our failing infrastructure and why

[WinterBorn]

Try being productive, dipshit.

Try arguing the actual topic instead of creating a strawman and then limiting your comments to insults.

 

[Mott the Hoople]

http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMsa021899

According to this study by the New England Journal of Medicine, the VA hospital system provides better healthcare than most pay-for-services hospitals. If you think VA hospitals are substandard you are using old information instead of up-to-date facts.

And the "fucking post office", as you call it, manages to move 660 million pieces of mail at ridiculously cheap prices. You can send something from your house outside Eastpodunk NC, and in a few days it will be delivered to someone's house in Big Fart Montana, and it will cost you less than a buck. For a few dollars they will insure it and give you proof it was delivered. And that is to everywhere in the US. Their overnight packages are just as reliable as FedEx and cost a lot less. Find another example for your bullshit.

SM has been pwned again! LOL

 

[Mott the Hoople]

Oh boy .. Im not going to question the usefulness of the Post Office or the VA Hospitals. However, what is with this obsession with having the Goverment run everything? You do realize that this is fascism in its truest form?

As far as our failing Insfratucture .. totally agree that it is failing. However...Id like to point to the bridges, water treatment plants, power grid and roads and highways... along with Schools. Had the Inept One at 1600 PennAv ear marked 75% of that 800 bil stimulus grant, instead of just 20%..that he gave to his followers in Congress .... we might have seen some improvement in these area's.

How comes you can always tell a wingnut by the smell of burning straw. Who said anyone wanted the government to run everything? No one but you wingnuts. Why do you insist on this insipid and stupid response any time someone provides you an example of good governance?

 

[Mott the Hoople]

Actually, fascism in its truest form is rule by a corporate oligarchy through an oppressive, autocratic government.

No better expert on fascism then Mussolini stated that fascism is when Government and Corporations unite to thwart the interest of the people. You're spot on Zoom!

 

[Mott the Hoople]

Not really, I do understand the Govts role in infrastructure, and its importance in maintaining our Nations Security... the point Im trying to make is with some people's obsession in thinking how superior Govt is at providing services.

I would assume if the Govt did renew the bridges, power grids and Water Plants ... they would outsource the contruction to Private Industry? Had this been done properly with the Stimulus ...we may have seen a trickle down effect in putting many more people back to work. Construction; Manufacturing of goods and services, supplies and raw materielas needed for such projects.

Name those "Some People" be Specific.

 

[Cypress]

Not really, I do understand the Govts role in infrastructure, and its importance in maintaining our Nations Security...

the point Im trying to make is with some people's obsession in thinking how superior Govt is at providing services.

Well, I'll explain it to you. Your entire premise is incorrect.

Government provides services that private industry is either unwilling of incapable of providing. The "free market" is not some magical entity that is capable or providing for all human needs. You're comparing apples and oranges. Its a simple as that.

The reason we have Medicare, is that a 70 year old Grandma with diabetes and a heart condition could never afford private insurance on the free market. Insurance companies can't make money on old, sick people. They would lose money hand-over-fist on old, sick people.

The VA system is set up to provide a service the free market can't. Do you really think a for-profit insurance company is going to make money paying for the long term health care of elderly vets, and disabled or maimed combat veterans? The for-profits don't want to touch that demographic with a ten foot pole.

Medicaid provides health care to a segment of the population that could never afford to purchase private insurance off some website on the inter tubes.

The government provides low-cost, disability and unemployment insurance to everyone because it would be prohibitively expensive for your average working schmuck to purchase private long-term disability and unemployment insurance off of the interwebs.

The governmnent offers low-interest, subsidized student loans for college, because left to their own devices, the free market banks would never give a 20 year old kid with no collateral a low-interest $40,000 laon for college and extremely generous pay-back terms, because the risk is too high for them. As a purely "free market" decision, the banks would never do that. That's why the government backs, subsidizes and guarantees those loans.

The "free market" is good at providing consumer products and services when there is a clear and compelling profit motive. When they can make money.

Surprisingly, not everything society needs is capable of being accomplished with capital investment premised on the expectation of significant profits.

I would assume if the Govt did renew the bridges, power grids and Water Plants ... they would outsource the contruction to Private Industry?

I'm not even sure why you are asking this. I thought it was common knowledge that the government contracts out for construction services. I don't believe the federal government keeps vast crews of pipeline welders and construction engineers on hand. The government funds infrastructure, and contracts out generally to the lowest bidder, as far as I'm aware. And their role is supposed to be oversight and contract management - not construction.