Obama:The Greatest US President in Living Memory

[brightmoon]

And here what Reagan had to say about Gorbachev

Asked at a press conference in Moscow in 1988, his last year in office, about the role he played in the great drama of the late 20th century, he described himself essentially as a supporting actor. “Mr. Gorbachev,” he said, “deserves most of the credit, as the leader of this country.”

 

[Flavus Aquila]

And here what Reagan had to say about Gorbachev

Asked at a press conference in Moscow in 1988, his last year in office, about the role he played in the great drama of the late 20th century, he described himself essentially as a supporting actor. “Mr. Gorbachev,” he said, “deserves most of the credit, as the leader of this country.”

He humbly shared the lion's share of the credit being lauded to him with his counterpart in ending the cold war... it takes a great man and president to do that.

Obama, with his sassy pettiness has tried to inflame tensions in the death throes of his influence. Putin, fortunately hasn't dignified this goofball move with any response, and very obviously prefers to wait, so he can negotiate with a man.

 

[brightmoon]

Gorbachev was the one who made the moves to end the Cold War and Reagan reacted. How he reacted determined the outcome, but this idea that he ended the war is revisionist history. plain and simple.

If you don't stand up to Putin, he will take advantage. His goal is to re-establish Russia as a superpower and the first order of business is to re-establish Russian dominance over what territories which they consider their own. Putin has been the one who is inflaming tensions, but he is singled minded in his goals. Undermining democratic institutions all over the world plays into these goals. If @Flavus Aquila refuse to see this because your man Trump has blinded to this reality. you really need to wake up and examine Russian actions over the past few years.

 

[Flavus Aquila]

Gorbachev was the one who made the moves to end the Cold War and Reagan reacted. How he reacted determined the outcome, but this idea that he ended the war is revisionist history. plain and simple.

If you don't stand up to Putin, he will take advantage. His goal is to re-establish Russia as a superpower and the first order of business is to re-establish Russian dominance over what territories which they consider their own. Putin has been the one who is inflaming tensions, but he is singled minded in his goals. Undermining democratic institutions all over the world plays into these goals. If @Flavus Aquila refuse to see this because your man Trump has blinded to this reality. you really need to wake up and examine Russian actions over the past few years.

I want Russia to be a superpower.

The EU is likely to assemble a united army relatively soon. I don't think one can assume that the EU will always be natural allies with the US. The last thing you'd want to see is Russia joining the EU, after Putin's time.

China, and the EU won't be needing the US for much longer. Your debt is so high, that you could end up in the shit very easily, if China, Russia, and the EU get too cozy.

 

[brightmoon]

Again @Flavus Aquila it is not my county. I know you an Aussie, I am a Canadian. Both us living on opposite ends of what used to be called the British Empire, but I digress.

Is the scenario you describe desirable? In my view no, but it may be realistic. The US whatever you may think of them, is generally a positive force in world politics. If the Union between liberal democracies become unraveled or weakened then surely this cannot be a good thing for the world as a whole, in my view.

A good debate but now there is likely a meter of snow in my driveway which I need to remove.

 

[Flavus Aquila]

Again @Flavus Aquila it is not my county. I know you an Aussie, I am a Canadian. Both us living on opposite ends of what used to be called the British Empire, but I digress.

Is the scenario you describe desirable? In my view no, but it may be realistic. The US whatever you may think of them, is generally a positive force in world politics. If the Union between liberal democracies become unraveled or weakened then surely this cannot be a good thing for the world as a whole, in my view.

I agree. I think the US is inevitably heading into a dark place of declining importance. Pestering Russia, instead of befriending it is a very short-term win, which may turn out to be a source of regret in a couple of decades.

Unless Europe undergoes an existential reversal, which would make the last century of European history look like child's play, it can only become increasingly anti-US in its outlook.

The Americas, both North and South may end up the joke continents. Every time a major corporation shifts out of North America to Asia, or Europe the US is another step closer to becoming like Argentina.

 

[just me]

My take on Obama's presidency? Man knew how to go on vacations. Putin saw him for what he is. Fining people for not having insurance stinks. Know a family has a child with a disease that requires monthly, if not more often, attention out of town. Has hundreds of seizures a day. Breaks your heart. Their insurance has gone Hubble, and it don't cover enough when they kept it. Now, they use the thousands of dollars insurance costs a month to help get their child treatment and help....and pay the fine.
That's right: all they are going through and they are being fined by our government.

