Essay: "G.O.P. Assault on Planned Parenthood Is Counterproductive"

Essay: "G.O.P. Assault on Planned Parenthood Is Counterproductive"

Within the last week or so the Republicans and some anti-choice Democrats schemed to deny funding for the family planning organization Planned Parenthood on account of their notoriety of advocating the still legal "woman's right to choose" to terminate an unwanted pregnancy. in fact, Speaker of the House John Boehner falsely claimed that denying funding for Planned Parenthood was "the will of the people." (other than rabid social conservatives). On the other hand, advising women whether or not to assert that right is just one part of Planned Parenthood's mission. Not only does Planned Parenthood offer abortion services, but it offers ' family planning' (contraceptives), HIV and STD testing, and other reproductive and similar health services at a nominal cost. This financial assault by anti-choice extremists will affect thousands if not millions of people who choose and have the legal right to choose contraceptives and similar services. Unless or until contraceptives (birth control) are outlawed by Congress or the courts anti-choice zealots have no business denying such services to couples and/or individuals, especially in these tough economic times. Also, if contraceptive funding is denied, more abortions, not less will certainly be performed. I guarantee that voters will remember this outrage and vote accordingly in the next and subsequent elections.

Essay: "U.S. House Tries to Defund NPR and PBS"

Essay: U.S. House Attempts to Defund NPR and PBS"

It should come as no surprise that the entire Republican delegation of the U.S. House of Representatives voted to defund National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). NPR and PBS often tell both the liberal and conservative side of the story. On the other hand, Fox News (which ironically claims to be "Fair and Balanced") and right-wing talk radio usually tells just the ultra-conservative viewpoint, and when a liberal panelist appears or caller calls in they are usually shouted down before they can have their say. Without NPR and PBS millions of Americans will only get the oft deceptive right-wing vantage point when they watch or listen to news. Although NPR and PBS pledge breaks are annoying ,if you want to continue to be able to hear reliable news and not right-wing propaganda call or write your U.S. Senators to retain funding for NPR and PBS.

Essay: "Breaking the Backs of the Poor Over Deficit Reduction"

Essay: " Breaking the Backs of the Poor and Vulnerable Over Deficit Reduction"

Prominent politicians from both major parties are declaring: "we all must share in the sacrifice in order to achieve 'deficit reduction'. What a load of horse manure! Sure something must be done, but why should the poor and vulnerable be the ones to endure the onus of those cuts. It isn't the poor and vulnerable who caused this mess. It was politically expedient decisions such as two unnecessary 'endless wars', a bloated secret shadow government known as the Department of Homeland Security, and tax cuts for millionaires, billionaires and corporate welfare for corporations eager to send American jobs abroad to save money and increase their so-called bottom line, while destroying the American Dream and the economy to boot. Likewise, Wall Street and what others call "banksters" continue their bonuses and lavish compensation packages for those at the top, economy be damned. Why isn't it that those who caused this mess foot the bill or the penalty to fix things? Also, if politicians, especially those on the right wing are so eager to cut benefits and services to those who truly need them (poor, homeless, sick, vulnerable, etc.) why aren't they willing to cut their own pay and undeserved benefits? Perhaps in trying to 'fix' things, they will instead destroy the lives of poor constituents and the nation they claim to serve.

Essay: "Smoker's Rights?"

Essay: " Smoker's Rights?"

In the last week or so a big to-do was made about whether government officials could restrict smoking at places like Boston Common or the beach, among other places. Normally I would oppose the long arm of the law regulating perfectly legal activities, but in the case of smoking I would make an exception. First of all, if used as suggested smoking will eventually wreck the health and/or kill the smoker with lung cancer, emphysema, or Common Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), among other ailments. To make matters worse, bystanders health or lives can also be affected or cut short through second-hand smoke. I work at a job where I have no choice but to walk around smokers selfishly puffing away. If it was up to me they wouldn't have the right to smoke around me. Smokers may have their so-called rights, but the rights of those who choose to breathe untainted air should always trump the rights of selfish smoke fiends.

Essay: "You May Not Be Able To Buy Love But You Can Certainly Buy Elections"

Essay: " You May Not Be Able To Buy Love, But You Can Certainly Buy Elections"

With the wrongheaded, right-wing, reprehensible Supreme Court decision on the Citizen's United case, it proves you may not be able to buy love but you can certainly buy elections. (tbc)

All three branches of government appear to be bought and paid for. The wants of corporations and the Super Rich 1 or 2% of the population take precedence over the basic needs of the other 98% or so. The needs of the most vulnerable of us are particularly at risk... (tbc) Due to greedy banks, Wall Street types, two unnecessary wars, a bloated Dept. of Homeland Security, and other needless boondoggles, the Federal government is eager to cut necessary programs people actually need while giving millionaires and billionaires "permanent tax cuts"; not to mention corporate welfare and tax breaks for businesses that outsource jobs overseas for cheap labor and refuse to create new jobs here.

Paraphrasing the "Declaration of Independence" : "There are certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness... whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government..." Something like that is happening right now in Tunis and Egypt. Since our Federal government is now apparently a corporat(e)ocracy or a plutocracy (government by the rich), our government has little or no concern for the needy, vulnerable, or the have-nots. When our government pays little or no heed to the hungry, homeless, jobless, or allows people to suffer needlessly to save money, then our own government should be "altered or abolished" in the not too distant future.

