For Public, Obama Didn't Fill In Health Blanks
One of the most compelling paragraphs in the paper today was this, in regards to those who remain anxious about Obama's health plan: "They say they feel they are being asked to buy on spec from a government they do not trust. And they have lots of questions."
Wow, that sure sums it up. There comes a time when we need to throw away our Governmental distrust - we allow them to make so many decisions for us that effect us on a daily basis, but whenever things get too hot, we beg and plead to be allowed to leave the kitchen...then fight our way back in over and over again. We can't have it both ways.
It really is fascinating how cryptic Obama is being on costs, and who will pay, and how it will get paid - it is to the point where I don't think he really knows, but he is so certain that this will benefit the nation overall. I think I agree with him.
One thing I have a tough time stomaching is hearing about a 36-year old father of 4 wondering how things will get paid for...does that dude realize how much his neighbors, his fellow statesmen, and countryperson's have paid for his families livelihood? 4 kids is fine, but at some point I think you really remove yourself from conversations about selfishness and "who will pay for it" given the tax breaks you receive with 4 little ones...
As Ranks of Unemployed Swell, Wait for Benefits Worsens Pain
I attempted to file an unemployment claim online a few weeks ago, and for some reason screwed up my password 3 times, and was blocked out of the system which meant I needed to call. I called no less than 8 times over the past 3 weeks, with a 23 minute wait being my longest wait on the phone. This article isn't specifically about phone waiting times, rather some states paying checks with long delays to claimants, which thankfully MA isn't struggling with.
But I guess I find the system amazing, extremely helpful to not only those who get the $$, but also the states. I mean, if I wasn't getting this check, in theory, I wouldn't be paying Shaw's for my groceries or the NYTimes for my subscription. My point is that I may have complained about waiting on hold for what may have been about 33 minutes, but at the same time, what an amazing convenience I have in getting that check to keep me going.
Case Recalls Tightrope Blacks Walk with Police
Implosion is about to set in. I am not going to dwell on this, but Obama got his wish, despite his faux-surprise as to the reaction of the local, and now national, media. The conversation about racial profiling is taking center stage, and it is a viable conversation to have, but its just a real huge shame it is being placed on the back of Sgt. Crowley and the Cambridge Police Department.
For crying out loud, of course there is horrific racial profiling in this country, and many, many people who don't deserve it are wrongfully accused of things, but this is all just misguided, and misunderstood. So frustrating.
It should be noted that it doesn't matter what role this professor had at which university, and if he did or did not walk with a cane, those are all irrelevant facts about a person who was handcuffed, not for being in his own house, but rather for being a complete ass-face. That's it, I'm done with this unless there is a big revelation.
(not on the cover) U.S. Will Shift Afghan Narcotics Strategy
This is fascinating. The US is proposing to pay Afghan poppy farmers $$'s to grow...wait for it...nothing! Ta-Da! War on Drugs? Um, I wonder who won that one. The late 80's version (original) Traffik which aired on the BBC, then in the US on PBS, predicts all of this so dramatically. One US official goes on to describe how we tried to eradicate the Poppy trade a few years ago, but all we did was bankrupt and ruin the lives of the farmers, who really have no political designation, but were essentially forced into servitude of the Taliban by virtue of having literally nothing else.
We lost that War on Drugs so tremendously, and given how much the Taliban relies on this trade for funding, our loss has resulted in nearly every problem we can put on finger on in regards to Foreign Relations.
Rent Traffik, not the stupid 2000 version, but the BBC one...
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