The medium is more than the message-the medium is the new addiction

I posted a blog piece a couple of weeks ago about the writings of Marshall McLuhan who wrote one of his most popular books in the sixties coining the phrase, "the medium is the message."  Expanding on what McLuhan did not write is,  "the medium can also be a new cultural addiction."

Too many of us are far too wired with the cable TV, our cell phones, social media, Internet, emails and other unmentioned electronic message devices.  What all this wired technology is doing culturally to our great society can cause harm to those of us addicted to being wired.  Or even better, wireless.

Being one of the wired addicted, I now have to figure out how to unwire and get connected socially again.  Understanding an addiction is the first step to my own health.  It is a cultural fad many of us find far easier to deal with, than dealing with our fellow human beings. 

For example, I would rather cruise the internet as being more rewarding than doing my dishes or laundry.  Wired addiction to the medium in excess can cause many problems to many of us, regardless of age.  It can cause real cultural harm to our nation, if too many want the comfort of living in a digital world. 

This wired addiction carries out in one's education and later in one's professional life.  There are a lot of factors if most of a national society want to be wired and not have to leave their computer keyboards when it comes to employment.

Too few want to work in hard jobs and industries that are not connected to any computers.  That creates a good job market for the non-wired leaving plenty job opportunities for the lawful and unlawful immigrants that just want non-wired work. 

This wired addiction is being aided by our family lives and by our academic institutions.  All of us are being led down this path to an electronic education.  Our society overall is comparable to the Roman empire that got so lazy, it started relying on immigrant labor.  Just like here in America.  We are repeating the same mistakes of the Roman empire.  Will we get the same outcome?

Probably.

 

VA Nonsense-VA is not vet friendly and is an adversarial process

The Veterans Administration likes to claim their process is not adversarial.

First, reject that kind of federal agency logic, about 99% of the time.  I have been dealing with this alleged "vet friendly, non adversarsial" process since 1976.  Decades now and still am. Which suggests to me, veterans should have the right to legal counsel on vet claims.  Which the VA does not want to allow the legal profession to provide representation. Why not? 

The VA scheme is relied and based on having regional offices staff generally deny most vet claims using their legalese to take advantage of eligible veterans claims. 

Take the Agent Orange veteran situation for example.  Most claims  took what-around 30 years or so.  The VA hoped some of these vets harmed by Agent Orange die first, or just give up in dealing with the futility  Really quite sad.  Then, we have these new veterans having honorably served in Iraq and Afghanistan with their PTSD claims, many of which are probably valid, but not from this adversarial scheme controlled by the VA.

There is a model of a system that is not as adversarial and a person has the right to legal counsel in dealing with claims-the Social Security system with some finality-unlike the VA system, a claimant gets about three years on an application for SSA claims, befiore a claimaint has the right to have a court case. This SSA bureaucracy is also stacked against most of the claimants, but is no where near the adversarial bureaucracy of the VA.

From my extensive experience and longevity in dealing with the VA system, I see no end in my lifetime to the VA adversarial process. The cards are stacked with the VA having their staked deck of regulations and statutes to make some vet claims a life-long process. Further, I have seen this VA process take away VA benefits as a vet ages.  Which gets me to the point of this adversarial bureaucracy.

The cost to the American taxpayers and the need/suggestion to allow veterans to obtain professional counsel related to their dealing with an adversarial bureaucracy.  There will be those that will argue otherwise the VA system works, sooner or later.  I do respect the overburdened vet service organizations that try their best to be assistive to veterans.  But they too, have their limitations based on volume and note that most of them are not attorneys and many  work at VA offices. 

On behalf of the taxpayers paying for all this VA nonsense, with due respect, I kindly disagree any illusion the VA is vet friendly and a non-advesarial process paid for by the taxpayers.  Fixing this system would be a plus.

I also think A. Lincoln would probably agree the VA system is one big advesarial bureaucracy far out of control and beyond what he envisioned. Naturally, if you are a vet dealing with this process without benefit of counsel, welcome home and thanks for your dedicated service on behalf of our nation.

Even better than fixing this advesarial bureaucracy, is as a nation, stop going to war so often solely so the military-industrial complex keeps getting fed.  That might fix the VA adjudication backlog.

If Mitt wins, millions will die-If Obama wins, we continue being a "more perfect brokeass nation" and millions will die later by rationing

First, the good news related to socialized health care I participate in.  A year ago, one doctor told me I had macular degeneration meaning if I lived long enough I would eventually go blind.  Today, an eye doctor stated I do not have this eye disease.  So, that was good news. 

Then second, there is some bad news.  If Romney was elected, as far as he is concerned, many of us depending on entitlement programs like for the poor, the disabled, vets and senior citizens would just end up dying from what Mitt wants. Mitt has no compassion or empathy for much of anyone.  Mitt is all about money and the corporates and killing millions of us would just make Mitt happier. 

On the other polar extreme is socialist, "I want to be Dictator" Obama and his ObamaCare. Which we cannot afford either as we continue to jump over the fiscal sanity cliff into becoming a more perfect brokeass socialist nation like those in Europe.  And if you are too vocal, the dictator will send out his DOJ goon squad by simple direction to "I hate all of you", USAG lackey and coward, Eric Holder, Jr., with their AK-47's.

I do understand the arguments of the people that work do not like having to pay for entitlements including health care for those that don't.  Remember the Rick Santelli rant?  I do.

Makes sense along the argument of individual responsibility for one's paying for one's own health care. What next-a carbon tax on the air we breathe again post-election? Why Obama loves sticking to us new federal taxes is just mind-boggling rationale for his early lack of being a good leader..

Like I stated right after Barry took over, bailing out all the whiny state governments and the too big to fail corporates blew all the stimulus money in the short term; while shrinking the funds that should have been used to build long term infrastructure domestically, will go down as his biggest Herbert Hoover-like plunder of his sad and pitiful legacy as time passes.

Further, the more we go to socialized medicine and a federal government takeover of this entire industry, millions of people will also die too, due to a rationing system.

But hey, at least everyone will by force and mandate have some health insurance.  Good for the health care related industries, state governments, some students and those that cannot afford health care, much less health care insurance. 

Obamacare is not a good solution either since as SCOTUS told us, ObamaCare is really a new and un-American as one can get zany federal tax being shoved down our throats.

Then, I go back trying to reconcile a good constitutional argument for either position.  There is those basic rights to life, liberty and happyness.  Both presidential candidates are attacking this constitutional guarantee. 

Mitt's position is attacking the right to life and happyness that some would argue include health care as a fundamental right.

Obama's socialist mandate is constitutionally afoul of the rights of liberty and attacks the rights of individuals to be responsible for their own stuff including their own health care and insurance.

Neither of these two extremist yahoos seem to remember our nation was founded based on the fundamental rights being one of the key basic fundamental and critical components. And do not get me digressing on Barry's statement today only the military should have AK-47 weapons. That was a stupid statement.

To which equally was Mitt's stupid response was only perfect people like Dick "Satan" Cheney, Tom Cruise, Scientologists and Mormons like Romney should be the only individuals to have the right to bear arms.

