What's comes after "American?"

I caught the opening remarks on the Health Care Summit this morning and then had to read the rest later. I heard a president talking about working together (bipartisan) and I found myself asking the question "why should I believe you?" I then heard the opening comments by the Republican side of the aisle and heard some very good remarks about starting over and taking it one step at a time. This isn't what the democrats wanted to hear so it's all being rejected out of hand. It is apparent that what the democrats wanted was simply to hear the Republicans say, "Well, now that you put it that way, of course we're in 100 percent with all you want to do."

Ever since the elections went horribly wrong and America managed to vote in a majority of idiots into Congress, we've been seeing this attitude in the Democrats. I've been saying it all along. Their idea of compromise is when everyone else capitulates to their views.

The basic problem here is that the Democrats have one colossal ego. They still believe that their big majority means they can do whatever they want rather than a mandate from the people to do what America wants. In addition to this, the Democrats have a serious credibility problem. Who can believe anything they say at this point? Every move they make is calculated to force their opposition to capitulate. They will lie, cheat and make deals in the dead of night to accomplish their goal. The end justifies the means for them. This is a problem that will surely be rectified in the upcoming elections. In the mean time we've got a serious problem on our hands.

The democrats are poised to ram the utter financial destruction of our country down our throats. They are moving inexorably on. They won't stop spending and our country simply can't afford what they want to do. Would their health care reform be constitutional? No. Would it help like they think it will? No. Will it be affordable for our country? No. It needs to be stopped.

My great fear is that the elections can't get here soon enough to stop this ridiculous train. I know they can't. If the Democrats can indeed force this bill through by reconciliation (which is not a sure thing) the consequences will be dire. Dire for their political futures and dire for the future of our country.

My personal feelings are that the vast majority of democrats that have participated in this travesty to date should be fired on the spot. I don't know what the rules are in each state for doing such a thing but it seems to me that the task for recalling a senator or representative is something the people of their state and district must initiate.

Elections are too far off and the future of our nation is at stake. We have to act now.

Now, here's my great concern. The democrats in congress are not idiots, they're merely acting like idiots. With the imminent collapse of our federal government now in sight, I think we can safely say that it was intentional.

Yeah, I know. I'm talking like a conspiracy theorist. I just can't find any other explanation for the actions of so many of our politicians. Nobody is so stupid as to believe this kind of health care reform is a good idea. Especially on top of every other idiotic spending bill we've had in the past two years. It's not possible.

Call me crazy but the democrats whizzed in and finished off our economy like the skilled stroke of the master swordsman finishing his enemy. It has been precise. Targeted like an expert archer.

Is this kind of health care reform constitutional? Does it matter? Nobody in congress has seriously looked at that document in a long long time. Can the states afford to enact it? Does it matter? Isn't that the point? This crisis has been manufactured from the beginning to bring about this very end.

So what's left? Either something very violent is about to happen to take this country back to it's roots or we're headed for a major split. United we stand, divided we fall. I was once an American. I can no longer define what that is today. What will I be tomorrow?

Divided We Fall

Sorry I haven't blogged here in awhile. Life has been hectic. There has been much to rant about but so little time to rant in. Then I stumbled across the following article on FoxNews.com:

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/02/11/republicans-object-biden-taking-credit-success-iraq/

I have to chime in. In this article we discover the outrageous claims Joe Biden and the entire White House appear to be making regarding the troop surge in Iraq and bringing the troops home from Iraq.

It's become obvious to me that this White House (and most democrats in Congress) seem to be a part of the name it and claim it group. They honestly believe that Americans have such short memories that they can re-write history within just a couple of years of it happening. All they have to do is lay claim to some accomplishment and it automatically becomes something they have done. We all watched during the presidential debates a few years ago as we heard ever more dire reports of the economy until it actually happened. Did one cause the other? The pillars of this recession were already in place for many years due to the actions of Democrats and Republicans alike. This was a government-caused recession from it's roots many years ago. Obama came sweeping in with all the blame for Bush and the Republicans despite Bush's repeated attempts to avert the housing crisis through legislations that the Democrats voted down. We stopped caring about the kickbacks and scandals within both parties (though more in the Democrat party) as they quickly left the media stage. Everything was covered up nice and neat with no concern for justice. In fact, we've been continuing down a ridiculous and insane path in our government despite the obvious calls from the American people to just stop the insanity.

