The Conscience of a "Compassionate" Liberal.

[boxcar]

Krugman: Death Panels, VAT Will Fix Debt Crisis

Economist and New York Times columnist Paul Krugman says the only way the U.S. will get its debt crisis under control is by the use of "death panels" and a national sales tax.

This is an issue that just won't die (forgive the bad pun).

http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/krug...1/14/id/377008

Boxcar

[ArlJim78]

of course the death panels would only be for people not already granted a waiver by the Sec HHS.

[DJofSD]

Is there an exemption for union members and government employees?

[GameTheory]

Krugman is a dangerous guy because he has prestige as the NYT economist, Nobel winner, etc, but is about as economically clueless as you can get. (The Nobel is becoming a bit of joke, eh? It is interesting to point out that there are other economists that have also won the Nobel that would argue the exact opposite of Krugman on just about everything.)

Since he isn't a politician (even though he has a huge partisan predisposition) people take him seriously and probably figure he knows what he's talking about. He doesn't.

[boxcar]

Originally Posted by DJofSD

Is there an exemption for union members and government employees?

Of course! The Dems wouldn't want to bury or burn future votes, would they?

Boxcar

[DJofSD]

Originally Posted by boxcar

Of course! The Dems wouldn't want to bury or burn future votes, would they?

Boxcar

Oh, ya, silly me, I forgot about that. I guess we don't need to inquire about illegals then, do we.

[boxcar]

Originally Posted by DJofSD

Oh, ya, silly me, I forgot about that. I guess we don't need to inquire about illegals then, do we.

That's okay. You don't have to remember. The politicians know very well how to get votes. So, don't worry yourself about such mundane matters.

Boxcar

[NJ Stinks]

What Krugman said is true. We need a VAT because federal income tax rates have been ridiculously low for far too long and the same goes for the capital gains tax.

And Medicare simply cannot afford to pay $1M or more to keep an 85 year old alive. Make the 85 year old pay a percentage of their medical expenses out of pocket - especially elective treatments like hip or knee replacements that can lead to more serious problems - like heart attacks.

If older people aren't willing to pay even part of the medical expenses they are incurring, they and their families can become their own "death panel". I know it sounds harsh but unless medical costs can be contained, the current system is unsustainable.

[JustRalph]

Originally Posted by NJ Stinks

What Krugman said is true. We need a VAT because federal income tax rates have been ridiculously low for far too long and the same goes for the capital gains tax.

And Medicare simply cannot afford to pay $1M or more to keep an 85 year old alive. Make the 85 year old pay a percentage of their medical expenses out of pocket - especially elective treatments like hip or knee replacements that can lead to more serious problems - like heart attacks.

If older people aren't willing to pay even part of the medical expenses they are incurring, they and their families can become their own "death panel". I know it sounds harsh but unless medical costs can be contained, the current system is unsustainable.

So Sarah Palin was right............

[NJ Stinks]

Originally Posted by JustRalph

So Sarah Palin was right............

No. There are no "death panels" in the bill that was passed.

[johnhannibalsmith]

Originally Posted by NJ Stinks

What Krugman said is true. We need a VAT because federal income tax rates have been ridiculously low for far too long and the same goes for the capital gains tax.

And Medicare simply cannot afford to pay $1M or more to keep an 85 year old alive. Make the 85 year old pay a percentage of their medical expenses out of pocket - especially elective treatments like hip or knee replacements that can lead to more serious problems - like heart attacks.

If older people aren't willing to pay even part of the medical expenses they are incurring, they and their families can become their own "death panel". I know it sounds harsh but unless medical costs can be contained, the current system is unsustainable.

Only since you jumped in with this... seriously...

A fifteen-year-old has cystic fybrosis... probably not going to live very long under any circumstances, but can lead an improved life in terms of both length and quality with aggressive treatment. In fact, these newest treatments have extended median survival age almost a half-dozen years, but still - it's not a matter of if, it's... of course, fifty years ago, they wouldn't have lived to be the age of fifteen, but still...

Maybe I'm not using a tremendous analogy, but old people aren't the exclusive guardians of the notion of fixed lifespans and care that can only "improve" death and not defy it.

Is it just old people? You're a public option guy so don't tell me about how you are talking about Medicare and the elderly. I'm curious on your take since the can is wide open.

[boxcar]

Originally Posted by NJ Stinks

What Krugman said is true. We need a VAT because federal income tax rates have been ridiculously low for far too long and the same goes for the capital gains tax.

And Medicare simply cannot afford to pay $1M or more to keep an 85 year old alive. Make the 85 year old pay a percentage of their medical expenses out of pocket - especially elective treatments like hip or knee replacements that can lead to more serious problems - like heart attacks.

If older people aren't willing to pay even part of the medical expenses they are incurring, they and their families can become their own "death panel". I know it sounds harsh but unless medical costs can be contained, the current system is unsustainable.

So, the compassionate, loving, caring lib speaks out -- no doubt out of "tough love".

But I find Krugman's support of the "death panels" idea to be curious at the very minimum. This was the whack job who came down on Palin like a sledge hammer when she used this phrase because he claimed back then that these panels weren't even a gleam in any politician's eye. Yet, now he turns around and employs the very phrase that caused him to go spastic on her!

I have a better idea than yours, however. Rather than target the defenseless and, in many cases, the poor elderly for their physical defects, why not target people with genuine moral defects? I mean...if your justification for targeting the elderly is to thin "out the herd", methinks we could thin it out beyond your wildest expectations by targeting all the morally deficient fools that reside in our land. Affordable health care would be no problem after that.

Boxcar
P.S. What kind of flowers do you like?

[NJ Stinks]

Originally Posted by johnhannibalsmith

Is it just old people? You're a public option guy so don't tell me about how you are talking about Medicare and the elderly. I'm curious on your take since the can is wide open.

As far as I'm concerned - yes. Maybe a cure will be found for the disease a young person has.

There is no cure for old age.

[johnhannibalsmith]

Originally Posted by NJ Stinks

...There is no cure for old age.

Shall we next evaluate the increase in median lifespan over the last century?

[johnhannibalsmith]

I'm actually probably in your corner way more than you think NJ, but it's a real tough sell and probably best left as a personal philosophy as opposed to public policy.