Regardless of whom is elected President in 2012 (Obama), people are going to die either way because of health care policies by either..  Kind of a sad reality. And if you do not cooperate or protest, both Obama and MMitt wants to ensure only the military and their Gestapo-like police-state has AK-47s the bureaucrats will use to kill you, if you protest much of anything, the federal, state, county and local  government want to do. 

 Overall, I still reject both of these presidential candidates extremist positions on health care and right to bear arms policies. 

Too bad there is not another centrist candidate that is more in the middle on heath care policy  this election cycle.  Until there is a centrist, condolences go out now to those families that will soon lose a loved one that dies due to all this polar political extremism we are enduring now.

I am just in a good mood today knowing I am not going blind now. The bad news for all of us will be the millions of deaths caused by this health care extremism either way.  And if you do not like it, we here at the Gestapo have our  are AK-47's and you citizens don't.

Finally, I am just hoping I go high on the blog stats for inventing and coining the phrase "more perfect brokeass nation". 

How important a factor is health in politics-Stigma of Dieases

Usually, I do not like posting two posts in a given day.  But today, I have excess time to do so. There is an article written in the NY Times about the VP pick of Thomas Eagleton back in July 1972 that was very fundamental in my own political aspirations.Here is the article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/24/us/politics/eagleton-pick-in-1972-colors-todays-vice-president-hunt.html?pagewanted=4&_r=1#commentsContainer

Later, in my own life, a few years later I was given my own disability status.  Due to the Eagleton VP nomination, I just figured politically, any aspiration to me being a viable candidate was dead due to the Eagleton flap.  Framing this in a rhetorical question, how important a factor is one's physical and mental health when it comes to any job?

One effect of the Eagleton rejection was that in my own world, I went into the closet on my own cognitive disability.  For many years, I was ashamed and embarressed about a disease I did not caue.  Until after passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990 misled simpleton me to believing it was ok to come out of the closet around 1994. 

Furthermore, it led me a few years later in 1998 to finally go ahead and run for elected office when I was asked to do so by others. Plus, I no longer hid having a disability being very active with other disability advocacy groups in Kansas fighting against all the disability discrimination I had endured since the early seventies.

In fact, I can still get pissed off about the stigma still associated with cognitive diseases, but none with physical impairments like heart conditions and other diseases.  Take Dick Cheney and his heart condition-that was not much of a factor unlike Eagleton.

Or take Howard Dean running for President and his caffeine induce  yee-haw was enough that he dropped out.  With Dean, I just saw one excited politician that was happy and positive.  The media saw it otherwise and destroyed Dean's aspirations. Or even Obama who at least was transparent about drug usage and his niccotine addiction.  I bet Obama still smokes.

Now I remain one of the leading activists in America, not wanting to forget what other and myself have had to endure and do one's best to overcome stigma related to health most of our lives. Whether than be in politics, relations, education or profession.  Be glad if you are not one of us, yet.  Yet because sooner or late the probability is you or someone else you love, will join our "little club". 

For years in litigation clear to the United States Supreme Court several times, I was merely telling the judicial  and administrative branches at the federal and state level what our world was like-a long story around 18 years dealing with the many faces of disability discrimination that still occurs a lot even now.  I have heard all the arguments from the disability haters-how worthless we are and why we should be just like they are.

In evaluating my life, I am one of the fortunate people dealing with a cognitive disabillity.  I pay a price for being out of the closet.  On a positive note, when I write about it, a goal is to comfort those like me hoping they overcome their own disease processes and the stigma they have to endure.  So politically,  I took my own experiences and turned lemons ot lemonades. 

In turn, that is and was one of my strengths making me have empathy and compassion for anyone having to deal with health issues. I see very little between physical and congnitive diseases.  Now advance to today. This presidential election, Obama has emapthy and compassion, along with the high cost.

Romney on the other hand is one of those that has very little empathy or compassion and all he cares about our dollar bills.  So, that is how the country is divided as well.  Do you have focus on money;  or compassion and empathy.   Or fall somewhere in between.  And that is how I view politics-is a person transparent about their health as one of the factors of their qualifications.

 I hope we are not an uncivil society that judges one based on a disease process that one has no control over.  For example, I did not cause my disability-I just do my best in trying to overcome the stigma. That makes me a better person having learned empathy and compassion and yes, that plays out in my political aspirations.  My diseases shaped who I am now.  Whether I wanted that to happen or not. 

So in my own self-analysis, I have been quite successful and benefited as a human being due to my own labors and experiences including the stigma associated with my health.  And will remain so helping as many as I can make our nation and people's lives better by being a writer choosing to live my own life out of the closet.

If your concern is money, lean on compassion and empathy  resulting in an extreme dislike of us, that is your problem.  I hope you get better with your own mental state of mind as you or someone you care about join our club. Then you too will better develop compassion and empathy for others as a new member in or little club.

Is the VA Claims Improvement Process a Good Thing?

VA health care (socialized medicine) and its claims process is an adversarial system that costs the taxpayers a lot of money.  So, any improvement in this huge socialized health system in real terms might lead to improvements in non-socialized health care, as well.

For example, see this link used by VA doctors to diagnose disability claims.  http://benefits.va.gov/TRANSFORMATION/dbqs/ListBySymptom.asp.

As a veteran, knowing the forms used by doctors for any condition is a good thing.  I learn the VA medical jargon, the tests used, and can search for my own medical stuff via a convenient check-off list based on symptoms I am well acquainted with, with minimal effort.

The good news is these checklists are beneficial to evaluation of anyone's medical conditions and symptoms. Vet or civilian.  It also serves as a good example of a fundamental change in all health care.  The patient is the expert on their own health.  The difficulty in conveying their health problems and symptoms with such documents and data would lead to a better heath care system. 

I prefer the efficiency of check lists in health care because they are easy to complete and documents known and unknown symptoms for starters that anyone can review and complete. So to me, this is a vast improvement due to its transparency.

Second, in regard to the claims process and the increasing backlog due to all the warfare and new vets, the VA put into place, a routing system and continues to digitize medical records.  But still, like I stated above, the VA remains an adversarial system on purpose. 

How claims are routed by regional office in the VA regional office's zany adversarial system will be used against eligible veterans to get rid of them quicker, still lacking a fundamental fairness to those vets that are eligible..  So there remains a lack of confidence on my part the VA will merely continue to be adversarial to eligible veterans and their claims.

Finally, in regard to Congress controlling spending, I see little indication that is going to happen. Recently, Congress sent to the Senate the COLA adjustment for inflation that will at the end of the year, give COLA adjustments to both VA and Social Security recipients a 1.9% increase in 2013.  Coupled with the increase to the Department of Defense, politicians remain just that in their puffery-kicking the can closer to the triple storm effect forcing the federal budget over the cliff, sooner or later.

All of this indicates to me, politicians and their pre-election rhetoric merely convinces me post-election no fiscal sanity will occur this year and more than likely little will be done in 2013 either. The good news to this post is a subtle improvement in health care by simply getting better data at the beginning of any process is an improvement worth writing about here. 