Why is it that we allow people with so little regard for the truth make binding laws for the citizens of this once great country? With the exception of very few in Congress I whole-heartedly agree with the idea of "throwing the bums out." I don't care what party you're a part of. The constant corruption has moved to the level of being completely out in the open because Americans don't seem to care enough to do something about it. It's being flaunted. It's a level of arrogance you don't often see except in the crime dramas of Hollywood. You know, the ones where the criminal is so proud of his evil achievements that he begins to believe he is untouchable. He can't be caught. The whole world can know who did it but there won't be any repercussions. We could move Washington to California and nobody would know any difference. We'd just see the background scenery change a little more often to make it more entertaining.

With all that said, the current Democratic leadership, White House included, seems to have the idea that they can claim all victories for themselves and blame all failures on their enemies. What they don't seem to understand is that their "enemies" are their fellow citizens. Victories gained because of the policies of one party or another belong to all Americans. Politicians have to be big enough to applaud the good things found in the opposing parties because those good things represent America every bit as much as the bad things.

The division in America right now is dooming our nation. Our founding fathers understood this concept. United we stand, divided we fall. We're so divided right now that we can't focus on where the real enemies lie. We seem to be under the impression that they sit in the next seat over in Congress.

I understand the divisions. I really do. I'm dead-set against many of the ideals the Democratic party stands for. I still applaud those Democrats who seriously want what's best for America and are willing to put the people they serve first. I'm a registered Republican but I refuse to vote for a Republican who does not represent enough of me. I'm not afraid to leave a ballot blank in order to show my distaste for all the candidates involved. At the same time, we need to re-discover what it means to be an American.

This bickering has to stop. All of us. Not just Congress. Everyone. Stop it. Don't make me pull this blog over.

As for Congress: PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT THE PEOPLE YOU REPRESENT ARE SAYING!

Enough is enough.

Slaves to Health Care

Today's blog-fodder comes from the following article at Foxnews.com:

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/12/07/reid-compares-health-care-reform-foes-slavery-supporters/

If you're a Republican, you'll be out-raged by what is said in that article. If you're anyone else, I hope you will be, at the very least, incredulous and unsupportive.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Ried continues to prove that he is unfit for America, let alone American politics and Congress. We can only hope that the good people of Nevada will do all they can to get him out of office in the upcoming elections, if not before.

In his most recent statements on the floor of the senate Ried likened those who oppose the health care reform bill to those who wished to continue with slavery, keep women from voting, and keep the civil rights movement from victory. He has looked at some of the tactics used by the GOP to oppose health care reform and found similiarities that he feels give him the right to make such wild accusations and insults. I had to come here and rant for awhile.

So let me make a few points that immediately came to mind. First, these tactics are used all the time in Congress and will continue to be used in the future. They are lawful so that senators who truly believe Congress is going the wrong way have some recourse. These tactics have been used by Republican and Democrat alike for many many years. I suspect Harry Ried has even used these tactics at one time or another. Second, We're not in the 19th century or even the 20th century any more. Third, in the big scale of societal evils perpetuated by the laws of our nation the issue of health care reform is nowhere near slavery, women voting, or civil rights. It's not even close. If you want a more honest parallel to slavery I would gladly submit the trampling over the rights of the unborn in abortion. And, finally, the fourth point is in regards to name-calling. Has the Senate floor become nothing more than an elementary school playground filled with bullies and name-calling? It sure seems like it. If this is the way we're going to treat this issue, at least leave some dignity for the hallowed halls of the laws of this land and move the venue to a place more suitable for the kind of antics being employed by the democratic party. A place more suitable like the nearest elementary school playground.

The democrats are taking a high moral stance on a health care reform bill that is based on lies and deceit. See previous blog entries for truer costs for this bill and the impact it will have on our economy. What is far worse is the impact on a country that is wandering further and further from its founding fathers and the amazing document they shed their blood for.

Health Care reform is much simpler than this. Tort Reform and opening up the state lines for health care companies would go a long way towards reducing health care costs and making it more affordable.

Come on guys, let's stop the insanity. Somebody put a gag on Reid and let's kill the health care bill. Let's get back to a government for the people and by the people.

From South Dakota Senator John Thune on Health Care

Received on 11/21/09

Click on the image for a nicer view.

Disappointment

It's so painful to watch my freedoms slip away one by one. What will it take to stop it? When will my government understand how little I want them in my life?

