Politics Obama - Actually doing a good job?

There are a couple of things. For starters, you need to stop calling whatever this is a "death panel." It's misleading rhetoric. We're talking about an organ donation/transplant network, which is a difficult thing to manage. The policy in question was designed to help shorten the time it takes for a particular patient to get what he or she needs (lungs) and reduce the number of people who died on the waiting list. The policy did both famously. The old way was a straight first-come, first-served basis, and didn't take into account the potential or expected deterioration of the patient. In taking these other, medically sound factors into account, people's lives were saved and the system became substantially more efficient.

The problem? It excluded pediatrics. Okay, so waiting for a pediatric lung transplant can be a problem, so this judge stepped in on this one patient because it was believed that this exclusion (children excluded from adult lungs) was wrong. And now the policy is under review.

Your problem? You consider this a "death panel." You think there are people making decisions on whether someone lives or dies. This despite the fact that at any given time there are more people requiring lung transplants than there are lungs, regardless of policy. This despite the fact that people made decisions to make more people live.

Prioritizing a list of patients based on health risks isn't a "death panel." It's called triage.

This isn't a problem of so-called "death panels" as you would make it out to be. It's not a perfect system, but it's much improved from pre-2005 practices, and now they're going to see if they can make it better.

If you were so concerned about what amounts to "death panels," those deciding who lives or dies, you would be criticizing Republicans who oppose expanding Medicaid and those who want to repeal "Obamacare," even if it takes 37 goddamn attempts.

 

And on another note...I think Obama just got lucky. (in a round-about way...)

It seems that the Phone Records scandal is distracting the "squirrel!" media and other from the IRS, AP and Benghazi topics.

Now this is something for everyone to truly chew on and debate...I like this.
It is somewhere to decide on where to go...and how far to go.

And it is not a simple answer...I can see pros & cons to BOTH sides.
Do you lock it down...allow full privacy to citizens? Do you keep mining number traces...allowing to track for security purposes.

The problem is, the public, the leaders and the media want it BOTH ways...
They don't want to be looked in on...but they also want someone watching for terrorists and other criminals.

THIS is a healthy debate...and one Obama needs to hear as well as others.
It's one thing if you have a restrained administration doing it...but what if you have one that over-reaches or abuses it???

/squirrel

 

Though isn't collecting phone records something Republicans can get on board with?

GOP Sen. Graham says he's 'glad' NSA is collecting phone records - Washington Times

 

Actually, I've found that there's two sides to conservatives on this matter.

1. Libertarians - paranoid that the government is after them and violating their freedoms.
2. Hawks - want the government to do things to catch the bad guys, and they'll give up those freedoms for security and defense.

I talked to a solid ultra-right Republican the other day...and he was pissed that the government was doing this...taking the Libertarian side.

Me, I'm deviating from my typical Libertarian side and saying that I'm favoring this at the extent they are now.

But this is because I know what they are doing with my tech background,
they are collecting the numbers, just the numbers...for data mining...for comparison against known & suspected terrorist related numbers.
And then if they DO find a connecting number...THEN they'll get a warrant/authorization for listening or further investigation.

Anyone that knows Big Data...knows that this is such a HUGE collection of numbers, there is no practical way for them to follow everyone.
They are not tracking your number or what you are doing...unless you are calling terrorist numbers or are doing terrorist actions. (so don't do THAT! )
Computers don't have an agenda or are intuitive...they do exactly what they are told to do and do not interpret.
The programmers need to have a query or algorithm to specifically out of TRILLIONS of calls to spot just a few.
And even then...some analyst, needs to interpret and determine what they see out of the report...to followup on anything.
They are not God. This is not Hollywood (ex. the TV show Person of Interest)

If they want to datamine the records from telecomm vendors for terrorist or criminal connections...I say let them.
I know they aren't following me.
Because I know what they do when they do follow me...

Steps to data mining:

1. Have data recorded. (done by the vendors already...for their own mechanics and records)
2. Store said data. (HUGE files)
3. Transport data. (not that easy...again they are HUGE)
4. Map data to your own repository (depends on the data's definitions, often not that easy)
5. Import the data (HUGE numbers of records)
6. Transform the data (often necessary...because the source's format is not the one you can work with...again, not that easy)
7. Analyze a small sample to figure out what you may need to look for. (No, you do not want to do this to the whole thing, again it is HUGE)
8. Create a script to filter out just what you need. (LOTS of trial & error)
9. Finally have a script to go through all records, or portions that your systems can handle, or do it one by one (Again, GIANT amounts of data)
10. If something is a result...you have to analyze it and determine if it is even valid. (Time consuming)
11. Report on said result, convince someone that it is worth following up on.

