# Glad to see the Republicans are still running Congress **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 16, 2009, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glad-to-see-the-republicans-are-still-running-congress/506648 "2009-08-16T19:38:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 17
**Author:** ![RedFury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ec9cab/32.png) [@RedFury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedFury)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glad-to-see-the-republicans-are-still-running-congress/506648/321 "2009-08-20T19:11:14Z")
Oh, and BTW, beyond citing [obscene] CEO salaries in the pharma & insurance industries, you might do well finding out what their yearly loot is. But no! It’s those damn brown immigrants that are to blame…and not the rich fucks who hire them off the books to do work no one else will. Why hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if **SA** has a private brownie to change his Depends® ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glad-to-see-the-republicans-are-still-running-congress/506648/322 "2009-08-20T19:12:07Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > …So far as I can tell this this sense of entitlement when it comes to other peoples’ money is one of the major problems with your worldview. Well, thank you for that, **Starv** , I will certainly give that all due consideration. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glad-to-see-the-republicans-are-still-running-congress/506648/323 "2009-08-20T19:15:44Z")
> [@RedFury](#): > > … **SA** has a private brownie to change his Depends® You don’t want to get old? Get dead. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glad-to-see-the-republicans-are-still-running-congress/506648/324 "2009-08-20T19:17:40Z")
> [@RedFury](#): > > Oh, and BTW, beyond citing [obscene] CEO salaries in the pharma & insurance industries, you might do well finding out what their yearly loot is. > > But no! It’s those damn brown immigrants that are to blame…and not the rich fucks who hire them off the books to do work no one else will. Why hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if **SA** has a private brownie to change his Depends® We’re about the same age, and given that people often see in others things about themselves, I’m forced to wonder if perhaps you have a problem with, uh, “waste management”? 😃 As far as the rest of your post, it’s got me wondering whether you’ve been hitting the sauce again. ---
**Author:** ![Kearsen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/82dd89/32.png) [@Kearsen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kearsen)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glad-to-see-the-republicans-are-still-running-congress/506648/325 "2009-08-20T19:18:55Z")
None of these questions will ever be “properly” answered as it all comes down to personal opinion. I’d rather have government out of the way as much as possible and you want them running everything. Difference of opinion maybe? As far as smoking goes. I can follow the argument of “second hand smoke” harming the innocent bystander. Why doesn’t the “innocent bystander” just refuse to eat at an establishment who happens to prefer smoking? The rights of the business owner are clearly being infringed upon. More and more of governmental involvement involves taking rights they aren’t legally supposed to be taking. Seat Belts? Why do they need to tell me to be safe? Motorcycle helmet laws? How did that one go? It got repealed. I’m surprised no one has challenged the seat belt law because it is also “Unconstitutional” I’m not one to shout “Socialism” because of one small detail in the big picture but I can tell you that the more government gets involved with every “Free man” it is going that direction. ---
**Author:** ![RedFury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ec9cab/32.png) [@RedFury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedFury)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glad-to-see-the-republicans-are-still-running-congress/506648/326 "2009-08-20T19:21:02Z")
> [@Kearsen](#): > > Why do people try to correlate national defense and universal health care? Maybe because money has to come from somewhere? And a bloated, ney, pregnant-with-quintuplets budget seems like a logical place to find some. > [@](#): > > \*I, for one, could give a rat’s ass about the budget for national defense. If they CAN cut spending on frivolous shit, then they should. - So which is it? You don’t give a rat’s ass or do you want them to find ways to trim said monstrosity? > [@](#): > > _ACROSS THE BOARD, the government spends WAY too much. I don’t like it._ Do you like [spending more than any other industrialized nation on earth](http://www.photius.com/rankings/total_health_expenditure_as_pecent_of_gdp_2000_to_2005.html) in health care while providing services that are [ranked below most of them](http://www.photius.com/rankings/healthranks.html)? Or is it simply that you’re a Social Darwinist? ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glad-to-see-the-republicans-are-still-running-congress/506648/327 "2009-08-20T19:21:34Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > You don’t want to get old? Get dead. At last we have an area of agreement. [This is not a wish for Red’s death (I almost like him), rather it’s only to acknowledge the truth in **luci’s** statement.] ---
**Author:** ![RedFury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ec9cab/32.png) [@RedFury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedFury)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glad-to-see-the-republicans-are-still-running-congress/506648/328 "2009-08-20T19:24:05Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > We’re about the same age, and given that people often see in others things about themselves, I’m forced to wonder if perhaps you have a problem with, uh, “waste management”? 😃 If a decade’s difference makes us “the same age”…then, yes, we are. And the only “waste management” I’m involved in at the moment is posting to you. > [@](#): > > As far as the rest of your post, it’s got me wondering whether you’ve been hitting the sauce again. Two projections in one post. How very Freudian of you. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glad-to-see-the-republicans-are-still-running-congress/506648/329 "2009-08-20T19:24:19Z")
> [@Kearsen](#): > > How about we stop them from getting here in the first place? Or, or get them to go through the proper channels so that, at the very least, they are paying taxes? > > Now I wonder how we go about doing that. Probably a separate discussion. > > Did you know that if an illegal alien gives birth in the US, that not only is THAT baby a citizen, it also grants rights to the mother and father as well? Hey, Lou Dobbs is here! Let’s give Lou Dobbs a hearty Straight Dope welcome, everybody! ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glad-to-see-the-republicans-are-still-running-congress/506648/330 "2009-08-20T19:24:25Z")
