by Don Snyder
RightSideNews.com
The People Held Hostage in a War of Special Interests
(The 1st in a 5 part series -This is the 1st installment of the 1st series)
“When one has been threatened with a great injustice, one accepts a smaller [one] as a favor.”
Jane Welsh Carlyle, 19th-Century Scottish Poet
The above quote from Jane Welsh Carlyle will likely come to pass and Americans will pay dearly in loss of liberties, loss of freedom, loss of rights and a loss of wealth guaranteed to them in the constitution… unless of course they wake up.
Even more disturbing will be taxes on everything from energy to sin taxes. In other words we will be working for big government… call it what you will, all under the guise of protectionism.
Foremost, this essay is an awakening account of America’s social and political reality with a look at the people’s paradox… a collective common sense. It (in the 5 part series) explores why and how Americans have become apathetic to an ever more intrusive form of government and [ironically] attempts to add insight to it.
On the other hand, The People may not be looking for insight… they may be looking for charity… where none exists, except in the rhetoric of politicians who are not the value producers in society (emphasis added). Politicians are overhead and the working classes are the value producers. Politicians tax The People; nonetheless they squander a large part of the taxes that they seize. As Thomas Paine insufferably pointed out, “Time makes more converts than reason“.
This was written with the expectation of shedding light on the observable truths too ephemeral to be seized, too ordinary to be noticed and yet so evident they are diminished in our popular culture. If this does not awaken and shock your sensibilities to the reality that big government and special interests are advertising a false incentive for your loyalty and your taxes, then nothing will. This essay outlines the pieces of the puzzle required to act on your convictions.
Most unsympathetically, this is not mildly condemning; in fact it is downright accusatory towards Americans [as citizens] who have not upheld their duty and obligations under the American Constitution. This is about “American Exceptionalism“, “Citizen Responsibility“, and “Theft of Power” by special interests and the world’s elites. Most important, this essay is a collection of questions for Americans.
Saving America
“Freedom is a fragile thing and is never more than one generation away from extinction. It is not ours by inheritance; it must be fought for and defended constantly by each generation, for it comes only once to a people. Those who have known freedom and then lost it, have never known it again.” Ronald Reagan
Americans face serious issues, many of which they treat with a herd mentality. Protected by the drove, grazing preoccupies them until they sense the siren call of eminent danger. And, like the wildebeest on the Serengeti, even though others regularly perish, as long as it is not them, they go back to grazing. If this continues, it is a prescription for the future and foretells the destiny of America.
The American public appears apathetic to the sobering consequences that third world nuclear warhead proliferation is happening before our eyes. Mohamed ElBaradei, the outgoing Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Board of Governors said in an interview with the guardian.co.uk on May 14, 2009, “This is the phenomenon we see now and what people worry about in Iran. And this phenomenon goes much beyond Iran. Pretty soon you will have nine weapons states and probably another 10 or 20 virtual weapons states”. He described virtual weapon states as having the knowhow and ability to assemble a bomb within a couple of months.
Most people in the US are more concerned about the possibility that an asteroid will destroy the planet than the near certainty that nuclear bombs or biological weapons will fall into the hands of radical terrorist organizations. Terrorist organizations will use them, even if it means their own destruction, because they believe they will be rewarded with 72 virgins in the next life… or something as equally dim-witted. Barack Obama has declared the “war on terrorism” dead on August 6, 2009. And, let’s not forget that Obama is discussing with Russia the disarmament of America’s nuclear arsenal. The Russians, as well as America’s other adversaries, must be thinking… “What incredible luck!”. How will Barack Obama stand up to terrorists as he cannot even stand up to FOX news?
It is your America and without a doubt it has been hijacked by special interests which do not espouse American Exceptionalism. It is comprised of the countless masses of Americans who gave their lives for the freedom of others, during America’s wars and peacetime tragedies like 9/11. It includes those Americans who prospered under capitalism and made this country the utmost example of ingenuity, innovation and freedom that ever existed. American Exceptionalism defines America and affirms the very essence of our being. The magnetism of capitalism is what made this country great and perpetuated its meteoric rise as protector of the free world.
