Never can Iran have a Nuclear Weapon

NK had little control over China during the Korean War as far as strategy, weapons political goals of China.
If China puts bases in NK with nuclear assets , it ( NK) becomes a nuclear power. The same with Venezuela if the Russians put N assets there. It’s wrong to think otherwise. Any nation that decides to defend another with nuclear weapons, essentially makes that nation a nuclear power. It’s pretty obvious.

 

I hear you now. I agree with what you are saying in general terms. But, wealth brings a potential that sometimes isn’t always realized. Wealth only makes a species better off if the right decisions are made. The third world gaining access to more wealth, more conveniences and more automobiles, is partly responsible for global warming. I would argue too, that earlier man without the aid of years of additional science, showed as much intellect putting a man in the moon, as we would today.

 

Yes, of course this is true.
There is only a very loose coupling between what we may call wisdom, and knowledge. We may very well destroy our species, using the marvellous new technology we have developed. It's a well-worn observation that 'social understanding', or whatever we want to call it, does not develop as fast as technical understanding.

And, yes, to develop the bow and arrow -- to have that amazing insight that allowed us to smelt copper -- to develop a positional-exponential numbering system, as the Maya did -- were fantastic achievements, done by the Feynmans and Einsteins of their day. In some ways they were even more impressive, because they weren't done in the context of a society that systematically developed knowledge, having learned how useful it is.

Not quite relevant but -- there is a wonderful scene in Stanley Kubrick's 2001, where we see Arthur C Clarke's idea of how our hominid ancestors acquired intelligence -- via alien intervention, which somehow rewired the brains of a tribe of apes. After a splitting headache caused by the alien intervention, the band's leader picks up a large thigh-bone ... and suddenly realizes it can be used as a weapon. In the movie, they use their new weapons to drive a rival band away from a waterhole. (In the original short story, they slay a leopard which was taking their children.) Then the leader exultantly throws the thigh bone into the air ... Kubrick shows it in slow motion spinning across the sky ... and then .. fast forward three million years ... and it becomes a space craft, approaching a spinning space station. Marvellous. If we can only get through the next few decades without a big war.

 

Is he? Sanders is driving many other candidates to the left by providing cover for ideas only popular with a fraction of the Democratic Party. Many lesser known candidates feel compelled to echo Sanders because they know the center-left lane is filled with big money. Going all-in with leftwing ideas not yet accepted by political moderates is a likely loser. George McGovern veered left snd we got Nixon, center-left Carter, and then Reagan and George H.W. Bush. Sanders or another left candidate could be the McGovern of 2020.

Huh? We're still months away from voting.

A winning primary and losing general election agenda?

Big ideas like Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Obamacare, and same-sex marriage took a long time to popularize.

 

I think we settle too much for mediocrity.
IMO, the biggest reasons why we don’t have universal healthcare, are the Monroe Doctrine and our early manufacturing base.
We have never had large numbers in modern times of the civilian populous killed and maimed during wars, . That was the primary incentive for many nations after ww2 in forming universal HC. And, it happened quickly.

Secondly, we’ve always had employer based private insurance, which has been adequate for the middle class. Well, manufacturing is less a factor as are reliable Union based jobs that help pay HC insurance. .

So, it’s time. We are the last hold out.
The majority wants it, like they want stronger gun laws, climate change mitigation and most other left issues.
It’s the left progressive who is mainstream now. Tell us one issue supported by far left progressives, that is not mainstream supported.

 

Medicare IS UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE FOR THE ELDERLY.

It has been popular since its inception. What’s left is just , “ one small step for mankind.”

 

People say they want this things until they have to sacrifice something. When I see all the gas guzzlers on the road, I wonder how much people are prepared to sacrifice for climate change. Health insurance? Are they prepared to trust government to get it right? I think we're prepared to add a government option, but a lot of income-earning folks aren't happy with the prospect of Medicare until they're retired.

Drastic action on climate change.

 

The govt. has been getting Medicare right for decades.
They have also, never missed a social security check.

Has the vast majority ever wanted inversely HC before ?
Nope. But millions who have healthcare for the first time with the ACA, dont want to lose it. The repugs have already tried to do away with preexisting the conditions Mandate which scares the begeezus out if millions.

