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equalizer
Participant[quote=esmith][quote=Allan from Fallbrook][quote=esmith]Of course, no mention of women and children who starve to death because of Americans’ refusal to pay ransom.[/quote]
esmith: Really? So, in your mind, this is a legitimate business enterprise? Americans should just pay the ransom, right? Because all of those pirates are simply there as family men.
This is worse than moral equivalency; this is moral infantilism. I worked counterinsurgency when I was in the Army and I’ll tell you this: Those SEALs waxing those pirates will send a very clear message and the OP captures it perfectly. In the French: “Pour encourager les autres”.
[/quote]In my mind, it is an interesting moral conundrum, the kind that Americans don’t get to face in their own country and so it gets easy to write these off to “us vs. them”. Is it legitimate and/or moral to steal from the rich in order to feed your starving wife and children?
Is it legitimate and/or moral that the captain in question makes roughly 200 times as much as an average resident of Somalia?
[/quote]
Have I wasted 3 years here? Have you learned nothing from my derisory posts? I’ll spare you the existential rants about it doesn’t matter. If you want to be torture yourself as a do gooder, then as a business prof liked to say, “Know your target market”. If you are going to duel with the best here, read the following three books before you engage in verbal combat1)”The Art of War”
2)”How to Argue & Win Every Time”:
3) BLACK’S LAW: A Criminal Lawyer Reveals His Defense Strategies in Four Cliffhanger Cases
Oh, and you might try using a better case, such as Buddhists monks hijacking a boat to steal rice and beans. [or convince Rick Warren to take up your cause since he is a buddy of the President]
In this case, the background stage is very unsympathetic to say the least:“Among the cargo of the 17,000-tonne Maersk Alabama was UN food aid destined for Somalia and Uganda.
The vessel was carrying relief supplies for USAID, the U.N. World Food Program and the Christian charities WorldVision and Catholic Relief Services. The U.N. agency said its portion of the cargo included nearly 4,100 metric tons of corn-soya blend bound for Somalia and Uganda, and another 990 metric tons of vegetable oil for refugees in Kenya. ‘There are starving people in Africa who need this food,” Reinhart said.’ ”
http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/africa/04/08/ship.hijacked/index.html
Participant[quote=esmith][quote=Allan from Fallbrook][quote=esmith]Of course, no mention of women and children who starve to death because of Americans’ refusal to pay ransom.[/quote]
esmith: Really? So, in your mind, this is a legitimate business enterprise? Americans should just pay the ransom, right? Because all of those pirates are simply there as family men.
This is worse than moral equivalency; this is moral infantilism. I worked counterinsurgency when I was in the Army and I’ll tell you this: Those SEALs waxing those pirates will send a very clear message and the OP captures it perfectly. In the French: “Pour encourager les autres”.
[/quote]In my mind, it is an interesting moral conundrum, the kind that Americans don’t get to face in their own country and so it gets easy to write these off to “us vs. them”. Is it legitimate and/or moral to steal from the rich in order to feed your starving wife and children?
Is it legitimate and/or moral that the captain in question makes roughly 200 times as much as an average resident of Somalia?
[/quote]
Have I wasted 3 years here? Have you learned nothing from my derisory posts? I’ll spare you the existential rants about it doesn’t matter. If you want to be torture yourself as a do gooder, then as a business prof liked to say, “Know your target market”. If you are going to duel with the best here, read the following three books before you engage in verbal combat1)”The Art of War”
2)”How to Argue & Win Every Time”:
3) BLACK’S LAW: A Criminal Lawyer Reveals His Defense Strategies in Four Cliffhanger Cases
Oh, and you might try using a better case, such as Buddhists monks hijacking a boat to steal rice and beans. [or convince Rick Warren to take up your cause since he is a buddy of the President]
In this case, the background stage is very unsympathetic to say the least:“Among the cargo of the 17,000-tonne Maersk Alabama was UN food aid destined for Somalia and Uganda.
