A Little More On Healthcare

While the interview with one of my favorite persons contains much, here's a little more on healthcare:

NOAM CHOMSKY: Well, healthcare is a dramatic case. I mean, for decades, the healthcare issue has been right at the top of domestic concerns, for very good reasons. The US has the most dysfunctional healthcare system in the industrial world, has about twice the per capita costs and some of the worst outcomes. It's also the only privatized system. And if you look closely, those two things are related. And the privatized system is highly inefficient: a huge amount of administration, bureaucracy, supervision, you know, all kinds of things. It's been studied pretty carefully.

Now, the public has had an opinion about this for decades. A considerable majority want a national healthcare system, like other industrial countries have. They usually say a Canadian-style system, not because Canada is the best, but at least you know that Canada exists. Nobody says an Australian-style system, which is much better, because who knows anything about that? But something like what's sometimes called Medicare Plus, like extend Medicare to the population.

Well, up until—it's interesting. Up until the year 2004, that idea was described, for example, by the New York Times as politically impossible and lacking political support. So, maybe the public wants it, but that's not what counts as political support. The financial institutions are opposed, the pharmaceutical institutions are opposed, so it's not—no political support. Well, in 2008, for the first time, the Democratic candidates—first Edwards, then the others—began to move in the direction of what the public has wanted, not there, but in that direction.

So what happened between 2004 and 2008? Well, public opinion didn't change. It's been this way for decades. What changed is that manufacturing industry, a big sector of the economy, has recognized that it's being severely harmed by the highly inefficient privatized health system. So, General Motors said that it costs them over a thousand dollars more to produce a car in Detroit than across the border in Windsor, Canada. And, you know, when manufacturing industry becomes concerned, then things become politically possible, and they begin to have political support. So, yes, in 2008, there's some discussion of it.

Now, you know, this is very revealing insight into how American democracy functions and what is meant by the term "political support" and "politically possible." Again, this should be headlines. Will a proposal come that approaches what the public wants? Well, we're already getting the backlash, strong backlash. And what private healthcare systems are claiming is that this is unfair. The government is so much more efficient that they'll be driven—there's no level playing field if the government gets into it, which is true.

The whole interview is:
here

Or watch the video version.

Healthcare

Of course I have to chime in on the subject. So here it is: There are a LOT of stupid jackasses out there and what I really want to know is how someone like Glen Beck gets his own TV show, 'cause that's what I want to do: get on TV and spout off ranting stupid bullshit and get paid for it (as it is, I do the same here, just don't get paid...and no one listens).

Oh, yeah...and after this nothing else need be said.

Sarah Palin...the Last Word

Ok. Here's my last word on Sarah Palin...which of course, I deem a quitter due

to leaving her post as governor.

First,

here's why men liked her so much:

In a nutshell, they just want to fuck her...as I've mentioned before, she's the perfect MILF.

But, the real Sarah Palin: Reminds me of Dolores Umbridge from Harry Potter V because that is exactly the kind of person she is.

The Rich Are Scared...

...or something. I've been meaning to post about this, but, as usual, Jon Stewart sums it up much better than I. And while he takes the "loser" angle, I personally think it a propaganda campaign because the rich don't want to be taxed.

It reminds me of Jack London's Iron Heel. But I must say, I can't recall so much fear coming from this sector in a very, very long time. And the right wing is hitting hard using terms like "tyranny".

It is laughable, as Stewart shows it to be. But don't underestimate an oligarchy.

This is what it's all about...

...and it's sad to say, as many have, that it takes Comedy Central to call out Cramer and the entire system when mainstream journalism can't seem or won't do it themselves because we all know who owns mainstream media: corporate America.

Rick Santelli's a Jackass

Let's take a complicated issue and reduce it to soundbites....and a great number of Americans as well. It's OK to bail out Wall Street, auto companies, insurance companies and let them still give themselves bonuses....yet when you're neighbor is in trouble, regardless of the reasons, fuck 'em.

Hey, give everyone money....that's his call to arms...but where was he when we were giving money to Wall Street?

Santelli must be running for office as he tries to appeal to the mass' fear and once again it all comes down to "where's my share?"

I guess just fuck everyone....every man, woman and child for himself....

Bi-Partisanship

Our politicians:
Republicans want the Democrats to fail in order for them to gain power and the Democrats want the Republicans to fail in order for them to gain power. This is the problem with a two party system. It's all about winning the control of power.

This is what our elected public servants care about. Not interested in you or me, but in themselves and how to gain the upper hand on each other in order to be in the "ruling" class. And whom do they serve, really? Read Kevin Phillips.

What can be expected in a society based on a culture of spending? The current situation tends to blame the consumer for living beyond their means. But isn't this the definition of being American, to live beyond ones means. We are a culture of wanting bigger, more, better. Well, when 85% of all the wealth is in the hands of 15% of the population, how can you have anyone live in any other way and continue to spend? Even tax refunds are all about spending; the government doesn't expect you to save that money or pay off debt. They expect you to spread it around to help the economy. Well, when you get a government that represents only the rich, you end up in the situation we all find ourselves in--with us bailing everyone else out. So, your and my money go to help Merrill Lynch, but what will you or I get back from them?

So, the solution: raise the income tax by a very large % on the 15% wealthiest and close the loop holes.

Truth

When younger, I pursued what I thought had to be the "truth" of a subject.  If we were arguing politics, religion or Macs vs. PCs I always figured there had to be one answer that was better, closer to the truth than any other.

I was very political in my youth...still am to some degree, just not as engulfed by it all.  And, to be honest, I liked to argue...not to prove I was right but to prove that what I believed is right, otherwise, if I was wrong, well, how are we to define our lives if what we believe is wrong?

I used to try and equate it to plotting degrees on a map or some destination in space; if off by even one degree, the farther out you went the farther from your destination you would be off course.

At some point, I learned, that to just argue a point, was, in fact, pointless unless you did your homework.  We all tend to express our opinions based on what we think we know or we think is common sense or common belief--opinions held by our peers, on the nightly news or is in the mainstream.

Side note: my belief in the main stream media I'll simply sum up by referring to Noam Chomsky (and his excellent book Manufacturing Consent).

A perfect example is the belief, often expressed in main stream media, that Unions are out of date, or are a cause of whatever problem being discussed.  The auto bailout is an example of this--the first thing everyone typically attacks is unions as being a major cause of the problem.

I believe in unions and used to frequently argue the topic in my youth until one day, in my pursuit of the truth, I decided to actually do some research.  One side or the other had to be right. However, if you think merely doing the research was a simple solution, you'd be surprised.  You really have to be aware that there is good research and bad research and just because someone has done research doesn't make it legitimate.

Without being too arrogant, I think I learned to do good research and to have good judgement when in college and from experience in researching other topics.  I typically look at the sources and notes before buying or reading a book to see if it meets my personal criteria for fair/decent research.  This is one of the reasons I have such a high opinion of Judith Rich Harris' book mentioned in my earlier post on parenting.

So, I did the research on unions and learned that a lot of what we hold as common beliefs are just wrong.

In the end, what I've learned is that some people, most people never want to let go of the common beliefs no matter what you present them with and you end up with an Us vs Them mentality where the truth just doesn't matter.

BTW-I don't necessarily believe that there is a single truth to anything anymore-at 44, I'm not sure what I believe...