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Hands Off Government! (Or Maybe Not)
By Larry Barkan
A friend of mine has had a serious bout with cancer, has had surgery to remove a tumor in his lungs (he never smoked) and is now undergoing radiation treatments to ensure that the tumor doesn’t return. I pray for his complete recovery. The bill for his treatment (so far) is over $75,000. His medication costs over $1,500 per month. Fortunately, my friend is an army veteran and receives his insurance from the government. So far, he has paid about $60.00 out of his own pocket. The other day, I was visiting him and he was complaining about the “exorbitant” taxes he must pay. Did I mention that he is quite well off and owns his own business? A man I worked with years ago is a multi millionaire. He became a multi millionaire when a large health care company bought the much smaller health care company of which he was the CEO. The health care company where he worked made the majority of its profits from government reimbursements for the services it provided, as does the company that bought them. Of course, he is opposed to tax increases on the wealthy. When the United States is measured against other western countries in terms of health care outcomes, we don’t do so well in many measures in spite of the vast sums we spend. In the latest World Health Organization study, the United States ranked 37th, just below Costa Rica but, thankfully, above Slovenia. There is, however, one group of people who compares quite favorably to other countries in terms of health care outcomes. This group is comprised of people 65 and over. These are, of course, Medicare recipients, some of whom demand that government stay out of their lives. Bobby Jindal, Governor of Louisiana, was an adamant opponent of taking the bailout money for his state when it was offered last year. You may recall his passionate televised rebuttal to Barack Obama’s State of the Union address. Now, as oil washes up on the shores of his state, he has been all over the news, bemoaning the meager government response to the disaster. In Washington State, Clint Didier is running in the Republican Senate race. He is against taxpayer bailouts and encroaching socialism. When he isn’t running, he lives on a farm in eastern Washington that receives about $140,000 in government subsidies. I could go on, but why bother? Obviously, government needs to keep its damn hands out of our lives.
I have been an author, motivational speaker and business consultant since 1984. I have three passions: The first is my wife of 37 years. The second is challenging conventional wisdom. The third is dogs and their welfare. I am the author of "Everyone Wins! Playing The Game of Conflict Resolution In All Your Relationships" as well as "Present and Persuade: Create Talks and Speeches That Capture Hearts and Change Minds."
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If we could just find a CURE for hypocrisy things would be better.
CONTRIBUTOR'S REPLY
Yes! If only there were a shot or pill or something. Are all politicians hypocrites or do hypocrites go into politics? Thanks for the comment.
You live in a country that has had a love affair with things that go 'bang' ever since it was accepted that the local population was disposable. The money that is squandered on ever bigger bangs could change USA into a heaven on Earth rather than threaten to turn it into Hell on Earth. The disposable label for the local population now applies to YOU! You are of no value to the administration unless it wants your vote. If you fall ill and can't vote, the administration will buy the votes of people who are centres of influence to ensure that the next elections return the desired (read - planned) result. USA can, single handedly, destroy this planet several times over and nobody gives a damn. USA can provide superb health care to the population at large by diverting just a small percentage of the 'bang' bucks to life preservation. It doesn't - and nobody cares. USA is distrusted all over the world - with priorities like that, are you really surprised?
CONTRIBUTOR'S REPLY
Thanks for your response. Don't know if you're familiar with a U.S. comedian named Bill Maher. He has a television show that focuses on politics. On Friday night, he did an editorial about how U.S. politics is run by children and compared it unfavorably with the U.K. system now, seemingly, run by adults who are willing to cooperate for the good of the country. From this side of the pond, that seems absolutely accurate. Curious what you think.
Have you ever heard of an honest politician?
CONTRIBUTOR'S REPLY
An oxymoron to be sure...or maybe just a moron. Just saw a movie called "Casino Jack and The United States of Money" about Jack Abramoff who,I'm sure you know was a lobbyist who is now in jail and his enablers in the United States Congress. Disgusting!
The story of Jack Abramoff is so wild, so outrageous, so much fun, so darkly analytical about a fundamental problem in American democracy; allowing congressmen and senators to be bought and sold like sneakers. And everyone will protest, "no, this isn't so; there is no quid quo pro." It is true. Even if on any particular bill someone votes against the contributor, at the end of the day the process is so dehumanizing, and it goes both ways. Corporations will say every week, "we get shaken down by congressmen and lawmakers," and now we are paying congressman and senators to raise money. The Jack Abramoff story shows us how bad that policy is, really not about the lobbyist. Jack Abramoff was a vehicle for something that was bigger than him and that was money. That is the conclusion that the movie reaches: Is he a bad apple or evidence of a rotten barrel?
CONTRIBUTOR'S REPLY
And what's amazing to me is that the congress people don't want to change things. I have to believe they came to Congress to make a difference, yet they have to spend hours every day raising money. Why don't they change the campaign finance laws. It's a mystery.
What is the incentive for Congress to change things?
CONTRIBUTOR'S REPLY
We just saw a documentary called "Casino Jack and The United States of Money" about Jack Abramoff and his "enablers" in Congress. I wouldn't think Congress would need an incentive. Rather, I don't understand what the incentive is today. I believe that people go to Congress wanting to make a difference. Then, as the documentary makes clear, they spend a vast bulk of their time raising money. I would think they'd be sick of it and want to change the system. But they don't. So, clearly, they're being rewarded for keeping it as it is. I just don't understand the reward.
So, it's all about money/rewards, si?
CONTRIBUTOR'S REPLY
Apparently so, Laraine. No matter how idealistic they are when they begin, after a few years, they don't stay that way. Perhaps the legislative process is so disgusting that, after a time of foraging in the mud, you become a pig.
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