The vessel was carrying relief supplies for USAID, the U.N. World Food Program and the Christian charities WorldVision and Catholic Relief Services. The U.N. agency said its portion of the cargo included nearly 4,100 metric tons of corn-soya blend bound for Somalia and Uganda, and another 990 metric tons of vegetable oil for refugees in Kenya. ‘There are starving people in Africa who need this food,” Reinhart said.’ ”
http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/africa/04/08/ship.hijacked/index.html
Participant[quote=esmith][quote=Allan from Fallbrook][quote=esmith]Of course, no mention of women and children who starve to death because of Americans’ refusal to pay ransom.[/quote]
esmith: Really? So, in your mind, this is a legitimate business enterprise? Americans should just pay the ransom, right? Because all of those pirates are simply there as family men.
This is worse than moral equivalency; this is moral infantilism. I worked counterinsurgency when I was in the Army and I’ll tell you this: Those SEALs waxing those pirates will send a very clear message and the OP captures it perfectly. In the French: “Pour encourager les autres”.
[/quote]In my mind, it is an interesting moral conundrum, the kind that Americans don’t get to face in their own country and so it gets easy to write these off to “us vs. them”. Is it legitimate and/or moral to steal from the rich in order to feed your starving wife and children?
Is it legitimate and/or moral that the captain in question makes roughly 200 times as much as an average resident of Somalia?
[/quote]
Have I wasted 3 years here? Have you learned nothing from my derisory posts? I’ll spare you the existential rants about it doesn’t matter. If you want to be torture yourself as a do gooder, then as a business prof liked to say, “Know your target market”. If you are going to duel with the best here, read the following three books before you engage in verbal combat1)”The Art of War”
2)”How to Argue & Win Every Time”:
3) BLACK’S LAW: A Criminal Lawyer Reveals His Defense Strategies in Four Cliffhanger Cases
Oh, and you might try using a better case, such as Buddhists monks hijacking a boat to steal rice and beans. [or convince Rick Warren to take up your cause since he is a buddy of the President]
In this case, the background stage is very unsympathetic to say the least:“Among the cargo of the 17,000-tonne Maersk Alabama was UN food aid destined for Somalia and Uganda.
The vessel was carrying relief supplies for USAID, the U.N. World Food Program and the Christian charities WorldVision and Catholic Relief Services. The U.N. agency said its portion of the cargo included nearly 4,100 metric tons of corn-soya blend bound for Somalia and Uganda, and another 990 metric tons of vegetable oil for refugees in Kenya. ‘There are starving people in Africa who need this food,” Reinhart said.’ ”
http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/africa/04/08/ship.hijacked/index.html
Participant[quote=esmith][quote=Allan from Fallbrook][quote=esmith]Of course, no mention of women and children who starve to death because of Americans’ refusal to pay ransom.[/quote]
esmith: Really? So, in your mind, this is a legitimate business enterprise? Americans should just pay the ransom, right? Because all of those pirates are simply there as family men.
This is worse than moral equivalency; this is moral infantilism. I worked counterinsurgency when I was in the Army and I’ll tell you this: Those SEALs waxing those pirates will send a very clear message and the OP captures it perfectly. In the French: “Pour encourager les autres”.
[/quote]In my mind, it is an interesting moral conundrum, the kind that Americans don’t get to face in their own country and so it gets easy to write these off to “us vs. them”. Is it legitimate and/or moral to steal from the rich in order to feed your starving wife and children?
Is it legitimate and/or moral that the captain in question makes roughly 200 times as much as an average resident of Somalia?
