International groups have been struggling for years to get action from countries on the epidemic of rape in Africa. There are now reports of a premeditated mass rape of an entire village by Hutu rebels, who gang raped roughly 200 women and girls as well as two baby boys.
The mass rape occurred only 20 miles from a U.N. peacekeeping base in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Eastern Congo is called the “rape capital of the world.”
In this case, as many as 400 men cut off the village of Ruvungi, but promised that they just wanted food and rest. They then systemically gang raped the women and boys.
The culprits are Hutu rebels with the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, or FDLR.
Source: MSNBC
Buckeye:
“Before Medicare we had a truly free market – which, as Swarthmore Mom reiterates, is why we now have Medicare.”
We have medicare because a bunch of politicians voted it into being, we have social security for the same reason. Another reason we have social security is that government screwed with the money supply through the creation of the federal reserve which lead to a market down turn which was exacerbated by economically illiterate politicians and it became the great depression. Which did not end until after WWII.
A bit short but government through the federal reserve has created 100 years of boom and bust by “tinkering” with the money supply among other things.
We are seeing an almost exact reply of what happened in the 30’s, get ready for a very long a deep depression if the Federal Reserve and Washington continue on their stimulus to hell path. Maybe if this happens people will finally get it through their thick skulls that both Marx and Keynes are metaphysically wrong and that Adam Smith, Frederic Bastiat, Milton Friedman, Ludwig Von Mises and other free market economists are metaphysically correct.
Bryon wrote:
I would say that anyone actually making $100K per year in retirement is more likely than not to be a public sector worker. Those “workers” are often entitled to free lifetime health care, no questions asked. And of course those public sector pension funds are wildly underfunded, so we may need you to work a few extra years so that we can meet our obligations to these elites.
The typical private sector worker – if he or she can actually retire – earns 67% of their pre-retirement income in retirement.
The public sector worker – who often retires early – earns 127% of pre-retirement income in retirement.
http://blog.american.com/?p=15276
Byron
Before Medicare we had a truly free market – which, as Swarthmore Mom reiterates, is why we now have Medicare.
The only possible way to get health care costs down now is to go to single payer health insurance where ALL medical expenses must meet a rigid standard of cost containment.
See Leah’s comment on “Teen saves drowning boy”.
If your ideas about Aunt Ada depend on charity as practiced in the 19th century, I don’t have much hope for Aunt Ada being warm, well fed, and (especially) happy. She wasn’t then and she would be even less today.
Byron,
You do know that the principles upon which property rights are based upon are the same as those that prohibit paternalism.
“Though the Earth, and all inferior creatures be common to all men, yet every man has a property in his own person. This no body has any right to but himself.”
“The care, therefore, of every man’s soul belongs unto himself, and is to be left unto himself. But what if he neglect the care of his soul? I answer: What if he neglect the care of his health or of his estate, which things are nearlier related to the government of the magistrate than the other? Will the magistrate provide by an express law that such a one shall not become poor or sick? Laws provide, as much as is possible, that the goods and health of subjects be not injured by the fraud and violence of others; they do not guard them from the negligence or ill-husbandry of the possessors themselves. No man can be forced to be rich or healthful whether he will or no.”
J. Locke, Letter Concerning Toleration
In the eyes of Locke, drug laws are as much tyrannical as slavery.
http://press-pubs.uchicago.edu/founders/documents/amendI_religions10.html
SM:
I understand that and you would need to phase the programs out over a period of time. I wonder how much a hip replacement or heart transplant would cost in a truly competitive market? When someone else is paying the bills costs tend to rise.
This is all what if, I doubt it will ever happen but it is fun to imagine the possibilities of a truly free market.
I don’t want Aunt Ada in the street, homeless and crippled any more than you do. I just have different ideas as to how to keep her warm. comfortable, well fed and happy.
Byron Most older people have a pre-existing conditions and could not buy insurance even at exorbitant rates. They would be wiped out with one hospitalization without medicare.
