he went into to get the job done; I would feel very safe flying with him if I ever did, because of the extreme measures he went to to get everything right...
I wonder if the pilot had to worry about anything when they landed, it's impossible to see from the clip, but you don't see if it goes up at all and hits the plane--but, I'd assume since everyone is acting basically happy and fine (no panic at all) I assume that the rest of that flight went normally, except for that and the large amounts of paperwork that wold follow it... (Assuming they weren't idiotic and DID report it...)


Found a little blurp about it here.

Quote
Nah it wasn't our fault. There were ten 'other' jumpers before us. Some were new and didn't know how to operate it. On takeoff they failed to close it properly and then in the back from held it down with there feet till 2500 where two of them stood up to close it properly. When they stood on it it was pushed below the stops on either side (the angle iron shaped things) and then turned the handle. I am assuming the locking pin went below the frame of the door. At height they stood to open the door - stepping on the door and turning the handle. The door didn't rise. They then stood on it harder with no change to the result. They then stood on it harder and pushed it down into the wind and it caught air and took off. One of the coolest things I have ever seen. The door landed in the quarry and has been recovered - it needs about $100 in repairs and will be back in action this weekend (or so i have been told).

Was looking for more on it but so far zip.

>> ^skinnydaddy1:

FAA is going to freak if they find this video and incident has not been reported. o.0


I'm right there with you, that may in fact be one hell of a major no-no and I hope they were over empty lands.

I wonder under normal regulations if they are actually even supposed to continue operating in an event like that, considering all the regulations put on flying (there are a lot). I know it looks like some guy's dumpy car just lost a side door, no biggy, but in flying they breath fire down your neck for missing certain bolts or those said bolts even being remotely loose... I'll have to look and see if a pilot can make a judgment call concerning no mandatory operation machinery attached to the craft coming off (that may be part of the main fuselage!)

I did look and see that the national statistic on flights that should have remained grounded getting fixed (some problems not so big, some big enough that when the plane landed emergency crews were needed to put out fires, not including MANY of the emergency landings at the wrong airport before the plane truly does CRASH) that number comes in at around 65000 flights over six years... This is from the FAA, so we're talking about mostly small business's up to large airlines like Delta. BUT, it must always be remembered that they do a better job than your average driver and their car by far; they just have much more "flashier" endings I guess you could say. Which makes the media frenzy about it like a feeding pool that CNN & FOX News ALIKE, engorge until nothing is left but the tasteless morsels that just reiterate everything we have been told by them before this...it is unfortunate that not only we are exposed to this media circus, but also that 'flying' is being dragged through the toxin-filled-sludge created by our media-hype-elite...

I'd figure the ONE group of people that might actually take great care of their machinery is the smaller business and solo-flyer's. I know one of my grandfather's brother spent hours on end with his plane making sure it was in tip-top shape and making sure his flight plans were exacting (he was kinda a bush-pilot, so that was important to him, if you know what I mean). A small off-topic element to this: I remember going through his flight plans and maps that went up through the Western U.S., into Western Canada, then into lower Alaska...it was amazing to see what detail he went into to get the job done; I would feel very safe flying with him if I ever did, because of the extreme measures he went to to get everything right...

I wonder if the pilot had to worry about anything when they landed, it's impossible to see from the clip, but you don't see if it goes up at all and hits the plane--but, I'd assume since everyone is acting basically happy and fine (no panic at all) I assume that the rest of that flight went normally, except for that and the large amounts of paperwork that wold follow it... (Assuming they weren't idiotic and DID report it...)

>> ^VoodooV:

I sorta agree with that. But the thing is, he knew he'd get booed. It was a ploy. It's not like he went in there thinking he could honestly convince them that AHCA should be repealed. When he said that, he wasn't talking to the crowd, he was talking to the people who already agree with him.
That's the thing with the degradation of political discourse these days. Very few politicians actually attempt to convince people that their ideas are better, they merely try to rally people who already support them. It's far easier to rile up people who already agree with you than it is to convince someone who doesn't agree with you.
It should be obvious that health care as it is now is in need of reform. We keep spending more but we get less and less in return. We can't keep doing this. It was originally a Republican idea to reform it. I don't pretend to know much about AHCA so I can't really comment much on specifics, but I think everyone even on the left acknowledges it's not a perfect program. So let's correct those issues? My far right-leaning uncle who was a pharmacist complained all the time about the increased paperwork and red-tape because of AHCA. OK...that's a legitimate complaint. Let's DO something about that. Let's actually fix the problem instead of playing political games.
You want to repeal it? fine, but show me a better plan that you want to replace it with instead of returning to the status quo. I haven't seen anyone doing that. I want to move forward, not backwards.
>> ^shinyblurry:
I don't think this was a bad moment for him at all. He calmly waited out the booing, didn't back down, and tied Obamacare to his economic message. Overall, I think he handled it pretty well.



