Countdown to Extinction: The 2016 Presidential Election

[Florestan]

I took this quiz that was linked on the Lindsey Graham page from Todd. I seem to be a communist...   No, not really, but it is current and interesting.

http://www.isidewith.com/political-quiz?

My results FWIW

Democrats 84%, Green Party 80%, Socialist (Oh.my.God!!!) 76%, Constitution Party (never heard 'bout it) 75%, Republicans 69%, Libertarians 57%.

By issue

Foreign Policy: Constitution Party
Economy: Green Party
Healthcare: Democrats, Socialist and Green Party
Social: Republicans
Environment: Republicans
Immigration: Democrats
Domestic Policy: Constitution Party
Education: Democrats

Your political beliefs would be considered Centrist on an ideological scale.

If anyone can make any sense of that, please let me know. 

[North Star]

My results FWIW

Democrats 84%, Green Party 80%, Socialist (Oh.my.God!!!) 76%, Constitution Party (never heard 'bout it) 75%, Republicans 69%, Libertarians 57%.

By issue

Economy: Green Party
Environment: Republicans

So you want to ruin both the economy and the environment? 

[Florestan]

So you want to ruin both the economy and the environment? 

Not at all. Take the test and see for yourself. 

EDIT: In Europe / Romania my answers would be considered mostly center-right, and definitely conservative in the social issues --- yet it turns out I'm a Socialist and my best option is Bernie Sanders. Boggles the mind, really. 

[North Star]

Not at all. Take the test and see for yourself. 

I wasn't at all serious, of course, and was thinking more of some of the former Finnish Green Party MPs ('Why do we need nuclear power plants when we get electricity from the socket?') - although there have been some individuals that I wouldn't mind voting myself even though I detest 99.5% of the party members.
I did take the test the other day, and was 99% Democrat, unsurprisingly. And I'm very much centrist (although I don't care for the centrist parties much, or for the major right [or left] parties either, and even less for the minor parties, not to mention the True Finns. . .) in Finland

EDIT: In Europe / Romania my answers would be considered mostly center-right, and definitely conservative in the social issues --- yet it turns out I'm a Socialist and my best option is Bernie Sanders. Boggles the mind, really. 

Well naturally - it's a longstanding American tradition that all Europeans are communists by default.  0:)

[Florestan]

'Why do we need nuclear power plants when we get electricity from the socket?'

That's a joke, right? Or has anybody really said it?

I'm very much centrist

So am I but more to the right than the average centrist.

Well naturally - it's a longstanding American tradition that all Europeans are communists by default.  0:)

Yeah, I guess supporting universal single-payment healthcare and common core educational standards makes one an unrepentant Stalinist. 

[Gurn Blanston]

Not at all. Take the test and see for yourself. 

EDIT: In Europe / Romania my answers would be considered mostly center-right, and definitely conservative in the social issues --- yet it turns out I'm a Socialist and my best option is Bernie Sanders. Boggles the mind, really. 

Bernie Sanders is everyone's best option, to tell the truth. Although he is way too practical to become president. And here in America, it is far more important that his hair not stick out than that his ideas are solid and sensible.

To tell the truth, I have always thought of you as a Pinko...

[Gurn Blanston]

Well naturally - it's a longstanding American tradition that all Europeans are communists by default.  0:)

...and don't try to deny it, either. Buncha damn commies! >;(

[North Star]

That's a joke, right? Or has anybody really said it?

A Finnish MP of the Green Partt did actually say that.

So am I but more to the right than the average centrist.

Yeah, I guess supporting universal single-payment healthcare and common core educational standards makes one an unrepentant Stalinist. 

First it's health care, next it's the gulags. 

[Florestan]

Bernie Sanders is everyone's best option, to tell the truth. Although he is way too practical to become president. And here in America, it is far more important that his hair not stick out than that his ideas are solid and sensible.

TBH, it's the first time I've ever heard his name so I know nothing about him, but his being connected with Socialism makes him rather suspect in my eyes --- but hey, I'm beginning to realize that in US Socialism might actually be another name for what in Europe is known as center-rightism. 

To tell the truth, I have always thought of you as a Pinko...

That was only to be expected from a Texan capitalist. 

[North Star]

Bernie Sanders is everyone's best option, to tell the truth. Although he is way too practical to become president. And here in America, it is far more important that his hair not stick out than that his ideas are solid and sensible.

To tell the truth, I have always thought of you as a Pinko...

I certainly have liked what I've read from BS. 

[Florestan]

A Finnish MP of the Green Partt did actually say that.

So much for the best educational system in the world...   

[North Star]

So much for the best educational system in the world...   

