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I am blown away at the comparisons Nick makes note of here, even though I've known for a long time -- not only since I began working with poor people some 23 years ago, but since I first got sick while no longer on my parents' healthcare plan. <br><br>If Democratic socialism is as Nick describes below, then I am an unabashed Democratic socialist. Of course, my model is not the European states; it's the model of Joseph in the Biblical book of Genesis. I defy anyone to read the story, extrapolate it to today's economic and social problems, and fail to conclude that it's not only an effective model, but a moral one as well.<br><br>Which, I think, makes attempts to hinder the social equality, provision, and succor brought about nothing less than viciously, determinedly immoral.<br><br>Nick, is my understanding of the Joseph/famine story incorrect?<br><br><font style="" color="#8064a2"><font style="font-size:12pt" size="3"><font style="" face="Verdana">Keely<br>www.keely-prevailingwinds.com<br></font></font></font><br><br><div><div id="SkyDrivePlaceholder"></div><hr id="stopSpelling">Date: Wed, 11 Jan 2012 11:13:40 -0800<br>From: ngier006@gmail.com<br>To: vision2020@moscow.com<br>Subject: [Vision2020] Why can't the GOP get its facts straight?<br><br>Good Morning Visionaries,<div><br></div><div>This is a letter I've sent to the DNews, LMT, and Idaho Statesman. I'm taking daily notes of GOP misrepresentations, errors, and outright lies. The second part of the letter touches on the current Viz. health care debate.</div>
<div><br></div><div>Yours for a more honest election process,</div><div><br></div><div>Nick</div><div><br></div><div><p class="ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">To the Editor:</span></p>
<p class="ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Georgia","serif""><br></span></p>
<p class="ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Why can’t the Republican candidates get their facts straight? Most of them are smart enough to distinguish
truth from falsity, and they presumably have aides who can do proper
research. </span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Georgia","serif""><br></span></p>
<p class="ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">At the MSNBC debate on Jan. 7, Mitt Romney declared that
Americans make 50 percent more than Europeans do. This of course is not true. </span></p>
<p class="ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Georgia,serif;background-image:initial;background-color:white;background-repeat:initial initial"><br></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Georgia,serif;background-image:initial;background-color:white;background-repeat:initial initial">According to data from the CIA,
average incomes per person are higher in Luxembourg and Norway, and 10 other
European countries are within 50 percent or less of the U.S. These figures have
been adjusted for purchasing power in each nation.</span></p>
<p class="ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Georgia","serif""><br></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Without exception the Republican candidates claim that Obama
wants to make the U.S. into a European socialist welfare state. This is also false.</span></p>
<p class="ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Georgia","serif""><br></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Most European welfare states have paid maternity/paternity
leave (up to 18 months), universal child care, universal health care, and
universal elder care. I challenge anyone
to point out where Obama has committed the country to these wonderful goals.</span></p>
<p class="ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Georgia","serif""><br></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">The Affordable Care Act –as opposed to Medicare and
Medicaid—allows private insurance companies offer coverage. Ironically, Republicans were originally for
the individual mandate precisely because it would provide for this free market
alternative. See Paul Starr’s “The Mandate Miscalculation,” <i>The New Republic</i> (10/29/11).</span></p>
<p class="ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Georgia","serif""><br></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Some European health plans (Germany, the Netherlands, and
Switzerland) do involve private insurance companies, but they are prohibited
(gasp!) from taking any profits. These governments wisely believe that health care
is a right and not a commodity manipulated for the benefit of stock holders.</span></p>
<p class="ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Georgia","serif""><br></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">That damned socialist Barak will allow insurance companies
to continue to make big profits. Their executives will draw huge salaries and
fly around on private jets. They will
also extract far higher administrative fees than Medicare or any other
universal health care plan.</span></p>
<p class="ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Georgia","serif""><br></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal"><font face="Georgia, serif" size="3"><span style="line-height:19px"><br>
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