We are facing losing our Trauma Care Center. That is quite a big deal. Obama Care isn't stopping that from happening. I'd like to look at today and tomorrow. Yesterday is over, and I had quite enough of it. Assassinating him would have most likely caused a racial war, anyway. We needed a businessman in the office. Our economy is trying to fall apart. My thoughts are to forget about Obama and move on. Anything else said in this thread will be ignored by me. You know how I feel and how I believe. No comments do not mean I don't care, agree, or disagree. I'm ready to let those past eight years go and move on to helping if I can. You guys have fun.

 

[acd]

My take on Obama's presidency? Man knew how to go on vacations. Putin saw him for what he is. Fining people for not having insurance stinks. Know a family has a child with a disease that requires monthly, if not more often, attention out of town. Has hundreds of seizures a day. Breaks your heart. Their insurance has gone Hubble, and it don't cover enough when they kept it. Now, they use the thousands of dollars insurance costs a month to help get their child treatment and help....and pay the fine.
That's right: all they are going through and they are being fined by our government.

We are facing losing our Trauma Care Center. That is quite a big deal. Obama Care isn't stopping that from happening. I'd like to look at today and tomorrow. Yesterday is over, and I had quite enough of it. Assassinating him would have most likely caused a racial war, anyway. We needed a businessman in the office. Our economy is trying to fall apart. My thoughts are to forget about Obama and move on. Anything else said in this thread will be ignored by me. You know how I feel and how I believe. No comments do not mean I don't care, agree, or disagree. I'm ready to let those past eight years go and move on to helping if I can. You guys have fun.

They are paying out of pocket for treatments? I thought under ACA it was illegal for docs to treat people paying cash now?

The child you speak of who has seizures qualifies for medicaid. Childhood epilepsy is a qualifying condition for medicaid, regardless of income. They need to apply. Their insurance will be primary and medicaid secondary, picking up whatever insurance doesn't cover.

 

[brightmoon]

My take on Obama's presidency? Man knew how to go on vacations.

Yeah, but he was poor imitator of his predecessor for number of vacation days.

On Aug. 8, 2014, Obama had taken 19 vacations totaling 125 days so far while in office. Dubya had 65 combined trips to his Texas ranch and his parents’ home in Kennebunkport, Maine, which totaled 407 days at the same point in his presidency.

Yet there was no outcry about presidential vacations during the GWB years, even while there was war going on...

The other talk in your post is mostly incomprehensible to me. I guess you were happy with the healthcare status quo before Obama.

Businessmen generally make poor politicians, the last one in the presidency was Herbert Hoover.

 

[brightmoon]

Pestering Russia, instead of befriending it is a very short-term win, which may turn out to be a source of regret in a couple of decades.

What sort of advantages come from "befriending Russia"? Isn't this what Trump seems bent on doing anyway? Has Europe been anti-US? Sorry but I don't see it.

 

[Stu]

I get four weeks a year

 

[Stu]

when discussing the ACA you have to take into account that there was no opportunity to amend it legislatively as the GOP was and is only interested in repealing it strictly for political purposes.

 

[James]

The poorest US states are:

Tennessee
Utah
Louisiana
South Carolina
Idaho
Kentucky
New Mexico
Alabama
Arkansas
West Virginia
Mississippi

With the possible exception of New Mexico these states are not even "in play", they are going to vote Republican no matter who the candidate is. That being said Hillary was a flawed candidate in many ways and yes the Democratic party needs to reform itself.

@brightmoon I think I expressed myself poorly and I was very aware of the red/blue state divide and the bitter irony of it. I think my view that this should shake the democratic party to it's core, is valid though. Whilst these states are in this situation ? Everything the Democrats claim to stand for is undermined. I think they need to make concerted efforts in all of them, whether or not they 'believe' they can win there.

They need to make the case for inclusive progressive 'from the ground up' politics in all of them. Failing to do that has led to the scenario that now exists where some of the poorest people, tragically vote for those who most malign, exploit and denigrate them. As for some of the others who have posted here on Putin ?

I don't think it's ever wise to make friends with a demagogue like that, under any circumstances. They don't have any real friends. They will sign any deal and smile in the photo op, as they plan to break it. Which they always do. I think @brightmoon we are probably in agreement on a great many things. To my mind having humanitarian instincts are not political. Providing universal health care to people should not be political. Advocating for a free democracy is not political. Those who oppose them and seek to make them 'political' expose their real purpose. To hurt and harm other human beings.