Do you buy the liberal talking point that Romney deliberately mentioned he would repeal Obamacare so that it would "jazz up" racist conservatives in the republican base? Because he gave the NAACP the same speech he gives everywhere else, so if you're saying this speech was for someone else, then who, and why is this different in front of a black audience, if you aren't charging Romney with playing to racists?

There is so much divisiveness in this election. It's rich versus poor, men versus women, and black versus white. This country is more divided even than it was during the bush years. I think there is a lot of merit to the charge that since the president cannot run on his record, he is making this election about anything but a referendum on his job performance. Don't get me wrong, because I pray for the president and his family, but this shows such an intellectual dishonesty on his part. For someone who ran on hope and change in 2008, promising to fundamentally change the discourse in Washington, he has shown a willingness to say or do anything to keep his job; in other words, he is no different than any other politician. Washington has become much more divisive and sanctimonious since he took office, and I think this shows a failure of leadership.

I agree with what you're saying about healthcare. We should have some kind of system in place, and if the republicans are going to repeal Obamacare, they should have an alternative idea (preferably with far less government involvement). I don't think it's a bad idea in principle, but honestly I think that a government takeover of our healthcare system is never going to be anything other than a total nightmare. It's projected cost is already nearly 3 times what it was said to be originally, and it hasn't even been implemented yet. It is also going to cut medicare hugely. My mom is going to lose her health insurance directly because of Obamacare. It is a juggernaut and no one really knows how this will all play out. I simply do not trust the government to manage this; I think government management of our lives to that extent is a big mistake, especially for individual liberties. The nanny state will always lead to fascism in the end.

I sorta agree with that. But the thing is, he knew he'd get booed. It was a ploy. It's not like he went in there thinking he could honestly convince them that AHCA should be repealed. When he said that, he wasn't talking to the crowd, he was talking to the people who already agree with him.

That's the thing with the degradation of political discourse these days. Very few politicians actually attempt to convince people that their ideas are better, they merely try to rally people who already support them. It's far easier to rile up people who already agree with you than it is to convince someone who doesn't agree with you.

It should be obvious that health care as it is now is in need of reform. We keep spending more but we get less and less in return. We can't keep doing this. It was originally a Republican idea to reform it. I don't pretend to know much about AHCA so I can't really comment much on specifics, but I think everyone even on the left acknowledges it's not a perfect program. So let's correct those issues? My far right-leaning uncle who was a pharmacist complained all the time about the increased paperwork and red-tape because of AHCA. OK...that's a legitimate complaint. Let's DO something about that. Let's actually fix the problem instead of playing political games.

You want to repeal it? fine, but show me a better plan that you want to replace it with instead of returning to the status quo. I haven't seen anyone doing that. I want to move forward, not backwards.

>> ^shinyblurry:

I don't think this was a bad moment for him at all. He calmly waited out the booing, didn't back down, and tied Obamacare to his economic message. Overall, I think he handled it pretty well.

Fuck that. If I go to my car when I'm drunk ITS SO I CAN SLEEP IT OFF IN WARMTH AND SAFETY.

What if you only have one copy of the key (some people do). Now you have to pay to have it unlocked, so you can get your paperwork, then get a ride to the dealer to have a key cut from the vin (if they even have it on file) which may not be available so during that time your car is getting ticketed or towed.

Don't make assumptions. What if the guy was stumbling because he was going into a diabetic choma from low blood sugar and now he is DEAD because you think you're the safety police

what a paradox to deal with people pretending we all wont need what we already know we will need ... insurance ... and pretending we need to pay CEO's and pay administrative overhead for obstructionist paperwork that is in between YOU and your DOCTOR, which is currently the system.

What happened in peoples lives that makes them have the stockholm syndrome for corporations?? do they not know about cannabis? shrug, its all getting a little much.

You're running out of time to find things to blame on Obama. And things to blame on him, in general...

Look how fast Bush Jr got out of the scene... while Cheney still runs his fuckin mouth. Guess how things went when they were in office? Gimme a break.