Essay: "Untruths About the Single Payer Bugaboo"

Essay: Untruths and Outright Deceptions About the Single Payer Bugaboo"

I have always supported a Single Payer health care system for USA-ll. After receiving a letter by the political organization Public Citizen with information on "Myths and Lies about Single Payer..." I am more convinced than ever that we ought to scrap the current HMO and for-profit health insurance system and immediately transition to a Canadian-style Single Payer system. According to the letter from Public Citizen, "Single Payer" is not so-called "Socialized Medicine" although every Republican claims otherwise to deceive the populous. If we changed to a Single Payer system we would all get a card which would entitle any U.S. citizen to go to any private physician or hospital of our choice. By the way, doctors would not become employed by the government, though the G.O.P. claim otherwise.

Also according to the letter I received this week, "Single Payer" will not lead to so-called "rationing" at least when compared to the highly flawed system we currently have. As you probably know, the for-profit system we unfortunately have absolutely "rations care" in that in many cases without insurance or adequate insurance you either are not allowed to get health care or you are financially responsible to an exorbitant extent; up to and including bankruptcy. According to the letter, more than one hundred American citizens perish every day due to lack of insurance under our ruthless for-profit system. Reprehensible as our for-profit system is, at least 36,500 people die annually due to lack of insurance. In addition, a lot of the time care is denied to the sick or dying so the American insurance companies can maximize profits. Guess how many people die in our neighbor to the north (Canada) due to lack of health insurance. The answer is "zero".

According to the letter from Public Citizen, if the for-profit "health insurance industry" was deep-sixed, there would be hundreds of "billions" of dollars saved annually in business "costs" and "profits". Instead of going to greedy insurance executives and unnecessary 'gecko, caveman or Mr. Mayhem' advertisements and maximizing profits instead of helping the sick, all that money could be utilized to keep us healthy, catch potential health problems sooner with preventive care, and perhaps lengthen lifespans.

According to the letter from Public Citizen, prescription drugs and research would cost less than they do now under a Single Payer system. If done correctly, a Single Payer system should cover more care for most U.S. Citizens. The letter says there would be "no more bills, deductibles, or co-pays." Of course, taxes would go up somewhat, but it would not likely be more than the typical person currently pays in insurance, if covered.

Although those in the for-profit health insurance industry may lose, any industry that is indifferent to the pain, suffering or demise of the sick ought to be done away with. In fact, such a system should have met its demise a long time ago. (tbc?) For more information, go to www.citizen.org. By the way, I am not a member of Public Citizen.

Essay: "You Are SOL 2"

Essay: You're SOL 2"

It is apparent that the Wrongheaded Right-Wing Republicans are willing to stop at almost nothing to try to repeal Obamacare. Sure, the Tea Party tend to be against it, as are most diehard conservatives. However, most people support the new health care law's provision against denying care based on "pre-existing conditions". It is disgusting that HMOs and insurance companies of all kinds keep raising rates and keep enriching their top executives while the majority of people's health and finances suffer. It is also a disgrace that millions of Americans can't afford health coverage and others who have it can't risk getting sick. Obamacare is far from perfect. In fact, in my view it doesn't go far enough in the "Single Payer" direction . On the other hand, it at least tries to do something about healthcare inequities and insurance co. abuses in this country. The GOP intend to continue skyrocketing insurance premium increases, which few can afford. American political leaders in general and the elected GOP in particular don't seem to give a damn if you have no health insurance or inadequate coverage; so long as we don't have alleged 'Socialistic healthcare'. What we have is a broken system, which could potentially literally bankrupt both the government and the majority of citizens. Whether out of ideological zeal, enmity toward Democrats, a strategy to unseat Obama in the nest election, or just plain being ornery, the Republican plan (if there is one) is against the best interests of the nation and the majority of the citizenry. (tbc?)

Essay: "Are Two Billionaires Responsible For Tea Party Success and GOP Resurgence?"

Essay: " Are Two Billionaire Siblings Responsible For Tea Party Successes and GOP Resurgence?"

According to the late edition of the Monday January 31st New York Times, an exclusive meeting set up by the secretive billionaire Koch brothers at an exclusive California resort was crashed by hundreds of liberal "protesters" (New York Times, Jan. 31, 2011, p.10). This meeting was exclusively for rich elites, perhaps some powerful politicians or their supporters or minions, and may even have had certain right-wing Supreme Court Justices as invitees. The Justices may have improperly voted for the notorious "Citizen's United" case, which disregarded decades of previous Supreme Court decisions in order to allow unlimited and anonymous political donations, even for billionaires and corporations. By the way, these two wrongheaded, right-wing conservative Supreme Court Justices are friends of the Koch brothers and have attended previous such meetings. In my opinion, based on the two Justices relationship to the brothers Koch "Citizens United" should be invalidated or be voted against by Congress or We the People.

If you want more information on the Koch brothers read the Hightower Lowdown and/or the Washington Spectator newslettters. The brothers Koch appear to be spawn of nepotism (likely inherited wealth) who spend millions and millions of dollars to fund right-wing causes purportedly in their own business self-interest. They are basically the men who supplied the bulk of the funding of the Tea Party propaganda movement, which motivated millions of people to vote against their own self-interest in the previous election. They epitomize why plutocracy (government by the rich) is hazardous to our freedoms, our health, our environment, and our collective future(s) as individuals and as a nation. I doubt it will happen, but due to financial bullies like them, campaigns should severely limit donations unless each inidividual citizen (and corporations are not people) is represented equally. It is unfortunate that politicians pay heed to the wealthy like bees are attracted to honey. (tbc?)