Media Split Decision Endorsements in the 19th District Congress Race

The newsprint media resulted in a split decision-Fort Myers News Press favors Goss last week and now the Naples News favors Byron Donalds today.  Interesting.  I do note the News Press was more balanced and gave a better analysis of all the candidates for the congressional race. 

Now I typically discount media endorsements because the media is typically pro-business kind of endorsement because their revenue is driven by advertisements.  So, I never fully trust the biased newsprint or the local TV stations for their biased favorite typically favoring the pro-business kind of candidate.

Furthermore, I also got some communication taking me to task concerning why I decided to endorse and even volunteered to help Goss, a relatively wealthy DC insider.  Goss and his campaign manager are the typical kind of politicians that to date get a big fat F from me, on a broad-based rookie kind of failure to not communicate back, not understanding I too have voters that supported me as a candidate.  I would assume Goss's campaign will make similar mistakes that cost him votes. 

So, I would expect the same kind of failure to us voters, post-election if Goss takes the congressional seat.  Big mistake on Goss and his staff.  Now they pay a price. So with a divided media, this should be a really great congressional election with each vote counting.  With all these candidates, a vote of around 25% just might be enough to proceed to the general election.

I was a bit surprised with the Naples news giving the endorsement today to Byron.  Byron does not have deep pockets as compared to some of the other congressional candidates.  I know both Byron and the democratic candidate Roach have put forward tremendous efforts in this congressional race and both are not rich, like Goss.  I like both Donalds and Roach for their work effort and getting out to get the vote.

So, in summation, the next 19th District Congressman race will be a real nail biter in the GOP primary.  So, I hope the voters do not rely on who has the most name recognition or spend the most money on the campaign.  If you as a voter really want a fresh voice as a congressman, then Byron gets the edge over Goss. 

Goss has deep pockets and will soon be, or should be advertising on TV heavily.  Along with some of the other candidates with deep pockets.  I doubt Byron can afford costly TV ads since he does not have deep pockets.  I know sometimes, the best candidate is not the richest candidate that burns the most campaign cash to buy a congressional seat.  It really is sad when an election is determined by most voters by name recognition and usually results in not electing the best qualified candidate.

One of the other candidates is running a lot of ads on the local media.  Probably too early, although the ads are quite good-but not the candidate.  This is going to be a good congressional race come August.  I hope voters do their research and choose wisely based on whom is the most qualified candidate-do you want a new person with a fresh voice not having deep pockets, or an experienced DC insider that has deep pockets.

That kind of decision I leave to the voters.  Maybe Byron can pull an upset victory based on his political ideology instead of how much a candidate spends to buy a congressional seat. 

Stand by for the August primary.  This will be a tight race.  I hope Byron as an underdog money-wise gets a fair shot from the voters-he certainly will give Goss some concern.  To Byron, good job.  You get respect for your substantial efforts and outstanding articulation on key issues winning most of the straw polls. So when comes to effort and hard work, I give both Byron and Roach an A.    

Romney continues to fail to inspire

Romney not only is hiding his tax returns (an issue of trust), he also is not very inspiring.  The GOP National Convention starts August 27.  All Mitt has done to date is basically run a campaign stating, I am not Obama.

Finally, as President Romney, I will run the federal government like a business operation helping corporations continue to do global outsourcing applying some kind of voodoo economics trickle down theories that by helping the rich and Wall St. with my kinds of zany economic theory.

Meanwhile RomneySpin hopes someday, somehow his zany theories help the middle and lower classes indirectly sooner or later get their fair share, as I take away federal entitlement support for those that are not rich like me. Even the Tea Party folks do not want Mitt-they just want Obama out.

Clearly, there must be something in those tax returns Mitt wants to keep hidden.  So maybe he does not deserve our trust.  And if he does, then he will be in trouble. Either way, Romney's candidacy is in a big heap of trouble.

Here in SW Florida, there is one Romney commercial where Mitt states what he will do in his first few days in office which is basically get rid of ObamaCare, get the Keystone Pipeline going, and do some deregulation. 

What I want to know is what he would do over the next four years. Hardly inspirational. Can the GOP get someone else?  What if Mitt drops out, rather than release his tax returns?  Then what?  Ditto for Obama's strategy of attacking Romney.

Neither candidate for POTUS is very inspiring to most of us.  I wish both candidates would state with some specificity what they plan to do, if elected.  This may be one of this elections were some of us decide to just not vote for, or against against either. Negative campaigning by both is not uniting us a nation demonstrating a huge lack of inspirational vision. 

I do not remember a Presidential race where I wanted neither. So this indicates both parties are failing to inspire, lead and unite our nation.  Pitiful.  And post-convention, Obama is certainly going to be the better debater since he does have some personality.  If Romney continues doing what he is doing, the 2012 presidential election is really over. 

Welcome to 2012. 

QE3 vs. Raising Interest Rates: Which is the better option?

On one hand, Fed. Reserve Bernake clearly disappointed Wall St. yesterday in understanding QE3 will do very little to promote a sustainable economic recovery.  Merely see QE and QE2 did not accomplish a sustainable recovery.

Further, Bernake understands as the economy plods along and his warning about the fiscal cliff, at some point in 2013, there may be a point in time when there really is a need to give the economy a kick due to the expected return of the economy right back to a recession.

On the other hand, there is still no discussion on historic low interest rates might be the real problem.  With historically low rates, banks are not going to loan money to hardly anyone.  By raising interest rates, banks will start loaning money again.  With loans, come more jobs and increased consumption.  With more jobs, more tax revenue. 

So, consider the alternative-an increase in interest rates.  Clearly, artificially low interest rates are not working, unless one considers a stagnant economy a success.  So why not give raising interest rates as discussed on this blog for several years now as what needs to done a chance. Yahoos in favor of QE3 merely want to stall the economy in the short term.

With rising interest rates, those sitting on cash will rush in to by housing which should be favorable event to the economy.  Naturally, the problem with rising interest rates are those sitting on adjustable rate home mortgages will increase housing foreclosures again as the free market takes effect. 

I continue to suggest raising interest rates is a better idea than QE3, 4, 5 and 6.  Basically, increasing interest rates is the preferred long term solution for a sustainable economic recovery. 

In the short term, raising interest rates may be inflationary and cause another round of foreclosures.  Considering how artificially low interest rates really might be the cause of this rotten economic recovery that is not sustainable.  At least Bernake and I understand QE3 is short term and will only cause more delays preventing a sustainable recovery. 

In fairness, I guess there is might be some kind of zany idea related to why we are not raising interest rates by those in power for something these politicians, the Federal Reserve, the White House and others do not want to tell us the real story why we keep doing this artificial interest rate nonsense much longer.

Finally, who is really getting the most benefit from low interest rates?  Americans should consider and be asking why not raise interest rates. Whom will be the winners and losers out there when finally we do see rising interest rates?  If there is a good reason why raising interest rates is not a solution, where is the argument? 