Bush was a puppet and his attitude was, as long as you can breathe things will work out. How else is the rich son of an ex-CIA chief supposed to feel? empathy for poor people? LOL

and here we have one of the most successful sitting presidents in history, who has ended discrimination in the military, the war in iraq, killed bin laden, and saved the economy (remember, either a bailout wasnt enough or it was... and it wasn't... meaning it HAD to happen, sorry you lose)

its my own mental illness that i want to gloat that we are all going to be better off... HAHA IN YOUR FACE WE ALL GET A FAIRER SYSTEM .. what's your mental illness in wanting everything you've been told to want, and your willingness to kill for it? Who is really sick here... *tokes*

>> ^bobknight33:

So the real question is what makes healthcare sooooo expensive.
I once had to see a specialist some 30 years ago. 1 visit cost 800 bucks. I said basically WTF and the reply was that most was cost due to the paperwork required by insurance and government.
Things have only gotten worse. WE would be far better off and costs would come down when the government gets out of the way and 2) get rid of employer provided insurance. Let each person shop for their own HC insurance plan. For the poor and such sure let there be a government net but give the people the power not the government. There little competition in the current system.

I don't have the figures to hand, but I've read before that one of the reasons healthcare (in the US in particular) is so expensive is due to the cost of malpractice suits. Why it's less of a problem in other countries, I don't know.

So the real question is what makes healthcare sooooo expensive.
I once had to see a specialist some 30 years ago. 1 visit cost 800 bucks. I said basically WTF and the reply was that most was cost due to the paperwork required by insurance and government.

Things have only gotten worse. WE would be far better off and costs would come down when the government gets out of the way and 2) get rid of employer provided insurance. Let each person shop for their own HC insurance plan. For the poor and such sure let there be a government net but give the people the power not the government. There little competition in the current system.


>> ^ChaosEngine:

>> ^bobknight33:
By what measure? Ease of access? Scope of care? Wealth of available specialists? If I were sick I would rather be in the USA than any other country.

You mean if you were sick, and with good enough insurance, and that insurance company didn't decide it was a pre-existing condition or some other reason not to treat you.
No-one would argue that the US doesn't have some of the best hospitals, surgeons and so on. The argument is about how much it costs and whether people can access it. It's not much use having the best care in the world if it's only available to a few people.

Filling out paperwork and paying a fee.. does not make you any more sane or rational.

George Zimmerman had a concealed carry permit. Then he murdered a kid.

Owning a gun, increases the likelihood of violence.
Whether the violent act you commit is deemed legal or illegal/a crime is something for a bureaucracy to determine after someone is already dead.

Btw, if your hobby is simply target practice.. why do you need a deadly weapon to enjoy it.

Airsoft, paintball and pellets guns could all fulfill that need to shoot shit.

In reply to this comment by Buck:
Hi, I was wondering if you would indulge me in some conversation about you downvoting this comment:

If you have a licence, owning a gun does not make you more likely to commit a crime.



Do you disagree that someone who goes through the invasive (in Canada) process to get a legal licence for firearms and follows the law will somehow be turned evil by a firearm?

I work with people with Autism for a living, I love my family, friends, country etc. I also love going to the range to shoot paper targets.

Do you think I should not be allowed the freedom to pursue my legal (and fun) hobby?

Thanks for any response

@kevingrr

I think there is a lot of reason to be angry, and increasingly a sense that the traditional tools of policy and working within the system have failed us. Jamie Dimon is no hero. He's one of the key people that fought tooth and nail to keep effective regulations from being drafted. They talk big about the natural consequences of the market, and then they go and benefit more than almost any other industry from the government tit. It's disgusting hypocrisy.

I'm also surprised that you would talk about being from the real estate sector, and not be familiar with at least the putative benefits of the securitization of debt (the reason the needed to repeal glass steagall). If you are waiting for a return to the ease of real estate finance you may have experienced in the past decade or two of frothy CDOs you're kidding yourself. The party is over. There needs to be a return to actual underwriting standards, and an enforcement of those standards. That means paperwork. Sorry.

>> ^kevingrr:

@Yogi
I'm sorry my fellow sifters advocate "offing" these guys. These guys work seven days a week and they work to make a profit - just like every other business.
J.P. Morgan Chase was the go to entity to take over Bear Stearns and Washington Mutual when they failed. Why? Chase was strong enough to bear the burden.
Regarding TARP money Chase never wanted it or needed it. Link
The Dodd Frank and Consumer Protection act is a poorly written gargantuan hydra of a bill. I know this because the small community bankers I know are saying they are not going to be able to stay afloat.
My companies president - someone who I know for a fact has voted as a democrat for over 40 years - told me yesterday he will vote against Obama in the upcoming election. Why? We work in real estate and the paperwork needed to finance a project has multiplied - and with it the number of lawyers and legal hours required - that is if we can get something financed period. Good for lawyers - bad for anyone who might want to work building a new shopping center(architects, tradesmen, engineers, etc) or working there in the future.
Make the rules simple, make them fair, and enforce them effectively.


Oh Yay! Another lying apologist Fuckhead.