Politics 2017 part V

[HoonDing]

"Is some foreign language mandatory in US?"

 

Arabic in blue states

[Bartimaeus]

In regards to foreign languages, I think we, again, get back to the point of 'youth being wasted on the young' - pretty much nobody who takes foreign language in high school ever remembers virtually anything from it a few years later (unless their studies or necessity - usage - take them back in that direction, anyways). What a a silly requirement and a bit of a waste, .

Edited May 5, 2017 by Bartimaeus

[redneckdevil]

Fully agree lmao, the only thing I remember from my Spanish class in high school is my name, ellos, how are you, and some cuss words lol.

[Wrath of Dagon]

Are you saying required to get into the 4-year program or required to graduate from the program? Most HS (even Texas, IIRC) require some form of FL work for HS Graduation.  So a lot of colleges expect it for admissions purposes. But I'd be surprised if a lot of 4-year BS programs are requiring a foreign language at the most competitive schools as part of the graduation requirements.  Liberal arts programs, maybe, but not science.

That would explain why my kids took Spanish classes in HS.

[Amentep]

In regards to foreign languages, I think we, again, get back to the point of 'youth being wasted on the young' - pretty much nobody who takes foreign language in high school ever remembers virtually anything from it a few years later (unless their studies or necessity - usage - take them back in that direction, anyways). What a a silly requirement and a bit of a waste, .

 

I remembered enough of HS French to mess up my college Spanish classes as I'd start sentences in Spanish and end them in French (stupid Romance languages).

[Bartimaeus]

Ha! Funny how that seems to be a problem a lot of natural multi-linguists run into...don't think it's as common for people who learn languages later and in a more formal setting, but I'm sure it's not that unusual.

[Hurlshort]

I wonder what percentage of students who take foreign language in US schools get anywhere near fluent? It has to be pretty low.

 

We have some immersion programs for Mandarin and Spanish in my parts, those are pretty effective. Although there are some behavioral issues. You have a group of 20 kids who are with each other from 1st-8th grade. That is not an easy environment to teach in.

[Gfted1]

I took German in HS. Had to perform some heroic cheating to pass that final.

[Bartimaeus]

I wonder what percentage of students who take foreign language in US schools get anywhere near fluent? It has to be pretty low.

 

We have some immersion programs for Mandarin and Spanish in my parts, those are pretty effective. Although there are some behavioral issues. You have a group of 20 kids who are with each other from 1st-8th grade. That is not an easy environment to teach in.

 

I imagine it's pretty abysmally low, which makes the admission requirements for it for higher end colleges all the more silly... Imagine if you actually had to DEMONSTRATE your 2-4 years of taking a language to get admission - that would be a much more serious requirement.

[Amentep]

I don't imagine many HS programs get students to near fluency. Maybe if someone does a full four years in an advanced program.

 

I'm not sure they are designed for that, though.

[Wrath of Dagon]

A conservative Supreme Court isn't all a bed of roses. Been TV shopping lately and noticed this:

While it used to be that manufacturers could only suggest a minimum retail price, the U.S. Supreme Court recently changed that rule. Now, manufacturers may, under appropriate circumstances, require a minimum retail price to be charged.

 

A manufacturer does have a legal right to set a suggested retail price (a manufacturer's suggested retail price or MSRP). The manufacturer also has the right to terminate a retailer who prices below the MSRP. Frequently, when prices are identical for a product at every store, it is because each retailer has decided to adhere to the MSRP.

http://www.michigan.gov/ag/0,4534,7-164-17337_20942-44650--,00.html

 

All the authorized retailers have the same price, and the grey market retailers that have good prices all seem to be crooks from my experience and from reading their reviews.

 

Edit: This was claimed here earlier: http://reason.com/blog/2017/05/05/rape-not-preexisting-condition-in-acha

Edited May 5, 2017 by Wrath of Dagon

[majestic]

I took German in HS. Had to perform some heroic cheating to pass that final.

 

Ah zis is very good, do you remember anyzing mein Freund?

 

edit:

 

Barti's new avatar breaks my brain when he's talking to Amentep. It's... distracting. I can't be the only one, can I?

Edited May 5, 2017 by majestic

[Gfted1]

I think I remember how to count up to four in German.

 

And no, youre not the only one. I was going to suggest a Thunderdome type combat and the winner gets the oldtymey avatars.

[Amentep]

The avatars do line up good for a fight -
 
vs

[Ben No.3]

The avatars do line up good for a fight -

 

vs

The second one! Edited May 5, 2017 by Ben No.3

[Wrath of Dagon]

Who are these women anyway?