Not included are those in our society who have worked to tear apart our common shared heritage for their own personal gain such as the criminals and the bullies of society. The most menacing instituted their selves under the banner of a great cause and hired lobbyists who, in many cases, succeeded in corrupting our politicians. From time to time they have instituted themselves in the form of mafia, associations, politicians, street gangs, drug cartels and other groups with nefarious intentions… save for the most part, up until now, they have been neutralized by American Exceptionalism.
We stood up against Totalitarianism, Nazism, Communism and Fascism while Europe, England, The Netherlands, the Middle East, Australia and the rest of the world refused to believe until it was too late. We, with American blood, saved the world from despot megalomaniacs and most important the mediocrity of socialism.
It only took one Presidency, three months, to have quadrupled our national debt. In fact, as Obama warns everyone including states, corporations and citizens about spending he insists it’s acceptable to borrow for health care and other programs he wants to institute, like the cash-for-clunkers program which is a redistribution of wealth from the poor to the affluent, because only the working well-to-do can afford new cars and it has left 3 trillion dollars on the working poor’s tax indebtedness.
Do you get the feeling that when he wants to pass a spending bill, he argues urgency or calamity? Is that why he urged Pelosi’s Democrats that we had no time to read the trillion dollar bailout, the omnibus bill, or the health care bill? In the first week of June 2009, Obama made it clear he was not going to settle for any delay in health care reform. Every time he wants something it is now or never. Do you see a pattern here?
Apologizing for America’s arrogance and vilifying Americans in every nation Barack Obama visits is distasteful beyond comparison. We are Americans… we have stood up for individualism, capitalism, democracy and our democratic republic, however that is now changing and we must ask ourselves; Is that what we want? If you are from the Americas, was it not the Monroe Doctrine which kept out aggressors, if you’re from Europe; are you from the part of Europe whose buttocks we saved, or from the part whose ass we kicked?
Government Health Care
“National Health Insurance: All at pentagon prices” Seen on a bumper sticker
Let’s take on health care reform first as there are several plans on the table. On Sunday August 16th, the Obama Administration gave an indication that they may not stand on the “Public Option” as a government-run and government-controlled health care provision. Don’t you believe it! They want government controlled health care in the worst way and they believe membership-run and membership-controlled is a way around it. Later they will pressure memberships, with the public out of the way to capitulate to their way of thinking. Barack Obama is on record, on tape, saying he is for single payer health care, government controlled.
If we do anything, as a practical matter, we should not let the Senate ram through a health care bill until we understand every aspect of it. This could take six months to a year to get every American who is concerned educated. As an example, Obama’s regulator Czar, Cass Sunstein might control the interpretation of the government’s task in calculating medications and end of life care. In 2003 he wrote a paper for the AEI-Brookings Joint Center for Regulatory Studies contending that human life fluctuates in worth. This can easily be interpreted as the government gets to decide if life is worth living.
The ‘Death Panel’ didn’t have to be dropped from the bill, it already exists in the Recovery and Reinvestment Act, more commonly referred to as the Stimulus Bill. There is $1.1 billion to fund the Federal Coordinating Council for Comparative Effectiveness Research. It was Tom Daschle’s idea, and as such he has stated that it is about hard decisions about health care rationing that elected politicians are politically powerless to do anything about.
Don’t believe their rhetoric for one minute. This administration is as bad as it comes when it comes to telling the public the truth.
The over 1000 page Health Reform Plan is not the one Obama prefers but is a government controlled health care plan. Obama’s preferred plan is even more draconian, single payer, nonetheless all of these plans accomplish the same thing… they drive private health care out of business… regardless of the congressional rhetoric. Obama’s plan is government run health insurance “public option” that would compete with private insurance. In the end they would force private health care administrators out of business.
American’s, you cannot afford to go to sleep on this one. The National Coalition on Health Care (www.nchc.org) said in 2007 and 2008 we spent $7900 per person on health care. That’s $2.4 trillion dollars and represented 17% of or gross domestic product. Health care spending is projected to reach $4.3 trillion by 2016. Do you really think the government can do it for less?
When did Americans begin to believe that the government could manage healthcare better than the free market? When did our government ever manage anything more efficiently than the entrepreneurs of American enterprise? Government has no competition and does not know how to turn a profit; therefore legislators use brute force against their competition. If the government faces competition, they eliminate it by under-pricing until it goes away, then they cry to taxpayers about deficits.