Now, if you think that the government is constantly taking the time, effort and money to follow your ass...
as well as the asses of the other 200+ citizens in the US...You're off your rocker.
They do not have the time or interest in doing that.
This would be like saying cops are following the movements of every person in the city. They could care less.

And yes, I know what it takes when they do have an interest in you...and are investigating you.
Since I've previously been in government projects...I've had to go through various levels of investigation...and I wasn't even a "suspected" person.
There's a tons of paperwork, energy and logistics...by several departments...many people, all doing their jobs.
All of them, working day in, day out...just like you do...all with their own burdens and distractions, both personal and professional.
It takes time, focus & money to do this...and a REASON to be interested in you.

So get it out of your self-centric heads that they are even thinking about watching you.
Let them do their jobs.

Call me when I hear they are somehow listening into everyone's conversations. (which would be a friggin' thing to pull off, considering)

 

ARRrrggh!! - Oi Vey...no one on the friggin' news ...or at least those getting face time, knows what the fuck they are talking about.
They're acting like you've got eyes over your shoulders at all time...that government has EVERYTHING on you FOREVER.

If you scan things live, then you can't back track on the history.
You can't keep the recording you're investigating at the vendor's location, they aren't cleared for the investigation.
The ONLY thing you can do, is get a copy to a secured area, have authorized tools & analysts work it...and be able to go back if necessary.
This is simple police-work. This is just phone number trails.

The best talking head they had on...was Michael Hayden who described it exactly...on Fox News yet.
They only go in if given reason, they scan for specific numbers related to crime/terror...see if there is a pattern for it.
Then followup with a warrant to go further, if necessary.

He stated Obama has increased it volume, due to easier tech & logistics...but he has increased oversight substantially,
including working with this project under Congressional oversight, NOT under powers granted to GWB from the Patriot Act.

And yet...then the panelists...then totally ignore what he just stated...and imply that since others are over-reaching in the IRS,
then they "have to" be doing the same here.
"Oh the Horror! It was just fine under GWB, but Obama has done terrible things to American freedoms"
Just another way to stick it...to someone you're opposed to.

I wish people would get some knowledge on the mechanics of computers...what they can do, what they can't
And stop the friggin' conspiracy mentality...which the media LOVES. (BTW, buy this product while you're foaming at the mouth)

It's frustrating, but the only thing I like about this...the debate, but people have to get real
and the fact I don't have to hear about the IRS and Benghazi. (seems most have forgotten the AP thing)

If you're going to get enraged...why not get enraged about something to rage about.
Like how the Big Banks are writing the new Banking bill... (hmm...Lobbyists...why can't they die off like Crabs are???)

/rant

 

Worst Socialist Ever.

S&P ranks the US upwards...

Soo...does Obama get credit yet?
Friggin' guy does being a "Republican" better than most Republicans.

hmm...carrying on a war, executing the laws on the books including immigration, spying on citizens, whittling down government, bringing down the deficit, not transparent, scandals about over-reach
Sounds like Reagan or Nixon to me.

In all seriousness...it will be interesting what comes of all this after the next election and after his administration.
There has been so MUCH spinning and outrage, that I it all becomes a Jackson Pollock painting.

 

He's soft on Iran.

 

A lot of folks have been complaining for years that the government never listens to them.

Careful what you wish for...

 

Unfortunately, the same people also say when a terrorist/criminal event occurs...
"How could you let this happen? Weren't you watching?? What are we paying you for..."

You know what they say about having your cake and eating it too.

 

Actually, I'm liking this...Obama is more middle of the road and pragmatic...Almost like a centrist conservative, with a few progressive moves.
Almost everything he's enacted are policies like old-school GOP recommended. (not the red-meat GOP of these days)

I truly wonder if Obama got back the full Congress under Dem majority, would he truly be uber-liberal?
I suggest that he'd keep middle of the road...
perhaps (and hopefully) even take advantage of the situation and reorg the Federal government finally (for efficiency not pork)