# Stupid Republican idea of the day **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 26, 2009, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897 "2009-03-26T18:48:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1644
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2017, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/32862 "2017-03-09T05:05:00Z")
> [@Bayard](#): > > He’s a brain surgeon, and I am not. But… I find that claim somewhat incredible. The brain being a mushy organic thing, I wouldn’t expect it to do much of anything perfectly and permanently. Can decades-old memories actually be pulled from the brain with some kind of electrical stimulation? Is there some basis for this claim? No, that’s a gross exaggeration at best. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2017, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/32863 "2017-03-09T05:12:38Z")
In fact, many psychologists would argue that the memory doesn’t actually record things in that way at all! But I don’t expect Dr. Carson had the most accurate education on neurogenesis, given the era he studied in. > [@eschereal](#): > > Whoa, whoa, whoa, there, you _do **not** _ fuck with rich people. Robespierre did. John Brown did. You just gotta accept that you aren’t gonna live forever, son. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c57346/32.png) [@Little\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Pig)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2017, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/32864 "2017-03-09T08:19:42Z")
Georgia Republican Pricks pass racial gerrymander to [kick Black Voters out](http://amp.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2017/03/07/georgia_republicans_pass_racial_gerrymander.html) of GOP Districts. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2017, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/32865 "2017-03-09T15:39:40Z")
> [@Little\_Pig](#): > > First lady Melania “I’m an immigrant too” Trump [touts equality at International Women’s Day luncheon](http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/08/politics/melania-trump-international-womens-day-luncheon/). “The first lady, wore a black, sleeveless Ralph Lauren dress. Her next major White House event will be the annual East Egg Roll on the South Lawn”. > > Excuse me while I turn away from my computer screen and projectile vomit across the room. I understand the revulsion at the, shall we say, retro reporting style in an article about a speech about equality, but could you explain what precisely the SRIOTD is in the article? From what I can see the FLOTUS gave a FLOTUS speech of the sort that many previous ones have (albeit a rather clunky one, from the quoted bits). (On a related topic though, ISTR that some right-wingers freaked out at the idea of a First Lady wearing sleeveless dresses. How times change…) ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2017, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/32866 "2017-03-09T16:17:46Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > From what I can see the FLOTUS gave a FLOTUS speech of the sort that many previous ones have… Hell, usually she avoids controversy altogether by giving the exact speech that a previous FLOTUS did. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2017, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/32867 "2017-03-09T16:21:41Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > … > (On a related topic though, ISTR that some right-wingers freaked out at the idea of a First Lady wearing sleeveless dresses. How times change…) They used to claim that lying under oath was a big deal, too. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2017, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/32868 "2017-03-09T16:27:34Z")
> [@Kron](#): > > Ben Carson’s brain remembers everything- except [where his luggage is](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRuZ_LimXxU). Next time he should put his electrodes in a shoulder bag or something so he always has them available to help him remember where he put the rest of his stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2017, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/32869 "2017-03-09T16:40:08Z")
> [@digs](#): > > As a Christian, I’d like to point out that whenever we say “I’m not judging…” Yeah, we’re judging. > [@xenophon41](#): > > AsI’d like to point out that if you feel the need to mention whether you’re judging someone, yes you’re judging someone, and you’re either trying to look past it or you’re denying it. We’ve taught our kids that whenever someone says “I’m not a \_\_\_\_\_, but…” that what the person really means is “I’m a \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ butt.” “I’m not judgmental, but…” Translation: “I’m a judgmental butt.” “I’m not a racist, but…” Translation: “I’m a racist butt.” It’s really helped their critical thinking skills. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2017, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/32870 "2017-03-09T18:07:32Z")
[Paul Ryan says insurance can’t work if healthy must pay more to subsidize the sick.](https://twitter.com/CitizenCohn/status/839884883015118849) In other news, fire insurance can’t work if people with intact houses subsidize people with burned-down houses. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2017, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/32871 "2017-03-09T18:43:12Z")
> [@Steve\_MB](#): > > [Paul Ryan says insurance can’t work if healthy must pay more to subsidize the sick.](https://twitter.com/CitizenCohn/status/839884883015118849) > > In other news, fire insurance can’t work if people with intact houses subsidize people with burned-down houses. And for completeness, [here’s the actual quote.](https://mic.com/articles/170748/paul-ryan-s-slideshow-on-gop-health-care-plan-suggests-he-has-no-idea-how-insurance-works) > [@](#): > > House Speaker Paul Ryan rolled up his shirtsleeves Thursday to deliver a presentation about the House Republicans’ health care plan and explain why it will fix all the problems he said the Affordable Care Act wrought. > > But in the process, Ryan seemed to lack a fundamental understanding of how insurance works, leading to him getting mercilessly dragged on social media. > > "The fatal conceit of Obamacare is that we’re just going to make everybody buy our health insurance at the federal government level, **young and healthy people are going to go into the market and pay for the older sicker people,"** Ryan said at his daily press briefing on Capitol Hill. > > **“So the young, healthy person is going to be made to buy health care, they’re going to pay for the person who gets breast cancer in her 40s, or who gets heart disease in his 50s,”** he continued. When Ryan rolls up his sleeves, a poor person gets fisted. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2017, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/32872 "2017-03-09T19:03:06Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > When Ryan rolls up his sleeves, a poor person gets fisted. Ha! I love that. I’m not sure what Ryan meant by “…that we’re just going to make everybody buy our health insurance at the federal government level.” Who is the “our” there? Because I don’t think the ACA forces anyone to buy insurance from the federal government. So I’m not sure what law he’s actually objecting to. Maybe he’s confusing the ACA with that law that included the death panels. Luckily that version didn’t pass. Or exist. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2017, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/32873 "2017-03-09T19:23:29Z")
