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Cyber-Security Czar To Be Named

The Washington Post and everybody else is reporting that on Tuesday President Obama will name Howard A. Schmidt as cyber-security czar. Schmidt was an advisor to President Bush on cyber-security matters. The Post rehearses the reasons why the Obama administration has had difficulty in finding someone for the post, and notes that the turf battles did not start in this administration: "Schmidt was chosen after a long process in which dozens of people were sounded out. Many declined the post, largely out of concern that the job conferred much responsibility with little true authority, some of them said. Meanwhile, the cybersecurity chief at the National Security Council, Christopher Painter, has served as the de facto coordinator, trying to push ahead the 60-day cyberspace policy review plan unveiled by Obama in May. That plan's formulation was led by Melissa Hathaway, who resigned in frustration in August after delays in naming a cyber-coordinator. She had been a contender for the position... Schmidt served as special adviser for cyberspace security from 2001 to 2003 and shepherded the National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace, a plan that then was largely ignored. He left that job also frustrated, colleagues said."

85 of 139 comments (clear)

  1. Good luck with that, Howard by Jawn98685 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    You are going to need it. "...much responsibility and little true authority..." is a recipe for failure and scapegoating. As it is so often in business, so it is even more so in government, the PHB's (those with the real authority) don't grasp the issues and will make bad decisions, forcing you to deal with the consequences.
    Get it in writing. There words and yours. Let there be as public a record as possible as to what recommendations were ignored.

    1. Re:Good luck with that, Howard by sakdoctor · · Score: 1

      Typical entry level government job.

      The aim is to hack your way to the top, where you have all the authority and no responsibility.

    2. Re:Good luck with that, Howard by earlymon · · Score: 1

      "...much responsibility and little true authority..." is a recipe for failure and scapegoating.

      It's always bad for the executive monkey.

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulcers_in_Executive_Monkeys

      --
      Pathological kinda promises Path + Logical - but instead, you get stuck with pathetic.
    3. Re:Good luck with that, Howard by BCW2 · · Score: 1

      This whole administration is nothing but theoreticians who have never actually done anything in the real world. Why would anyone expect good solutions to anything?

      --
      Professional Politicians are not the solution, they ARE the problem.
  2. Here comes XKCD by readthemall · · Score: 4, Insightful
  3. What's next by Alarindris · · Score: 2, Insightful

    the Fuhrer of Healthcare?

    1. Re:What's next by ddxexex · · Score: 3, Funny

      "Freedom Fuhrer" has a cooler ring to it...

    2. Re:What's next by Errol+backfiring · · Score: 1

      But the USA already has one. They call him "President".

      --
      Nae king! Nae laird! Nae yurrupiean pressedent! We willna be fooled again!
    3. Re:What's next by Icegryphon · · Score: 1

      More Czars than a bolsheviks wedding!

    4. Re:What's next by earlymon · · Score: 2, Informative

      What's next, the Fuhrer of Healthcare?

      Right on.

      The Prez called him a cyber-security coordinator - it was the dumb-ass reporter for TFA that introduced the word czar, once again.

      --
      Pathological kinda promises Path + Logical - but instead, you get stuck with pathetic.
    5. Re:What's next by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      "Freedom, how many crimes have been committed in your name?"

      Said allegedly by Manon Rolland before she was guillotined in 1793. It's interesting how little has changed since.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    6. Re:What's next by Manchot · · Score: 2, Informative

      In all seriousness, "czar" is just an informal term that the media began using to describe these types of positions. Unfortunately, people who aren't very well-informed see the word and think that they represent some sort of communist plot to seize power. They really don't have any authority, and are ultimately just specialized advisors to the president.

    7. Re:What's next by Uniquitous · · Score: 2, Insightful

      True, but those people see communist plots hiding in every shadow. It's like a Rorschach test. They see what they want to see. The sad part is that they don't know the first thing about any of the -isms that they claim to despise; they just get good & mad whenever their talking heads tell them to.

    8. Re:What's next by querent23 · · Score: 1

      +1 Funny.

  4. Re:The Googles by ickleberry · · Score: 1

    Since his name is "Schmidt" I'm assuming he knows all about The Google

  5. Named? by maxume · · Score: 1

    Given the sensitive nature of the job, they should go unnamed.

    --
    Nerd rage is the funniest rage.
  6. Hathaway by el_tedward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Wow, I didn't realize Hathaway had resigned.. but I guess that's why she didn't get the job, eh? I don't think this is the last resignation we'll see in the cyber security area.

    Hathaway seemed like she was really the best pick for the job, especially considering the 60 day cyberspace policy review thing she did. Not that I read through the entire thing, but she made some pretty interesting suggestions. For instance, she talked about how cyber security is not something that can just be centrally managed on a national level and then applied across different agencies. Each agency has to be forced to create a good information security culture for themselves (this is already happening, to an extent).

    The National Cyber Security Division within Homeland Security has been trying to do this. They have neither the resources, nor the authority to do this, however.. even though it's part of what their mission is. As a result, they've had some extreme issue when it comes to leadership, with almost no one lasting more than a year or so there without resigning.

    I wouldn't be surprised if I saw Mr. Schmidt resigning at some point, but hopefully having an experienced advisor with the Presidents ear will move cyber security up enough in the list of priorities so that people aren't scared just to take the job in first place.

  7. No takers? by MrMr · · Score: 2, Funny

    Not a single democrat willing to take the job...
    The party has just crawled up one notch in my esteem.

  8. How would this work? by Bicx · · Score: 1

    I can understand why some of the potential candidates declined the offer. Trying to improve internet security from the level of a politician will be like trying to carry water in a spaghetti strainer. There are only two ways to really fix internet security: wait for technology to improve through private industry, or pull the plug. I really hope no attempt is made to use government funds to back a particular contractor. Traditional government funding provides little incentive for rapid improvement (your productivity does not affect your income, and a government-backed organization inevitably turns political inside and out, resulting in a long chain of ass-kissing).

    I really fear that more deals will be made with AT&T and other top infrastructure-owning companies. I am a big proponent of fair market, and each deal made between a private company and the government puts us one step farther away from equal competition. Stepping away from equal competition means it is that much harder for bright, new companies to enter the market.

  9. Who? by kaaona · · Score: 1

    Captain Dunsel comes to mind...

  10. No Authority by Virtucon · · Score: 1

    None of these diverse organizations in the Federal Government will cede authority to an appointed bureaucrat. His office may come up with standards but adoption will face tremendous hurdles of anything that he comes up with. There's too much entropy in Washington IT and it's governed by consultants and contractors all with their own agendas. Couple that with a full time workforce that is largely unaffected by any thought of losing their jobs over something like IT Security and you have a lose/lose situation.

    Most of the Federal Bureaucracies in IT serve the budget and unless congress mandates some sort of funding strings I doubt that you'll see any positive movement in security the litany of websites, servers and other things that contain government information.

    --
    Harrison's Postulate - "For every action there is an equal and opposite criticism"
  11. Scapegoat by 2gravey · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Funny, they had to give the job back to the last guy who had it because no one else would take it. I wouldn't take it either, because that guy is going to get strung up by the angry mob when the inevitable Chinese cyber-strike occurs.

  12. This is the best and brightest? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I've met Howard Schmidt several times at security events, and I think he's best suited for writing articles for the trade mags and speaking on the lecture circuit than he is for real information security work. Hre just strikes me as nothing more than a charlatan.

    It's hard to meet the guy and come away liking him too, his ego fills the room, and since he's an "honorary" professor at several colleges with security initiatives, he inists on everyone calling him "professor schmidt." Reminds me of the maestro from "Seinfeld."

    I don't know how he could be taken seriously after he did an infomercial on youtube for his alma matta, the University of Phoenix: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ep2ykil-cmU

  13. A first by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    The first non-socialist, non-tax-cheat appointed by the administration!

  14. It depends upon how he works it. by khasim · · Score: 1

    Since there's no authority, he cannot force anyone to do anything.

    Since he is the "Czar", he CAN make recommendations.

    Any department that doesn't follow his recommendations is on their own when they get cracked.

    Any department that DOES follow his recommendations has an easy out when they get cracked. They blame him.

    Meanwhile, he's busy setting up all of his family and friends with high paying, low responsibility jobs with the companies trying to get him to "recommend" their products/services.

  15. Letting Obama off easy by lseltzer · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Don't let Obama off easy on the "turf wars" thing. He specifically promised multiple times in the campaign to hire a security czar who would report directly to him and have real authority.

    For months nobody would accept this position because it was set to report both to the National Security Council and National Economic Council and have no budgetary authority. Now it seems that he will report only to the National Security Council, but this still breaks Obama's promise, although this is hardly the only time he tossed aside a campaign promise.

  16. Re:if you don't have health insurance by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    What is the difference the taxpayer is going to be paying for all of it anyway. Maybe the next time you get your paycheck, why don't you look at the taxes the government is taking from you. One of those is FICA.. You will see it. We already cover these people and now under the OBAMANATION we get to subsidize them even more. You are wrong the freedom from responsibility rests with these government tit suckers. While we (the taxpayer) continue to shoulder the load and have the responsibility of paying more.

  17. the pasha of pulchritude by circletimessquare · · Score: 1

    the emir of enigmas

    the nawab of nosiness

    the sahib of silliness

    the khan of the kafkaesque

    you can have fun with this all day

    --
    intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
  18. It's not even practical by MikeRT · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Each federal department behaves differently. Agencies like the various DoD support and intelligence agencies, not to mention the CIA which is its own separate agency unto itself from any department, are not going to let the yahoos from Homeland Security or Justice tell them what to do or even be in on the conversation about how they organize and communicate, especially with regard to classified information.

    A cyber-security czar who cannot command the CIA and DoD agencies is quite literally one with no practical authority since those groups are the majority of what matters with real, important IT security in the federal government.

  19. Czar Howard II by lseltzer · · Score: 1

    Schmidt wasn't just "a former Bush administration official," he was the first cybersecurity czar, appointed shortly after 9/11 and contributed to the National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace. I suppose they didn't get it right the first time, but things will be different now.

  20. Re:The Googles by Steauengeglase · · Score: 1

    You don't know anything. You checks the google to make sure the pipes are working, then you check the mcaffee to make sure it is secure.

  21. hey, moron by circletimessquare · · Score: 1, Interesting

    if you buy health insurance right now, it continues to climb in price like no tomorrow, covers less and less every day, all to support a bloated inefficient system of companies competing to deny you coverage. under a single payer system, even if the government was 10x more inefficient and bureaucratic, it would still be cheaper, and you would be paying for a healthcare entity whose mandate is to take care of YOU, not some fucking stockholder

    universal health care coverage is so fucking obviously superior to what we have now, i can only conclude morons and assholes who defy it do so only out of some alien atavistic hatred for simple, obvious progress

    are you like those townhall retards who stand up and shout "big government, keep your socialist hands off my medicare!" (snicker)

    you're going to PAY for healthcare one way or another genius. the current way you pay for it sucks FAR FAR WORSE than a government run system could ever be. try to understand the fucking obvious someday

    --
    intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
    1. Re:hey, moron by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      In your earlier post, you stated "there is no freedom from responsibility". I agree with you on that, but why should everyone be punished for the crimes of a few? In my state it is now illegal to buy pseudoephedrine over the counter because a few idiots chose to use it to make Meth.

      I wish everyone would take more responsibility for themselves, but I think forcing people to buy something they can't afford or don't need is a bad precedent, not to mention unconstitutional.

      But this is supposed to be a discussion about cyber-security.

    2. Re:hey, moron by shentino · · Score: 1

      Typical knee-jerk reaction meant only to appease the hue and cry of an angry electorate by sweeping the problem under the carpet where it can't be seen.

    3. Re:hey, moron by moeinvt · · Score: 1

      "the current way you pay for [health care] sucks FAR FAR WORSE than a government run system could ever be"

      Never underestimate the Federal government's unparalleled talent for making things "suck".

      Just in the last decade, the government in Washington D.C. has brought you two illegal and un-Constitutional wars, The Patriot Act, military commissions act, extraordinary renditions, torture, an absurd loose monetary policy which caused the housing bubble, trillions of dollars of handouts to the biggest banks and financial institutions in the nation, warrantless wiretapping and ex-post facto immunity for the telecoms, irresponsible fiscal policy adding trillions to the national debt and a general disregard for The Constitution and the rule of law. Are you saying that you want to give this VERY SAME government power over the healthcare system? Are you also saying that you trust them to manage it in a way that's for the general good of the U.S. population?

      Only morons, government employees, and a few wealthy elites that benefit from Washington DC's generally disastrous policies would be in favor of giving even more power to the government. The only fucking obvious thing that I can see is that the big government experiment of the 20th century is an utter and complete failure.

  22. Re:Just in time for Cristmas! by isama · · Score: 3, Funny

    In soviet russia You get rid of czar!
    In kapitalist america Czar gets rid of YOU!

  23. Re:if you don't have health insurance by Bicx · · Score: 2

    I'm pretty sure we'll have plenty of people costing taxpayers $20K regardless of the required insurance. If you're too poor to be able to be able to pay for insurance, you're probably in the bracket which will have almost completely government-subsidized insurance. If you have enough to pay for insurance but don't, odds are that you can pony up some money for the hospital bill. If you're in this position but can't pay, then you should be forced to foot the bill as a debt. However, I'm willing to bet (from my personal experience anyway) that the majority of people who currently use the emergency room for free care are also at the poverty level that would allow them highly-subsidized insurance. Therefore, we're all still probably going to take a hit, but it might just be more distributed.

    It really comes down to how we foot the hospital bills for the poor, either through high hospital bills or mandatory insurance for those who can pay. Anyone else taking advantage of the system should be punished.

  24. Re:if you don't have health insurance by 0100010001010011 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    And THIS is what is wrong with American thinking and why "Universal Health Care" will never work. EVERYONE is thinking about 'me me me' and the bottom line on THEIR wallet.

    Every single other first world nation in the world has figured out health care for everyone, and as far as I can tell they haven't devolved into chaos. It's not a matter of money. If we cut Military spending in half and quit tried being the world's big brother we could easily fund full health care for everyone in the US including some 'elective' surgeries like Lasik. The fundamental reason why universal health care won't work in America is thinking like this.

    I got to take all 8 days of vacation to India this year for a wedding where I met quite a few travelers from Europe. Not a single one has this mentality. Not a single one worried about how those 'bums' were imposing on 'their' freedom.

    Some other nice amenities that those 'socialist' countries get that we don't: We are the only country that has no mandatory parental leave. This graph is in weeks. Way down at that tail end is the United States with 0 days. We also have the proud distinction of being the only country with 0 minimum days of vacation..

    If I had fewer ties to America, I would move to one of those 'socialist' countries in a heart beat. I would gladly give 70% income tax to know that I (or my children) are covered cradle to grave (including while on vacation out of the country). School (including college), healthcare, maternity leave, unemployment, etc etc.

    Hopefully when you reach the age you need to move into a home, your family makes the right decision and just has you euthanized instead, wouldn't want you imposing on their freedoms.

  25. Re:Where are all those libertarians of convenience by Alarindris · · Score: 1

    I just meant czar is an inappropriate name...

  26. Just in time! by SEWilco · · Score: 1

    Of course we need a Cyber-Security Car. With so many cars getting electronic enhancements, even becoming WiFi hot spots, it is obvious that we need more security for them. However, they should all have security, not only one car. Unless one Cyber-Security Car offers so much protection that a single one in an area is able to protect a nearby herd of cars. I hope the manufacturers quickly add security, so the government won't try to control the kinds of security in cars.

  27. One other way. by khasim · · Score: 1

    There are only two ways to really fix internet security: wait for technology to improve through private industry, or pull the plug.

    One other way. The government can mandate standards that all products must meet in order to be considered for purchase by the government.

    Think TCP/IP.

    Then, keep extending the spec as new advances are made. But keep it focused on different vendors supplying different segments ... and all working together because they all follow the same spec.

    1. Re:One other way. by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      That works fine until someone comes along with an "enhanced", "superior" model with "better" security, who gets the job because it's "better". Notably better at securing landing the next contract due to proprietary "secure" standards that won't be compatible with anything else.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  28. everyone suffers for the crimes of a few, always by circletimessquare · · Score: 3, Insightful

    if there were no laws against pseudoephedrine, you'd have more meth makers, and all of the society wide suffering that goes with that. the fact you can't buy pseudoephedrine is a different kind of suffering, but a smaller scale of suffering than not having the law around

    life is not about black and white choices, its about shades of grey.you examine the issue in a vacuum, without the context of the negatives of your other choices, and this makes you have these hysterical opinions

    and you NEED health insurance. even 21 yo marathoners have heart attacks and broken legs. if you believe you don't need health insurance, you have some sort of god complex, and then you definitely need mental health coverage

    as for not affording it, you can't afford NOT to have it

    as for making you pay for it: why force people to pay taxes? why not make it voluntary? because people are fucking irresponsible, and they won't pay for taxes, health insurance, or a whole bunch of other things they need but are usually too stupid to understand why they need it. so you NEED to force them because if given a choice, people won't do the right thing. which is pay your fucking taxes and pay your fucking health insurance. you HAVE to, because it is your RESPONSIBILITY as a member of SOCIETY from which you derive BENEFITS

    --
    intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
  29. Re:Yet another LITTLE KING by EmperorKagato · · Score: 1

    Aern't you guys paying attention? Our country is benig overrun buy these UNELECTED leaders!!

    That's not in the CONSTITUION! Its from RUSSIA! happy party members get to b leadrs!!

    Hale to the thief comerad number 1. we need to recall Nobama he's ruining the contriy with socialsm and destroying our DEMOCRACY with comunism! did u vote for the czars/KINGS? I sure didnt

    Why do yuo think were in a recessoin and headed towwards a global crash??

    Oh you. It's a shame that are children believe this.

    --
    ----- You know you have ego issues when you register a domain in your name.
  30. Should have called him "Minister of Information" by Errol+backfiring · · Score: 1

    And suddenly it is the Mother of all Jobs!

    --
    Nae king! Nae laird! Nae yurrupiean pressedent! We willna be fooled again!
  31. Re:everyone suffers for the crimes of a few, alway by alvinrod · · Score: 1, Insightful

    as for making you spread your beliefs: why force people to believe in god? why not make it voluntary? because people are fucking irresponsible, and they won't believe in god, follow his rules, or a whole bunch of other things they need but are usually too stupid to understand why they need it. so you NEED to force them because if given a choice, people won't do the right thing. which is have faith and have their souls safe from damnation. you HAVE to, because it is your RESPONSIBILITY as a member of GOD'S CHILDREN from which you derive SALVATION.

    I hope you know realize why your argument sounds fucking ridiculous. I would have no objection to government health care if my participation were voluntary. Otherwise, you're essentially removing choice and freedom from the equation. If you want me to foot the bill for someone else's medical care, you can sure as hell bet I'm going to want to have a say in how their life is run. They'd better damn well eat right, quit smoking and drinking, not engage in any risky behavior, and must exercise properly. If they're hellbent on taking away my freedom, they can kiss theirs goodbye as well.

    You can go ahead and bring out the list of all of the wonderful things that I get from taxes or society, but save yourself the trouble. If they cost something, I'd prefer to pay based on what I consume, not some blanket tax from the federal government that pays for all kinds of crap I don't want ranging from social security to wars in the Middle East.

    You can't have freedom without responsibility.

  32. you don't understand what freedom is by circletimessquare · · Score: 2, Informative

    according to any philosphical understanding of what freedom means conceptually, freedom has never meant behavior which imposes on other people. your problem is you don't understand in which direction the imposition is happening in the healthcare debate. the issue is not that the government is imposing on you to pay for health insurance, the issue is you are imposing on society thinking you can walk around without health insurance

    "You can't have freedom without responsibility."

    this is exactly right. it is your responsibility to take care of your health. if you don't do that, you are not exercising a freedom of yours, you are acting irresponsibly. you are willfully or ignorantly avoiding the fact that if you are passed out on the ground, we can't simply walk by you, we have to take you to the hospital, or we aren't being ethical. therefore you MUST get health insurance because this is your RESPONSIBILITY. not having insurance is not a right or a freedom you are exercising, it is an act of IRRESPONSIBILITY you are committing

    do you understand now?

    --
    intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
    1. Re:you don't understand what freedom is by aztracker1 · · Score: 1

      What's wrong with just billing everyone. Insurance is a scheme run by the same banking institutions that f'd up the economy already. The fact is, if people were simply billed for their healthcare costs with a decent rate of repayment, then costs would remain lower and pricing would be more consistent. As it is, the "insurance" is used to obfuscate and inflate costs by hospitals so that they overcharge, then get underpaid. If people were billed directly, then costs would remain lower, and it would be possible to get a medical quote for something other than dental, eye and cosmetic procedures that are more commonly paid for out of pocket, and the costs are relatively low.

      With dentists, eye doctors, and cosmetic surgeons the pricing is far lower for procedures of similar complexity to those performed by other types of doctors, because insurance programs only inflate the problem. Similar to how credit has inflated the cost of housing and cars. Funding into for-profit insurance companies is akin to asking the fox to guard the hen house, and then wondering why the losses are so high.

      --
      Michael J. Ryan - tracker1.info
    2. Re:you don't understand what freedom is by alvinrod · · Score: 1

      "you are willfully or ignorantly avoiding the fact that if you are passed out on the ground, we can't simply walk by you, we have to take you to the hospital, or we aren't being ethical."

      I don't subscribe to your ethics, so I don't believe your conclusion follows. I'm only imposing on society, if I think society needs to solve all of my problems at no cost to me. If you are passed out on the ground, I can simply choose to walk by without caring. Police officers or other public servants may be required to offer assistance as part of their job, but as a member of the public no such obligations exist for me.

      I would probably see if you were alive and needed further help, since it doesn't really cost me anything, but after that it's not my problem. If you don't have insurance or can't pay for your medical bills, you can only get help at the expense of someone else, either through their charity or through force. Medical care isn't some unlimited resource that can be freely conjured up at need. It has a cost, and I don't see why I should be stuck paying for you or anyone else if I am unable to limit that cost to myself by running your life for you.

      In a certain sense it could be considered irresponsible not to have insurance or wealth stored to deal with any kind of emergency. I do not believe it is right to force my beliefs of what constitutes responsible behavior on anyone else as long as they do not force their beliefs on me. What I consider irresponsible is to let people make their own free choices, many of which I would consider poor or irresponsible, and then force me to pay for the consequences of their own actions.

      If you can't be a good example, at least you can be a horrible warning. If someone chooses not to take care of their health, let them be a horrible warning.

    3. Re:you don't understand what freedom is by moeinvt · · Score: 1

      "freedom has never meant behavior which imposes on other people."

      Agreed.

      "... you are imposing on society thinking you can walk around without health insurance"

      Just by THINKING it? :-)

      Only in the twisted context where we have made "society"(i.e. government) responsible for the well being of the individual.

    4. Re:you don't understand what freedom is by alvinrod · · Score: 1

      I agree with much of what you say, but it will still be necessary to have health insurance to cover serious health issues.

      It's unlikely that you will ever be presented with dental bill in the hundreds of thousand of dollars, but that's a possibility for a hospital bill. Most people can't pay that out of pocket, so they get insurance to cover those cases. The main problem, as you point out, is that people have started to use insurance to cover all medical expenses, even those that could be easily paid for out of pocket, such as check-ups or minor medical procedures which are not overly complex.

      Technology can be used to drive down the costs of medicine more than any method of health insurance. It's possible to imagine that in the future, heart surgery need not be complex or expensive. Of course, there will be some need bleeding edge procedure which is incredibly expensive to take the old expensive procedures place.

      I have no objection to a public option, so long as it is both optional and not my only option. I do not, however, wish to be stuck paying for something that I do not want.

    5. Re:you don't understand what freedom is by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

      You seem to be suffer from a great misunderstanding of medical billing and reimbursement. Cosmetic surgeons bill their patients directly (and usually up front before services are rendered). Their prices are fairly exorbitant for relatively simple procedures (e.g. breast augmentation via implant; ~ 10K per side) as compared to what medicare, or even PPO insurance will pay a physician for something as complex as coronary bypass surgery (medicare avg ~ $2200).

      Having third-party payers is what "distorts" pricing in this way. Interestingly, people will galdly pay tens of thousands of dollars for cosmetic procedures but god forbid, they have to pay for actual medical care when they get sick. That is what insurance is for after all.

      Perhaps we should scrap insurance for a while and let "the market" set prices.

  33. if are a billionaire, you don't have to buy health insurance, because you can afford a sudden huge healthcare expense

    now would like to comment on the reality of sudden horrible unaffordable health expenses for the other 99.9999% of us?

    pfffffft

    --
    intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
  34. no, we should outlaw drunk driving by circletimessquare · · Score: 1

    duh

    --
    intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
  35. Re:Yet another LITTLE KING by Opportunist · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Why do yuo think were in a recessoin and headed towwards a global crash??

    Umm... because unfettered market was allowed to play hazard games with our economy? Because people were in charge whose primary interest was to fill their own pockets no matter what happens to the whole economy and we let it happen due to no laws regulating what they can or cannot do?

    I didn't vote for greedy bankers tossing our economy in favor of their own wallets but guess what: You don't get to elect them!

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  36. Re:everyone suffers for the crimes of a few, alway by Duradin · · Score: 1

    I hope you have your grave dug and paid for so that when you do suffer some unexpected ailment you can crawl in and not use any of the services you decided not to pay into. That's the responsible thing to do.

  37. Re:everyone suffers for the crimes of a few, alway by Shakrai · · Score: 1

    and you NEED health insurance. even 21 yo marathoners have heart attacks and broken legs. if you believe you don't need health insurance, you have some sort of god complex, and then you definitely need mental health coverage

    Just because you think I NEED it doesn't make a mandate from the Federal Government requiring me to buy it any more Constitutional.

    --
    I want peace on earth and goodwill toward man.
    We are the United States Government! We don't do that sort of thing.
  38. i know you need it by circletimessquare · · Score: 1

    are you immune to sudden unforeseen health costs that you can't afford? unless you are a billionaire, the answer is no

    therefore, as a matter of objective fact, you do need health insurance. furtermore, it must be mandated, because there are so many morons out there like you who can't tell the difference between a responsibility and a freedom

    --
    intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
  39. my point is completely logical and solid by circletimessquare · · Score: 1

    question: can you drive without insurance?

    answer: no, and you are punished if you get in accident and you do not have insurance

    why? because you are imposing on everyone else's freedoms, by forcing them to pay for your accidents. you understand that, right?

    if you understand that, why do you not understand the simple obvious logic about health care insurance? not getting health insurance is not you exercising a freedom of yours. not getting health insurance is you not fulfilling a responsibility of yours. can you honestly tell me with a straight face otherwise?

    --
    intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
    1. Re:my point is completely logical and solid by Shakrai · · Score: 1

      Having an automobile is a choice. Being alive and an American citizen is not.

      You are still ignoring the fact that it's completely unconstitutional for the Federal Government to do this. You might note that the apples-to-oranges comparison you just made with auto policy is irrelevant for this reason as well. That mandate comes from the states. It doesn't come from Uncle Sam. I assume you are familiar with the 1st, 4th, 5th and 10th amendments to the United States Constitution?

      --
      I want peace on earth and goodwill toward man.
      We are the United States Government! We don't do that sort of thing.
  40. tl,dr by circletimessquare · · Score: 2, Insightful

    it is your responsibility to take care of your health. it is not my responsibility to take care of your health. correct?

    any person alive today might be in the hospital by the end of the day. correct? are you immortal? do you deny this simple truth?

    therefore, it is your responsibility to have insurance to make sure that you are paying for your health maintenance, which might include sudden unforeseen unaffordable costs. i shouldn't have to pay for it, correct?

    therefore, if you do not have health insurance, you are not exercising a right of yours, you are abrogating a responsibility of yours. really. its quite fucking simple

    that you think anything else is logically incoherent. follow the bouncing ball. it is airtight, simple logic. that you deny it is probably not a sign stupidity on your part, but judging by the quantity of effort you put into debating me, some sort of horrible propagandized state you live in. denial, denial, denial

    look at every other industrialized democracy on this planet. having universal health care is a fucking brain dead obvious duty of a free society. SO MY FREEDOMS ARE NOT IMPOSED UPON BY YOUR UNFORESEEN COSTS. duh

    --
    intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
    1. Re:tl,dr by Chapter80 · · Score: 1

      it is your responsibility to take care of your health. it is not my responsibility to take care of your health. correct?

      It is HIS responsibiliy to take care of HIS heath, correct?

      any person alive today might be in the hospital by the end of the day. correct? are you immortal? do you deny this simple truth?

      irrelevant

      therefore, it is your responsibility to have insurance to make sure that you are paying for your health maintenance, which might include sudden unforeseen unaffordable costs. i shouldn't have to pay for it, correct?

      it is his responsibility to take care of HIS health

      therefore, if you do not have health insurance, you are not exercising a right of yours, you are abrogating a responsibility of yours. really. its quite fucking simple

      Mandating ME to buy insurance because HE will cause YOU guilt if you don't take care of him is unconstitutional and immoral.

      that you think anything else is logically incoherent. follow the bouncing ball. it is airtight, simple logic. that you deny it is probably not a sign stupidity on your part, but judging by the quantity of effort you put into debating me, some sort of horrible propagandized state you live in. denial, denial, denial

      do you read your own writing you dumb fuck?

      look at every other industrialized democracy on this planet. having universal health care is a fucking brain dead obvious duty of a free society. SO MY FREEDOMS ARE NOT IMPOSED UPON BY YOUR UNFORESEEN COSTS. duh

      Please move, you fucking idiot. You don't deserve freedom.

  41. Re:everyone suffers for the crimes of a few, alway by alvinrod · · Score: 1

    Why should you be forced to pay for some condition of mine for which you are in no way responsible. If you shot me, I might have a case for seeking financial compensation from you for medical expenses, but otherwise why should you pay?

    As I said, I have absolutely no objection to government-run health care as long as my participation is voluntary and I can choose another provider at any time.

    Also, I am currently forced to pay into many of the services I do not wish to pay into. I'll be lucky if Social Security is still around, let alone worth anything at all, by the time I expect to be able to collect any of it. Try telling to the government that you won't pay. They'll most likely just laugh at you, but if they wanted to, they could imprison you.

  42. red herring by circletimessquare · · Score: 1

    but i'll take a bite at that retarded bait anyways: is the constitution not the fucking bible. it is a living breathing contract for a living breathing society. it grows and changes as the society grows and changes. the constitution is not the fucking quran that requires a holy war if someone suggests the horrible sacriledge of a new better way TO ENSURE OUR FREEDOMS FROM IRRESPONSIBLE ASSHOLES

    fact: you are not exercising a right when you do not to have health insurance. you are offloading your responsibility for your health onto me

    let me repeat that for the hard of understanding:

    you. are. not. exercising. a. right. when. you. do. not. to. have. health. insurance. you. are. offloading. your. responsibility. to. take. care. of. your. health. onto. me.

    there is no logical route around this simple obvious as fucking day truth

    that you don't understand this fucking obvious truth means nothing more than us, the society you expect to pay for your healthcosts, has to compel you, kicking and screaming TO LIVE UP TO YOUR MOTHERFUCKING RESPONSIBILITIES. we are not imposing on your freedoms in the least, moron, we are making sure you are not imposing on OUR freedoms. get it?

    is it acceptable that i walk by you dying in the street because you have no health insurance and no way to pay for care? of course not. therefore, you better be fucking RESPONSIBLE and pay for unforeseen costs with insurance. unless you believe you are an immortal and will never be injured beyond your means

    it is only this delusion of immortality that could convince you that holding your ground in this retarded argument any further makes the slightest bit of fucking sense

    --
    intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
    1. Re:red herring by Chapter80 · · Score: 1

      Please take an 8th grade civics course.

      Your lack of understanding of our Constitution is frightening.

    2. Re:red herring by Shakrai · · Score: 1

      It doesn't "grow and change" outside of the amendment process, which unless I've missed the news story is not how we are implementing health care.

      The 1st amendment grants me the freedom of association. SCOTUS has previously held that this also includes the freedom not to associate. How is this compatible with a mandate that I purchase something from a private concern? What if I have a moral objection to the way insurance companies do business? What about a religious one? Are we going to gut the freedom of religion alongside the freedom of association?

      Your whole argument boils down to my "responsibility" while ignoring the constitutional question. It is therefore irrelevant. Nonetheless, I would add one final point: If the notion of paying for the medical expenses of the uninsured bothers you so much, why aren't you trying to get rid of the mandate that hospitals treat those who can't pay?

      --
      I want peace on earth and goodwill toward man.
      We are the United States Government! We don't do that sort of thing.
  43. you are lying in the street, dying by circletimessquare · · Score: 2, Insightful

    i have an ethical duty to make sure you get care

    i do not say "do you have health insurance or $200K in an emergency health fund?" and if you say no, i walk away and let you die

    if you understand why it is impossible for anyone with even a rudimentary human conscience to do that, then you understand the "twisted context" in play here as you call it

    Only in the twisted context where we have made "society"(i.e. government) responsible for the well being of the individual

    incredible. amazing. you are simply retarded beyond belief or have less sense of morality than a kindergartener if you actually believe those words

    the "twisted context" you refer to asshole is called simple morality according to any definition of morality by any culture that has ever existed: you render aid to the sick and fallen

    let me repeat: you render aid to the sick and fallen

    are you willing to argue that? are you willing to call this simple obvious unavoidable morality a "twisted context"?

    if yes, you are an amoral asshole who has no place in the debate

    if no, you agree with me

    decide, motherfucker

    --
    intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
  44. i understand the constitution just fine by circletimessquare · · Score: 1

    in addition, i am wary of individuals who treat it like fundamentalists treat their religious documents, that it is without question. everything should be questioned: this is the philosophical spirit in which the founding fathers wrote the fucking thing!

    the constitution is a living breathing document, it describes a pact between a people and their government. naturally and inescapably, it changes over time. to not understand this is the frightening part

    furthermore, to say any part of the constitution somehow stands against healthcare reform is the egregious lack of understanding of constitution in play here, friend

    --
    intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
  45. EVERYONE READ THE ABOVE by circletimessquare · · Score: 2, Informative

    "If you are passed out on the ground, I can simply choose to walk by without caring. Police officers or other public servants may be required to offer assistance as part of their job, but as a member of the public no such obligations exist for me."

    this is the part where those who oppose something as simple and obvious as universal health insurance show their true colors: selfish self-centered irresponsible unethical assholes

    thank you for going on record and showing to the world exactly what you are

    --
    intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
    1. Re:EVERYONE READ THE ABOVE by alvinrod · · Score: 1

      As I said, I don't subscribe to your ethics, so I could case less if you judge me based on them. It won't make me feel guilty or bad about myself. I could just as easily turn the debate around and call you unethical for robbing Peter to pay Paul, but that's not very constructive. What I stated was simple fact. There's nothing outside of my own morality which would obligate me to do anything in that situation.

      I don't go around responding arguments from pro-choice advocates with something like: "This is the part where those who oppose limitations on something as heinous and disgusting as abortion show their their true colors: selfish, self-centered, irresponsible, unethical assholes with no regard for human life."

      In case you're wondering, I generally dislike abortion and would rather people not resort to it, but I don't believe that my feelings on the matter should be imposed on anyone else. Imposing my beliefs on anyone else limits their freedoms.

      We have are just going to have to agree to disagree on our opinion of universal health care. You're probably not going to change my mind and ad hominem attacks aren't going to do anything to further your beliefs either.

  46. (smacks forehead) by circletimessquare · · Score: 1

    if you honestly think the constitution is somehow arranged against universal healthcare, you simply don't understand the constitution. i see a whole bunch of broad concepts out of context up there, a gordian knot of confused misunderstandings. good luck in your intellectual growth kid, you'll get it someday

    --
    intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
  47. the entirety of the legislative by circletimessquare · · Score: 1

    and executive branches is embroiled in the healthcare overhaul

    the entirety of the media and all of the partisan hacks are out in full force

    do you honestly believe that the common fucking sense legislation currently being passed, in the full blinding light of everyone's attention, is something only you have discovered to be an abrogation of some sort of basic constitutional principles?

    you're a middle school teenager or a complete moron if you do believe that

    --
    intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
    1. Re:the entirety of the legislative by Shakrai · · Score: 1

      Who said I'm the only one that's discovered it?

      I guess you get all of your news from Keith Olbermann, eh?

      --
      I want peace on earth and goodwill toward man.
      We are the United States Government! We don't do that sort of thing.
  48. Re:everyone suffers for the crimes of a few, alway by dave562 · · Score: 1

    The deal is that either you pay for yourself, or I pay for you. You pay for yourself by voluntarily getting health insurance and using that health insurance when you, or your kid, or your spouse gets sick and needs to visit the emergency room, or the doctor. I pay for you, or your spouse, or child when they break a leg, get sick or whatever, and you don't have insurance.

    At the end of the day, the cost gets absorbed some how. Have you ever had to pay a doctor's bill without insurance? They're absolutely ridiculous. A bad car accident can bankrupt someone if they're lucky enough to live through the experience. The thing about insurance is that people will swear up and down that they don't need it. People will believe that they are in complete control of their lives. Those are the exact same people who get t-boned by people running red lights, or trip and fall down the stairs after slipping on ice.

  49. i don't know who keith olberman is by circletimessquare · · Score: 1

    if he's some sort of partisan hack, liberal or conservative, i am proud not to know who he is, as all these loud ignorant vindictive partisan assholes is the problem with our country, not a solution. i am a moderate. if you hadn't noticed, the issue of healthcare overhaul is not some sort of liberal agenda, its a squarely moderate concern

    furthermore, thanks for the links. what exactly are your links suppose to tell me? that there are more morons than you out there? ok, you win, i admit defeat. i was wrong to say you alone believe the constitution is being defiled by the healthcare overhaul. i humbly accept your assertion of the existence of many more morons out there

    meanwhile, i look forward to the supreme court taking up this highly egregious defiling of the constitution in the immediate future! what a hot potato!

    (crickets)

    --
    intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
    1. Re:i don't know who keith olberman is by Shakrai · · Score: 1

      You are a moderate? Could have fooled me. You are behaving exactly as the partisan hacks that you just claimed to hate so much.

      You refuse to acknowledge any of the points I've made. You can't tell me why the individual mandate isn't a violation of free association. You can't tell me why it isn't an overreach of Congressional power. I doubt you even know what free association is or the case/constitutional law behind it. All you can tell me is that "people have looked at it", "you simply don't understand" and "you NEED insurance".

      Tell me why you think it's constitutional or shut the fuck up and admit that you've lost.

      --
      I want peace on earth and goodwill toward man.
      We are the United States Government! We don't do that sort of thing.
  50. Howard is one of us, or at least used to be. by Taim · · Score: 1

    I've known Howard for more than a decade. He started out as a local cop who had a hobby working with computers. He was a pioneer in forensic analysis of computer evidence, and was instrumental in establishing the Air Force's information security capability which was arguably the biggest influence on the evolution of today's DoD capability. He started out doing hands on low level hardware and software analysis. He was a hacker in the true sense of the word. I visited his home, and there were always multiple machines strewn about, which he had built himself.

    While I doubt he's done much hands-on work in a long time, he understands the issues and problems as they relate to computer crime and network security. He knows everyone worth knowing in the law-enforcement side of security, since most of them worked for him or with him at some point in his career. He also has worked as the security chief for such companies as Microsoft and Ebay and has all the contacts on the commercial side as well.

    I have met and gotten to know numerous "security professionals" over the years in classes, conventions, forums, courtrooms, and bars. I haven't met anyone else with Howard's mix of legitimate hands-on experience and political contacts (political as in knowing the right people not political as in democrat and republican). While I don't know who else they were looking at, I'm positive they could have done much worse than Howard.

  51. Heritage? by mrmeval · · Score: 1

    To be the welfare car of the Republic?

    I'd rather buy a Ford.

    --
    I'd go on a Vegan diet but the delivery time from Vega is too long. --brownkitty
  52. Re:job interview . by jc42 · · Score: 1

    President Obama: Good afternoon Mr. Schmidt, could you tell us who you worked for previous[sic] in cyber-security?

    Howard A. Schmidt: Microsoft ...

    Yeah, I'd guess a lot of us are thinking that. Funny that the summary didn't mention that little fact. One of the guys who was responsible for the "security" measures that brought us the botnet phenomenon is now the one responsible for the government's computer-security policies.

    So does this mean that the US government will be mandating changes that make all other OSs part of the botnets?

    Yesterday's story about the botnet masters buying into the ISPs' businesses and "going legit" was just just to soften us up for today's computer security story.

    --
    Those who do study history are doomed to stand helplessly by while everyone else repeats it.
  53. humorous ;-) by circletimessquare · · Score: 1

    crackpots on teh intarwebs, who have identified a vast conspiracy to pass flagrantly unconstitutional laws in the senate and the house

    fight on, retards!

    if this is the best you pathetic morons can muster against healthcare reform in this country, the legislation is obviously a winner. but its good to know there's low iq assholes out there bravely defending the constitution, as they pathetically understand it, from dire threats in this country. dire threats like common sense legislation in the full glare of everyone's attention. ah! but you see the real threat to constitutional liberties! hilarious. retarded.

    "You are a moderate? Could have fooled me. You are behaving exactly as the partisan hacks that you just claimed to hate so much."

    yes, i am a moderate, not a liberal. of course, from the perspective of the crackpot fringe right, i'm certain moderate america looks liberal. but i have just as much disdain for the morons on the far left as i do for morons on the far right like yourself

    if you like, you can consider me a partisan moderate. because i do have a strong emotional hatred for the far left AND the far right. you assholes are the source of so much stupidity on the airwaves and in the so-called "debates", aka zero iq propaganda flinging contests. we in moderate middle are sick of you, you on the far left, you on the far right. you assholes are what is wrong with this country. so fucking loud, so fucking stupid

    --
    intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
    1. Re:humorous ;-) by Shakrai · · Score: 1

      Thanks for not disappointing me. For a second there when I saw that you had replied I thought you might have come up with some meaningful insight into Constitutional law.

      I hope you take your head out of the sand long enough to enjoy the Christmas season. Have a good holiday :)

      --
      I want peace on earth and goodwill toward man.
      We are the United States Government! We don't do that sort of thing.
  54. this holiday season by circletimessquare · · Score: 1

    why don't you try reading A Christmas Carol?

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Christmas_Carol

    do you happen to notice any parallels between the themes enunciated by those who oppose universal health insurance, and the mentality of the protagonist in that fable?

    what does the fable teach us about the protagonist's attitude and why it fails?

    and therefore, maybe this christmas you can come to appreciate why the currently losing side on healthcare debate might be founded on losing principles, if you can see how A Christmas Carol actually does in fact comment on the losing principles and failed mentality of those who oppose universal health care

    hint: those losing principles have nothing to do with constitutional principles, if you actually understand the us constitution, as you assert you do, but seem to understand in only the most rudimentary, crude fashion

    --
    intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
    1. Re:this holiday season by Shakrai · · Score: 1

      Maybe if you spent less time attacking my knowledge and more time displaying some of your own we could have a productive dialog here?

      Just answer me this: Do you understand what free association means and if so how is a mandate that I do business with private entities compatible with it?

      --
      I want peace on earth and goodwill toward man.
      We are the United States Government! We don't do that sort of thing.
  55. do you possibly conceive by circletimessquare · · Score: 2, Insightful

    that there are other issues in play in a free society, other than free association, and that some of those issues override free association IN CERTAIN LIMITED CONTEXTS. and all of this is perfectly agreeable with the us constitution. in fact, that the constitution itself has limits on free association, for example. furthermore, that these limits actually serve to maximize your freedom in a well-functioning of a free society

    i'm not getting drawn into this discussion, because its intellectual charity. its beneath me. you seem to be only able to hold one concept in your head at a time, leading you to erroneous ridiculous conclusions derived in a vacuum of consideration of any other valid constitutional concepts, concepts equally important for the functioning of a free society. its a balancing act kid. not the taking of one isolated concept and amping it to the max

    it is not worth my effort to continue talking to you on this issue, as it is not a debate, its an educational endeavour, and i am not your father or your teacher. if this sounds condescending, it would be even more condescending to plaster a smile on my face, hold your hand, and calmly explain to you some of the obvious constitutional issues you fail to see as important, when they are obviously important, strictly from a constitutional perspective, and if you honestly had a sound understanding of the constitution, you would already have considered these issues yourself. the fact you haven't merely demonstrates what a joke your so-called understanding of the constution is, if you think something like universal health care is unconstitutional

    you need a lot of work on your own to catch up with the understanding that there are other issues at play here, none of them arranged to compromise your principles, but in fact arranged to deepen your understanding of your principles and what the founding fathers were grappling with when they wrote our important documents. one hopes you have the intellectual acumen to achieve this greater state of wisdom

    as a starting place, make believe, suspend your disbelief for the moment, and consider that the constitution actually allows for limited limits on free association, and that universal health care perfectly falls within those limits. see if you can justify that to yourself, from within the framework of the constitution. if you can do that, you have hope, and you're not doomed to permanent fringe crackpot status. use this epiphany as a starting point for the expansion and growth of your understanding of the constitution and your future intellectual growth. good luck kid

    --
    intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
    1. Re:do you possibly conceive by Shakrai · · Score: 1

      I like how you keep saying "universal healthcare" when the current legislation is anything but. It's amusing. Almost as amusing as your claims of not being a left wing partisan. If you were the moderate that you say you are you would realize that this legislation doesn't even provide the "universal" health care that you keep attributing to it.

      Certain "limited contexts"? The whole concept of free association goes out the window if you can be compelled to associate with a private entity against your will. What if one has a moral objection to the way health insurance companies do business? What about a religious objection? Are you going to throw the free practice of religion out the window in your quest for universal health care that isn't?

      There are other constitutional issues at play too. The 5th amendment comes to mind. I can't be deprived of my property without due process of law. The 4th amendment says that I have the right to be secure in my papers and effects. So what gives Uncle Sam the right to even ask whether or not I have health insurance? Then there's the 10th amendment. All powers not specifically delegated to Congress are reserved to the states and people. What part of the Constitution is it that you think delegates to Congress the power to mandate that people buy a specific product or service?

      You also might want to consider the historical precedent. Not once in the history of the United States has there been a mandate of this scope imposed on the citizenry by the Federal Government. If the Federal Government has the power to compel me to buy Health Insurance then what powers don't they have? Can they compel me to buy phone service? Can they compel me to keep life insurance?

      If this legislation passes I think you are in for a rude awakening when it makes it to the court system. That's assuming that a future Congress doesn't repeal the individual mandate entirely -- which they very well might. You've already got 55-60% of this country opposed to this legislation. That's before they even realize the individual mandate is a part of it. Do you suppose that number is going to go down when people fill out their 1040(s) and realize that Uncle Sam is asking a question that has nothing to do with their income?

      --
      I want peace on earth and goodwill toward man.
      We are the United States Government! We don't do that sort of thing.