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/10/27/lieberman-announces-opposition-health-care-government-plan/

The Heavy Hand

My blog-fodder for this rant comes from the following news article at foxnews.com: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/10/20/white-house-cites-opinion-shows-basis-fox-news-complaints/

There has been a lot of complaining coming out of the White House lately with regards to Fox News that could be seen as laughingly childish if it wasn't so serious with deadly consequences.

It all boils down to Obama and his administration not being able to handle media that disagrees with him and wants to call him on the carpet for those he associates with and the beliefs he espouses. I think probably every president in the history of this country has had to deal with unfriendly media and opinions. Some have even lashed out. I seem to recall Bush Sr. ready to throw a punch at a disrespectful reporter.

So let me get a few preliminaries out of the way. First of all, I do watch FoxNews regularly so go ahead and brand me now. I used to watch more of CNN and MSNBC until I began to notice the rediculously left-leaning slant on their opinion shows and News that wasn't always covering things fairly. Does FoxNews do this all perfectly? Of course not. But I will say, in general, they lean the same way I do. I'll also say I think their coverage is more thorough and fair. Statistics seem to show this to be true as well.

With all that said, we can all admit that the Fox News Opinion shows very much lean to the right and the Opinion shows of all the rest seem to lean very much to the left. The fact that Fox News is as loud as they are only brings some semblance of balance to the overall picture. So all this talk about them not being a legitimate news channel is pure bologney. Even if you lean way to the left you will have to allow for Freedom of Speech which is a foundation of this country.

And now we get to the heart of the issue: Freedom of Speech. I have no problem with the president disputing the opinions of Fox News. But the current tactic falls perfectly in line with what we've been seeing from the big names in the Democratic Party over the past year. That tactic is to do everything possible to marginalize and silence critics. We are dangerously close to losing the freedom to debate opinions and ideas in this country. The health care debate is a prime example. At every turn we hear about the so-called nuclear option the Democrats are hanging over the heads of the Republicans. Do what we want or we'll do it for you.

Now we see an attempt by the Obama administration to silence the loudest conservative voices on television. Rather than battle with words, the administration resorts to heavy-handed attempts to marginalize and silence the opposition. The problem is Freedom of Speech and the attempt not only to silence an opposing voice but perhaps the loudest outlet for the American People to speak. Obama is attempting to silence FoxNews, he's attempting to silence EVERYONE who opposes him.

The Heavy Hand is dropping. I still remember the interview a Fox News affiliate in Florida did with Joe Biden during the campaign. "Marxism" was the term being thrown around to describe the beliefs of the campaign. Biden acted like he couldn't believe anyone would dare accuse the campaign of such an unAmerican thing like that. The black pot isn't black but really more of a gray. It may look black but it isn't so stop saying it is. And if you keep calling that black pot black, then we're going to call you a fool and anything else we can come up with until the world has pushed you aside. And then, when all the voices saying the black pot is black are silenced or marginalized, the world can finally live in peace and harmony knowing and believing what we tell them.

No more freedom of thought, idea, or opinion. Freedom of Speech will still be there. You can say whatever you want as long as it's what we want. If you don't agree with us, we'll treat you like an idiot.

I no longer believe Barack Obama is a marxist. I now believe he is a communist. His desire is to be dictator of America. His ideology is shown in his actions and words. It's obvious now that he's taken to attacking Freedom of Speech, one of the bastions of America. A pillar. A foundation.

All this starts with a war of words backed by ideologies. If the words win, the ideologies win.

America is being tested right now. We are on the brink of leaving our foundations. We've been heading there for years. Which way will America choose to go? Will we turn away from the edge of freedom and travel back to our founding fathers? Or will we go over the edge and start down a long path and handing control of our lives over to this government and every government that follows?

The Big Speech - Part 4

This is a lot of blog-fodder. I'm still ranting about Obama's health care speech and there's a whole lot of things happening. Max Baucus trotted out his groups efforts today and the nation is trying to digest what he said.

What frustrates me about all these efforts so far is that there is always a penalty of some sort for not buying health insurance. We're spending all this effort to force every American to dedicate 8% to 9% of their hard-earned income to their health insurance. So if I was one of those who simply couldn't afford health insurance how am I supposed to continue to live on 8% less income? Now let's consider if my employer is forced to pay for my health insurance. Maybe my company now has to downsize in order to pay the extra costs and, if I'm lucky enough not to be laid off, my company takes part of my salary to pay for my insurance and I still get taxed on the rest that they pay for me. No matter how this ends, I have less money in my pocket. That's less money I can use to buy all those frivilous things like bread, milk, and eggs.

