Comcast buys up 51% stake in NBC

[AgtFox]

Just caught this, but rumors are that Comcast is interested in buying up to 50% of NBC Universal.

[total]

Then they will charge insane rates to Dish and DirecTV to, again, try to drive them out of business. Comcast can suck a fat one. Some of the stuff they get away with amazes me.

[AgtFox]

Details are varied. Some places say Comcast is interested in buying out GEs stake, some are saying Comcast wants to buy up Vivendi's 20% stake (that they want to sell) as well as pick up another large percentage.

It's all confusing and everyone is denying it. Comcast did attempt to buy Disney a few years ago and that fell through. This buyup would be a lot less.

[BabyJesus]

Fuck comcast!

Just got upgraded to 25/15(download/upload) on Fios and I am never going back, plus the TV service is much better. Never a single line interference or any trouble.

[Dukefrukem]

Why does everyone hate Comcast?

[total]

Fuck comcast!

Just got upgraded to 25/15(download/upload) on Fios and I am never going back, plus the TV service is much better. Never a single line interference or any trouble.

And I bet you pay either relatively the same or less for the 15 meg connection I have.

[total]

Why does everyone hate Comcast?

Their shitty anti-competitive business practices, poor customer service and unbelievable pricing. That is just the few that really effect me personally, off the top of my head.

[BabyJesus]

And I bet you pay either relatively the same or less for the 15 meg connection I have.

Maybe. I pay $119+1 HD DVR fee+3 set top box fees, for Internet, phone, TV.

[Pale Ale]

Why does everyone hate Comcast?

I think the real question is why don't you? :confused:

[Wraith]

So the first thing that springs to mind is the Net Neutrality fear that Comcast would then give NBC content priority on their network, while the competition (other content providers) get relegated to the "slow lane," unless they want to pay for the privilege.

[roboninja]

Why not? Eventually we will have the nirvana that will come pf one sole company creating, owning, and distributing all media. It will be wonderful!.

I think I just pulled an eye muscle.

[Dukefrukem]

I just remembered the cap they had on internet connection a while back... but i don't remember being affected by it. I guess i just never ran into the problems and complaints people are reporting.

[total]

Maybe. I pay $119+1 HD DVR fee+3 set top box fees, for Internet, phone, TV.

Yep. $115.00 for 15 meg service and digital starter (which is basic cable plus a box which doesn't actually output a digital signal...at all). Fuck Comcast with a huge cock.

[MagGnome]

Well it happened, and I'm really surprised that there hasn't been a thread on it.

I personally think it's total bullshit, and unfortunately our government has no spine when it comes to regulation or preventing monopolies.


Edit - I feel total's pain. I was so tired of Comcast's crap that I switched to Qwest, and now I'm paying 30/mo for 1.5MB DSL. :(

[Generation ABXY]

Congrats, Comcast! What? I thought the thread needed some balance...

[muddi900]

This is not really a rumor, its been a done deal for a week now.

[MagGnome]

This is not really a rumor, its been a done deal for a week now.

Yeah, read my post. :p

[Karak]

Comcast is one of only four companies that has caused me complete utter homicidal rage. If I did not have the fear of being a prison-bitch for a 6 foot Mexican wrestler named Lupa I would go into one of the local offices and take a lawn mower to their faces. I lawn mower that I had just set on fire with gasoline and covered in cobra venom.
Then I would dance through their empty halls filming it and stop only so that I could use their horrid web services to upload the video to youtube.

My top 5 reasons for wanting them destroyed:

1 They took me to court only to find out...they took the wrong person(someone with 100% no connection to me)

2 They have 3 times lied about how much bandwidth I used in a given month only to admit the truth later.

3 They came to my apartment complex to upgrade the local wiring(their decision...they called the landlord to inform that they were coming) then tried to bill me for repairs.
Then when I refused they said I called and requested the change, only to later admit that they had no call and it was a regular maint. fix. but that was only after the operator told me she thought I was lying about who I was and that I was probably the apartment manager...WTF?

4 They attributed illegal music downloads to my computer....a computer that was in a fucking box in a moving van at the time. And from an apartment that was dead empty and a connection that had been turned off weeks before.

5 Their shit is twice the price of their closest rivals and damn near 1/2 as good.

K bye.

[MagGnome]

Karak pretty much sums up my rage, although they haven't yet sued me, so there is that. :p

[Karak]

Karak pretty much sums up my rage, although they haven't yet sued me, so there is that. :p

And the best part...our justice system allows me NO recourse to get compensated. Days of searching my records(to figure out who this fucker was they were talking about), a day of work, an hour with the judge and about 4 hours of paperwork.

I could have been playing the 360:(

[muddi900]

Yeah, read my post. :p

No, it appeared in my RSS feed, A WEEK AGO!

And the best part...our justice system allows me NO recourse to get compensated. Days of searching my records(to figure out who this fucker was they were talking about), a day of work, an hour with the judge and about 4 hours of paperwork.

I could have been playing the 360:(

Cant you just sue for emotional damage? isn't that the American Way?

[Karak]

No, it appeared in my RSS feed, A WEEK AGO!

Cant you just sue for emotional damage? isn't that the American Way?

I could but then I would be a part of the problem I despise.

No, sadly the only thing to do is hold onto my rage. Stoke it from time to time with memories and wait until I come down with a fatal disease.
And then start up the lawn mower. On their faces.

Easy.

[Spectre-7]

I was watching a video of MW2 the other day, and the player was carrying a shotgun in each hand. At the time, I was so confused... just utterly bewildered. "How the fuck can he carry shotgun in each hand?" I asked. "How the hell does that work?"

I still don't know the answer to those questions, but I'm nevertheless confident that shotguns akimbo is the proper response to Comcast's tactics in this particular instance. When you decide to take up your grievances with the company.... well, just keep that in mind.

[ShivaX]

I was watching a video of MW2 the other day, and the player was carrying a shotgun in each hand. At the time, I was so confused... just utterly bewildered. "How the fuck can he carry shotgun in each hand?" I asked. "How the hell does that work?"



Semi auto shotguns and a whole ton of arm strength? You can forget about aiming at all though. I mean they might well allow people to toss an AK-47 in each hand and go to town.

[muddi900]

I could but then I would be a part of the problem I despise.

No, sadly the only thing to do is hold onto my rage. Stoke it from time to time with memories and wait until I come down with a fatal disease.
And then start up the lawn mower. On their faces.

Easy.

Its not a problem if you're the one getting paid! ;)

I was watching a video of MW2 the other day, and the player was carrying a shotgun in each hand. At the time, I was so confused... just utterly bewildered. "How the fuck can he carry shotgun in each hand?" I asked. "How the hell does that work?"


With the power of awesome.

[boratika]

Is it odd that the first thing this makes me wonder about is 30 Rock?

This is not really a rumor, its been a done deal for a week now.

If you look at the posts two above yours and up, you will notice they are from two months ago.

[MagGnome]

If you look at the posts two above yours and up, you will notice they are from two months ago.

Thank you! I looked for a thread, found that this was the only one, and made my comment. I'm really surprised that there wasn't an ongoing discussion about this, as it's a very big deal.

Still, this kind of thing is so commonplace in America that I'm really not surprised there wasn't more of an uproar.

[Krispy]

Are people not worried about this? This is a very SCARY thing to me. If our government allows the merger of it's largest telecommunications company and one of the largest networks it does a few things in my mind:

Creates the extremely dangerous combination where a company is both a CREATOR of competitive content and DISTRIBUTOR of ALL content that is competing.
Sets a precedent for other telecommunication and media stations to look for similar deals to compete.
Comcast already has broadband monopolies in a lot of areas and I garauntee this merger will allow them clout to raise prices again in the form "new" packages.

If this happens and net neutrality is not backed I can't see anything positive coming out of it for the consumer.

[MagGnome]

We are all going to be screwed over, as has been usual during the last twenty years of merger-mania in America. Just look at the results of all the financial industry mergers. Now companies are "too big to fail" and must be bailed out by the government. Yet the government allowed them to get that big in the first place. They should have just been broken up instead, and the CEOs either jailed or forced to take realistic pay.

Then again I'm an evil socialist, so take the above with a grain of salt if you enjoy big business. :p

Edit - It should be noted that most of our media is controlled by a few huge conglomerates already, and this just furthers that control.

[Talanvor]

FTC, get in there and do your fucking job. Dammit.

[Krispy]

Edit - It should be noted that most of our media is controlled by a few huge conglomerates already, and this just furthers that control.

Don't even get me started on interlocking directorates.

[Xerxes]

Wow this sucks. And I stay in part of Houston where this is my only option. Can't even switch to Uverse.

[Loki]

Is it odd that the first thing this makes me wonder about is 30 Rock?



If you look at the posts two above yours and up, you will notice they are from two months ago.

You're not the only one.

[Disgustipated]

Fuck, as if Comcast wasn't power hungry and abusive with what power they have already.

[Deadend]

Comcast is a horrible company that took quite a while to realize that the only way they can make more money is to win customers from other providers and to charge more money. What they realized is that they can deliver less content per dollar and not worry, as they have internet monopolies in some areas and cable monopolies in many areas as well.

What it comes down to is that the cable bill at my house goes up every so often. We don't get more channels when the price goes up, in fact sometimes they have swapped out a channel I like, for one that I hate. But they charge more and more for the bottom tier, when it's not like the cost of delivering service has risen.

[Loki]

Hrmm. This makes me glad that Comcast isn't in the area.

[digitalErich]

Comcast is the only game in town for internet so I'm stuck with them on that end, but after Lost I'm going to cancel my cable outright. After burning through season 1 of Mentalist last week and remembering how great it is to watch a show in that format, I did some calculations.

I realized that for the money I spend on Comcast for cable, I could buy every TV show I watch on DVD or Blu-Ray (even including past seasons) and still save significant amounts of money.

Comcast's days are numbered anyway...everything will be ala cart at some point, and I can't wait for that. They won't be able to rip people off with "packages" forever.

[OUX]

Hmmm, I think the middle-east is right, sometimes, you just have to blow a fucking building up to get their attention.

[Loki]

Comcast is the only game in town for internet so I'm stuck with them on that end, but after Lost I'm going to cancel my cable outright. After burning through season 1 of Mentalist last week and remembering how great it is to watch a show in that format, I did some calculations.

I realized that for the money I spend on Comcast for cable, I could buy every TV show I watch on DVD or Blu-Ray (even including past seasons) and still save significant amounts of money.

Comcast's days are numbered anyway...everything will be ala cart at some point, and I can't wait for that. They won't be able to rip people off with "packages" forever.

It's already there. With such fantastic services as Hulu and Netflix, the only thing I pay for is my internet connection. I see absolutely no reason to have a cable TV plan.

[Xerxes]

It's already there. With such fantastic services as Hulu and Netflix, the only thing I pay for is my internet connection. I see absolutely no reason to have a cable TV plan.

Yeah... Now Comcast has controlling interest in Hulu. :eek:

[Camel]

It's already there. With such fantastic services as Hulu and Netflix, the only thing I pay for is my internet connection. I see absolutely no reason to have a cable TV plan.
There's a great reason happening right now: the NFL season. I have had to resort to all sorts of crazy methods to watch games online. Other than that, though, I agree.

[DoctorFinger]

Hmmm, I think the middle-east is right, sometimes, you just have to blow a fucking building up to get their attention.Really? Are you really saying that?

[OUX]

Really? Are you really saying that?

Well, granted no one should be in it. And it shouldn't be somewhere that could cause collateral damage or metropolitan congestion. But if there was an empty comcast building in the middle of nowhere I fully endorse blowing it up.

[MagGnome]

Comcast's days are numbered anyway...everything will be ala cart at some point, and I can't wait for that. They won't be able to rip people off with "packages" forever.

I only wish that were the case. Unfortunately, Comcast has a lot of clout, and they could very well hold all of us back, at least for a while. Just look at what the RIAA did with digital downloads and what a mess that was for a few years. Comcast now has a big stake in HULU, which is scary.

Oh, and you realize that you can watch Lost without cable, right? :p It's network TV, and it's even online. You don't need cable to watch network TV - well not yet, anyway.


It's already there. With such fantastic services as Hulu and Netflix, the only thing I pay for is my internet connection. I see absolutely no reason to have a cable TV plan.

Comcast has slowly raised their internet rates, especially in areas where they are the only game in town. I wouldn't be surprised if they started pushing them up even more as more and more people cancel their cable plans. It reached the point where I nearly canceled my service, but I do really want to have the net at home. I wish that Qwest would step up and roll out higher speeds, but why bother when they can charge so much for 1.5MB DSL? I would get FIOS in a heartbeat if it was available here. Sometimes I feel like I live in the middle of nowhere.

[Krispy]

Well, granted no one should be in it. And it shouldn't be somewhere that could cause collateral damage or metropolitan congestion. But if there was an empty comcast building in the middle of nowhere I fully endorse blowing it up.

Nice save? :confused:

Here is some blogging done about news concerning political criticism of the merger: http://thehill.com/blogs/hillicon-valley/technology/70523-comcast-nbc-deal-draws-more-criticism

Really though, I'd like to meet a person who thinks this is a good idea so I can punch them in the face. There's probably a big business conservative around here someplace.

[OUX]

Nice save? :confused:

Here is some blogging done about news concerning political criticism of the merger: http://thehill.com/blogs/hillicon-valley/technology/70523-comcast-nbc-deal-draws-more-criticism

Really though, I'd like to meet a person who thinks this is a good idea so I can punch them in the face. There's probably a big business conservative around here someplace.

Meh. *shrug* I thought it was ridiculous enough I wouldn't really have to address it.

[AgtFox]

Meh. *shrug* I thought it was ridiculous enough I wouldn't really have to address it.
Let's just say the post was reported, so someone must have taken issue with it.

[Generation ABXY]

Yeah... Now Comcast has controlling interest in Hulu. :eek:

Well, that's disappointing. Hopefully we won't see any major changes (unless they'd like to toss it back on the PS3, that is).

There's probably a big business conservative around here someplace.

I think you're looking for Mags. Yeah, that's it...

[OUX]

Let's just say the post was reported, so someone must have taken issue with it.

Ah, ok, well er, sorry about that.

[Krispy]

Well, that's disappointing. Hopefully we won't see any major changes (unless they'd like to toss it back on the PS3, that is).

The future looks bleak then: http://news.cnet.com/8301-31001_3-10381622-261.html

[Generation ABXY]

You know, if I got it ad free, I might be willing to do that. That's one of the things that always bugged me about cable and satellite - you pay for the service, and then still get advertised at.

[Karak]

Meh. *shrug* I thought it was ridiculous enough I wouldn't really have to address it.

Scratches head. Ya...that wasn't half as bad as 90% of the posts do here.
Keep on keeping on.

Whoops. Post reporting. I did not realize that.

Back on topic.
Comcast in my area just raised prices with no warning as well. Good times. I swear I am not sure how that is not illegal.

[Krispy]

The actions of a lot of companies are illegal. It's simply that they know they can get away with stuff like that until someone calls them out on it and then all that happens is they get some sort of fine that they can write off. These companies that get millions of dollars of fines don't exactly hand over a check to the government, they just defer the payments to properties or stock or what not.

And then you get company mergers like this and before you know it they become "too big to fail" and then they do and the government which was fining them for bad practices now has to give them money to stay afloat because they are too big to let fail.

Yep. And then you have interlocking directorates allowing company CEO's to sit on as many as 16 other major company boards. The population of people running the most influential companies is a lot smaller than you think, it's practically it's own society.

I'm incredibly bitter to the entire scenario.

[digitalErich]

I only wish that were the case. Unfortunately, Comcast has a lot of clout, and they could very well hold all of us back, at least for a while. Just look at what the RIAA did with digital downloads and what a mess that was for a few years. Comcast now has a big stake in HULU, which is scary.
If it were up to the RIAA, digital downloads would have never happened, but here we are. Yes, there are large companies with clout, but in the case of CDs vs digital downloads, consumers have basically all but pushed a legacy distribution model to the brink of extinction. Comcast can fight all it wants and probably even hold back the tide for a few years, but it's coming.


Oh, and you realize that you can watch Lost without cable, right? :p It's network TV, and it's even online. You don't need cable to watch network TV - well not yet, anyway.
Yep, I could get it over the air, but I travel a lot so having a DVR I don't have to build and maintain myself or buy yet more hardware and a subscription for (TiVo) is worth the 6 more months of Comcast or whatever it'll be.

[Xerxes]

Really? Are you really saying that?

I know you're in NYC and all but Fight Club is bigger than all that. So I'll stand next to him, not for the Middle East comment, but for endgame truth of Fight Club.

FIGHT CLUB!!

[Vigil80]

4 They attributed illegal music downloads to my computer....a computer that was in a fucking box in a moving van at the time. And from an apartment that was dead empty and a connection that had been turned off weeks before.
What's it to them? Even if you had been downloading music for free, screw them for trying to be anybody's net nanny.

There was a lot wrong with cable/internet providers before this merger, and even more will be afterwards. I'm still trying to figure out how there is such a thing as a DVR fee. It's the modern counterpart to taping with your VCR, right? And you can build your own DVR setup if you want to, right? So how is there a regular fee for that? Screw them for that, too.

I used to think I wanted digital cable and DVR and all that, but now it looks like a lone internet connection is the way to go. Just acquire media you want online, and play video games the rest of the time.

[Loki]

I know you're in NYC and all but Fight Club is bigger than all that. So I'll stand next to him, not for the Middle East comment, but for endgame truth of Fight Club.

FIGHT CLUB!!

That it is O.K. to blow up a building? Right...

I'm just going to stand over here in the corner while you two kids discuss the finer points of destroying property and potentially ending lives. Hoorah?!

[Loki]

I only wish that were the case. Unfortunately, Comcast has a lot of clout, and they could very well hold all of us back, at least for a while. Just look at what the RIAA did with digital downloads and what a mess that was for a few years. Comcast now has a big stake in HULU, which is scary.

Oh, and you realize that you can watch Lost without cable, right? :p It's network TV, and it's even online. You don't need cable to watch network TV - well not yet, anyway.




Comcast has slowly raised their internet rates, especially in areas where they are the only game in town. I wouldn't be surprised if they started pushing them up even more as more and more people cancel their cable plans. It reached the point where I nearly canceled my service, but I do really want to have the net at home. I wish that Qwest would step up and roll out higher speeds, but why bother when they can charge so much for 1.5MB DSL? I would get FIOS in a heartbeat if it was available here. Sometimes I feel like I live in the middle of nowhere.

I have Qwest too! But I have 7mbps and I live in Boise. I wonder if this means that Boise is less of a middle of nowhere place than St. Paul, MN. And if that is true, then maybe Boise will no longer be the red-headed step child that is picked on by the bigger, more popular kids. No? Maybe? Please? One can always dream.

[MagGnome]

I think you're looking for Mags. Yeah, that's it...

You caught me! :p


The actions of a lot of companies are illegal. It's simply that they know they can get away with stuff like that until someone calls them out on it and then all that happens is they get some sort of fine that they can write off. These companies that get millions of dollars of fines don't exactly hand over a check to the government, they just defer the payments to properties or stock or what not.

And then you get company mergers like this and before you know it they become "too big to fail" and then they do and the government which was fining them for bad practices now has to give them money to stay afloat because they are too big to let fail.

Yep. And then you have interlocking directorates allowing company CEO's to sit on as many as 16 other major company boards. The population of people running the most influential companies is a lot smaller than you think, it's practically it's own society.

I'm incredibly bitter to the entire scenario.

This is exactly what I was talking about in my previous post, but you were much more detailed than I was. I agree with every word. Things are only going to get worse, unfortunately.

One of my friends is all for it too. He says that big corporations are more efficient and better than big government. Obviously we have to have one or the other. -_-


I have Qwest too! But I have 7mbps and I live in Boise. I wonder if this means that Boise is less of a middle of nowhere place than St. Paul, MN. And if that is true, then maybe Boise will no longer be the red-headed step child that is picked on by the bigger, more popular kids. No? Maybe? Please? One can always dream.

Well, the city of Boise and the city of Saint Paul are roughly the same size (with Saint Paul noticeably bigger), but the metro area of Saint Paul is FIVE times larger than that of Boise.

Compare-

City of Boise - 205,314
City of Saint Paul - 287,151

Metro Boise - 587,689
Metro Saint Paul (aka Twin Cities) - 3,502,891

It's pathetic that a metro area the size of the one I live in has two "high speed" internet options. It's even worse when you consider that Qwest is only available in certain areas, so many people have no choice but to use Comcast. Qwest has higher speeds in certain areas, but not in my neighborhood, for whatever reason.

[Xerxes]

That it is O.K. to blow up a building? Right...

I'm just going to stand over here in the corner while you two kids discuss the finer points of destroying property and potentially ending lives. Hoorah?!

Only when it's the man holding you down. The real the man, not the boogie man from 70s.

[JayVe]

... it looks like a lone internet connection is the way to go.
Amen. Cable TV is for suckers. Keep an OTA HDTV signal for PBS tho.

[AgtFox]

It's pathetic that a metro area the size of the one I live in has two "high speed" internet options. It's even worse when you consider that Qwest is only available in certain areas, so many people have no choice but to use Comcast. Qwest has higher speeds in certain areas, but not in my neighborhood, for whatever reason.
Qwest has a larger area than you think, they are the original phone company around here. It was the biggest high-speed company before Comcast purchased Time Warner here (Time Warner was in Minneapolis and the western suburbs, Comcast was St. Paul and the eastern suburbs...minus a few that were Frontier or Charter).

I can tell you why Qwest doesn't have higher speeds in areas like St. Paul. The phone lines and conjunction system is old. Not sure why they don't go about upgrading it, even though it would be a huge task. You were on the "forefront" of high speed in the area, problem is as time went by faster options were available and much of it went to the untapped suburbs.

[MagGnome]

Yeah, I figured that the higher speeds were available in the suburbs. Stupid suburbs. :p

I live in one of the older parts of the Twin Cities, so it's no surprise that the lines here are old as well. My apartment building is around 100 years old.

[muddi900]

Only when it's the man holding you down. The real the man, not the boogie man from 70s.

Tyler Durden is a FRAUD!

[Krispy]

This is exactly what I was talking about in my previous post, but you were much more detailed than I was. I agree with every word. Things are only going to get worse, unfortunately.

One of my friends is all for it too. He says that big corporations are more efficient and better than big government. Obviously we have to have one or the other. -_-

So god damned efficient that the businesses in charge of managing our money went bankrupt? American corporations follow a short term plan of action, they have about as much foresight as your average president, i.e. 4 years. Politics and business are incredibly short sighted and self benefiting.

We could use more people like Edward Deming: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W._Edward_Demming#Dr._W._Edward_Deming.27s_14_poin ts :D

[MagGnome]

Americans in general are short sighted. They want instant gratification, and they want what they think is best NOW, the future be damned.

[Generation ABXY]

Americans in general are short sighted. They want instant gratification, and they want what they think is best NOW, the future be damned.

I've been saying the same thing about the health care debate, but it's not taking. Perhaps you could go to bat for me? :D

[MagGnome]

I've been saying the same thing about the health care debate, but it's not taking. Perhaps you could go to bat for me? :D

It's obvious that universal, singe-payer healthcare is the way to go. We'd get it if we weren't so greedy and short-sighted. Our government is basically the whipping boy of big business. It's sad and pathetic.

[Generation ABXY]

If they do it right, I might not have any problem with single-payer. I just think they need to iron out some of the details (there are quite a few things I disagree with in it), but many people are saying, "Hell, no! Hit the gas, and we'll worry about parachutes if we drive off a cliff!" That is not taking the time to ensure something for future generations; that's instant gratification, if even for a "good cause".

But, I digress...

[Krispy]

It's obvious that universal, singe-payer healthcare is the way to go. We'd get it if we weren't so greedy and short-sighted. Our government is basically the whipping boy of big business. It's sad and pathetic.

I'd shit myself if the health care system proposed worked.

[MagGnome]

If they do it right, I might not have any problem with single-payer. I just think they need to iron out some of the details (there are quite a few things I disagree with in it), but many people are saying, "Hell, no! Hit the gas, and we'll worry about parachutes if we drive off a cliff!" That is not taking the time to ensure something for future generations; that's instant gratification, if even for a "good cause".

But, I digress...

I agree that there would be a lot of issues to iron out. That said, the new bill seems like just as big of a mess as the one we have now. There were so many concessions made to the insurance industry that it's just disgusting. Why should they have ANY say at all?

Corporations should not be drafting/influencing legislation. That's not government by the people and for the people.

[Generation ABXY]

Oh, I agree, Jacob. If they can do it on a grassroots level, convincing the voters that something is best for them, more power to them, but they shouldn’t be able to stroll into a senator’s office with their checkbook in hand. Of course, I also think that if there is going to be “public option,” they all need to be on an even playing field. The private market shouldn’t have any more arbitrary limitations (like say, state lines) than are necessary, especially since they’d already face a major disadvantage: government fiat.

Hmm, maybe it's time to open up a health care thread in P&R again...

[MagGnome]

Didn't the public option go the way of the dodo? The whole bill was dead to me after that. What's the point now? Are they going to mandate that we all buy private insurance? That's just BS IMHO.

Edit - I also think that the bill HAS to cover illegal immigrants. I know a lot of people don't like this, but it's not like illegal immigrants are going to stop showing up in the ER if they aren't covered by either public or private insurance. They will just push up everyone elses' rates and bills if they continue to go uncovered.

[AgtFox]

*Looks at thread title*

*Looks at thread*

When did we go from Comcast and how they're going to screw us to a political argument on Health Care? I thought about moving the Health Care posts into an already open thread in P&R, but held off.

[Generation ABXY]

Sorry about that, AgtFox. I'll likely pick it up in P&R. :o

[MagGnome]

Sorry Mr. Fox! That was my fault. :o

[Krispy]

It was a subtle attempt to lull Ox out of hiding, I'm sure.

[MagGnome]

It was a subtle attempt to lull Ox out of hiding, I'm sure.

We'll go with that.