BIPOC Chopra

@SethAbramson See, e.g., Biden’s “red line” in Rafah. The place was completely decimated and somehow the red line was never crossed.

@SethAbramson This is almost correct—except it’s not a pathology of Trumpism. There’s a bipartisan agreement to lie to Americans about Israel’s actions. The Biden administration was just as eager to do so. That’s why D electeds aren’t out front with this critique, either

No—he's lying. Pakistan wrote up the ceasefire agreement, and Pakistan has said unequivocally that Lebanon was included. So this isn't a mistake Iran made, this is Trump yet again covering for war crimes and vigilantism by Israel by lying to Americans. It's a Trumpist pathology.

@voidyscreamy @ContraPoints Yes, Tommy Vietor and I share this view.

@regarding_u @ContraPoints I’m asking because you seem comfortable “platforming a bigot” in this moment but a civil conversation with a fellow left-leaning liberal is stressing you out with an immediacy.

Seriously where are the revolutionaries? Are they at brunch?

@voidyscreamy @ContraPoints ??? Because there are other ways I could be identified by that information? And also because it's not really a fair burden to put on someone before taking their ideas seriously?

@regarding_u @ContraPoints Why does asking you to name representatives you contacted, excluding the one in a congressional district that might identify you and being called out for your coy scolding tactics, read as hostility? Are you not used to polite but firm pushback when you condescend to people?

@voidyscreamy @ContraPoints I'm not sure why you're being hostile towards me. It's not unreasonable to decline to provide a stranger with information that might identify me. What's more, it has nothing to do with the persuasiveness of my position. I've engaged in good faith but I now fear you have not.

@regarding_u @ContraPoints I'm sure since you're used to interfacing with Republicans you assumed this disingenuousness flies with others. Would you like to try again?

@voidyscreamy @ContraPoints I won't do that :)

@regarding_u @ContraPoints Also still waiting to hear specific Reps you’ve contacted.

@voidyscreamy @ContraPoints I didn't passively aggressively scold Natalie! I asked her to focus on moving Democrats on the issues that can help them win elections.

@regarding_u @ContraPoints So you, a person in a position of access and privilege within our political system, are taking a break from your very influential/unusual position as an ex-Dem staffer to passive aggressively scold a YouTuber for not accomplishing what you, yourself, cannot organize and achieve?

@voidyscreamy @ContraPoints All I can say is that I have unusual opportunities to express my views to R electeds, and I find they're not very receptive since I live in a "blue state" and I'm not an R voter. By contrast, D electeds do care about what I think, since they can actually win or lose my vote :)

@regarding_u @ContraPoints Which R and D reps have you contacted? I understand if you're not comfortable outing your congressional district, so leaving your specific rep out is fine.

@voidyscreamy @ContraPoints Hi Screamilla—yes I'm trying. But since I'm not part of their coalition (mainly vote for left-liberals and served in a Democratic administration), they don't tend to care too much about what I think!

@regarding_u @ContraPoints Can you go pressure some Republicans to bring congress and the senate back into session so the Republicans can still not vote to impeach Trump so you can keep blaming the Democrats for not saving you?

@infocraving @matthewstoller Helpful -- and yes I agree. So if you could address patient "cherry picking" and pick better quality measures, maybe VBC is viable alongside the other things you mentioned (e.g., administrative bloat).

@regarding_u @matthewstoller Did the colonoscopy find and remove precancerous polyps, thereby extending your life? Ok now we're talking about actual benefit that was obtained.

The villain in health care is something called ‘value based care.’ Get rid of it.

@infocraving @matthewstoller Yes I agree with this.

@regarding_u @matthewstoller How about just fire all the hospital administrators if actually you want to bring costs down

@infocraving @matthewstoller Yes, that's fair! But there are policy levers to ameliorate that which are largely not in place. I'm just trying to understand if it's the concept of VBC or its current instantiations we're discussing.

@regarding_u @matthewstoller If systems are responsible for 'outcomes' in a context where death is ultimately unavoidable, hospitals (run by bean counters not docs) will preferentially choose to treat patients who are as far away from that state as possible, and who therefore need medical care the least.

@matthewstoller @infocraving Thanks for engaging. I'm assuming you're in favor of rate regulation or price caps then? (Let's assume we're in something like the system we have now.)

@regarding_u @infocraving Yes I’m against that. Don’t replace clinical judgment with beancounter nonsense. It’s wasteful, corrupting, and bad for everyone.

@matthewstoller Much of what UHC is criticized for is just consumer fraud though, right?

@regarding_u The critique is UnitedHealth Group.

@infocraving @matthewstoller Thanks. This is a very particular example of VBC. So you’re not against supply-side cost-sharing in general, right? Like making systems responsible for outcomes by putting them on the line financially?

@regarding_u @matthewstoller The result- if you don't want colon cancer screening, your doctor does not want you as a patient

Funny that Trump may end the Iran war with a U.S. military defeat before the Democrats even develop a position on the conflict.

@ThirdWayKessler @lilyycohenn @WSJopinion @ThirdWayTweet Pass!

"We’re all for a big tent. But the Democratic Party needs to draw a line in the sand. Hasan Piker and his fellow Jew-haters belong on the other side." Jon Cowan and @lilyycohenn write in @WSJopinion. tinyurl.com/bd47vj8v @ThirdWayTweet

@Acyn It's interesting that she can't bring herself to say that Israel dragged us into this war, despite statements against interest from Trump, Rubio, and Johnson

AOC: I think we know without a doubt that this is a war of choice—that Donald Trump has initiated all of these hostilities, killing American service members and innocent Iranians alike, and for no reason. He has a different reason every day.