[/quote]
Have I wasted 3 years here? Have you learned nothing from my derisory posts? I’ll spare you the existential rants about it doesn’t matter. If you want to be torture yourself as a do gooder, then as a business prof liked to say, “Know your target market”. If you are going to duel with the best here, read the following three books before you engage in verbal combat1)”The Art of War”
2)”How to Argue & Win Every Time”:
3) BLACK’S LAW: A Criminal Lawyer Reveals His Defense Strategies in Four Cliffhanger Cases
Oh, and you might try using a better case, such as Buddhists monks hijacking a boat to steal rice and beans. [or convince Rick Warren to take up your cause since he is a buddy of the President]
In this case, the background stage is very unsympathetic to say the least:“Among the cargo of the 17,000-tonne Maersk Alabama was UN food aid destined for Somalia and Uganda.
The vessel was carrying relief supplies for USAID, the U.N. World Food Program and the Christian charities WorldVision and Catholic Relief Services. The U.N. agency said its portion of the cargo included nearly 4,100 metric tons of corn-soya blend bound for Somalia and Uganda, and another 990 metric tons of vegetable oil for refugees in Kenya. ‘There are starving people in Africa who need this food,” Reinhart said.’ ”
http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/africa/04/08/ship.hijacked/index.html
Participant[quote=esmith][quote=Allan from Fallbrook][quote=esmith]Of course, no mention of women and children who starve to death because of Americans’ refusal to pay ransom.[/quote]
esmith: Really? So, in your mind, this is a legitimate business enterprise? Americans should just pay the ransom, right? Because all of those pirates are simply there as family men.
This is worse than moral equivalency; this is moral infantilism. I worked counterinsurgency when I was in the Army and I’ll tell you this: Those SEALs waxing those pirates will send a very clear message and the OP captures it perfectly. In the French: “Pour encourager les autres”.
[/quote]In my mind, it is an interesting moral conundrum, the kind that Americans don’t get to face in their own country and so it gets easy to write these off to “us vs. them”. Is it legitimate and/or moral to steal from the rich in order to feed your starving wife and children?
Is it legitimate and/or moral that the captain in question makes roughly 200 times as much as an average resident of Somalia?
[/quote]
Have I wasted 3 years here? Have you learned nothing from my derisory posts? I’ll spare you the existential rants about it doesn’t matter. If you want to be torture yourself as a do gooder, then as a business prof liked to say, “Know your target market”. If you are going to duel with the best here, read the following three books before you engage in verbal combat1)”The Art of War”
2)”How to Argue & Win Every Time”:
3) BLACK’S LAW: A Criminal Lawyer Reveals His Defense Strategies in Four Cliffhanger Cases
Oh, and you might try using a better case, such as Buddhists monks hijacking a boat to steal rice and beans. [or convince Rick Warren to take up your cause since he is a buddy of the President]
In this case, the background stage is very unsympathetic to say the least:“Among the cargo of the 17,000-tonne Maersk Alabama was UN food aid destined for Somalia and Uganda.
The vessel was carrying relief supplies for USAID, the U.N. World Food Program and the Christian charities WorldVision and Catholic Relief Services. The U.N. agency said its portion of the cargo included nearly 4,100 metric tons of corn-soya blend bound for Somalia and Uganda, and another 990 metric tons of vegetable oil for refugees in Kenya. ‘There are starving people in Africa who need this food,” Reinhart said.’ ”
http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/africa/04/08/ship.hijacked/index.html
April 12, 2009 at 7:49 PM in reply to: OT: How badly are doctors/hospitals getting squeezed by insurance co? #379747Participant[quote=jficquette]The plus side of that is you can get steep discounts for procedures if you are willing to pay cash for them.
Doctors and facilites are more then willing to cut deals with people who are “cash pay”.
I think we should cap malpractice suits and make it easier for providers to compete. Cap the awards to something like $200k or better yet, make the plantiff prove that the Doc intended to do harm.
We also have to consider that in 30 years there will be cures for the Cancer, Heart Disease, Diabetes and the elimination of the associated side effects. That and vacines for the common cold, etc will elimnate the vast majority of future health care costs. So we just need to keep it in prespective.
Kids born today should live to 100-120 easy.
