Perhaps you were thinking of the fact that I said I agree with the statement. But I am not a Communist. Just because Marx made this statement does not make the statement wrong. Indeed, as LLC pointed out, the principle is Biblical and in harmony with the teaching of Christ.
Also, not all who follow Marxist ideology are Communists. Communism is a corruption of that ideology. After the Tsarist regime had been defeated, in the February revolution, if Aleksandr Kerensky and his Socialist Revolutionary Party had remained in control, the government in Russia may have turned out quite differently. But unfortunately, the Bolsheviks led by Lenin gained power later in the October revolution, and Communism with its forceful techniques was spawned.
I think the best we can do before the Second Coming is as follows:
Establish 200,000 kingdoms in the world, each with the approximate population of Liechtenstein (which has 37,000 people). Let each be ruled by a pious Orthodox king.
Let New Rome (Constantinople) be the seat of the pious Orthodox emperor, whose responsibility it is to serve as the mediator of last resort between kingdoms that have come to the end of their rope over some disagreement.
Let there be no soldiers in the world, not even one. Standing armies are threats to liberty.
Let there be no policemen in the world, not even one. A police-state is the antithesis of liberty.
Let all the able-bodied men (beginning on their 18th birthdays and ending on their 45th birthdays) be armed and given militia training. (I agree that a “well regulated militia” is “necessary to the security of a free state”.) Anytime a kingdom has a problem that requires force and muscle, let that kingdom’s militia handle it. Let grown men not cringe and cower while “uniformed professionals” (supposedly!) handle the task.
With the absence of police and soldiers, kings and emperor would have to rely on social pressures for their rule to be upheld. (Compare, for example, the history of colonial Pennsylvania when dominated by the Quakers.) Of course, there would be very little for a king to do, so there would not be much scope for disobeying their lawful edicts. Kings would have less power than do American mayors.
Is all of this unrealistic? Regardless of one’s answer, it is more realistic than expecting that modern, secular nation-states with their militaries and police forces won’t abuse their power. Now THAT is unrealistic.
qaz, as to the horrendous national debt, certainly the so-called war on terrorism has proven very costly.
And no, I did not say, nor ever mean to imply, that you were a communist—or even a democrat. (You have stated your distaste for both major parties, and have said that your grandparents fled communism.)
But as to just who would foster an environment for job creation, leading to increasing federal revenues (a portion of which could fund charitable works), I would generally go with capitalist-leaning candidates over “socialist”-leaning candidates.
To reiterate, for me, the overriding issue is the right to life for the weak. Regardless of which form of government, a leader who endorses or subsidizes, for example, eugenics (in the name of “quality of life”), is tearing down a hedge of divine favor and protection around his citizens—and opening the way for the destroyer. And divine favor counts for a lot, “because love covers over a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8.
Donald Trump becoming president
Christmas is approaching
And Ebeneezer Scrooge being a literary icon
I present.
Donald Trump vs Ebeneezer Scrooge. Epic Rap Battles of History Season 3.
Note to the pure at heart:
Google has their own standards, for what is acceptable on YouTube.
In addition, Rap music might insert a cuss word or two. But I only share it, if they follow the English guidelines, of replacing letters with symbols. Like they do in this video, for a couple of words. See:
So a bit more, on this literary tradition. Cuss words in comic books, are always replaced with symbols (i.e.$#@&). But in adult comic books, they may use a letter or two, so you can infer the word (i.e. S&^% or F*&%^).
I’ll be the first to endorse the US, adopting a successful Asian or European, health care model.
But where do you stand on US universal health care? A curious question, for someone who is both a US and Mexican citizen. And the Wiki article does say, Mexico has a universal health care system. I just think it would be better, to model a universal heath care model, after a successful European or Asian model.
I would be the first to endorse a Trump move, to adopt the Singapore model.
I’m really a pragmatic person. Give me what works.
That’s why:
I’m heavily into homeopathy, T.C.M. (AKA Traditional Chinese Medicine) and Tibetan Medicine
I’m still a big fan of traditional medical tests and medical expertise, to dianose the cause of illness
I’m a big fan of prayer and spirital healing (i.e. Native American spiritual ceremonies and Charismatic church services)
So I’m the first for adopting what works. including a universal health care system, modeled after Asian and European successful adaptations.
But I doubt that Trump will adopt it. Most likely. due to the lobbyists groups, from the Insurance and pharmaceutical companies.
Most of our healthcare dollar goes to buy luxury real estate for multi-millionaire/billionaire administrators. Health care in and of itself is not anywhere near as expensive as people are led to believe.
This hospital has ZERO administrators. The prices on the above list are the bottom-line prices. They are not part of the price, they do not have “service fees”, etc. added to them, etc. If you need, for example, ossiculoplasty, you show-up on the day of your surgery with a cashier’s check for $5,060. You give them the check, you get the surgery. Done. Period. End of story.