To me again that is not really political, just a display of their anxiety, and aggression and lack of reconcilliation with their fellow man.

Whoa Serious james.. where's the pizza joke.. not this time.. lol.

 

[CindyLou]

They are paying out of pocket for treatments? I thought under ACA it was illegal for docs to treat people paying cash now?

The child you speak of who has seizures qualifies for medicaid. Childhood epilepsy is a qualifying condition for medicaid, regardless of income. They need to apply. Their insurance will be primary and medicaid secondary, picking up whatever insurance doesn't cover.

No it's not illegal for docs to treat with cash. I lost one of my doctors this way. He went to cash only and started offering his own plans - like gym memberships.

The other one I would have lost but I paid cash and will pay cash until I can find a replacement my insurance will cover (that I don't have to wait months to see).

My daughter has epilepsy. I didn't think I'd qualify for medicaid. It never occurred to me. I didn't know I could carry insurance and use Medicaid. So if I had a high deductible plan what would Medicaid cover? My deductible?

 

[Flavus Aquila]

What sort of advantages come from "befriending Russia"? Isn't this what Trump seems bent on doing anyway? Has Europe been anti-US? Sorry but I don't see it.

You're such a sensor.

The EU mostly functions as a trade community. Once it begins acting like a superpower, do you seriously think EU US relations will get better?

 

[acd]

No it's not illegal for docs to treat with cash. I lost one of my doctors this way. He went to cash only and started offering his own plans - like gym memberships.

The other one I would have lost but I paid cash and will pay cash until I can find a replacement my insurance will cover (that I don't have to wait months to see).

My daughter has epilepsy. I didn't think I'd qualify for medicaid. It never occurred to me. I didn't know I could carry insurance and use Medicaid. So if I had a high deductible plan what would Medicaid cover? My deductible?

My primary care doc said she has had to turn people away who didn't have insurance and were wanting to pay cash after ACA.


It's the medicaid waiver. See this link : https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/hcbs/authorities/1915-c/index.html

Your daughter has to meet level of care, which means that due to her epilepsy, you have to help her complete activities of daily living. So anything that you help your daughter with-- from medication administration and attending appointments to dressing, feeding, bathing, using the restroom, and responding to emergency situations. If she needs constant supervision due to frequent seizures, that's important too.

You will have to see what services your state chooses to cover.

I suppose medicaid may pay your OOP until you hit your deductible and insurance kicks in since you have a high deductible plan.. good question. You should try to apply and ask.

 

[brightmoon]

The EU mostly functions as a trade community. Once it begins acting like a superpower, do you seriously think EU US relations will get better?

How is this supposed to work again? Aren't the Euro-skeptics like LePen in France and Wilders in The Netherlands (not to mention Brexit) in their ascendancy right now? How are Europeans going to get together to create this superstate??

 

[brightmoon]

An interesting post @James

I tend to have a more expansive view on what is political. Universal health care should not be political but it is.

I agree with you on Putin and if you look at his background, his actions, and statements, I think most reasonable people would come to the same conclusion. He definitely has no interest in the preservation of individual rights or democratic institutions as we in the West understand them. This is why I am puzzled by people who live in free societies supporting someone like this. This is also a political issue as these rights can easily be taken away if we become complacent.

 

[Flavus Aquila]

How is this supposed to work again? Aren't the Euro-skeptics like LePen in France and Wilders in The Netherlands (not to mention Brexit) in their ascendancy right now? How are Europeans going to get together to create this superpower??

They are a last gasp for national identity in their respective countries. At best, they may simply delay the EU's transformation slightly... unless some of them are willing and able to get very brutal, and risk war for national identity. The situation now makes me think that it is virtually inevitable that the EU will end up being a quasi-empire.

 

[James]

No it's not illegal for docs to treat with cash. I lost one of my doctors this way. He went to cash only and started offering his own plans - like gym memberships.

The other one I would have lost but I paid cash and will pay cash until I can find a replacement my insurance will cover (that I don't have to wait months to see).

My daughter has epilepsy. I didn't think I'd qualify for medicaid. It never occurred to me. I didn't know I could carry insurance and use Medicaid. So if I had a high deductible plan what would Medicaid cover? My deductible?

I'm sure you will have explored every avenue, but is there any state or national organisation to support parents of childen with epilepsy ? I think it's terrible that you have to go through something this convoluted and complex whilst also caring for your daughter. I hope there are people on this forum with more experience and knowledge of the US system that can help you.