What does Obama, Romney and Penn State have in common?

Lack of transparency and trust.  Obama refuses to produce a certified and authenticated birth certificate and hides contact data for federal agencies. Romney refuses to produce his tax returns which relates to an inability to trust him.  Penn State hid the Sandusky stuff allowing child molestation.

All of which makes most of us lack confidence in both major party candidates and in our public institutions.  Now in regard to this Penn State situation, specifically, most of us are well aware of how power corrupts and results in harm and injury, not limited to just Penn State.  For example, who trusts bankers, Wall St. or any big corporation anymore?  We have lots of reasons to not trust them, instead.

The corruption and lack of transparency in America including the Supreme Court ruling corporations are almost  humans and therefore, corporations have a right to free speech.  Translated, secret contributions can be used without any disclosure to buy political favor.

Does any entity or person wonder why most of us are skeptical and disfavor elected officials and these corporate entities?  What lies at the root of all of this is their morals and values. Or, lack thereof.  Until those in power become more moral with solid values of real transparency, expect more of the same lack of both our confidence and trust in them merely continue. 

While these yahoos will merely try that classic line, trust me.  Right. 

Not.  

Some good things related to America

Based on my experiences and aspirations including politics, following any subject area gives one an age on being a future predictor of what most likely will happen.  Ditto for what you are an expert on in life.  You can gather data and be a futurist in an area one specialized in.

In most of my writings, it is hard to see America in a favorable light in all this doom and gloom period.  Usually, when it comes to politics, people want to vote for the person that can spin the best illusion or hope.  This is one of the keys to winning elections.  In regard to some positive data I read lately, I was reading some economic data on GDP across the world.

The data reflects the US still has the highest GDP in the world.  So, we are NO. 1 in that category.  And the good is, that economic data is going to continue this decade.  Further, the US due to this high GDP, manufactures 20% of all products globally.  So, that is good data as well. 

I regularly read articles about what exactly do we still manufacture in the United States.  And one can google to see the results.  The US has certain manufacturing left where our manufacturing is still the best in the world.  What many of us see, is a slow reduction in manufacturing capacity and their jobs due to this globalization effect.  Clothing and apparel manufacturing is pretty topical right now.

I am seeing more posts related to returning to protectionism including slogans like Buy American resurge.  When of the negative effects of buying American like an American car is the poor quality compared to the global automotive market.  Further, we have to deal with foreign corporations buying up American manufacturing.

This leads me to suggest and support the need to reduce corporate tax rates on domestic corporations that are truly manufacturing with US parts and keeping jobs here in America at very low tax rates.  In turn, I also support trade protections and high tax rates on foreign and domestic corporations at the current rate that are globally shopping for parts and labor all over the world. 

This creates another negative effect because in doing so limits choice and tends to be inflationary on consumer choices. The bottom line is if we want to create American jobs using American made manufactured products, then the trade off is sometimes there will be  lower selectivity, lower quality at a higher inflationary price.

Sounds like changing the corporate tax rates favoring domestic corporations might be a chance and a change the American public can unite behind.  If we do nothing, things globally and domestically will only continue to get worse.

We need to unite as Americans, regardless of political affiliation and our selfish self-interest.  And if those in power in elected offices continue to not compromise and change something, we need to throw them over the cliff. So enjoy the GDP facts as I did, pondering endlessly into what exactly do we manufacture here in the United States that does not come with french fries or related to health care, or financial services industries including banks and Wall St.

In closing, get the tax code reformed including changing corporate tax rates, raise interest rates and let us get this doom and gloom economic phase over, finally making investment possible in our infrastructure creating non-government jobs that actually produce something across the board as the economic engine takes effect in a better and real economic recovery. 

Obama's expected 2013 Inaugural Speech Post-Election

Here is what Obama's post-election Presidential inaugural speech might/should look like around next year-he will simply change a few words and phrases around to modify the father of American progressive socialism's inaugural speech given by FDR in 1933 next year.

 If we forget the past, we will merely foolish repeat it.  I remember the past and it serves as a good warning what to expect real soon. In closing, how can one not notice the similarities and unreasonably expect 2013 to be optimistically different.  I merely add the only thing we have to fear is further expansion of progressive socialism and huge central government clearly out of control and dysfunctional to the point of being ineffective.

Below is a word for word text of that speech.  I am presuming Obama's speech will be very similar.

*********************FDR 1933 Presidential Inauguration Speech

I AM certain that my fellow Americans expect that on my induction into the Presidency I will address them with a candor and a decision which the present situation of our Nation impels. This is preeminently the time to speak the truth, the whole truth, frankly and boldly. Nor need we shrink from honestly facing conditions in our country today. This great Nation will endure as it has endured, will revive and will prosper. So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance. In every dark hour of our national life a leadership of frankness and vigor has met with that understanding and support of the people themselves which is essential to victory. I am convinced that you will again give that support to leadership in these critical days.	1
In such a spirit on my part and on yours we face our common difficulties. They concern, thank God, only material things. Values have shrunken to fantastic levels; taxes have risen; our ability to pay has fallen; government of all kinds is faced by serious curtailment of income; the means of exchange are frozen in the currents of trade; the withered leaves of industrial enterprise lie on every side; farmers find no markets for their produce; the savings of many years in thousands of families are gone.	2
More important, a host of unemployed citizens face the grim problem of existence, and an equally great number toil with little return. Only a foolish optimist can deny the dark realities of the moment.	3
Yet our distress comes from no failure of substance. We are stricken by no plague of locusts. Compared with the perils which our forefathers conquered because they believed and were not afraid, we have still much to be thankful for. Nature still offers her bounty and human efforts have multiplied it. Plenty is at our doorstep, but a generous use of it languishes in the very sight of the supply. Primarily this is because the rulers of the exchange of mankind's goods have failed, through their own stubbornness and their own incompetence, have admitted their failure, and abdicated. Practices of the unscrupulous money changers stand indicted in the court of public opinion, rejected by the hearts and minds of men.	4
True they have tried, but their efforts have been cast in the pattern of an outworn tradition. Faced by failure of credit they have proposed only the lending of more money. Stripped of the lure of profit by which to induce our people to follow their false leadership, they have resorted to exhortations, pleading tearfully for restored confidence. They know only the rules of a generation of self-seekers. They have no vision, and when there is no vision the people perish.	5
The money changers have fled from their high seats in the temple of our civilization. We may now restore that temple to the ancient truths. The measure of the restoration lies in the extent to which we apply social values more noble than mere monetary profit.	6
Happiness lies not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort. The joy and moral stimulation of work no longer must be forgotten in the mad chase of evanescent profits. These dark days will be worth all they cost us if they teach us that our true destiny is not to be ministered unto but to minister to ourselves and to our fellow men.	7
Recognition of the falsity of material wealth as the standard of success goes hand in hand with the abandonment of the false belief that public office and high political position are to be valued only by the standards of pride of place and personal profit; and there must be an end to a conduct in banking and in business which too often has given to a sacred trust the likeness of callous and selfish wrongdoing. Small wonder that confidence languishes, for it thrives only on honesty, on honor, on the sacredness of obligations, on faithful protection, on unselfish performance; without them it cannot live.	8
Restoration calls, however, not for changes in ethics alone. This Nation asks for action, and action now.	9
Our greatest primary task is to put people to work. This is no unsolvable problem if we face it wisely and courageously. It can be accomplished in part by direct recruiting by the Government itself, treating the task as we would treat the emergency of a war, but at the same time, through this employment, accomplishing greatly needed projects to stimulate and reorganize the use of our natural resources.	10
Hand in hand with this we must frankly recognize the overbalance of population in our industrial centers and, by engaging on a national scale in a redistribution, endeavor to provide a better use of the land for those best fitted for the land. The task can be helped by definite efforts to raise the values of agricultural products and with this the power to purchase the output of our cities. It can be helped by preventing realistically the tragedy of the growing loss through foreclosure of our small homes and our farms. It can be helped by insistence that the Federal, State, and local governments act forthwith on the demand that their cost be drastically reduced. It can be helped by the unifying of relief activities which today are often scattered, uneconomical, and unequal. It can be helped by national planning for and supervision of all forms of transportation and of communications and other utilities which have a definitely public character. There are many ways in which it can be helped, but it can never be helped merely by talking about it. We must act and act quickly.	11
Finally, in our progress toward a resumption of work we require two safeguards against a return of the evils of the old order; there must be a strict supervision of all banking and credits and investments; there must be an end to speculation with other people's money, and there must be provision for an adequate but sound currency.	12
There are the lines of attack. I shall presently urge upon a new Congress in special session detailed measures for their fulfillment, and I shall seek the immediate assistance of the several States.	13
Through this program of action we address ourselves to putting our own national house in order and making income balance outgo. Our international trade relations, though vastly important, are in point of time and necessity secondary to the establishment of a sound national economy. I favor as a practical policy the putting of first things first. I shall spare no effort to restore world trade by international economic readjustment, but the emergency at home cannot wait on that accomplishment.	14
The basic thought that guides these specific means of national recovery is not narrowly nationalistic. It is the insistence, as a first consideration, upon the interdependence of the various elements in all parts of the United States—a recognition of the old and permanently important manifestation of the American spirit of the pioneer. It is the way to recovery. It is the immediate way. It is the strongest assurance that the recovery will endure.	15
In the field of world policy I would dedicate this Nation to the policy of the good neighbor—the neighbor who resolutely respects himself and, because he does so, respects the rights of others—the neighbor who respects his obligations and respects the sanctity of his agreements in and with a world of neighbors.	16
If I read the temper of our people correctly, we now realize as we have never realized before our interdependence on each other; that we can not merely take but we must give as well; that if we are to go forward, we must move as a trained and loyal army willing to sacrifice for the good of a common discipline, because without such discipline no progress is made, no leadership becomes effective. We are, I know, ready and willing to submit our lives and property to such discipline, because it makes possible a leadership which aims at a larger good. This I propose to offer, pledging that the larger purposes will bind upon us all as a sacred obligation with a unity of duty hitherto evoked only in time of armed strife.	17
With this pledge taken, I assume unhesitatingly the leadership of this great army of our people dedicated to a disciplined attack upon our common problems.	18
Action in this image and to this end is feasible under the form of government which we have inherited from our ancestors. Our Constitution is so simple and practical that it is possible always to meet extraordinary needs by changes in emphasis and arrangement without loss of essential form. That is why our constitutional system has proved itself the most superbly enduring political mechanism the modern world has produced. It has met every stress of vast expansion of territory, of foreign wars, of bitter internal strife, of world relations.	19
It is to be hoped that the normal balance of executive and legislative authority may be wholly adequate to meet the unprecedented task before us. But it may be that an unprecedented demand and need for undelayed action may call for temporary departure from that normal balance of public procedure.	20
I am prepared under my constitutional duty to recommend the measures that a stricken nation in the midst of a stricken world may require. These measures, or such other measures as the Congress may build out of its experience and wisdom, I shall seek, within my constitutional authority, to bring to speedy adoption.	21
But in the event that the Congress shall fail to take one of these two courses, and in the event that the national emergency is still critical, I shall not evade the clear course of duty that will then confront me. I shall ask the Congress for the one remaining instrument to meet the crisis—broad Executive power to wage a war against the emergency, as great as the power that would be given to me if we were in fact invaded by a foreign foe.	22
For the trust reposed in me I will return the courage and the devotion that befit the time. I can do no less.	23
We face the arduous days that lie before us in the warm courage of the national unity; with the clear consciousness of seeking old and precious moral values; with the clean satisfaction that comes from the stern performance of duty by old and young alike. We aim at the assurance of a rounded and permanent national life.	24
We do not distrust the future of essential democracy. The people of the United States have not failed. In their need they have registered a mandate that they want direct, vigorous action. They have asked for discipline and direction under leadership. They have made me the present instrument of their wishes. In the spirit of the gift I take it.	25
In this dedication of a Nation we humbly ask the blessing of God. May He protect each and every one of us. May He guide me in the days to come.	26

Remembering Marshall McLuhan-The medium is the message

I remember reading Marshal McLuhan best seller released back in 1967. I remember it was not an easy read as a teenager, but I did get his message-the medium is the message.  He also is attributed with a lot of other things such as terms like "global village", "global theater"and predicted the Internet happening including coining the term "surfing".

Further, on-line, it is reported McLuhan personally inspired Timothy Leary to popularize the phrase McLuhan was credited with coining the phrase Turn on, tune in, drop out by its popularizer, Timothy Leary in the 1960s. So, I would really like to re-read some of what McLuhan wrote; updating and modifying what he wrote in 1967 and afterwards until he passed.

Some critics attacked McLuhan for what he wrote at the time. However, what he did write about pop culture rings true today, as it did back in 1967. So if you are an Ayn Rand fan and like trying to find John Galt, you might want to also read what McLuhan wrote on line regarding the various forms of media as we progress due to all this technology we have to deal with.

Moreover, if you understand Ayn Rand and get Atlas Shrugged by yourself the first read, McLuhan will be a simple read for those gifted more than my simple and humble self.

In short summation, what McLuhan wrote happened. Going forward, what we can we try and anticipate and predict about mass media forms, going forward in these difficult political and economic times?

But  first, I want to digress reflectively to those events before 1967 to give both your and my life some relative perspective.  Being a baby boomer, the impact on the various mediums led many including my generation into this mass media addiction-TV, Internet, surfing as described by McLuhan, and various other forms of electronic media available that others may use, but I do not use all. I think if I used less, I would probably be more social with the rest of humanity by turning off.

At my age of 58, I am jumping off the technology bandwagon choosing to no longer leapto each new fad form of media like cell phones, notepads, e-books and Twitter accounts.  Heck, I have one of those dvr things and have no desire or ambition to figure how to use such things.

Back in the fifties and sixties, the medium did certainly shape the message-our culture more than family or institutions.  Maybe even worse, the media propaganda formed not only our culture, but also impacted our values and morals.  My generation, during the late 60's and early 70's rejected most forms of authority including parents and institutions.  Now, many of us old rebels are now the Tea Party folks.

Instead of family and institutions, we relied instead on that TV thing having the 3 major networks controlling programming back in the day.  And wow, when we got a color TV, I felt our family moved socially to the middle class.  My family was now one of those small town "high class" families since we had the luxury of wall-to-wall carpet and an air conditioner.  We even had indoor plumbing, a 3 digit party line phone and no outhouse unlike some of our family still out there living and struggling to hang onto farming in rural America. 

For example, a lot of our baby boomer morals and values makes me wanting a simplier Leave it to Beaver kind of mentality person.  I miss Andy Taylor and that Mayberry kind of feel good morals and values types of programming.  And maybe we might see a resurgence soon in network programming allowing us a distraction and coping mechanism due to all the present doom and gloom mentality. 

John Wayne hero movies and Vic Morrow reruns of Combat are gone, but another John Wayne type hero or heroine many might wish for hopefully will appear soon promoting American morals and values  again, may appear in a similar type of feel good escape from reality format.

Not to mention all that Olympic stuff to watch from London later this summer, while I am waiting for NFL preseason to get underway. I also spent a lot of tv time back then watching sporting events including Jim McKay almost every Saturday on ABC's Wide World of Sports. So athletes were also hero and heroine types lots of us admired.

Right or wrong, leads me to kindly to suggest to others the new message might be "don't turn on, tune out and turn off"  suggesting we let go of this undue reliance on the mass media and technology for the hazards and harm these sources cause effect on our lives leading to avoidance of contact and social involvement with other human beings. Kindly, we need to reconnect with humanity again, fighting the addition and ease related to the tech universe.

Anyway, gotta go.  Time to tune in to cable news and check on my internet and Facebook account; while tending my Internet farm on Farmville. So enough blogging for today.  Probably write some more stuff hardly anyone reads tomorrow.  Thanks to social networking.  Almost everyone is now in some kind of form, a blog-type writer these days. 

To those that avoid libraries and books, here is a link source below:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshall_McLuhan

2013-The Worst Depression-Expect the can to get kicked over the cliff shortly followed by lots of politicians by us, we the people

The way the economy and Congress is acting, 2013 certainly is going to see a post-election Congress kick the proverbial can off the fiscal sanity cliff.  Post-election regardless of who wins the Presidential election (Obama), 2013 is going to be even uglier than now.

To kick the can even closer to the fiscal cliff to delay for a short period, the Federal Reserve will have few options, other than do quantitative easing, part III.  (QE3).

Other sources report of the wrong direction of ObamaEconomics.  See http://www.forbes.com/sites/peterferrara/2012/01/12/the-worst-economic-recovery-since-the-great-depression/

Now to put all of this into historical perspective, see this link of all US recessions as shown below for comparison.  I will leave it up to the reader to place proper perspective on which recession we are historically close to right now.

The link also states historically what happened to get into and out of that recession/depression.  So both links give us a good perspective based on history.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_recessions_in_the_United_States

Subsequently, when QE3 fails to cause any sustainable economic recovery just like the first two parts, the only option remaining will be the Federal Reserve raising interest rates, finally. Which is what should have happened quite a few years ago.

Due to ObamaEconomics and his creepy theories and putting effect socialism by mandate backed by Chief Justice Roberts betrayal, plus raising all kind of federal taxes to pay for for it, QE3 is way too late fiscally as the federal government goes deeper and deeper into federal debt. Spending federally has never worked before, nor will it work now regardless of how  wrong Keynes was with distorted economic theories.

What has worked during domestic recessions to do an economic recovery is crank up the war machine engine. Which is what we have done as a nation over and over, making us few friends internationally.  Which sadly may eventually happen due to defaults and trade wars by countries like Europe and we will sadly call that kind of option, simply WWIII.

When interest rates do finally rise domestically, then there will be a major depression as the stock market collapses along with hyper-inflation and austerity measures coupled with higher taxes at all levels of government are put into effect. So, there is certainly going to be a lot of civil protests, that will only result in our governments forcing upon the rest of us, a police state when most of us realize creeping socialism here in America is about as un-American as we can get. 

So the bottom line here is we are heading for the perfect storm effect-major economic depression, austerity and hyper-inflation domestically.  While globally, there will be a global depression in many industrialized countries. For example, notice the ridiculus prices of groceries lately?  Are you tired of eating chicken like I am?

No big deal.  Many of us can get better when it comes to dealing with poverty.  Dealing with the upcoming austerity followed by a police-state will be a lot harder as more people join the poverty class as the middle class slowly evaporates losing their homes and jobs; leaving the elites in charge of everything as they rape the rest of us for a while. 

Clearly, the direction we are heading, the only safe jobs are working for a government bureaucracy that will do everything to maintain itself.  City governments taking bankruptcy is merely another  warning sign things are getting worse.  Soon, that will be following by states taking bankruptcy and ultimately, at a federal level. 

Naturally, all this doom and gloom is not all going to happen all in 2013. Politicans will drag it out as long as they can keep can-kicking.  Which subsequently, we the people will throw more politicians over the cliff also.  This scenario will take several years. But 2013 is when most of the economic stuff gets thrown over the cliff first as stuff continues to hit the fan in your household.

To those that have already been through,  or already in the poverty class, they already know how to survive and understand peace of mind is still possible by gratitude for simple things; while sadly having empathy as all these newbies join them. While the few elites most favorite line will be the French classic, "let them eat cake". Most of us remember how that turned out.

Out of that muck of a perfect economic and political storm, the American spirit will slowly climb out of this muck of poverty despite a police-state to slowly rebuild our nation as we come to this realization of how important family, friends, prayer and simple pleasures are once again, as we learn to rely on each other during tough times just like what people did during the Great Depression.

Naturally, expect many politicans and the can to get kicked over the cliff.  It is just a matter of when as federal, state and local politicians have few options remaining.  Out of all the muck, there will be a true leader that finally inspires and unites all of us. Hopefully, around 2016. 

If the Great Depression was bad, what should we call this depression? I suggest we just give it a name right now and at this juncture, I could care less what economists try to merely label what we are experiencing is only a recession and a really slow but unsustaintable recovery.  So, let us merely call it what it is. 

The Worst Depression. 

      

USAG Holder needs to go

Eric Holder needs to go.  He keeps wanting to be political and infringe on several states sovereign rights to ensure those that vote, are eligible to do so.  State election officials in turn have a profound duty to ensure there is no voter fraud come election time. When several states try to stop voter fraud, then Holder interferes in that process. 

Furthermore, Holder also is aiding in ensuring undocumented or unlawful immigrants are not deported.

What is Holder's problem?  Is this a problem with his boss, Obama?  We have a big problem in America when Holder and Obama want dead people in Texas to continue to vote unlawfully. See this link below for a practice that continues by Holder unabated, not limited to just Texas.  And Florida and Arizona.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/10/us/texas-id-law-holder/index.html?hpt=us_c2

Not only should Holder not be our USAG, he also should not be an attorney anymore for failing to uphold and enforce the United States Constitution as a condition of being licensed as an attorney-at-law.

How many people will be in heaven given the entire history of civilization?

I am just pondering again and googling stuff, like many do.  So, if good people go to heaven and presuming most are good in excess of their evil,then  how many people will be hanging out wanting to spend time with God; while still being near to their loved ones that have passed.  Considering most of the entire human civilization will be there.

Now I know humans or humanoids have existed over 40,000 years ago.  So here is a post on how many probable people might be in heaven when all the rest of us get there. Further, there are folks that will come after you and me.  Roughly, the link below states around 107 billion people are estimated to have existed including over 6 billion presently . See the link below as one source estimates.

http://www.prb.org/articles/2002/howmanypeoplehaveeverlivedonearth.aspx.  That is right folks.  Heaven will really be one big place with lots of people, however you believe heaven will be.  Standing at the Pearly Gates of heaven, St. Peter is going to need a lot of help deciding who gets in and who does not.  Maybe that is why God needs all those various kinds of angels.

I merely wonder if and when a person does get to heaven, do they have to work with real estate agents like I am now?  Does heaven have better neighborhoods that have status due to how well one has lived a good and moral life as defined here on the planet earth?

I know way too many rhetorical questions.  Nor am I a judgmental type.  I am uncertain even who and how many will be in hell.  I do think Dick Cheney will be there right next to Satan. In contrast, I bet Ronald Reagan will be in heaven, unlike Dick.

I remember long ago, attending 8th grade at a Catholic grade school. I asked both my teacher who was the principal and my church pastor where is my beloved cat going, and why animals and other creatures of God, are not going to be in heaven also. 

Both of these two informed me my cat does not get to go to heaven.  That made absolutely no sense to me as a 12 year old; or now.  That was one of those milestone events leading me into philosophy not taking what I was told by others as being an absolute truth.  I therefore became a critical thinker at the age of 12.

Finally, the data above makes a big presumption that includes only our planet.  What about the rest of the universe we know little about.  Where do they go? Are we really the only life form and species in existence that goes to either heaven or hell?

Gotta go.  Places to go. I need to find me a good real estate agent here on earth and another one in heaven so I can get prime beach front property in the afterlife right near my deceased family and cat.  I hope my loved ones including my cat are real close to God, near Oprah so I can ask some of these rhetorical questions directly to God in person.   

Anderson Cooper is gay and I am a person with known disabilities: We both deal with reality

Some of us already know Anderson Cooper over at CNN (Comedy News Network) was gay.  I never cared about that. I was more concerned about how good an anchor he is-not his sexual orientation.  Cooper is still a great news anchor not showing an obvious political slant to his reporting the news. He reminds of the old media pros that were able to keep their politics and that of the networks out of their job as an anchor in just reporting facts as news.

So I could care less if Anderson Cooper is gay or not.  He still does a good job of reporting the news without slanting it politically.  I do seem his reporting as a liberal or as a conservative.  So good for him.  He is kind of like some of the more revered anchors we have, or used to have.  When news starts going on a polar political extreme like CNN and Fox,  then I really have to give effect to their coverage due to their extreme liberal or conservative slant. 

Really, I do not like my news slanted by a network and prefer news absent the political  bias.  The closet major news source that is not too far slanted in my opinion left out here in the "medium is the message" network of programmed news left that I can trust,  may be CBS news.   

Further, Cooper is now out of the gay closet just like me being out of I have to deal with my disability issues I did not cause.  So I hope Cooper's coming out party has very little effect on being one of the few true anchors I can trust in reporting important news events.

So I wish the major broadcast networks would return to Edward Murrow-Walter Cronkite kind of news coverage and stay the heck out of biasing the news with their network doing some kind of political posturing. 

Maybe to the people that run these major networks, somehow think they are increasing market share by targeting some kind of political affiliation-liberal vs. conservative.  I mean let's face it-CNN and Fox News are polar extremes in political news reporting and I remember that whenever I watch their news programming.  I just want the news absent the political slant;  or knowing the anchor's sexual orientation means very little to me.  Is the anchor politically neutral and also have an entertaining kind of approach to reporting the news as a fact event..

Maybe someday the news network people will return to just reporting the news like Anderson Cooper does.  And leave the political decisions to us, we the people to decide our own biases-not get our news delivered with a political bias already built in to target a media determined for a pre-selected mass market when we click our remote to the cable channel we can remember the digits to the most often. 

Later.  Time to find the remote and watch the news. Maybe later, Anderson Cooper will give a news report on something substantial and factual; that is far more important to us than what his sexual orientation is.  I could care less. I want accurate timely news from my news anchors without bias or targeted based on one's political beliefs-not their life biography. 

The Hazards of Socialized Health Care: Our family tragedies with Socialized Health Care and Federally Subsidized Insurance

This is a post on the hazards of socialized medicine and goverment subsidized health insurance based on my own family. There are some benefits and some disadvantages provided to those that have to rely on Obamacare and socialized health care. Further, I have talked to some out there in the public and am aware that some of them could not afford socialized medicine and insurance, at all.

In my family, I have both witnessed and experienced some of the hazards and tragedies in dealing with socialized medicine/insurance in my own family.  I had two brothers, both of whom have to deal with being mentally retarded.  My older brother Dennis died when he was in care of the state of Kansas at 18. Dennis got enchepalitis causing a high fever that caused severe brain damage from a mosquito bite around age 5. The high fever caused his mental retardation.

After that, Dennis fell one day shortly after becoming mentally retarded and broke his leg.  ( I know the politically correct term now for mental retardation is intellectually challenged).  Due to his severe retardation, he could not relearn how to walk. 

So, in our family, there were five of us kids, my dad was dead from an electrocution, and my mom as a homemaker was busy taking care of our family relying on very meager Social Security funds that kept us alive, but in poverty. I just want to add a note here, that when you are a kid, you do not care that you are a kid living in poverty, for a while.

An attorney that my mother relied upon, suggested as my brother grew and got older, that for his best care, he should be institutionalized at the Kansas Neurological Institute in Topeka, Kansas, a state institution of socialized health care when he was 14.  I was twelve when he placed in the care of the state of Kansas.  Along with my mother, we made regular trips to visit my brother and see the deplorable condition this institution treated those with severe mental retardation on their socialized wards. 

Now my mom joined the local advocacy group in my home town advocating for those with mental retardation. I went with my mother to several of these meetings with these advocates.  I remember how the group conducted bake sales to raise funds for their advocacy. 

One of the major accomplishments of this advocacy group for the mentally retarded was starting a school including hiring a teacher for these mentally retarded or challenged individuals.   So giving due credit to my mother, she was the first civil rights activist in my family.  I am the second.

After four years at this state institution, due to poor quality of care provided, my brother got a severe infection and died at the age of 18.  So, this showed me at 16, socialized health care was very risky and the poor quality of socialized health care caused my oldest brother's death.

Then, there is my second brother, mildly mentally retarded due to being born prematurely.  He too has to deal with socialized medicine.  I personally was responible for dealing with many of his unique and difficult situations he faced for many years advocating on his behalf. My younger sister took over his affairs when my brother started challenging my decisions related to advocating on his behalf.

Then, my oldest sister who was at one time a registered nurse.  Due to her health circumstances, as she got older, she got placed into socialized medicine due to severe migraines impacting her employement. She then gave up working as a nurse and was later diagnosed as, being diabetic.  Regardless, she too was placed in socialized medicine/insurance siyuation.  She died a few years ago from heart failure in part, and from being prescribed 28 different medications at the time she passed. 

Then, there is my own story related to my various disabilties.  I was given my own first disability diagnosis at the age of 22. I was fortunate for quite a few years in being able to stay gainfully employed and only relied on socialized medicine at the hands of VA, only when I had no other options.

Twenty years later and many jobs later, I just could not find substantial and gainful employment in 1994 and 1995; although I kept adding to my academic credentials trying to stay gainfully employed.

In 1994, I was terminated from my job I had for six years, for asking for a reasonable accomodation as suggested by both my doctor and my attorney.  At that point, I started doing litigation, came out of the closet as having more than one disability and became the second civil rights activist in my family.  So over decades, all of these family events, made me what I am now-a writer.

That advocacy work expanded in three areas-advocacy for those who have disabilities, judicially and legislatively, and getting involved in politics.  So in 1994 due to my personal situation, I had to rely on institutional medicine and federally subsidized government insurance  I was eligible for as disabled vet. 

Further, my mom now as a senior citizen has socialized health care in the form of Medicare/Medicaid.  It takes a long time and a lot of frustration for her to get good health care.  Basically, she gets minimal socialized health care and there is nothing anyone can do about it.

So due to all these family tragiegies, plus my own work and health experiences makes me well acquainted with socialized medicine, that most of you too will now have to experience with Obamacare.  In closing, I know many of you out there have either had to deal with socialized medicine; or have someone in your family that you love and have no other options other than having to deal with a similar health situations related to socialized medicine.

In ending this post on a positive note as a writer now, instead of as a congressional candidate, at least some of my family including myself are still alive having benefited and endured for many years both some of the good and bad parts of socialized medicine. There are a few that will benefit, but overall, the quality of health care will decline and the prices of both quality health care./insurance will continue to rise to the point even the rich will be forced into socialized medicine.

Sadly, some of my family are dead from having no options other than having to rely on socialized health care and insurance.  I am aware as much as anyone, the ramifications of millions more being added to socialized medicine rationing system soon, based on the Supreme Court making Obamacare the law of our nation.

On a negative note, socialized health care can also cause one to die waiting for a heatlh care provider that can treat us.  What is going to happen post-election with Obamacare, I am uncertain out here like most.  Some will benefit and some will die due to the federal government taking over basically both socialized medicine and health insurance. If many governors do not create a state program, the federal program will lead to rationing out health care.  It is plain and simple this will happen.

I just am not real happy on these entities that will economically profit from Obamacare and watch a further decline in quality; while concurrently, I will watch costs of quality health care to keep rising, forcing many more into this socialized medicine network, regardless of  what most of us do not  want.

In conclusion, your turn is next in dealing with some form of socialized health care and insurance.  It now just becomes a question of when.  And if it not now, I am pretty certain someone in your family is.  Some will die and some will stay alive for a while; while having to deal with some form of socialized medicine and health insurance.  It seems warranted to suggest if you are like me and are still alive, that makes us fortunate. 

Fixing our economy: Buy American Products in Self-reliance vs. protectionism

I am sitting here watching Nancy Pelosi on Meet the Press.  She stated we need to return jobs to America in self reliance, but not protectionism.  Regardless of her splitting hairs here, I agree that to get our economy going again, we have to start doing several things:

1. Start rejecting all the global economy nonsense as promoted by Bush that led to the outsourcing of American jobs to the cheapest labor anywhere in the world.  This globalization might explain why are economy is so bad right now.

2. We need to become self-reliant on domestic production even if that is protectionsim to strength our own nation including our economy by buing American again. In addition, we need to tax in protection, foreign products here in America from countries like China. I understand that if we do revert back to buying American, either in self-reliance or by protectionism, that will be inflationary and lead to less choice domestically so there is that downside.



3.We also need our yahoo politicians to tax those corporations, both foreign and domestic that rely on non-domestic labor/manufacturing at a higher corporate tax rate;  than those corporates that do not outsource globallly what they manufacture.  Pelosi suggested a 35% corporate tax rate on corporations doing most of their business oursourcing outside of the US; while those corporations that do not do so, at a 10% corporate rate.

First, I am no fan of Pelosi. But what she stated related to taxing corporations, I actually agree with some of what she argued this morning.  When I reflect back on my classes in economics, we as a nation have to remember the mutliplier effect of a given dollar.  In other words, if one dollar stays in America, there is a positive multiplier effect where that dollar is invested. Like jobs that increase taxes and tend to lead to a rise in housing prices.

Second, if we keep the dollar multiplier effect here domestically more often, then we benefit from any given investing dollar staying in America.  With globalization, due to the same multiplier of any given dollar, when we outsource or buy products from a foreign nation like China, then China instead of the US enjoys the multiplier effect of a given dollar.

Basically, reverting back to a popular slogan from the sixties, "buy American".  I concur. Whether we call it self-reliance or protectionism does not matter that much. What matters is our national economy and jobs need to be restored in America for many reasons; even if we give due effect to the high risk of inflation and less to choose from globally.  If we do not, then there is little chance there will be any sustained economic recovery until we do so.

So buying American is a double edged sword. We fix jobs and the economy on the positive side, and have to take the hit on inflation and less products to choose from globally.  On one hand, I would rather stay focused on what is best for my nation and take the negatives associated with having limited products made here domestically.

 On the other hand, in practical terms, that means we would have to buy a Chevy or Ford again;instead of a better quality produced foreign auto like a Honda or Nissan.  At least there should be a price to pay for buying foreign products to level the incentive of consumers who choose to buy  products made outside the US.  Then merely apply that to many other industries, whether that be clothing, agriculture or consumer electronics.. 

We cannot fix our own domestic economy and still advocate for global products made anywhere in the world using the cheapest labor sources anywhere in the world. I realize in summary, buy American in self-reliance and protectionism can be argued either way. There are arguments supporting both positions. 

What I do realize is there is need to level the global playing field here, that tends to make me support again, this idea of buy American, again. I also realized to level the playing field globally requires trade tariffs and restrictions, and a good chance of trade wars internationally as other nations reciprocate.

We as a nation need to both understand globalization is not always a good thing, plus we need to level the global playing field for a while with some kind of inflationary protectionism to restore to America, what made us a great and prosperous nation leading to jobs, infrastructure improvements and re-industrialization domestically; which in turn will be a real kickstart to our economic recovery.

Buy American needs to be a priority slogan again.  That, I agree with. 





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