Day: July 3, 2009

Low Morals Caused Economic Crisis

I have been reading and writing about the economy and the problems and the solutions for a long time….recently I saw one of the dumbest things I have ever seen……Oklahoma state representative, Sally Kerns,  has found a new way to make the GOP look more stupid and less in touch than anyone before her.

The state representative has taken it upon herself to create an “Oklahoma Citizen’s Proclamation for Morality,” which essentially blames the nation’s sinners (you know, like the gays and divorcees) on the economic recession. Here’s a snippet of the document, which can be read in its entirety here:

WHEREAS, we believe our economic woes are consequences of our greater national moral crisis; andWHEREAS, this nation has become a world leader in promoting abortion, pornography, same sex marriage, sex trafficking, divorce, illegitimate births, child abuse, and many other forms of debauchery; and

WHEREAS, alarmed that the Government of the United States of America is forsaking the rich Christian heritage upon which this nation was built; and

WHEREAS, grieved that the Office of the president of these United States has refused to uphold the long held tradition of past presidents in giving recognition to our National Day of Prayer; and

WHEREAS, deeply disturbed that the Office of the president of these United States disregards the biblical admonitions to live clean and pure lives by proclaiming an entire month to an immoral behavior;

This woman has given a NEW meaning to the word religious zealot…..she has NOT done a service to her supporters.  We do not need representatives that have this type of thinking….this will NOT solve our problem with the economy.  This is a stupid person, by that I mean she is culivating ignorance.

Why Not Take The Profit Out Of Health Care?

In the list of world countries and their health care systems, the US ranks 37, France and Italy are one and two.  The Repubs keep telling us that we have the best health care system in the world, but I believe that is not quite as honest as they want us to believe.

From an article on wsws.org:

Americans are overwhelmingly dissatisfied with the state of the nation’s health care system. A New York Times/CBS news poll released over the weekend showed that 85 percent of respondents said that the health care system needed to be fundamentally changed or rebuilt.

The survey also found that 72 percent would support a government-administered insurance plan, and that half of those questioned thought the government would do a better job than private insurers at providing medical coverage.

The reality, however, is that health care reform being promoted by the Obama administration, and being drafted and debated in the House and Senate, will not address the burning health care needs of millions of adults and children. The entire debate in the White House and Congress is framed from the standpoint of cutting costs, rationing care and defending the profits of the giant health care conglomerates.

Various versions of the “public option” are being advanced. None of these options bear any resemblance to socialized medicine, and they would in no way challenge the private, for-profit operation of the healthcare system.

One would be based on a Medicare-style model, competing with private alternatives in a national insurance “exchange,” open to people without workplace coverage. Another is a “weak public option,” which would be organized at the state level, and would operate somewhat like self-insured state employee plans. Yet another would allow for government-chartered but privately run insurance “cooperatives.”

The outcome of Obama’s reforms will be, in the end, that the majority of Americans will have less health care than they do at present. Indeed, the state government of California, with the full support of the Obama administration, is already planning the elimination of key social programs, including subsidized health care to hundreds of thousands of children.

In a society ever more polarized and dominated by a financial aristocracy—and with a president who functions as its instrument—no expense is to be spared to bail out the banks and financial institutions, while a “reform” of the health care system is to be accompanied by healthcare rationing and massive spending cuts.

I say turn health care into a “public utility” and remove the profit structure.