In The News Today...

Quote: ams288

Does this sound familiar to anyone here?

Brilliant essay about how the online anti-vax idiots became anti-trans idiots seemingly overnight:

Why are anti-vaxxers all anti-trans now?

in order to not be someone who only hears/reads stuff he agrees with, I read the article.

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In one of his first interviews, Brennan spoke to former NZ Herald columnist Rachel Stewart about drag queen story time events.

so here's the problem ... the writer knows his audience is other people he agrees with, so it's perpetuating. Here he shocks those 'agree-ers' with something they all already are shoulder-to-shoulder on: drag queen story time is a positive thing and those opposed are Neanderthals who need to have articles written about them.

Quote:

During the interview, Brennan pondered if they were “an effort to sexualise children early”

I wonder too ... the reader is supposed to be scandalized of course.

Quote:

and whether there was something “ritualistic” about trans people who have surgery.

ditto

Quote:

Referring to a trans person who regretted their transition, Brennan described it as “kind of evil”.

badly written, what does "it" refer to, but I think I know what was meant. Me, I might say "totally evil" since, to me, regret is something that should never happen

Quote:

After the school shooting carried out … in Nashville, commentators tried to make out trans people are waging war on Christians when in reality they’re less likely than cis people to commit mass killings.

a point that needed to be made, I’ll give them that. However, I have to say there is concern that this is changing and evidence that a turn to violence from the previously peaceful is underway. Before, ‘cancelling’ and shouting down was enough, now there are calls to escalate in the face of a holocaust … one that is not happening at all whatsoever. The MSM ignored the upcoming “Day of Vengeance” that was being called for, and accepted the explanation [quoting the below] from “organizers … who said the "vengeance" in the name of their rally only "means fighting back with vehemence“ after cancelling the event in the face of the Nashville shooting. That shooter had a manifesto that quite likely mentioned the day of V and interpreted the word vengeance to mean ‘vengeance’. Well, we don’t know because the manifesto content is being repressed.

https://www.newsweek.com/trans-day-vengeance-canceled-threats-washington-dc-1791705

I don’t think this whole business should be dismissed as a fantasy by conservative commentators. If I had written the article, I’d have brought that out … but then again I’m not crazy about just writing things for people who just all agree with each other … and get so used to it that they want to go kill people who don’t

Quote: AZDuffman

That's like saying your body shop should be allowed to bill your insurance company for an entire paint job for a small dent. Every trans doctor would say "medically necessary." Do you think under socialized medicine they just say "medically necessary" and start cutting? They have an approval process same as we do.

I don't care. This is a Capitalist country; that's how the game is played. The medical profession is capitalistic. The more peepees they turn inside-out; the more money the doctors make. Yes, the insurance companies should have to pay, or they should get out of the business. It's only for a person's doctor to determine medical necessity.

If you want to pick and choose what you cover, then don't be a health insurance company. They are the reasons costs are so high. Also, it's crony capitalism. Why do they pay a lower rate than a patient who is paying cash? It should be the same price for everybody.

Don't even give me the, "Nobody actually pays that." I shouldn't have to haggle about the price after already receiving, and being billed for, the service. I should know what the service is going to cost in advance.

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They still have a huge staff to pay.

On a non-profit basis. It's also not spread among 1,000 different health insurance companies with a bunch of reps who discussing billing with hospitals, do prior authorizations, discuss billing with pharmacies and pharmaceutical companies, etc. etc. etc. The process is so inefficient, not streamlined and adds costs with no additional value every step of the way.

Come on, man! I'd think this would be one issue where we'd agree. You don't like reducing costs whenever possible?

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So you are saying that the grocery store should not have profit since it does not add value to your grocery purchase? That the gas station should not have a profit margin since it does not add value to your purchase?

There is nothing wrong with profit. And when you have an industry that worries about its profit margin you have an industry that watches costs. If we had the government running things we would just see annual price increases and probably little innovation. Happens every time.

Of course the grocery store adds value! The grocery store is the end destination of the distribution channel and is engaged in making the products easier to locate for the consumer by way of placement and stocking. There's also the customer service element.

Without the stores, you'd have people driving for dozens of miles to the nearest warehouse every time they needed groceries.

Of course the gas station adds value! They store the gas and provide you with the mechanism needed to put the gas into your vehicle. What purpose would gas serve if you couldn't get it in your car?

Also, I'm not arguing in favor of socialized healthcare. I don't want socialized healthcare, but the states can do that if they want to. I am arguing in favor of abolishing the health insurance industry.

Quote: Mission146

I am arguing in favor of abolishing the health insurance industry.

Perhaps just issue everyone a 10k allowance.

You can only spend it on healthcare. What sits in your account earns interest which accrues over your lifetime, that adds to your healthcare account. So, the less you spend, the more that accrues. Perhaps people that spend the less can receive small privileges. Like for instance being able access other services ahead of other people. You accrue these small bonus privileges over the lifetime of your account the less you use it.

Perhaps 10k is the not right amount, just throwing it out there. The reason why you should earn non-monetary privileges is because I don't think it would work giving out the interest. Besides this is government issued.

There's no middleman at all!

It's issued just like a SS card. Regular taxes help fund the initial fund.

{Of course, I just thought this up just now, so working out the details on the fly}

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In a report published Thursday by PEN America, the nonprofit free speech organization found 1,477 instances of books being prohibited during the first half of the 2022-23 academic year, up 28.5% from 1,149 cases in the previous semester. Overall, the organization has recorded more than 4,000 instances of banned books since it started tracking cases in July 2021.

If you think it’s conservatives pushing all this censorship you’’d be correct.

Quote: rxwine

Perhaps just issue everyone a 10k allowance.

You can only spend it on healthcare. What sits in your account earns interest which accrues over your lifetime, that adds to your healthcare account. So, the less you spend, the more that accrues. Perhaps people that spend the less can receive small privileges. Like for instance being able access other services ahead of other people. You accrue these small bonus privileges over the lifetime of your account the less you use it.

Perhaps 10k is the not right amount, just throwing it out there. The reason why you should earn non-monetary privileges is because I don't think it would work giving out the interest. Besides this is government issued.

There's no middleman at all!

It's issued just like a SS card. Regular taxes help fund the initial fund.

{Of course, I just thought this up just now, so working out the details on the fly}

How do you think this can be funded? To give it to people you have to tax it from them. Otherwise you are expecting it to come out of thin air.

Quote: rxwine

If you think it’s conservatives pushing all this censorship you’’d be correct.

Liberals love banning books. They ban books all the time.

Quote: AZDuffman

Liberals love banning books. They ban books all the time.

Post some facts then.

Quote: Mission146

Don't even give me the, "Nobody actually pays that." I shouldn't have to haggle about the price after already receiving, and being billed for, the service. I should know what the service is going to cost in advance.

I have had 26 operations and the only time I remember getting a price ahead of time was on my Lumbar Fusion. The quote was approximately $326,000 and that was for only one night in the hospital.

Quote: rxwine

Post some facts then.

Only if you do.

But since we both know that won’t happen it is well known that liberals have tried to ban “Huckulberry Finn” because of “words.” Probably other classics as well for same reason.

Quote: AZDuffman

Only if you do.

But since we both know that won’t happen it is well known that liberals have tried to ban “Huckulberry Finn” because of “words.” Probably other classics as well for same reason.

Liberals ban books all the time is what you said. Not even close. So sad for you.