> [@Kearsen](#): > > None of these questions will ever be “properly” answered as it all comes down to personal opinion. I’d rather have government out of the way as much as possible and you want them running everything… I don’t give a rat’s how big government is, so long as its ours. Of the people, by the people, for the people. Right now, its a mish-mash, but we’re working on it. Its taking a lot longer than we thought, and we could use your help, if you’ve nothing better to do. Or you can bitch about it. Your call. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glad-to-see-the-republicans-are-still-running-congress/506648/331 "2009-08-20T19:28:09Z")
> [@RedFury](#): > > If a decade’s difference makes us “the same age”…then, yes, we are. Damn! You’re only fifty and look like that? 😃 Oh, well…point still stands. I believe incontinence can be an offshoot of too much booze, too quickly drunk. As for me, no diapers or little blue pills…yet! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![RedFury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ec9cab/32.png) [@RedFury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedFury)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glad-to-see-the-republicans-are-still-running-congress/506648/332 "2009-08-20T19:29:47Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Hey, Lou Dobbs is here! Let’s give Lou Dobbs a hearty Straight Dope welcome, everybody! [I already did](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=11458613&postcount=225). 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Kearsen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/82dd89/32.png) [@Kearsen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kearsen)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glad-to-see-the-republicans-are-still-running-congress/506648/333 "2009-08-20T19:31:11Z")
"Or is it simply that you’re a Social Darwinist? " Closer to the truth, I suppose. “So which is it? You don’t give a rat’s ass or do you want them to find ways to trim said monstrosity?” If by monstrosity, you mean the USG then yes, I want as much trimmed out as possible. This includes any future “entitlement packages”. ---
**Author:** ![RedFury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ec9cab/32.png) [@RedFury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedFury)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glad-to-see-the-republicans-are-still-running-congress/506648/334 "2009-08-20T19:34:15Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > Damn! You’re only fifty and look like that? 😃 You mean you’re not attracted to me? Must admit, it’s going to be extremely difficult for me to get over _that_. > [@](#): > > _Oh, well…point still stands. I believe incontinence can be an offshoot of too much booze, too quickly drunk…_ I have no reason to doubt your personal experience. ---
**Author:** ![RedFury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ec9cab/32.png) [@RedFury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedFury)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glad-to-see-the-republicans-are-still-running-congress/506648/335 "2009-08-20T19:36:49Z")
> [@Kearsen](#): > > "Or is it simply that you’re a Social Darwinist? " > > Closer to the truth, I suppose. Thank you. Appreciate the honesty as it makes it clear there’s little to “debate.” Would that the other hollering simians be as clear. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glad-to-see-the-republicans-are-still-running-congress/506648/336 "2009-08-20T19:39:12Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > … little blue pills…yet! 😉 Little blue pills? What kinda buzz we talking here…oh, wait, I get it. “Four hours, seek medical attention”, those pills? In the circles I run, four hours is just passing the audition. You may get a call back, you may not. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glad-to-see-the-republicans-are-still-running-congress/506648/337 "2009-08-20T19:39:32Z")
> [@RedFury](#): > > You mean you’re not attracted to me? Must admit, it’s going to be extremely difficult for me to get over _that_. > > I have no reason to doubt your personal experience. Hey! You left out the part I was proudest of! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glad-to-see-the-republicans-are-still-running-congress/506648/338 "2009-08-20T19:42:48Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > In the circles I run, four hours is just passing the audition. You may get a call back, you may not. I bow to my superior. 🆒 (Think what a monster you’d be without smokes. ;)) ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glad-to-see-the-republicans-are-still-running-congress/506648/339 "2009-08-20T20:01:15Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > I bow to my superior. 🆒… With booze you lose, with dope, there’s hope. Learned that in '68. > [@](#): > > …(Think what a monster you’d be without smokes. ;)) I have passed your suggestion on to the proper authority. Overruled. "I was confronted by an elderly woman who pleaded for my advice, she was in desperate health, going down and down, and the doctors could do her no good. Why, it was simple, I said, all she need do was give up smoking, and drinking, and swearing, and she would be quite well again! But, Mr. Clemens, she replied, she couldn’t give up those things because she had never done any of them! Well, there you have it. She was a sinking ship with no baggage to throw overboard! Why, just one minor vice might have saved her! But she was a moral pauper. If you can’t make eighty by a comfortable road, don’t go…" (Mark Twain, freely and very loosely paraphrased after Hal Holbrook’s recording of _Mark Twain Tonight_) ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glad-to-see-the-republicans-are-still-running-congress/506648/340 "2009-08-20T20:14:54Z")
> [@RedFury](#): > > **Kearsen** , since you are so eager to find reasons why UHC is economically unfeasable in your country, you need not look any further than your absurd “Defense” budget: > > [**Military expenditures**](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_military_expenditures) > > \*\*World: 1,470,000,000,000 > > USA: 636,292,979,000\*\* > > 636/1470 roughly equals _42% of all military expenditure in the known universe._ > > How bad do you (collective) need to kill other people as opposed to saving your own? Due respect, Red Fury. But some people use that same data to argue that the reason European countries and Japan can afford so many social programs (including heatlh care) is that the US provides such a substantial portion of their defense. Don’t forget that we have troops stationed in more than half the nations on earth (not counting diplomatic guards or that sort of thing). We also provide a missile and fighter jet shield for people other than ourselves. Defense costs a lot of money. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glad-to-see-the-republicans-are-still-running-congress/506648.md?page=16) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glad-to-see-the-republicans-are-still-running-congress/506648.md?page=18)