 

A credible person comments on the healthcare bill: https://www.forbes.com/sites/theapothecary/2017/05/04/if-the-senate-doesnt-fix-the-houses-obamacare-replacement-the-gop-will-pay-a-steep-price/#25daceb54a58

[Zoraptor]

The problem with our system isn't the insurance companies, popular as that view may be. The problem is there's no competition between providers, thus they can charge whatever they can get away with. Further, since a third party normally pays instead of the consumer, the consumer doesn't care about costs. But I'm curious, is there a health system where costs go down while quality and coverage go up?

 

 

It's not a question of costs going down and quality and coverage always going up, it's if it ever happens under the US system. By and large most single payer/ nationalised health systems started out as privatised user pays ones much like the US and were converted to what they are now- which gave them a large boost in coverage and for most people a large boost in quality. It also gives better efficiency and lower overall costs, as shown by most western countries having all of better coverage, better overall quality/ outcomes and lower costs compared to the US. Those systems also tend to be far better at lowering costs through things like prevention- better than the cure- than the US system is and have less expensive emergency costs and the like.

 

The situation is completely different if you're a multi millionaire, of course, then the US has the best healthcare bar none. But then if you're a millionaire elsewhere you have better prospects as well and can go private either locally or internationally. Certainly the average american is far closer to being denied coverage and going bankrupt trying to cover costs than they are to the latest and greatest proton gun for tackling that hard to target cancer.

[Malcador]

I took German in HS. Had to perform some heroic cheating to pass that final.

Hah. I took Latin for 3 years. All I remember is Caecilius in horto est

[Ben No.3]

 

I took German in HS. Had to perform some heroic cheating to pass that final.

Hah. I took Latin for 3 years. All I remember is Caecilius in horto est

5 years of Latin

[Hurlshort]

Speaking of medical insurance, I ended up reading this recently: http://www.cnbc.com/id/100840148

 

I wonder if it has changed at all in the last few years?

[Orogun01]

Speaking of medical insurance, I ended up reading this recently: http://www.cnbc.com/id/100840148

 

I wonder if it has changed at all in the last few years?

Yep, now if you don't have medical insurance you have to pay a fine. Thanks Obama!

[Bartimaeus]

Who are these women anyway?

 

Mine is the former Queen of Iran, Princess (of Egypt) Fawzia Fuad; Amentep's is actress Natasha Parry.

Edited May 6, 2017 by Bartimaeus

[Wrath of Dagon]

The situation is completely different if you're a multi millionaire, of course, then the US has the best healthcare bar none. But then if you're a millionaire elsewhere you have better prospects as well and can go private either locally or internationally. Certainly the average american is far closer to being denied coverage and going bankrupt trying to cover costs than they are to the latest and greatest proton gun for tackling that hard to target cancer.

The average American has pretty decent insurance from his employer, which means he's no worse off than a millionaire in getting healthcare. Obviously that still leaves a lot of people in less than ideal conditions.

[Zoraptor]

So long as they don't lose their job, and so long as their insurer agrees to the treatment being necessary. A millionaire can always just pay out of pocket if they need to which ain't an option for most.

 

 

I took German in HS. Had to perform some heroic cheating to pass that final.

Hah. I took Latin for 3 years. All I remember is Caecilius in horto est

 

 

...did everyone learn Latin from the same books?

[Elerond]

 

The situation is completely different if you're a multi millionaire, of course, then the US has the best healthcare bar none. But then if you're a millionaire elsewhere you have better prospects as well and can go private either locally or internationally. Certainly the average american is far closer to being denied coverage and going bankrupt trying to cover costs than they are to the latest and greatest proton gun for tackling that hard to target cancer.

The average American has pretty decent insurance from his employer, which means he's no worse off than a millionaire in getting healthcare. Obviously that still leaves a lot of people in less than ideal conditions.

 

 

Millionaires can buy healthcare that average person can't get even with very good insurance. Because they can afford to pay for treatments that insurance companies don't approve (because of cost, feasibility or some other reason), they can afford to pay get front in lines, they can afford to pay for most efficient drugs in every case instead of going with best price/efficiency ratio and you are able to get better doctors to treat you and so on. But that is just inevitable thing in any system where people can buy better service, because millionaires are much smaller pool of people than general population and they are able to pay even most expensive services from their own pocket, which gives them flexibility in tendering out services that most people can't just afford to do.