So, what will the majority who think they want it, have to give up with their private plans ? Getting dropped at anytime, higher premiums, lack of portability ? All of which are typical private insurance characteristics, .

 

Most Americans want to.
https://www.cnbc.com/2017/06/06/mos...tion-on-climate-change-reutersipsos-poll.html

 

I guess you'll have to find out the hard way.

 

I disagree. There are too many deductibles, copays, poor doctor coverage (my father had to pay a doctor $150/month in Napa, CA to get a regular doctor), etc. Because I added Canadian citizenship to my U.S. citizenship, I can use the Canadian healthcare system. It's better.

McCain saved them from the Republicans from their stupid selves with his famous thumbs down in arguably the most important vote of his Senate career.

We could have private plans like the have in the Netherlands.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Healthcare_in_the_Netherlands

 

Medicare for all would be more efficient because it would include healthy participants and not just the elderly.

Compared to private insurance here, which your father couldn’t afford, it’s much cheaper. The 20 % alone cost participants twice as much as the govt sponsored 80%. What dies that tell you ?

 

Whether it’s private or govt sponsored it’s still govt regulated and still non profit ?

 

Retirees would die for lack of coverage if all they had was private insurance. Been there, done that.
I prefer the govt option, for every registered independent and Democrat. Let retired old republicans try to find a private plan they can afford with NO MANDATES for preexisting conditions.

 

I don’t think most get it. This isn’t a choice. The world is turning greener, with or without our investments in green energy. We can either be buyers or sellers of green energy technology...but it’s happening now.

Not doing anything is like, let’s save money by not doing any maintenance on a house we’ll have to live with the rest if our lives. Let’s just let the roof leak.

 

Insurance in the Netherlands covers everyone.

"Here?" Where is "here?" My father had to pay his doctor for "concierge service" or he wouldn't have had a doctor. He lived in Napa, California. He could afford the fee. He shouldn't have had to pay it.

 

I just don't think most Americans are prepared to make the sacrifices necessary to cut our greenhouse gases. The problem, of course, is worldwide and some rather large countries--India and China, for example--don't seem all that interested in making a difference. We create more than our per capita share of greenhouse gases and these countries expect us to cur emissions even more.

 

Where you been? N. Korea is a nuclear power.

 

Absolutely, hence my point about most retirees being happy to have Medicare.

You can make snide remarks, but a lot of people don't trust government to get it right. Some are concerned they won't get the more special care they have with their private plans now.

 

In the Netherlands?

 

Ya, I understood it was government regulated and non profit.
I can’t imagine it being significantly cheaper and for profit.

 

That’s not a snide remark if you’re absolutly serious. I have no room for hypocrites. If you’re going to belong to a party that doesnt trust the govenemnt, then DONT PARTICIPATE. If you thinks social programs are the end of our republic, then you should not participate. I really have a problem understanding people that think Medicare for all is bad, but Medicare for them is good. The only reason I can come up with is, they don’t want to share a waiting room with minorities.

Medicare is a dramatic improvement over private health insurance, especially for the elderly. You never know when your coverage for a procedure will be in question with PI. With Medicare, they pay 15-20 % less, but I’ve yet to see them not pay for a doctor recommended procedure. Plus, they encourage preventative care measures. Was wrong ? It should be 100% coverage and not 80%. But that’s the influence of private insurance who want their cut of everything.

 

He would have no insurance without Medicare. You’d be paying his bills and he would be bankrupt ( assuming not everyone is independently wealthy)
Right now, you’re whining that everything is not payed for by the Medicare. It’s routine before the ACA to have services refused and insurance covered dropped by private insurers.

 

You’re talking like the average consumer has a choice. We’re going green and everyone will pay for it. All the major corporations and our military are committed. This is not going to be voted upon by the public whether to face climate change or not. You talk like the average voter has a say.

The average voter is way too uninformed to be trusted with any decsion like that. Industry has moved on. All other countries gov. Have moved on. The debate is over. It’s now just a matter of not electing Trumps of the world who will fk up a commitment to being leaders or followers in a greener economy.

 

Yes, NK is theoretically a nuclear power. Realistically it doesn’t have the delivery systems that China can provide in a heart beat. NK has in no way any deterrent force that would be part of a a MAD solution. . It’s laughable for Trump to think NK will give it up too. It’s really china that assures NK security, not NK