When will our politicians learn that they can't force me to spend my money. If I am forced to spend my money then I'm missing freedoms. Taxes are a necessary evil to keep our government running and I still have a bone to pick with the percentage. I say we're paying way too much for a government that only knows how to bloat. Give me leadership, protect my freedoms, protect our lands, what more do we need to pay for? Our country went off the trail of greatness when politicians realized the government was a potential gold mine if we only figured out how to get the people to pay for it.

By the way, what kind of trouble do you suppose I would get in if I refused to pay taxes because I disagreed with the way those taxes were being spent? It drives me nuts that my tax money goes to pay for abortions, prostitution, and the support of every sin known to man. What's worse, those taxes also go to pay for the same things in other countries. That's MY MONEY!!! I would never walk into an abortion clinic and offer to pay for the next fifty abortions. I would never do a lot of things my government does with my money. It disgusts me. When does my government stop being my government? They say I don't have to agree, I just have to pay for it whether I do or don't.

Yes, I'm unhappy and I've lost faith in my government. Am I going to start stockpiling ammunition? Of course not. I still love life. When the government takes that away, then I'll fight.

Okay, on to a couple of Obama's quotes.

Quote #11: " We will place a limit on how much you can be charged for out-of- pocket expenses, because in the United States of America, no one should go broke because they get sick."

This is a nice sentiment. Of course most insurance plans already have a way of covering this issue. This is nothing new. The idea of limiting the amount will just fix the costs and limit the plans. The general rule is: the more you pay each month, the less you pay when you're sick. So I'm not sure how limits are going to help. Besides, losing a few thousand dollars is much better than losing a few hundred thousand dollars and forfeiting any chance you have of the future.

By the way, where do non-profit hospitals fit into all this? As we begin to fix all these things are we going to kill the system of donations to non-profit hospitals that helps pay for those who can't cover the costs? My own father can testify to having a very large hospital bill forgiven because he couldn't pay after a heart attack. Much of that money to pay those bills happened because of a non-profit hospital with private donors. I haven't heard anyone bring this issue up and I think the non-profit hospitals are going to get hard by all this. Why donate to a hospital if the government is guaranteeing it instead? We're going to give up health care to our government just like we gave up education.

Quote #12: "And insurance companies will be required to cover, with no extra charge, routine checkups and preventive care, like mammograms and colonoscopies."

That would be nice but everything Obama says adds more cost on the insurance company. That cost has to be passed on at some point. What we keep hearing are hints that the government is going to essentially fix the profit levels for insurance companies. They're going to be taxed more and they're going to have to pay more. The company will have to make less money. This will have an impact on stocks and there will be a lot of negative changes happening in the companies. Top executives will be in lower number as the insurance companies go to younger and less-experienced executives that will command lesser salaries just to keep some semblance of a profit margin. Some companies will simply sell out of the business and we'll see a consolidation of big companies that are big enough to still make a profit. Or, perhaps, we'll get a new Mae or Mac added into the government holdings as it becomes increasingly necessary for the government to begin guaranteeing health insurance policies.

Currently most insurance plans are going to cover these procedures with a small co-pay. It's out of pocket but it's not usually going to break the bank or cause long-term financial distress. Complete cost coverage is a nice idea for the policy-holder but not so nice on the policy-writer. Is the government going to fix the cost of these procedures so hospitals and clinics don't take advantage of the insurance companies? Is there going to be some provision for cost increases? How many hospitals and clinics will choose not to offer these services because there's no money in them?

We are a capitalist country. If there is no profit, there is no service. Who's going to pour $100 million into research for new equipment when it will take them 100 years to make that money back? I'm a small business owner. I want to give my customers great products with great service. But I'm not going to pay them for me to provide that service. I've got to charge what the service is worth. If the government is allowed to come in and fix my prices, the better fix it high enough that I won't complain and low enough that my customers don't complain. Either way, I'm going to throw it back in their face and close down my business. I like being my own boss and I refuse to allow the government to take over my company and force me to accept a new boss.

Regulate. Make it fair for the consumer as well as the company. Other than that, STAY OUT OF MY BUSINESS!!!