Scary shit

This is why the Republican party won't do any better than the Democrats. Too much far-right bullshit. Palin is a raving lunatic. We need serious politicians who are willing to tackle serious problems and make extremely painful choices over the coming years. Consider:

• How do we reform our tax system to maintain progressiveness and maximize revenue? If you read me, you know I favor a flat tax like the "Fair Tax" but whatever we choose, we have to broaden the tax base, that means everyone pays something, even the poor. You cannot finance the requirements of a growing government sector on the backs of the wealthiest 10% of it's populace. All you do is cause that 10% to cease to exist - one way or another.
• How do we control the costs of health care? Before you figure out how to extend coverage to the uninsured by fucking the evil insurance companies (who do a pretty good job with margins thinner than most service industries) and the monstrous pharmaceutical firms (watch how quickly those designer drugs dry up when you tax the hell out of them) - you gotta figure out how to bring the costs down. What nobody wants to discuss is that this will inevitably lead to rationing. It's not a bad thing. Right now we're used to consuming healthcare in the manner of an all-you-can-eat buffet. All we'll be doing is moving to a more a la carte pricing strategy. And, we'll have to screw those saintly torte lawyers as well. Driving out costs means doing away with defensive medicine that comes from the fear of malpractice suits. It means capping damages, and putting in place a medical review board. It might mean medical courts (like those for bankruptcy) that specialize in reviewing malpractice claims
• How do we expand healthcare coverage to those who currently do not have insurance? I prefer a consumer-driven model, but something has to be done. We're crippling the country by not providing this basic safety net and it's not just the financial impact that's a threat. The real threat as I see it, is that this issue continues to drive a wedge between all ideological camps that's getting ever wider. Those of us who have healthcare tend to take it for granted and over-consume. Those who do not live in constant fear of an event that will leave them penniless, homeless, or worse, dead. Those on the left see it as a culmination of the Liberal dream state, while those on the right see it as the expansion of government that will become yet another permanent bureaucracy that will continue to grow until it crowds out all private investment. I'm much closer to those on the right, but at the end of the day it doesn't really matter what we choose as long as we attack the cost question separately.
• How do we "fix" Social Security? I favor some private pension component that's consumer-driven, but depending on who you believe, we're gonna go bankrupt somewhere around 2017 or so - then what? Since the ultimate solution probably means some type of increase in the FICA tax, why not compromise. Raise the income limit to, say something like 250K. And raise the tax rate by 2%, funded 1% by the employee and 1% by the employer. Let the employee self-direct 4% of his/her earnings in a private account with minimal conservative fund choices (mostly index funds). Most on the right will scream that this is a "massive" tax increase, but isn't the Holy Grail of conservatism privatization? Isn't this letting the camel's nose under the tent? If we know that the funding/benefits formulas have to change, and that there will be absolutely zero political chance of curtailing promised benefits, won't we be forced to grow the revenue stream? If increased taxes are an inevitability then, why wouldn't we leverage a private component as the cost of doing business with the Republicans?

At some point, the Scott Brown Republicans are going to have to shout down the John Boehner Republicans and the Harold Ford Democrats are gonna have to bitch-slap the Nancy Pelosi wing and get together and solve these hard problems. As I said, they require serious men and women who are willing to tell the people that sacrifices are going to be required, but that the country will be better for it at the end of the day. And, these public servants (in every sense of the word), cannot be swayed by special interests or the threat of losing their jobs. They'll be in it for something bigger - the chance to renew America and fix the difficult problems we face.

in reference to: Sarah Palin Is Vocal and Ready, but for What? - NYTimes.com (view on Google Sidewiki)