[quote name='Dead of Knight'] Thank god I didn't have any problems with the generic when I switched.[/QUOTE]Generic and brand name versions of a certain drug are chemically the same. A generic drug is simply a brand name drug in which the patent expired.
[quote name='camoor']China has been accused of performing forced abortions as part of its "one child policy". At the very least they encourage it. You could argue that that's a "pro-abortion" stance. However I'm not sure if that's what Spokker meant.[/QUOTE]
Not at all. I use pro-abortion to go above and beyond pro-choice in that I believe abortion is positive for society and not simply something that I'll tolerate and if it happens, it happens, and if it doesn't, it doesn't. To see more voluntarily abortion (and less child rearing in general), especially among those who are unable to care for children, is good for society. As women have gained more opportunities, they have voluntarily reduced their child rearing, and that's a good thing.
And then when you have a strong father figure present, and a strong mother figure present, and the income, and the space, you go ahead and have the children you desire. On the other hand, I NEVER want to shame a single mother who doesn't know the father to not have an abortion. I want to convince her of the benefits of such a procedure. It's going to hurt her schooling. It's going to hurt her income stream. It's going to hurt her free time to develop as an functioning adult in society. It truly is an amazing tool.
[quote name='dohdough']Or you could treat public transportation as a public good instead of a profit-driven enterprise like it should be.[/QUOTE]
Good article on the subject:
http://m.theatlanticcities.com/commute/2011/11/can-higher-fares-save-public-transit/602/
Lessons are taken from Germany. It works when we allow the price of gasoline to rise and stop subsidizing driving (and parking!). When I say, treat public transportation more like a business and less like welfare mobility for the poor, it doesn't mean I want to let drivers off the hook. It's a plan that has two main components.
[quote name='camoor']
Pick a fat target like big oil, corn, or refined sugar.[/QUOTE]I want to end corn and oil subsidies.
And interestingly enough, when Comcast decided to offer cheap Internet to the poor for $10/month, they didn't lower the price for all users. They instituted a means-tested program.
[quote name='Msut77']Define "proper price".[/quote]The proper price would ideally cover what it costs to provide the product or service. You would start there. And then you would make the case for any positive or negative externalities that might cause us to provide subsidies or impose taxes.
Do you believe there is utility in having cheap transportation infrastructure?
Absolutely not. This is part of the reason why we are in so much trouble. We subsidize driving and parking, and the tax revenues are such that we can't even maintain the roads we have. Public transit also suffers when tax revenues dwindle and fares remain artificially low. I would start by raising the gas tax.
[quote name='Msut77']
Do you happen to believe "Studies are inconclusive, and even they were conclusive, there may be principled positions for one of the other solution. It would be wrong for the federal government to come and force both cities to adhere to one solution." applies to healthcare?[/QUOTE]It applies to the vast majority of issues. When you have a state like California that wants to legalize medicinal marijuana, the federal government has no authority to force them not to, to go in and raid pot shops, that no matter how many studies the feds have about the dangers of illegal drugs.
And what if we have a case in which the studies and examples lean heavily toward legalization or decriminalization as the answer, but the federal government is against it? Look to the examples of other nations that are more free and respect liberty more than we do. Other nations have decriminalized drugs and they have seen far better results than we do. So this idea that the federal government is somehow better than state governments is unbelievable. The advantage to states is that they have a better grasp of the local sentiments on a subject, and in some cases the issue should be decided on the county level.
[quote name='RedvsBlue']Shit, Jim Crow? Left to their own devices states wouldn't just stop at Jim Crow... and hence the fundamental problem with "States' Rights" there's too many states that a ass-
ing-backwards to be trusted to protect their citizens.[/QUOTE]States are made up of citizens. They have little state-sized versions of Congress like a state senate or state assembly. Representatives from the various districts are voted for by citizens. States even have their own courts and own Supreme Courts. States are perfectly capable of making many of the decisions the federal government makes for them.
Jim Crow laws, however, are unconstitutional, and would be a valid reason for the federal government to get involved.
[quote name='mykevermin']Why even have a federal government, then?[/QUOTE]
When half the states inevitably pass Jim Crow laws and re-institute slavery! :lol:
:lol: