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I recently went on a cruise to Alaska. Part of the cruise included a visit to Butchart Gardens in Victoria Canada. I have made some T-shirts that read "Single Payer Health Care Now" in big Iron-on letters. I was wearing said shirt at the garden and a man in his 50s came up and said "you don't really want universal health care do you? it is going to cost so damn much money!" I was stunned I just said "it's tragic". He said "are you from the united states?" I said "yeah" He said "why would you wear that here? they have single payer here and they hate it! I would be ashamed to wear that shirt!" I just made this tick sound in the corner of my mouth and awkwardly turned away. I have been reading Thom Hartmann's Cracking the Code recently and the first thing that came to mind was from the Pencil theft story "Whether tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune or to take arms against a sea of troubles." I thought this guy might be hopeless. Later on the bus ride away from the gardens the Canadian bus driver explained his impression of the health care system. Someone asked him if he liked it. He joked "NO, My mother-in-law had a heart attack recently and they put a pacemaker in her just to torment me." My republican in-laws were on the bus too. I figured the fox news watcher who assaulted me earlier must have been sitting at the front of the bus because he kept saying "okay, lets not talk about politics, lets talk about the weather". I gave the bus driver a four dollar tip. He better exchange the American Dollars for Canadian, before the Reagan recession drags us down any further.
Thom The correct address is WWW:CUTTHECRAP.TYPEPAD.COM
I found another meaning for "Cash for Clunkers"
The Health Cartel is giving a lot of Cash to the Clunkers in Washington to kill the Health Care bill.
Time to trade in the old Washington Clunkers for newer greener, models that emit less toxic waste.
A few models would be,,,
The Baucus, on outdated model from the West. The Baucus will run on Gas, Coal or whatever is available, most noted for designers leaving single operator option off the design table.
The Nelson, runs on ethanol but will take any fuel. It is highly unreliable and will let you down in the middle in the middle of an important mission.
The Conrad, a North Dakota clunker that runs as cold as the state it is made in.
The Landrieu, sexy lines but cheaply built. Takes lots of money and maintenance to make it run. Will probably not last another 6 years.
Quark,
I think Loretta might not be back until the middle of the week. She posted a comment on Monday, August 2 that she was going to be in a workshop and wouldn’t be able to hear the show for 10 days.
As far as Obama not governing the way he said he would, I think it’s a complex issue. You said that he’s continuing Bush’s trajectory in Iraq, Afghanistan and on Wall Street.
His position on Iraq was that he was going to remove fighting forces from Iraq, but leave behind a residual force of 30-40 thousand for training and security purposes. It looks like that might happen. Somehow, it seems a lot of his supporters only heard or remember the part about withdrawing troops. I think it was Amy Goodman who asked him, as he was leaving some event, if he was going to withdraw the private military contractors. He said that withdrawing them would have to be in proportion to the withdrawal of troops. In other words, his answer was, “No.”
His position on Afghanistan was that it was the right war while Iraq was the wrong war and a distraction. He said he was going to intensify (i.e., build up) the war in Afghanistan. He also hinted that he might increase operations in Pakistan, which he has with unmanned drones. Do you know he’s having a city size Embassy built in Pakistan; one that’s similar to the one in Iraq?
As far as military contractors, from what I’ve read and heard, a lot of the work that was going to Blackwater/Xe is now going to Triple Canopy, a company based out of Chicago. Xe still has a lot of government contracts going.
The honeymoon started ending for me as soon as I heard he had selected Rahm Emanuel as his chief of staff. I wish Emanuel would act like Moses’ staff and return to his snake form and slither away. When I saw he was building his economic team around Goldman Sachs big wigs, I figured we were in trouble.
The fact is that he has never been very progressive since joining the Senate. I don’t know what he was like in politics in Illinois. Hillary Clinton was slightly more liberal than Obama in the Senate.
I’ve been thinking about the difference between Democrats and Republicans and although they aren’t nearly as great as I’d like them to be, the Dems are way better than Republicans and usually come into politics from a much better place. Remember, Obama could have easily gone into a high paying job at a big law firm. Instead he chose to go to Chicago and work as a low paid community organizer. Hillary probably could also have gotten a good paying job as a corporate attorney, but she chose to work with the Children’s Defense Fund. Even someone like Chris Matthews, who worked for Senator Patrick Moynihan, was in the Peace Corp. Republicans don’t seem to have those instincts. I have a feeling that politics degrades the character of decent and idealistic people like Obama and Clinton.
Add all of that the fact that it’s likely that no one really knows how to solved the myriad of interconnected problems we’re facing. Some may think they have the answers, but you can think anything you want. The proof is in applying your theories and very few people have that kind of power. Those that have power face tremendous opposition and may not get to fully implement their programs.
I’m not trying to make excuses for Obama. I hate a lot of the decisions he and his administration have made. On the other hand, I have to admit that I don’t know all the pressures and forces he has to deal with. Still, I believe he’s basically a moderate liberal who is pro-business.
But what about us on the left; have we been effective? Obviously not. I don’t know what our best strategies should be and I’m not sure who is. The fact is that we need a massive progressive social movement to counter the concentrated and imbedded power of corporate America, and we don’t have that. To make matters worse, the American public is incredibly misinformed and uninformed. I think it was Bill Maher who read some really troubling statistics on his show this week. I can’t remember them right now, but one of them was something along the lines of around half of Americans can’t name even one branch of government. That’s why it’s so easy to scare them into a reactionary direction.
We just have to keep up the fight the best we can. We have fantastic people on our side. Maybe, just maybe, we’ll get lucky.
Thom,
Doesn't it bother you that Obama now seems to regard the progressives in the party as the problem (more than the Blue Dogs or the crazies on the right?) He wants us all to sit down and shut up. (That theme seemed to be echoed on several of the Sunday a.m. talking heads programs today.)
I don't feel that Obama has really earned that ability to call us out. He has not governed the way he said he would during the campaign --- with everything out in the open. He has, in many ways, continued the same trajectory as Bush, in Iraq and Afganistan as well as on Wall Street, catering to corporate America.
I know that the hatemongers on the right will try to take advantage of this disaffection, but I think we have to be honest about where this country should be going.
It's too bad that the American people don't understand that this country has swung so far to the right, and that "moderate" in this country probably means "conservative" in many European countries.
Frank Rich's column today says alot about all this:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/09/opinion/09rich.html?_r=1&ref=opinion
"Is Obama Punking Us? "
I don’t know about the rest of the people commenting on this site, but I am so tired of the lies and tactics of conservatives over health care. These “Shout Downs” are a disgrace. I have decided to create a form that those against the healthcare reform bill can sign. I entitled it “Declaration Of Principals” and It reads:
>>I am principally against any and all Government Run, Government Sponsored, Government Provided or Government Managed Single-payer Healthcare system. I choose to demonstrate those principals by signing this “Declaration Of Principles” and hereby express my desire and intent to; provide my own health insurance, to opt out of any and all Government Run, Government Sponsored, Government Provided or Government Managed Single-payer Healthcare system, now and in the future. Undersigned;
[There is an area for name, phone number, zip code, signature and date for multiple persons.]
It is followed by:
Note: I fully understand that Medicare, Medicaid, VA Medical and Congressional healthcare to be Government Run, Government Sponsored, Government Provided or Government Managed Single-payer Healthcare systems.<<
If you intend to attend town hall meetings where there may be “Shout Downers”, take copies of this and get them to sign it. If they are so against government provided healthcare, get them to put their signature where their mouths are.
If your Congressman is against the healthcare reform, get your Congressman to sign this declaration. If there are video cameras present all the better, confront them while the cameras are on them. Point it out to attending media when persons against healthcare refuse to sign this declaration. Let’s shut these hypocrites’ up once and for all by exposing these people for what they really are. This is in PDF format for those that want one, wordpress.trethowan.org
For the past two days, Michael Medved has spent the majority of his time fighting off the rabid birthers. I have never liked him more.
Here's my answer to all these astroturf protests on health care: MARCH ON WASHINGTON!!! And I definitely encourage folks to show up at their local town hall meetings...
In this case it may be the remedy for what ails the health care debate. Fight fake grass roots with REAL grass roots. I'm kind of surprised I haven't seen more buzz about an idea like this.
Surely the netroots, unions, nurses, doctors and the progressive community-at-large could organize a massive gathering that would demonstrate the country's overwhelming desire for a health care system that puts patients before profits. The main hurdle would be focusing on the goal of passing a good bill versus passing a perfect bill (ie. one that contains single-payer or an iron-clad public option).
Think about it... we could get Dr. Dean, Bill Clinton, Michael Moore... the list goes on and on.
Why isn't Organizing for America doing something like this??
We have plenty of time to put it together... the health care debate will be going on through the fall!
What say you Kos community???
It's curious that Martinez left with about the same time left in office as Sarah Palin. Maybe they will be doing some kind of vaudeville act at Republican rallies.
B Roll,
Thank you for your kind words on yesterday's blog. You are so extremely generous in your comments toward me and, though I am not a hero, I do try to walk through life one step at a time. So much of life is just enduring… and trying to comprehend.
My dear mother-in-law grew up in extremely difficult/abusive circumstances, too, but was an orphan as well. Somehow, she kept her soul and heart. I love her and we spend our time together laughing. btw, she is an extremely intelligent, capable person. I learn from her all the time.
You don’t need to say any more. Thank you so much for what you did say. I take you at your word regarding Mark’s attitudes. Mark is obviously so smart, I have hope that he will come to understand and appreciate other more positive, less bigotted points of view. So much of life’s true wealth comes with age and experience, I think.
Let’s hug and have a good weekend! Thanks so much for your friendship.
P.S.
I miss Loretta. 'Hope she's back Monday.
B Roll,
I will paste my previous post on the Friday blog, in case you don't read it here.
B Roll,
Thank you for your kind words. You are so extremely generous in your comments toward me and, though I am not a hero, I do try to walk through life one step at a time. So much of life is just enduring... and trying to comprehend.
My dear mother-in-law grew up in extremely difficult/abusive circumstances, too, but was an orphan as well. Somehow, she kept her soul and heart. I love her and we spend our time together laughing. btw, she is an extremely intelligent, capable person. I learn from her all the time.
You don't need to say any more. Thank you so much for what you did say. I take you at your word regarding Mark's attitudes. Mark is obviously so smart, I have hope that he will come to understand and appreciate other more positive, less bigotted points of view. So much of life's true wealth comes with age and experience, I think.
Let's hug and have a good weekend! Thanks so much for your friendship.
Ironic that the repubs who were willing to spend over $ 700M looking under every Clinton rug for Whitewater conspiracy, aren't curious about the simultaneous "Town Hall" eruptions, in fact the "Tea-baggers" popped out of the woodwork pretty quickly too.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=111066576
I heard this on NPR's All Things Considered. It's RAM's 10th annual Free Medical Clinic at the Wise County Fair Grounds in Virginia. The above link is to the NPR story. It has the article, lots of pictures, and the 8 minute audio which includes an interview with one of the 2,700 patients they saw. It's remarkable stuff!
GM gets to dump its polluted sites
When General Motors Co. emerged from bankruptcy, it was freed of obligations for polluted properties at discarded plant sites that will require millions of dollars to clean up.
GM’s unusual, government-engineered bankruptcy allowed the Detroit automaker to emerge as a new company — and to shed billions in liabilities, including claims that governments had against GM for polluting.
http://www.freep.com/article/20090807/BUSINESS01/908070382
Isn't the effort to reform the health system ANTI-fascist? I mean part of fascism is corporate-government partnership.
Pauline e Hopkins wrote in the preface of her book contending forces publish in 1900.' mob- law is nothing new. southern sentiment has not changed; the old ideas close in analogy to the spirit of the buccaneers, who formed in many instances the first settlers of the southland, still prevail and break forth clothed in new forms to force the whole republic to an acceptance of its principles. rule or ruin is the motto which is committing the most beautiful portion of our glorious country to a revival of piratical methods; and finally to the introduction of anarchy.
Probably more like a cross-fade than a morph...
Last week a Gallup poll showed that nearly 30% of the insured have government plans, up from '08: http://www.gallup.com/poll/121970/Nearly-Insured-Government-Coverage-200...
Thom,
A message to birthers: To become the president(let alone senator) you need to obtain a top secret security clearance (president needs the highest caviats). The fact that you aren't a legitimate american citizen would have come out. They have to verify your citizenship on your Standard Form-86(SF-86). The Single Scope Background Investigation(SSBI) that most TS clearaned people have is pretty extensive. And for higher clearances there is much much more (many-times to different types of polygraphs(full-scope, anti-espionage).
Shoudln't this fact alone end this retarded argument?
Rico
Unfortunately, the tactics presently being employed by the ‘Tea-Baggers’ being activated by Dick Army’s Health Insurance Industry financed Astroturf campaign are directly mimicking early tactics recorded in William L. Shirer's "The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich".
I find it deplorable that democracy’s underpinnings are being subverted by corporate-sponsored disruption campaigns.
I find it deplorable that the very folk who might be helped most by a government program are being activated against their best interests by corporate-sponsored propaganda campaign.
I find it deplorable that the country where Alexis de Tocqueville was astounded to find that lowliest of farmers could converse intelligently about government and American history has been reduced to this crap (Thank you, President Reagan).
It's not just Medicare, a lot of those people also depend on their socialized VA health benefits.
OMFG! I am tried of idiots.
Birthers, Roudy crowds, ect.
I wonder what the percentage of these folks being Christian Fundamentalist is. My fundamentalist in-laws believe that the Republican Party is God's chosen party, and they will support the party's platform, what ever it is (because the republicans are against abortion) even if they shoot themselves in the foot. Yes, my in laws are birthers, anti gov healthcare, believe that CEO's get what they deserve, and that George Bush was chosen by God.
Regarding the noise from those who's brain cells are dying from loneliness, why should we complain if our representatives are not willing to discuss the only health care system that has been PROVEN to work.
I created a bumper sticker and window sign in support of the four honest members of congress. I posted them on Yahoo at feel free to copy and share.