U.S. Presidential race - Democrat Discussion

[Slammin Shaman]

95% of fat people are lazy or dumb? Do I dare ask for numbers?

I pulled it out of my ass. I should edit that in there lol. Also my made up number only referred to obese people. I'm aware that some people simply don't have enough time in the day to exercise or make a healthy meal on their own. Also I know that fast food is much cheaper than healthy food most of the time.

[Grizzly Willy]

Politics is politics.

But the republicans don't use fake fainters and don't use the rabble rousing nonsense about making other people pay for stuff to get their constituency worked up.

I don't see the difference between lies and lies.

[Shadowmelded]

Someone's signature on here used to be "Religion is a political standpoint, homosexuality is a choice, but obesity is genetic." Yes, I know some obesity is genetic, but 95% (number pulled from my ass) of the time the person is just lazy or has poor eating habits.

Found the list. Look and be amazed at all of the little crap on here. http://www.apt.gc.ca/wat/wb12200E.asp?Lt=D

I think that signature is ridiculing common-held yet absurdly incorrect opinions.

As for the list, I think severity plays a major part in granting disability. Sure some of the things listed don't seem so bad, but I've seen a large amount of the ailments listed and if severe enough almost every thing listed can effectively alienate you from society.

[Spectral]

As for the list, I think severity plays a major part in granting disability. Sure some of the things listed don't seem so bad, but I've seen a large amount of the ailments listed and if severe enough almost every thing listed can effectively alienate you from society.

This one boggles the mind.

I used to show apartments and review the applications that were put in for them. I was absolutely shocked at some of the children that received SSI; this is a non-trivial source of a income for some people.

[Grizzly Willy]

This one boggles the mind.

I used to show apartments and review the applications that were put in for them. I was absolutely shocked at some of the children that received SSI; this is a non-trivial source of a income for some people.

I'm sorry, what about that boggles your mind?

[Spectral]

I'm sorry, what about that boggles your mind?

ADHD... a child diagnosed with ADHD is considered disabled, and we thus cut a disability check to the parent(s). That absolutely boggles my mind. When I'm thinking "disabled", I'm thinking people that are actually disabled, not kids that have trouble paying attention.

[Sunseeker]

ADHD... a child diagnosed with ADHD is considered disabled, and we thus cut a disability check to the parent(s). That absolutely boggles my mind. When I'm thinking "disabled", I'm thinking people that are actually disabled, not kids that have trouble paying attention.

Trouble paying attention can be a serious disability. It can damage one's education and information retention, making it harder for them to progress in our school system. It can also be costly to medicate which is why it's cosidered a disability, so that parents aren't paying tens of thousands of dollars for the purple pill that makes their kid sit down for 5 seconds.

Really this sounds like one of those highly uneducated comments about a disability you don't understand therefore it must not be a disability. I really suggest you go read up on it because I know you're smarter than that.

[Grizzly Willy]

I'll defer to Smrund here. I have ADD, and Spectral, you don't know what you're talking about.

I'll stop before I get vitriolic.

[Spectral]

Trouble paying attention can be a serious disability. It can damage one's education and information retention, making it harder for them to progress in our school system. It can also be costly to medicate which is why it's cosidered a disability, so that parents aren't paying tens of thousands of dollars for the purple pill that makes their kid sit down for 5 seconds.

I was diagnosed with ADHD. Turns out I was just bored as shit because I was entirely too advanced for the classes I was in and teachers had no motivation to do anything other than blame it on me. Flash forward 18 years, and I'm receiving a Ph.D. a couple weeks before my 25th birthday.

I'm not saying ADHD isn't a real thing, but I will say there's a shitload of it that's just sloppiness of diagnosis and a willingness to blame kids for the failings of the education system and crummy parenting. Drugging up kids that are hyper isn't actually an optimal solution.

[Slammin Shaman]

Trouble paying attention can be a serious disability. It can damage one's education and information retention, making it harder for them to progress in our school system. It can also be costly to medicate which is why it's cosidered a disability, so that parents aren't paying tens of thousands of dollars for the purple pill that makes their kid sit down for 5 seconds.

Really this sounds like one of those highly uneducated comments about a disability you don't understand therefore it must not be a disability. I really suggest you go read up on it because I know you're smarter than that.

I have an insanely large issue with ADD/ADHD, and that is a whole can of worms that I'd rather not open. Mostly, I think it's parent's not knowing how to control their kids or the fact that kids nowadays are in the most stimulating period of time in all history. There is also the whole thing of most people diagnosed with it are young. You know who else was wild and uncontrollable when they were young? Everyone. I'm not saying ADD/ADHD isn't real, I'm saying that it's grossly over-diagnosed.

[Shadowmelded]

ADHD... a child diagnosed with ADHD is considered disabled, and we thus cut a disability check to the parent(s). That absolutely boggles my mind. When I'm thinking "disabled", I'm thinking people that are actually disabled, not kids that have trouble paying attention.