Do you want the government to decide what technologies we invest in, who will get treatment and whether you qualify for treatment? Do you want the government between your doctor and you? These are the same people who [through incompetence] brought us the bankrupt Social Security (8/14/1935), Medicare (7/30/1965) and Medicaid (7/30/1965) programs and then voted to keep the associated costs off of the budget ledger during LBJ’s Great Society years.
Here are some dismal financial facts. Social Security is not insurance as was represented by Franklin Delano Roosevelt, it is a liability of the Federal Government with Medicare and Medicaid and is now estimated to be $54 Trillion ($54,000,000,000,000.00) dollars in the hole. American Citizens have been shielded from the truth of this monstrosity and have been led to believe it is vested through their hard work and tax payments.
Every man woman and child in America is in debt $180,000.00 for this deception. They spent your money you have paid in for these programs, on other programs, all in their interest of being the good guys. Let me get this straight… are you going to trust our legislators to reorganize the coverage, improve the quality and reduce the cost of health care?
It was first introduced under FDR as a social entitlement and was not explained to the people as a liability but as insurance through their hard work. What made this believable was the deduction for it from payroll. People want to believe they are being helped by their government, but they are [almost always] being duped as legislators want to be loved and are protective of their power. Oxymoron… I’m from the government and I’m here to help. FDR, more than any man in history, unleashed the most devastating financial burden in America’s history to wishful thinking Americans.
He did it under the disguise of what legislators know and rely on, the American Peoples lack of a collective common sense. The American taxpayer is on the hook for this, most important it is not an investment in insurance; it is a fraud on taxpayers. It is a deceit worse than outright theft; it is generational theft from the current and future generations (our children and grandchildren). It is the inability to live within our means.
Just so I am being clear, there is no trust funds set aside for future payments and your taxes paid in have already been use for other services. Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid are the boondoggle of a wishful thinking public, who has assumed wrongfully that our congress was looking out for their better interest. It is caused by the citizen’s willingness, laziness and apathy to allow others to manage their affairs for them. In other words, it is the citizen’s abdication of their Citizen Responsibility.
How much more spending can America take? What will it take to throw us into a depression or total bankruptcy? What will be the straw that breaks the camel’s back… Obama’s health care, Obama’s middle class tax on energy (Cap and Trade), the cost of harboring amnesty for 20 million illegal immigrants (votes for the democratic party), the Community Organizers fraudulent attempt to help Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac allowing unqualified earners acquire a home, Obama’s bailout of the unions, the $787 billion dollar bailout, the $500 billion dollar omnibus bill, the bailout of GM and Chrysler, the bailout of Wall Street, the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) program for Wall Street, AIG and America’s banking system or the Obama spending spree (quadrupling of our budget) in the first three months of this administration? When are Americans going to wake up?
On August 6th, 2009, Fannie Mae said they were going to ask the Federal Government for $11 billion more dollors due to quarterly losses of $15.2 billion. That’s at a 60 billion dollar rate and Fannie Mae has got a $200 billion dollar line of credit with the Government. Freddie Mac’s numbers are still not in, but they reported they may need up to $35 billion dollars immediately and they also have a $200 billion dollar line of credit. Some housing mortgage firms are saying that over half of the mortgages will be underwater by the end of 2010.
It will be the government who decides what health care the elderly will receive, as it is fiscal expediency that will destroy private health care. Once competition is gone we will have no choice but to capitulate to the government’s whim. Barack Obama’s argument now is that you will have choices, of doctor, of hospital, of service provider, but that is all mute once those service providers dwindle… and they will… due to the restrictions of government controlled health care. Obama argues that savings can be had by consolidating your health care records with Information Technology and that is true under the auspices of government regulators between you and your doctor.
Health Care Plan
“A government big enough to give you everything you want, is big enough to take everything you have.”Unknown
The proposed plan uses flawed numbers in proposing 45 million uninsured, distorted life expectancy numbers and its assumption of infant mortality statistics. What happens, if we pass socialized health care, when an estimated 40 million new people enter the system as illegal aliens and the youth who have refused insurance with the same number of doctors in the system? It is estimated that many doctors will retire due to lack of profitability and that will push the waiting times to 6 weeks to several months for an appointment.