Try going to a typical U. S. hospital for a simple X-ray. They’ll charge you well over $1,000 for it, and they’ll never tell you how much it will cost you. They don’t even know! You’ll get about half a dozen different bills over time, and you’ll never know when you are finally finished paying.
I know a couple with a son who got diagnosed with a kidney stone and was given two prescriptions for it. Please note: He received no treatment. He underwent no procedures. He did not stay in the hospital. It was in and out. This couple has health insurance through the husband’s job. Their bill (not even including how much they paid for their son’s medicines): $18,000. Yep. $18,000 for this: “Doctor, we think our son has a kidney stone. He has terrible pain. His father gets kidney stones, and this seems like the same thing.” “Huh. You’re right. Here are a couple of prescriptions. That will be $18,000, please.”
They had to tap into their IRAs to get the cash.
So when you see that $5,060 bill for ossiculoplasty, that is DIRT CHEAP. If that young man mentioned above had actually had to have any procedures, their bill certainly would have been over $100,000. That Tulsa hospital charges you less for ACTUAL SURGERY than your typical hospital charges you to basically walk in the door.
By far the most important question for U. S. healthcare is NOT, “Who is going to pay for this?” The proper question is, “Why don’t we dismantle the system that makes healthcare cost twenty, fifty, or one hundred times more than it should?”
I don’t think any country, or individual, is purely socialistic or capitalistic, including “moi.” (I realize that I’m lumping together a political system with an economic system.)
And my understanding is that Singapore’s economy depends on laborers from neighboring countries, who have virtually no rights. So the system is generous only to Singaporeans.
What about the divine economy? What are the limitations of its resources? How do we receive them into this world?
As to the Tulsa OK Pricing. Are these prices for real and for walk ins… In other words if I have a set of xrays and my doctors files about me, can I expect these prices?
You think homeopathy works? You believe that a substance that causes the symptoms of a disease in healthy people would cure similar symptoms in sick people? You believe that the more you dilute homeopathic “medicine” the better it works?
No, I don’t believe anything, that’s not part of Christian revelation.
I test the waters for myself and see if it’s true or not. Same goes with conventional medical doctors, who started out to disprove homeopathy. Then ended up embracing it.
Why do I feel it works?
Because I’ve spent years studying it. If I pick the right remedy - it works. If I don’t - it doesn’t. And I spent years, being both a student (and a patient), of someone who has an international reputation in homeopathy. And I have been helping him with book production (technical books on homeopathy, mind you. Not for the lay person), behind the scenes (hey, I’m really a computer “expert”). He does have a publisher. And he always has a flood of patients.
That is an absolutely false statement. Why? Because both low and high homeopathic potency, can be equally effective. In fact, one homeopathic expert in South American, only used low potentiates.
Actually, what has been the most effective - for my own constitution, is what is considered poisons (i.e. snake venom, etc.)
Look at babies and animals. If you pick the right remedy - they get better. If not, they don’t. So it’s not a placebo effect. It takes years of training, to become an expert.
The problem modern chemistry has with homeopathy is Avogadro’s number (AKA Avogadro’s constant). None of the original substance is present, beyond a certain dilution. But some theorists have theories, that involve quantum mechanics. Science just hasn’t caught up yet. But there have been double blind tests conducted (the same modern medicine uses), to show the statistical effectiveness - of certain homeopathic remedies.
And experience teaches you about homeopathic pharmaceutical laboratories. In the US, Hahnemann Labs is the best. And another I won’t mention by name, is OK up to the 200 C potency. Etc.
And I’ve spent years, with the now defunct Two Feathers Medicine Clan (i.e. mainly Lakota medicine men and women). So I had years to experience and see, whether Native American spiritual ceremonies and medical men and women - can actually heal. They can
And I also spend years, studying Buddhist Mindfulness and Zen. They work But you need to test the waters - for yourself.
And yes. I have sent friends in the past to:
Visit the homeopathic exert I know
The Bruno Gröning Circle of Friends group - for spiritual healing
Authentic indigenous medicine men and women, along with the corresponding ceremonies
None has ever complained, that I gave them a bum steer.
But I never ask folks to believe me. Or science - at this stage of knowledge. They still don’t know why acupuncture works, even though they have some theories. And I have been on the receiving end of acupuncture.
So test the waters for yourself and make up your own mind.
That is my understanding, yes. I know no more about the hospital than what I have read on their website. They basically are saying, “Hey, why fly to a foreign country to get reasonably-priced surgery? Just fly to Tulsa instead!”
If “righteousness exalts a nation” then any evangelical who purposefully voted for Trump has denuded themselves of ANY credibility with regards to passing ANY judgment as to the sexual behaviour of anyone else, period, case closed!!
I’m only speaking as an outside observer… but what I’ve seen is blatant and foul misogyny and the rank hypocrisy that has crowned him king by those who say one thing in public but in the ballot box do another… thus I stand by my statement as previously given — that’s my issue.