John
[/quote]
In CA, there is already a lawsuit cap at 250K, yet we have highest health care cost. We need a patient ratings service for doctors, hospitals, and we need doctors and staff to break blue wall of silence on bad staff.Then why the high cost in CA? Earthquake retrofit, undocumented non-payers at emergency rooms, generally higher salaries for all staff (except doctors).
Kids and adults are generally more out of shape today. Obesity, diabetes is becoming epidemic because of office jobs, cars, long commutes, junk food, etc. Unless something changes, this problem will overwhelm all other problems here. Obesity is becoming a problem in developing countries as well.
Prevention through proper diet and exercise is most effective solution. Much easier said than followed. In the book “Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness”, the authors point to simple ideas such as putting fruit at front of cafeteria line at schools which increases fruit sales. Some companies have started to subsidize fruit in corp cafeteria.
Why not ban all bad stuff? Thaler and Sunstein: “Those who are in position to shape our decisions can overreach or make mistakes, and freedom of choice is a safeguard to that. One of our goals in writing this book is to show that it is possible to help people make better choices and retain or even expand freedom. If people have their own ideas about what to eat and drink, and how to invest their money, they should be allowed to do so.
April 12, 2009 at 7:49 PM in reply to: OT: How badly are doctors/hospitals getting squeezed by insurance co? #380021Participant[quote=jficquette]The plus side of that is you can get steep discounts for procedures if you are willing to pay cash for them.
Doctors and facilites are more then willing to cut deals with people who are “cash pay”.
I think we should cap malpractice suits and make it easier for providers to compete. Cap the awards to something like $200k or better yet, make the plantiff prove that the Doc intended to do harm.
We also have to consider that in 30 years there will be cures for the Cancer, Heart Disease, Diabetes and the elimination of the associated side effects. That and vacines for the common cold, etc will elimnate the vast majority of future health care costs. So we just need to keep it in prespective.
Kids born today should live to 100-120 easy.
John
[/quote]
In CA, there is already a lawsuit cap at 250K, yet we have highest health care cost. We need a patient ratings service for doctors, hospitals, and we need doctors and staff to break blue wall of silence on bad staff.Then why the high cost in CA? Earthquake retrofit, undocumented non-payers at emergency rooms, generally higher salaries for all staff (except doctors).
Kids and adults are generally more out of shape today. Obesity, diabetes is becoming epidemic because of office jobs, cars, long commutes, junk food, etc. Unless something changes, this problem will overwhelm all other problems here. Obesity is becoming a problem in developing countries as well.
Prevention through proper diet and exercise is most effective solution. Much easier said than followed. In the book “Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness”, the authors point to simple ideas such as putting fruit at front of cafeteria line at schools which increases fruit sales. Some companies have started to subsidize fruit in corp cafeteria.
Why not ban all bad stuff? Thaler and Sunstein: “Those who are in position to shape our decisions can overreach or make mistakes, and freedom of choice is a safeguard to that. One of our goals in writing this book is to show that it is possible to help people make better choices and retain or even expand freedom. If people have their own ideas about what to eat and drink, and how to invest their money, they should be allowed to do so.
April 12, 2009 at 7:49 PM in reply to: OT: How badly are doctors/hospitals getting squeezed by insurance co? #380205Participant[quote=jficquette]The plus side of that is you can get steep discounts for procedures if you are willing to pay cash for them.
Doctors and facilites are more then willing to cut deals with people who are “cash pay”.
I think we should cap malpractice suits and make it easier for providers to compete. Cap the awards to something like $200k or better yet, make the plantiff prove that the Doc intended to do harm.
We also have to consider that in 30 years there will be cures for the Cancer, Heart Disease, Diabetes and the elimination of the associated side effects. That and vacines for the common cold, etc will elimnate the vast majority of future health care costs. So we just need to keep it in prespective.
Kids born today should live to 100-120 easy.
John
[/quote]
In CA, there is already a lawsuit cap at 250K, yet we have highest health care cost. We need a patient ratings service for doctors, hospitals, and we need doctors and staff to break blue wall of silence on bad staff.Then why the high cost in CA? Earthquake retrofit, undocumented non-payers at emergency rooms, generally higher salaries for all staff (except doctors).
Kids and adults are generally more out of shape today. Obesity, diabetes is becoming epidemic because of office jobs, cars, long commutes, junk food, etc. Unless something changes, this problem will overwhelm all other problems here. Obesity is becoming a problem in developing countries as well.
Prevention through proper diet and exercise is most effective solution. Much easier said than followed. In the book “Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness”, the authors point to simple ideas such as putting fruit at front of cafeteria line at schools which increases fruit sales. Some companies have started to subsidize fruit in corp cafeteria.
Why not ban all bad stuff? Thaler and Sunstein: “Those who are in position to shape our decisions can overreach or make mistakes, and freedom of choice is a safeguard to that. One of our goals in writing this book is to show that it is possible to help people make better choices and retain or even expand freedom. If people have their own ideas about what to eat and drink, and how to invest their money, they should be allowed to do so.
April 12, 2009 at 7:49 PM in reply to: OT: How badly are doctors/hospitals getting squeezed by insurance co? #380252Participant[quote=jficquette]The plus side of that is you can get steep discounts for procedures if you are willing to pay cash for them.
Doctors and facilites are more then willing to cut deals with people who are “cash pay”.
I think we should cap malpractice suits and make it easier for providers to compete. Cap the awards to something like $200k or better yet, make the plantiff prove that the Doc intended to do harm.
We also have to consider that in 30 years there will be cures for the Cancer, Heart Disease, Diabetes and the elimination of the associated side effects. That and vacines for the common cold, etc will elimnate the vast majority of future health care costs. So we just need to keep it in prespective.
Kids born today should live to 100-120 easy.
John
[/quote]
In CA, there is already a lawsuit cap at 250K, yet we have highest health care cost. We need a patient ratings service for doctors, hospitals, and we need doctors and staff to break blue wall of silence on bad staff.Then why the high cost in CA? Earthquake retrofit, undocumented non-payers at emergency rooms, generally higher salaries for all staff (except doctors).
Kids and adults are generally more out of shape today. Obesity, diabetes is becoming epidemic because of office jobs, cars, long commutes, junk food, etc. Unless something changes, this problem will overwhelm all other problems here. Obesity is becoming a problem in developing countries as well.
Prevention through proper diet and exercise is most effective solution. Much easier said than followed. In the book “Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness”, the authors point to simple ideas such as putting fruit at front of cafeteria line at schools which increases fruit sales. Some companies have started to subsidize fruit in corp cafeteria.
Why not ban all bad stuff? Thaler and Sunstein: “Those who are in position to shape our decisions can overreach or make mistakes, and freedom of choice is a safeguard to that. One of our goals in writing this book is to show that it is possible to help people make better choices and retain or even expand freedom. If people have their own ideas about what to eat and drink, and how to invest their money, they should be allowed to do so.
April 12, 2009 at 7:49 PM in reply to: OT: How badly are doctors/hospitals getting squeezed by insurance co? #380379Participant[quote=jficquette]The plus side of that is you can get steep discounts for procedures if you are willing to pay cash for them.
Doctors and facilites are more then willing to cut deals with people who are “cash pay”.
I think we should cap malpractice suits and make it easier for providers to compete. Cap the awards to something like $200k or better yet, make the plantiff prove that the Doc intended to do harm.
We also have to consider that in 30 years there will be cures for the Cancer, Heart Disease, Diabetes and the elimination of the associated side effects. That and vacines for the common cold, etc will elimnate the vast majority of future health care costs. So we just need to keep it in prespective.
Kids born today should live to 100-120 easy.
John
[/quote]
In CA, there is already a lawsuit cap at 250K, yet we have highest health care cost. We need a patient ratings service for doctors, hospitals, and we need doctors and staff to break blue wall of silence on bad staff.Then why the high cost in CA? Earthquake retrofit, undocumented non-payers at emergency rooms, generally higher salaries for all staff (except doctors).
