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Tuesday, August 18, 2009
It's over

When the health care debate began, Congress was quick to throw the best option out the window. Single-payer health care.

"That's Socialism."

It appears we've reached the point where a public option, something that would offer an alternative to monopolistic for-profit health care, is now about to be abandoned by the large Democratic majority in Congress, because the Republicans have insisted:

"No, that's Socialism."

And even before the Democrats can reach the point where they can suggest the completely ineffectual and useless notion of health care co-ops, the Republicans are noting, quite obviously:

"That there would be Socialism."

We will, at some point this year, end up with something called "health care reform." It will be worthless to the average citizen, will further enrich insurance companies and pharmaceutical makers, and will still be declared by the Republicans as a boondoggle, and, who are we kidding - Socialism.

President Obama and the Democrats are worse than worthless, and will deserve to lose many seats in the midterm elections. The Republicans, while transparent and hypocritical, are, if nothing else, consistent.

Did you know that there is only one person in the United States that can have government-mandated health care without being labeled a Socialist?


And Republicans love her, because she has since become cost-effective.

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posted at 5:59 PM

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Wednesday, March 30, 2005
Jesse Jackson

Jesse deserves a longer treatise than I am inclined to give at this time, so I will apologize up front.

The Rev was one of the guys at the center of the Civil Rights Movement, and was close to Doctor King. He ran for President in 1988, and was a legitimate factor in the race, impressive regardless of race. But since then, Jesse has been utterly irrelevant, and he knows it.

I remember about ten years ago when Jesse went to Baltimore to protest that the Orioles baseball team had no blacks in the front office. I couldn't help but think, there were 28 Major League Baseball teams then, employing, what, maybe 1000 people at the most in office jobs? Even if all of them were filled by blacks, that hardly makes any difference in the painfully high unemployment rates which US blacks deal with. Let him join up with organized labor and improve the conditions of workers all over, including blacks. Let him picket and shame corporations that send jobs of all colors overseas. You help blacks by helping labor, and you make yourself a hero to the working class in general.

Just this month, Jesse is praying with serial pedophile Michael Jackson (He's clergy, is this professional courtesy?), and then he injects himself upon the Terri Schiavo circus. The phrase that leaps to mind is "publicity whore."

Jesse, you used to be so much better than this! You played second or third fiddle to MLK, but you are certainly engaging and intelligent enough to inspire passion in people. Stop wasting your energies on garbage like you have this month. Terri Schiavo is going to die. Michael Jackson is going to buy freedom. And you'll be left sitting, waiting for the next baby-in-a-well story.

Stand up for principle, god dammit! The government has sent young men and women to a sovereign nation under false pretenses? Where is the outrage? The President cuts Medicare and proposes to trash Social Security? Speak the fuck up, Jesse! The Senate approves a bill that makes it harder for working people to declare bankruptcy when they are being crushed by usury from credit card companies. Nothing? NOTHING? Come on, Jesse, you're not a kid anymore, but try reading the paper beyond the front page looking for the flavor of the month, and maybe you'll find someplace decent to plant your moral outrage.

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posted at 8:19 PM

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Thursday, March 24, 2005
Finally, some sympathy

I feel horrible for everybody involved in this Terry Schiavo fiasco. Her husband and parents have had to deal with a nightmarish ordeal ever since she had her heart attack and suffered brain death fifteen years ago. It's something no one would ever want to confront, a loved one essentially taken away in the prime of life. I can sympathize with the parents not wanting to let her go, but for them to drag this thing in front of dozens of judges is just wrong.

Again, their intentions are honorable, and undoubtedly stem from love for their daughter. But they allowed allegedly small-government, free-market conservatives to make political hay out of their daughter. She makes for a vivid prop for these compassionate men and women, who honor life so much by sending youth off to Asia to kill and be killed, and America's working poor to struggle with no medical insurance. As Jon Stewart pointed out this week, at least we finally know just how bad your health has to be before Congress and the president give a flying fuck about you. I hope it never comes out that Terry Schiavo had an abortion when she was 17, although I'd love to see these hypocrites try to spin it.

So, we need a scorecard to keep track of what sort of life is valuable, and what kinds aren't.

American 22 year old soldier: Fuck you, buddy.

American 22 day old fetus: Help me, Jesus!

45 year old who killed his family with an axe: Fuck you, buddy.

Elian Gonzales: Help me, Jesus!

Working mom with no insurance and appendicitis: Fuck you, buddy.

Brain dead woman from a state with a lot of electoral votes: Help me, Jesus!

African caught in tribal genocide: Fuck you, buddy.

Iraqi caught in American bombardment: Fuck you, buddy.

Mexican dying in the desert trying to emigrate: Fuck you, buddy.

Chinese suffocating in a shipping container: Fuck you, buddy.

I suppose it is callous to point out that some life is more important to our Moral Christian Cabal than certain other types of life. It's plainly the truth, though. I am American, but I cannot buy into the notion that American lives are more valuable than others. Would I rather save 9 year-old kid with liver failure than some rapist in prison? Of course! Even the death penalty makes me ambivalent. Sure, I like revenge as much as anyone, but since it isn't a deterrent to crime, what's the point? It's an uncivilized act of revenge, dressed up in pretty state-sanctioned wrapping paper. Let me say this again: I have no moral qualms about ending the lives of our worst criminals. I would like to see it extended to cases of gross white collar crime, a la Enron, Tyco, etcetera, ad nauseum. You put Ken Lay in Old Sparky down in Austin, I'll bet Wall Street falls into line in about half a fiscal year.

But what of poor Terry Schiavo? First of all, I am getting a living will now. Terry did not have one, and we are left where we are. In cases like these, the spouse makes the decision. Michael Schiavo claims his wife had commented that should she be incapacitated in such a way, that she would not want to be kept alive artificially. I just can't think of any reason why he would lie about this. Even if there was some sort of huge insurance payout, is anyone really trying to claim that he is this cold-blooded? He loved his wife. Michael Schiavo is not Scott Peterson, and it absolutely sickens me that certain groups are trying to portray him in such a light. Keeping his wife alive is a selfish decision from every angle. His wife is gone, the person who was Terry Schiavo is dead. It's tragic, and he isn't even allowed to grieve and try to gain closure, while at the same time being painted as a killer by people who should know better.

Allow Terry her dignity. Let her die, and be at peace.

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posted at 9:39 PM

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