I haven't been writing because I have been on a "vacation" of sorts. My focus has been almost exclusively on the Crossword puzzle, which with the help of the Joynt family, I finished in its entirety on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Also of note s the fact that I completed more of a Friday puzzle today than I ever have before, again with Steve's assistance.
I did want to talk about 2 things from Monday's paper, including what I think was the best article on the Details of the Health Care plan. I find it completely amazing that so much debate, public, private, nonsense and otherwise, has been taking place before people really know any details at all. The Times on Monday did their best to break it down into understandable and manageable terms, and it really was almost completely balanced, I felt. I underlined some highlights Monday night while I read this, and I'm going to put them here for thought/discussion.
"It can be difficult to sort fact from fiction"
This craziness about the public health care forums and town halls is absolutely out of control. The Dems blame the GOP for planting people, which I have already spoken about and have no issue with. But I am at the point where I think the Dems may actually be planting their own fake protestors so they can say, "See! These people are outrageous". I had an evening in 98 when Scott Harshbarger came into Amherst for a debate with I don't remember who regarding the Governorship of Massachusetts, and the adults in the crowd were astoundingly immature, unfair, and raucous. I couldn't rely on them to be reasonable, I remember getting in between a pregnant woman and a middle aged man, I don't remember who was on which side, and begging them to act like adults. They were almost coming to blows. Steveo was reveling in the moment, I was horrified.
Every talk show, News show, expert, texpert, choking smoker, etc. is making a complete fool of themselves. They are all distorting, lying, cheating, and fabricating in order to get this Health Care bill squashed or passed. I swear to you, I want it passed because I believe in Obama, and I believe in change, and I actually believe the premise that the issue of Health Care is financially more debilitating than it needs to be. People like or dislike this bill without knowing why.
Unfortunately, I am not sure if Obama is outside of these lies and half truths, "If you like your doctor, you will be able to keep your doctor, period. If you like your health care plan, you 'll be able to keep your health care plan, period. No one will take it away, no matter what," he states. However, the article continues to point out, "These...reflect an aspiration, but may not be literally true or enforceable." Wonderful, this helps. Who here really likes their plan? Honestly, you like going to a doctor you like, and you like feeling better. But does anyone here sit down and revel in the details of their health care plan like I admire the par 5 5th Hole at Montauk Downs? Nobody knows the ins and outs, they simply want to be healthy, and pay reasonable prices for it. People may think they like their plan, but they don't.
Obama, stick to facts...but then again, I don't care if he does. I actually don't care if he lies, because this thing is so monstrous and so huge that no lay person would be able to understand the details. Nitpicking is stupid. He should say, "everyone be cool. We will squeeze HMO's til they are dead and we'll all be healthier for cheaper money, that's all you need to know.
"Socialized medicine...seems overblown". As it states, all the versions in this plan rely heavily on Private Health care options - the Gov't doesn't want to take this thing on Lock, Stock & Barrel - it just wants to manage it all. Its so simple and so hard for people to understand. Think of an agency like OSHA - there are guidelines but they aren't in your building every second of every day looking at your workplace detail on detail. They go in if things are screwed up, but they don't force themselves on you at all hours of the day 7 days a week. This is the same thing - the Gov't will provide much needed guidelines and support, and from there Private Agencies will be required to execute.
It is easy for the Democratic masses to blame Health Insurance companies, and there is a great Salon.com article about how the population has been tricked into believing HMO's have some kind of inherent right to screw us all at our expense in order to make them richer...but as this article states, "insurers appear to be less of an obstacle than public apprehension over such sweeping change and skittishness among lawmakers, including centrist Democrats from Republican leaning districts. " I can say this with confidence now, but Jefferson, Washington and Adams would be rolling over in their graves if they knew the depth of these partisan politics happening willfully by Lawmakers. These Blue Dogs are increasingly more and more cowardly. Think about it - they are openly calling into question the ideals of their own party that they have chosen, because their District, numerically, feels the other way. They aren't representing those who voted them in, or even themselves, they are representing the minority opinion simply because that minority opinion comes from a majority population. Terrifying.
The ultimate irony, as Obama himself pointed out, are those who are saying, "do not take over my health care, under any circumstance, but please leave my Medicare or Medicaid alone." They want their cake, their ice cream, their pudding and their fruit cup, and they want to eat it to. The reality is, a lot of the funding, 35% as the article describes, will come directly from elements of Medicare. Obama's goal in that respect it so "eliminate waste and irresponsibility," from the Medicare program. Listen, if we know the reality of this Gov't., and the reality of the last 40 years of the Gov't intervention in Health Care - we know for a fact that there has to be at least 35-40% waste and inefficiency in what exists now. So, to those who don't want Gov't aided Medicine, and at the same time want their Medicare to remain untouched, I hope Obama has the balls to give a giant "eff you" to them. Walk up to the podium, stand there, explain the situation, and give them the middle finger.
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