Gee, we voted for “change” and had no idea of the benefits that would result. Initially, there was no better time for change as the entire world accepted the fact that all hate could be centered on the one man who was responsible for every evil deed ever done, GW Bush of course. True also, we had been governed by an inept and irresponsible Congress containing Republicans, who indeed had long abandoned the principles of the party and any semblance of regulation. Never fear. The Lone Ranger was near.
Now we could forever negotiate peace. No need for bad War. Those funds could be used to repay those who supported and loved the new change. Well, maybe there was a little matter to settle, in the good war in Afghanistan, or Pakistan, Iran, South Korea, or wherever. Aw heck, 911 was a long time ago. We don’t have the stomach for war anymore and certainly wouldn’t want to pay for it or accept the draft so that the same warriors don’t have to go over and over. Such an inconvenience. Never mind. The real war to be fought is for Universal Health Care, Climate change, Transparency in government, defeating Capitalism where ever it exists or shows its head, particularly if it is a financial institution or insurance company. Oh, there are scores of other issues to be solved like the auto industry and business that left the country for some reason or other, maybe including unsustainable pay benefits. Those Capitalists, all they think of is profit. We can overlook the fact that some way, we have become a rather great country with a fair amount of a standard of living that seems to have more people wanting to come in, than wanting to get out. Just the ones who have taken advantage of the rest of us and made all those gobs of money, decide to live on the Riviera or someplace safely away from Uncle Sam.
I seem to be rambling incoherently, so will continue with incoherence. As I understand it, the world was crashing because of the stupid Bankers and something called the Sub-prime debacle. Our new President and newly elected Congress with power to do anything was finally able to make the correction. We have been advised that the big banks and AIG Insurance company were responsible because of GW Bush of course. But they were also our only salvation, so the Government would have to “bail” them out. The problem seemed to be that the government by nature, has no money, but they do have the power to steal (oh, I mean get) it from the people. So far we have been able to get about 90% or so of what they get, from the people who have money because they stole it (I mean got it) from the people they underpaid while providing jobs for them, or cheating the people they deal with. The rest of it came from the better paid employees and small business owners who for the most part seem to be living pretty good and all want to eat out on Friday night and make it hard to get into Applebees. Then there is a pretty good number who seem to be living okay but pay no taxes, like me and good wife Pat even though we use nearly all the services of government, including the nice check we get each month from Social Security and Medicare. Next, there seems to be quite a few who don’t have jobs but would like one and would willingly pay taxes and buy health insurance if they had one. Finally there is a bunch that can’t work through no fault of their own and need help. And second finally are the derelicts who wouldn’t work if it were offered and will never contribute anything. The realization is that with all the money the government gets, it still isn’t enough and they speak of trillions of dollars of debt. (that’s a bunch of zero’s). Never mind. Problem solved. Pay the bankers billions or trillions of the debt money. The President and Congress with all its power has stood up to them with the condition that we be allowed to call them “fat cats and scumbags” and can denounce their obscene salaries. After that they will be allowed to repay the bail out money, restore the obscene salaries, and resume the still unregulated practices that nearly brought us down. One has to assume that we will be revisiting this problem.
Now we all know that there is a problem with health care and the President has resolved to correct this problem and appears on the edge of complete success. If you have ever had to deal with an insurance company over a claim you darn well know what he means. Not just health but any kind of insurance. Those rascals are hard to deal with. If you are prone to too many accidents, forget it. If your home sits on a river bank that floods every spring, forget it. Pre-existing health conditions, forget it. We are told there were 30 million people without health insurance. Perhaps either they had pre-existing problems, they couldn’t afford it or just didn’t want it till they got sick or hurt. Then it became a pre-existing condition. Anyway the first thought, and I concur, was to establish a single payer, public option which would eventually drive out the evil insurance companies. I am concerned however with what we are to do with all those working in the health insurance industry and concern over the fact that the Post Office and Amtrak are not resounding examples of government managed financial success. Not to mention the fraud and corruption and unsustainable coverage with Medicare and Medicaid. However Medicare has worked well for us. Seems like it would make sense to go after the existing fraud, adjust the premiums if necessary and keep it for us and all those who come after. Nearly everyone not destined to have an early death will grow old with a reduced income. The advisability of having everyone living such extended lives and figuring out how to care for everyone is a topic for another time. May be time to bring back tobacco, and coal furnaces.
Again our new President and Congress with the power to do anything has stood up to the evil insurance companies. We have promised each Senator and Congressperson millions to billions for their vote on the Health Bill to spend as they see fit within their state in the hope that the electorate will notice and send them back to Congress. The Insurance Companies are to be allowed to stay in business. Their commuted sentence is that again we will be allowed to trash them by calling them “fat cats and scumbags”. Thereafter, if they promise to do better about the denial of pre-existing condition coverage, they will be allowed to get the rewards of about another 15-20 million new customers, all of which apparently would result in extremely profitable situations and the company’s stock can rise to the moon. For some reason they now say there still will be 15 million without insurance. Never mind. We have stood up to them and demanded they do better. They no longer laugh out loud at us, but are forced to “snigger” smugly on their way to the evil bank. Aside, the best solution I have heard is to make the Insurance Companies regulated utilities and then regulate the hell out of them. That might have been done with an 8 or 10 page explanation instead of 3000 pages with 160 new agencies and heaven knows what. Did I mention that the only money the government has is what they get from its citizens and adding millions of people and benefits can become costly.
Next comes those pesky carbon foot prints. This will be the most vexing, most expensive and job threatening issue at least in the beginning. We have put off energy and environmental issues for 50 years. This appears to be a means to transfer the nation’s wealth to the rest of the world and a gigantic step towards moving to a more just socialistic society within the world. I don’t want to sound too anti-socialist. We have become what we are because of democracy and capitalism through decades of trial and error. However one easily sees the inequities of wealth and greed without regulation. Regulation and or socialistic controls can make it more fair for everybody. But overdo it and we become lethargic, lazy, selfish and finally reduced to nothing more than a post-soviet like society. While I believe we need to reasonably protect the environment, switch to alternative energy and do whatever it takes to preserve the economic well-being, I am a skeptic as to what can be done to change the climate. Until we figure out how to control Sun spots, storms originating on the Sun, or elsewhere in the universe, controlling the persistent wobble of the earth on its axis, magnetic concerns, etc., I fear we cannot prevent whatever is to happen to earth when the time comes. Moving to another planet may be less of a problem than preventing the destruction of earth at some point in time (way beyond our time, I hope), 2012 be damned.
About those lobbyists, all 68 per person in Congress. Looks like we dealt with them also. Wouldn’t want to enable all those companies to compete across state lines and perhaps bring down premiums. Wouldn’t want to deal with Tort reform. Best way to handle those bastard lobbyists is to just ignore them. After all, what’s wrong with taking their money. When they don’t have any left, we will have them right where we want them. Campaign reform. Same solution. Make the promises of reform and get on to more important issues, like my long desire to abolish the Republican Party. After all there are two or more registered Democrats to every registered Republican. So, who needs them. They can be Democrats like the rest of us. Inter-party squabbles could be lots more fun. Or help stamp out handicapped parking. Make em walk like the rest of us.
“Aint change wonderful”. Have a good day! Let’s go make fun of Sarah Palin or Joe Biden.
Cornbred's Weblog 
Leave a Reply