Real ADHD can be really debilitating, extreme cases essentially come across as someone tweaking almost incessantly. Like I've seen people on speed that are nowhere near as bad as some kids with severe ADHD. One thing I have noticed about disability claims (although granted, only in Europe so feel free to dismiss this ) is that people are encouraged to exaggerate slightly as most institutions are so stringent that they will turn down people genuinely entitled to assistance. Apparently without embelishment you'd recieve essentially a fraction of what your disabilities actually require, at least that's been the consensus among support groups, former claimants and people involved in the 'disabled sector' (teachers at schools dedicated to disabled children etc...) I've been in contact with.


Edit: was too busy typing to see Spectral's new post; I definitely agree that it is being misdiagnosed far too often.

[Slammin Shaman]

I was diagnosed with ADHD. Turns out I was just bored as shit because I was entirely too advanced for the classes I was in and teachers had no motivation to do anything other than blame it on me. Flash forward 18 years, and I'm receiving a Ph.D. a couple weeks before my 25th birthday.

I'm not saying ADHD isn't a real thing, but I will say there's a shitload of it that's just sloppiness of diagnosis and a willingness to blame kids for the failings of the education system and crummy parenting. Drugging up kids that are hyper isn't actually an optimal solution.

I feel like you would like these

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG9CE55wbtY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U

[Spectral]

I feel like you would like these

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG9CE55wbtY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U

I love TED talks! Will watch, thanks :-)

[oblivionx]

I don't see the difference between lies and lies.

Well there are lies and damned lies obviously.

But the real difference is that Romney/Ryan weren't lying regarding a lot of things because those things haven't occurred yet. It's not a lie to say the president's economic plan is a failure and his debt reduction is smoke and mirrors.

What Obama/Biden do is tell lies about people based on things that are in the past.

There is a big difference.

[Slammin Shaman]

Well there are lies and damned lies obviously.

But the real difference is that Romney/Ryan weren't lying regarding a lot of things because those things haven't occurred yet. It's not a lie to say the president's economic plan is a failure and his debt reduction is smoke and mirrors.

What Obama/Biden do is tell lies about people based on things that are in the past.

There is a big difference.

I'm pretty sure the whole "Janesville plant closing under Obama's leadership and he promised it would be open" thing was in the past.

http://www.politifact.com/wisconsin/...gm-plant-open/

[oblivionx]

I'm pretty sure the whole "Janesville plant closing under Obama's leadership and he promised it would be open" thing was in the past.

http://www.politifact.com/wisconsin/...gm-plant-open/

You do get that Obama did in fact visit the plant making those claims?

He just didn't get a chance to be a damned liar because it closed before he took office.

It's still closed and he was there claiming it would remain open.

[Sunseeker]

I was diagnosed with ADHD. Turns out I was just bored as shit because I was entirely too advanced for the classes I was in and teachers had no motivation to do anything other than blame it on me. Flash forward 18 years, and I'm receiving a Ph.D. a couple weeks before my 25th birthday.

I'm not saying ADHD isn't a real thing, but I will say there's a shitload of it that's just sloppiness of diagnosis and a willingness to blame kids for the failings of the education system and crummy parenting. Drugging up kids that are hyper isn't actually an optimal solution.

No, but real ADHD is a serious condition for a lot of people. And treating that condition can be very expensive. It can also be very burdensome on the education system when they think they're just dealing with a hyper little snot and are actually dealing with a person who has a mental condition.

Sure for some folks it just takes a little mastery of the condition and figuring out how to work things out, for other people it's a serious handicap.

But yes, most medical conditions are poorly diagnosed, especially on children and young adults by doctors who need to pay the bills in a broken medical system and parents who don't want to give a damn about their child and a general system that advocates that if people aren't successful in life they must obviously be lazy shits who don't want to work.

[Slammin Shaman]

You do get that Obama did in fact visit the plant making those claims?

He just didn't get a chance to be a damned liar because it closed before he took office.

It's still closed and he was there claiming it would remain open.

Maybe you should read that article a little more closely before you start calling things "lies."

[Grizzly Willy]

Well there are lies and damned lies obviously.

But the real difference is that Romney/Ryan weren't lying regarding a lot of things because those things haven't occurred yet. It's not a lie to say the president's economic plan is a failure and his debt reduction is smoke and mirrors.

What Obama/Biden do is tell lies about people based on things that are in the past.

There is a big difference.

So, shit and nauseating shit. I'll take the pie of truth (tm) please.

[belfpala]

I have to agree with everyone (is that possible?!?). If I had been born 10 years later than I was, I'm pretty sure I would have been on at least Ritalin. I have some severe ADD symptoms, but I now recognize them as OCD instead (if I'm concentrating on thoughts, I spontaneously get up and start pacing around; while doing so I'm very careful about where my feet land; I count how many steps I take; I check locks many times; I wash my hands obsessively; I walk down to the basement, and make sure I take a prime number worth of steps...).

It took until third grade until I learned to hold it in. That was somewhere in the 80's. If I had been raised a decade later, I would probably be an amphetamine junkie.