SM:
Yes, I think a private sector solution would provide better service at lower cost. Obviously there needs to be some sort of safety net for the truly needy. I dont think a person making 100k per year in retirement needs medicare or social security. The age at which Medicare and social security begin needs to be raised as well.
There are many regulations that are, in my opinion, costly and an impediment to innovation. I also think the FDA should be reformed to allow for quicker vetting of new drugs. We should also allow people to sell their organs.
In the 19th century, when we had the freest market and the most individual liberty, private charity was the 8th largest “industry”. That is a good deal of money. Don’t you think private charity could take over those, in my opinion illegal, functions of government? It also doesn’t infringe on other people’s rights.
“Though the Earth, and all inferior creatures be com-
mon to all men, yet every man has a property in his
own person. This no body has any right to but
himself. The labor of his body, and the work of his
hands. we may say. are properly his. Whatsoever
then he removes out of the state that nature hath
provided. and left it In, he hath mixed his
labor with. and joyned to it something that is his own, and
thereby makes it his property. It being by him
removed from the common state nature placed it in,
it hath by his labor something annexed to it, that ex-
cludes the common right of other men. For this
labor being the unquestionable property of the
laborer, no man but he can have a right to what that
is once joyned to, at least where there is enough, and
as good left in common for others.”
John Locke
In other words you have a natural right to keep what you make, it does not “belong” to others.
Byron Do you think Medicare should be eliminated?
Buckeye:
I also think health care “reform” should be repealed, I don’t think government should be in the business of health care or retirement for that matter.
Byron
He also said he didn’t appreciate being “sh—ed by the Vice President” about Iraq.
Not only was Mr. Armey tied to Big Pharma/Big Health Care following his congressional career, but he’s the brains behind Freedom Works that is financing the Tea Party brand. You know, those “grass roots” pople that want to repeal the Health Care legislation. Wheels within wheels – or “follow the money”.
Most recently he has a book out touting the Tea Party “Give Us Liberty: A Tea Party Manifesto” with Matt Kibbee, now President of Freedom Works.
“The movement is not seeking a junior partnership with the Republican Party. It is aiming for a hostile takeover.”
http://online.wsj.com/article/NA_WSJ_PUB:SB10001424052748704407804575425061553154540.html
Look for another Dick in our future presidential politics.
AY:
I was listening to an interview with Dick Armey and Dick even thinks W is a little light in the loafer intellectually and he really chastised both W and Paulson for the TARP bailout and went so far as to say that Paulson was bailing out his buddies on wall street who cannot compete in a real market.
Anyway I thought that was interesting. He also seemed a little pissed off, but then again arent we all about that crap.
Ay:
You have said something that really hits home.I was just going over this the other day.
http://biblescripture.net/Indians.html
Talking about mass Rape Kings…can anyone recall how well the Indians were treated here in the US?
Yes, Bryon, the best presidents that we have were lawyers. I could not agree with you more. Unfortunately, Bub-ya screwed it up for lots of folks and the only thing I think he can recall is the “skull and bones” society…did they ever give back the Indians back the Head of the one that got the best of Custer?
James M.:
Dont you know lawyers can solve all the worlds problems? 🙂
kay,
I think they need people with guns, not lawyers. You need a functioning legal system before lawyers are helpful.
kay sieverding 1, August 24, 2010 at 9:03 am
If we had a Legal Peace Corps they could be in the Congo now taking DNA samples and depositions and helping the victims sue their rapists.
===============================
bullshite Kay, they would be helping someone but certainly not the victims.
AY:
You couldn’t have said it better.
” It is very sad and indeed unsavory.”
I think I remember a Law and Order episode that dealt with this issue. It is very sad and indeed unsavory.
If we had a Legal Peace Corps they could be in the Congo now taking DNA samples and depositions and helping the victims sue their rapists.