> [@](#): > > “So the young, healthy person is going to be made to buy health care, they’re going to pay for the person who gets breast cancer in her 40s, or who gets heart disease in his 50s,” he continued. Because we all know that young and healthy people never succumb to catastrophic disease suddenly, or have accidents. Nope, no young and healthy person has EVER been diagnosed with cancer, had an appendix burst, contract a communicable disease or organ failure or injure or accidentally poison themselves in their own home. Disease is 100% predictable. They just keep on being healthy till they get old, yessirree! ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2017, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/32874 "2017-03-09T19:55:48Z")
Ryan is no dummy. What he was getting at is that it is indeed unfair for young people to pay a lot more than their level of risk so that old people can pay less. Older people have higher incomes, so it makes sense for premiums to increase with age. Obviously in a single payer system you wouldn’t have to worry about this, but the structure of ACA requires that young people be lured into the insurance market. Which isn’t happening. They are balking at the ridiculous prices and staying out. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2017, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/32875 "2017-03-09T19:59:56Z")
Do older people have higher incomes? More experienced people do, sure, but is it really that correlated with age? And, either way, wouldn’t that concern be better served if we just focus on income and leave age out of it? I mean, I get the idea that you need to lure in the most healthy folks. I have no problem with a carrot and stick approach, instead of just the stick approach of levying a tax if you don’t buy in. I just don’t think something that looks like ageism from the outside is a good idea. Stick with income and health as your criteria, not age. Edit: I also think you’re doing the same thing some people do with Trump and adding stuff that he didn’t say to make him sound better. The fairness thing isn’t right–what’s not fair is that some people are healthy and others aren’t, through no fault of their own. Having everyone pay to help everyone is perfectly fair. If you don’t care about others as much as yourself, you have no value to society. That depends on people being willing to help others–that’s what makes society better than just living on your own. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2017, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/32876 "2017-03-09T20:20:39Z")
Except that’s not how people make decisions, Incentives matter. If a young person judges that he’s better off without insurance, then he’ll go without insurance. If you want young healthy people in the market you have to lure them into the market on their terms. Helping the sick is nice, but the reality is they will buy insurance, they don’t need any prodding. It may not be nice, but it’s how people make decisions. and I hesitate to even call it selfish, given the realities of planning your budget around health care. Middle class families have to make major sacrifices to get covered. If the choice is between the uncertainty of getting sick in the future and the certainty of malnourished kids or living in a shitty neighborhood so you can afford your health insurance, then it might actually be quite rational to not get insured. I think the government and the big thinkers made a big mistake by assuming that insurance must be the first thing every citizen pays for, prioritized over rent and food. That’s what a mandate does, it says, “You WILL buy this, while everything else is optional.” It’s up to people to make those decisions, not government. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2017, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/32877 "2017-03-09T20:21:55Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Ryan is no dummy. What he was getting at is that it is indeed unfair for young people to pay a lot more than their level of risk so that old people can pay less. Older people have higher incomes, so it makes sense for premiums to increase with age. Obviously in a single payer system you wouldn’t have to worry about this, but the structure of ACA requires that young people be lured into the insurance market. Which isn’t happening. They are balking at the ridiculous prices and staying out. But the young adults who come down with disease will still be paid for by the older people? Or do we say 'Fuck 'em, they rolled the dice"? What about the healthy young adults who are starting families? Young adulthood is prime-childbearing years. Ever been to children’s hospital? Claiming it is unfair to demand young adults to have health coverage is ignorant at best. Young adults and children can get catastrophic and chronic illnesses. And in the days before ACA, you could be denied coverage for having ever had a serious or chronic illness. You would still have to be treated. Meaning the public would have to pay up, instead of insurance companies. It is kind of a principle of insurance that the more people who participate, the stronger the system is. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2017, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/32878 "2017-03-09T20:35:26Z")
And so you need to properly incentivize people to sign up. Since it’s a free country we can’t force people to buy health insurance, so it takes more carrots than sticks. ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2017, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/32879 "2017-03-09T20:53:42Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Older people have higher incomes, so it makes sense for premiums to increase with age. Note that the quote was older and **sicker**. Do those with chronic illnesses also have higher incomes than those without? I’m all in favor of an income based system but that seems to be antithetical to the Trump care proposal. But this debate is far better suited one of the umpteen threads about Trumpcare. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2017, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/32880 "2017-03-09T21:00:13Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > And so you need to properly incentivize people to sign up. Since it’s a free country we can’t force people to buy health insurance, so it takes more carrots than sticks. How about death panels? If you don’t have insurance and have an accident/get sick… ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2017, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/32881 "2017-03-09T21:06:21Z")
Then you have the ER. It’s not as if this problem has been solved by other countries. It’s always about figuring out who you’ll help and who you won’t. In the US we’ll pay millions to extend the life of an elderly person for a few months. In Britain, they use a metric called Quality Adjusted Life Years to decide whether to spend a lot of money on a patient. > **[Quality-adjusted life year](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quality-adjusted_life_year)** > > The quality-adjusted life year (QALY) is a generic measure of disease burden, including both the quality and the quantity of life lived. It is used in economic evaluation to assess the value of medical interventions. One QALY equates to one year in perfect health. QALY scores range from 1 (perfect health) to 0 (dead). QALYs can be used to inform health insurance coverage determinations, treatment decisions, to evaluate programs, and to set priorities for future programs. > Critics argue that the Q... Medicare in the US, by contrast is pretty much open ended. We ration our care by whether people enroll in an insurance plan or not. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=1643) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=1645)