Kids and adults are generally more out of shape today. Obesity, diabetes is becoming epidemic because of office jobs, cars, long commutes, junk food, etc. Unless something changes, this problem will overwhelm all other problems here. Obesity is becoming a problem in developing countries as well.
Prevention through proper diet and exercise is most effective solution. Much easier said than followed. In the book “Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness”, the authors point to simple ideas such as putting fruit at front of cafeteria line at schools which increases fruit sales. Some companies have started to subsidize fruit in corp cafeteria.
Why not ban all bad stuff? Thaler and Sunstein: “Those who are in position to shape our decisions can overreach or make mistakes, and freedom of choice is a safeguard to that. One of our goals in writing this book is to show that it is possible to help people make better choices and retain or even expand freedom. If people have their own ideas about what to eat and drink, and how to invest their money, they should be allowed to do so.
April 11, 2009 at 4:50 PM in reply to: OT: How badly are doctors/hospitals getting squeezed by insurance co? #379382Participant[quote=gandalf]Perhaps combine universal coverage for catastrophic matters with a market-based approach for everything under a certain threshold.
Insurance companies are a racket.[/quote]
Just about to say same thing. Medical savings account could cover the common procedures. In order to work we need to see upfront prices for health care. This is one of the few sectors in USA that prices are banned until one gets crazy bill.patientrenter,
great explanation of the conflicts.
flu,
the other outrage is that person who doesn’t have insurance is billed the full rate with no discount. Does that item cost $200 or $1000?? No wonder that many people cant afford to pay the bill and hospitals raise the retail prices to $1100 next year.
April 11, 2009 at 4:50 PM in reply to: OT: How badly are doctors/hospitals getting squeezed by insurance co? #379653Participant[quote=gandalf]Perhaps combine universal coverage for catastrophic matters with a market-based approach for everything under a certain threshold.
Insurance companies are a racket.[/quote]
Just about to say same thing. Medical savings account could cover the common procedures. In order to work we need to see upfront prices for health care. This is one of the few sectors in USA that prices are banned until one gets crazy bill.patientrenter,
great explanation of the conflicts.
flu,
the other outrage is that person who doesn’t have insurance is billed the full rate with no discount. Does that item cost $200 or $1000?? No wonder that many people cant afford to pay the bill and hospitals raise the retail prices to $1100 next year.
April 11, 2009 at 4:50 PM in reply to: OT: How badly are doctors/hospitals getting squeezed by insurance co? #379836Participant[quote=gandalf]Perhaps combine universal coverage for catastrophic matters with a market-based approach for everything under a certain threshold.
Insurance companies are a racket.[/quote]
Just about to say same thing. Medical savings account could cover the common procedures. In order to work we need to see upfront prices for health care. This is one of the few sectors in USA that prices are banned until one gets crazy bill.patientrenter,
great explanation of the conflicts.
flu,
the other outrage is that person who doesn’t have insurance is billed the full rate with no discount. Does that item cost $200 or $1000?? No wonder that many people cant afford to pay the bill and hospitals raise the retail prices to $1100 next year.
April 11, 2009 at 4:50 PM in reply to: OT: How badly are doctors/hospitals getting squeezed by insurance co? #379881Participant[quote=gandalf]Perhaps combine universal coverage for catastrophic matters with a market-based approach for everything under a certain threshold.
Insurance companies are a racket.[/quote]
Just about to say same thing. Medical savings account could cover the common procedures. In order to work we need to see upfront prices for health care. This is one of the few sectors in USA that prices are banned until one gets crazy bill.patientrenter,
great explanation of the conflicts.
flu,
the other outrage is that person who doesn’t have insurance is billed the full rate with no discount. Does that item cost $200 or $1000?? No wonder that many people cant afford to pay the bill and hospitals raise the retail prices to $1100 next year.
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