Perhaps it was something she smoked...

[Florestan]

Perhaps it was something she smoked...

Ah, it was a she? That explains a lot...   

[Ken B]

yet it turns out I'm a Socialist and my best option is Bernie Sanders.

You are dead to me.

[Florestan]

You are dead to me.

You are not dead to me, but a class enemy very much alive and active.

[Karl Henning]

...and don't try to deny it, either. Buncha damn commies! >;(

The ones that ain't socialists, you mean! 

[Ken B]

Yeah, I guess supporting universal single-payment healthcare and common core educational standards ...

There are two explanations why your results are so peculiar. Either the test is crap or your ideas are incoherent. I know which way I'm betting!

Markets work better than monopolies. This is true in pretty much everything, yet you, who claim to be a classical liberal, here endorse dirigiste monopolies.

Before anyone jumps to an idiotic conclusion, it is possible to have both state financing and a market in healthcare. The Swiss do. Had Obamacare been done even half sensibly it would have too. And there is nothing inconsistent with having both a free market economy and a sizeable social safety net either.

[Karl Henning]

Oh, nuance, fine!

[Florestan]

Markets work better than monopolies. This is true in pretty much everything, yet you, who claim to be a classical liberal, here endorse dirigiste monopolies.


Before anyone jumps to an idiotic conclusion, it is possible to have both state financing and a market in healthcare. The Swiss do.

I'm afraid it is you who jumped to concluding I'm incoherent in my ideas.

Swiss are required to purchase basic health insurance, which covers a range of treatments detailed in the Swiss Federal Law on Health Insurance (ger: Krankenversicherungsgesetz (KVG); fre: la loi fédérale sur l'assurance-maladie (LAMal); ita: legge federale sull'assicurazione malattie (LAMal)). It is therefore the same throughout the country and avoids double standards in healthcare. Insurers are required to offer this basic insurance to everyone, regardless of age or medical condition. They are not allowed to make a profit off this basic insurance, but can on supplemental plans.[2]

The insured person pays the insurance premium for the basic plan up to 8% of their personal income. If a premium is higher than this, the government gives the insured person a cash subsidy to pay for any additional premium.[2]

The universal compulsory coverage provides for treatment in case of illness or accident (unless another accident insurance provides the cover) and pregnancy.

[...]

The compulsory insurance can be supplemented by private "complementary" insurance policies that allow for coverage of some of the treatment categories not covered by the basic insurance or to improve the standard of room and service in case of hospitalisation. This can include complementary medicine, routine dental treatments, half-private or private ward hospitalisation, and others, which are not covered by the compulsory insurance.

As far as the compulsory health insurance is concerned, the insurance companies cannot set any conditions relating to age, sex or state of health for coverage. Although the level of premium can vary from one company to another, they must be identical within the same company for all insured persons of the same age group and region, regardless of sex or state of health. This does not apply to complementary insurance, where premiums are risk-based.

[...]

The Swiss healthcare system is a combination of public, subsidised private and totally private systems:

    public: e. g. the University of Geneva Hospital (HUG) with 2,350 beds, 8,300 staff and 50,000 patients per year;
    subsidised private: the home care services to which one may have recourse in case of a difficult pregnancy, after childbirth, illness, accident, handicap or old age;
    totally private: doctors in private practice and in private clinics.

The insured person has full freedom of choice among the recognised healthcare providers competent to treat their condition (in his region) on the understanding that the costs are covered by the insurance up to the level of the official tariff. There is freedom of choice when selecting an insurance company (provided it is an officially registered caisse-maladie or a private insurance company authorised by the federal law) to which one pays a premium, usually on a monthly basis.

Check these out, too:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Healthcare_in_the_Netherlands
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Healthcare_in_Germany
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Healthcare_in_Austria

This is exactly what universal, single payment healthcare means. It has nothing to do with state monopoly on healthcare. And it is as liberal as it gets, AFAIC.

And there is nothing inconsistent with having both a free market economy and a sizeable social safety net either.

Did I say there is? I don't remember. Last time I checked, all countries listed above fulfilled both criteria you mentioned.

[North Star]

Check these out, too:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Healthcare_in_the_Netherlands
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Healthcare_in_Germany
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Healthcare_in_Austria

This is exactly what universal, single payment healthcare means. It has nothing to do with state monopoly on healthcare. And it is as liberal as it gets, AFAIC.

Did I say there is? I don't remember. Last time I checked, all countries listed above fulfilled both criteria you mentioned.

And the Nordic countries' healthcare systems seem to be alright as well. In Finland it's likewise a mixture of state/private, employee healthcare being private, and for anything else you can choose either.