The plan is cost centered instead of patient centered, which means that they are not willing to allow people to decide providers and or services. You will do it their way or not at all. Finally they have skewed the numbers so drastically that that they are in danger of doubling the cost of health care from their proposed $1.5 trillion a year to $2.5 trillion. They have underestimated the cost of Medicare in order to ram the bill through. You should be very scared these people are putting you on a path to fiscal destruction. Once they have private payers out of the way, they will have you… they will have you by the short hair [so to speak].
On June 9th, 2009, several lawmakers sent a letter warning that, “Washington-run programs undermine market-based competition through their ability to impose price controls and shift costs to other purchasers. Forcing free market plans to compete with these government-run programs would create an unlevel playing field and inevitably doom true competition.”
Is that what you want, government Czars answerable to no one except the Administration, deciding from afar what health care you qualify for and what health care you don’t?
Who would be the best entity to manage your health care; you, your family, your doctor or the government? More importantly you need to ask yourself; will government intervention delay or obstruct your recovery? These are the same people who brought you the US tax code, federal regulations out-the-wazoo and other failed government programs too numerous to mention in this space. Is that what you want?
An example is in order. Let’s take the government program called ‘Health Insurance Portability Accountability Act’ otherwise referred to as HIPAA, enacted in 2001 for the purpose of keeping employers from excluding employees from insurance coverage on existing conditions, guaranteed patient privacy and modernized communication within the industry. The fiscal prowess of the government was apparent as HIPAA costs exceeded what the government estimated. Our legislators [the government] predicted it would create a savings of nearly $30 billion over 10 years. Instead it has cost over $17 billion to date.
That was only a 47 billion dollar misjudgment. Can you think of any program the government ever managed that was fiscally successful. Do you trust the government to balance your check book? They are lawmakers, not businessmen who understand profitability.
Let’s face it, our government and our lawmakers are fiscally inept. They are incapable of producing anything other than cost overruns which the bankrupt HIPAA, Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare substantiate. Come on people… think… if we were to improve health care, which admittedly is not perfect, it will be through our capitalistic system of health care providers in competition with each other. I’m not arguing that health care does not need reform, just that you should not let the government do it for you. The American for-profit enterprise is savvy about competition and is adept at providing services at the best possible prices.
Barack Obama’s interest in destroying the “greatest health care system in the history of the world” and put it under the auspicious of government, a government that has never-ever, in the history of our nation, controlled anything efficiently other than defense… and that too… is fiscally debatable. In the end, the government will control the medicines you take, the efficiency of new technologies and with fiscal expediency… your right to exist.
The following countries have universal (socialized) health care and the populous will tell you they have failed miserably at it, if for no other reason than government cannot control fraud, costs and misuse.
Argentina, Austria, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Cuba, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iraq*, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Oman, Portugal, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Ukraine and the United Kingdom
In fact, when Canadian residents who have the means get sick they come to America for their health care and to see a doctor. U.S. Patients have double the access [per million people] than Canadians to advanced Medical Technologies like Open Heart Surgery Centers, MRI Centers, Lithotripsy Units, CT Scanning Centers and Cardiac Catheterization Centers according to the Fraser Institute.
In England, some come to the US to get certain cancer treatments and a waiting time is months to a year or more for some surgeries like joint replacement. Many people in Great Britain go to the eastern bloc countries for their dentistry.
Notice all of the communist countries have universal health care as well as Europe which was brought to its knees in socialism and multiculturalism over the past 40 years. Everyone from these countries, excepting the oligarchy, will tell you it stinks.
Nationalized Health Care is about control of the masses. For you to be for government controlled health care you have to be a good old fashioned Marxist, bent on your own destruction.
The most common complaint is the three to nine months of waiting for basic procedures. The second is lack of government incentives to develop cost sensitive new technologies which saves lives. It is the entrepreneurship and capitalism which has driven these life saving innovations in America.
In fact when most countries institute socialized health care it tends to swamp the capacity of the system as everyone begins using it without reservation… since it’s free. You’re taxes are paying for it… thick-one… managed by government, all at moon rocket prices. To buy into ‘Socialized Health Care’ you have to be like a football coach, smart enough to understand the game and dumb enough to think it’s important.
The government aphorism for ‘Socialized Health Care’ is, “No situation is so bad that it can’t be made worse”. Americans need to stand up and do a good old American “Gut Check”.