Wednesday, March 23, 2011

America...is it time to stop the madness? Is it time we get serious? Could this really happen?

IN CONGRESS
JULY 4, 2013

The unanimous Declaration of the people of the fifty United States of America and its territories.

When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed with certain unalienable Rights,  That among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to affect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown that mankind is more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute autocracy, it is their right, it is their duty, it is their responsibility, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. — Such has been the patient sufferance of We the People of the United States; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former System of Government. The history of the present Representative Democracy in the United States is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Autocracy over We the People of the United States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

This Dysfunctional Representative Democracy has refused to subscribe to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

This Dysfunctional Representative Democracy has allowed its Governors and Congress to deliberately obstruct the passage of Laws of immediate and pressing importance, but rather the least importance while We The People suffer from inept, politically partisan, corporate favoring, leadership and frivolous actions.

This Dysfunctional Representative Democracy has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of We the People, and has allowed the elected representatives of the People, to abdicate their duty to the very populous whom by vote, elected them to power and abdicating to private corporate interests, the control of nation's currency. Who have chosen self interests and corporate interests of unfathomable riches, ignoring altogether the will of the majority of the people for whom they were elected to serve. Who have relinquished their representative duty in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to autocrats only.

This Dysfunctional Representative Democracy has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, distant from the depository of their Public Records, as well as in secret for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance and to obfuscate truths with lies, innuendo, and misinformation.

This Dysfunctional Representative Democracy has obstructed the House and Senate repeatedly, for opposing with firmness the invasions on the Rights of the People.

This Dysfunctional Representative Democracy has for a long time, caused others to be elected, whereby the destructive Legislative Powers, have become incapable of Annihilation. The People at large remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of destructive legislation, unsustainable Government debt, and politically partisan instigated class warfare between the richest and the poorest of this Great Nation, The United States of America.

This Dysfunctional Representative Democracy has passed legislation aimed at preventing and oft eliminating the ability of the population of these States; to pursue their unalienable rights of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.

This Dysfunctional Representative Democracy has caused the obstruction of Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and has orchestrated the systemic destruction of the idea of Democracy on which this country was originally formed. Additionally, in abdication of their duties, they have refused to enact requisite laws and legislation which has left this country vulnerable to the hands of illegal immigrant invaders, foreign governments, under the vail of business, and those who would usurp authority, and ignore the sovereignty of our nation.

This Dysfunctional Representative Democracy has obstructed the Administration of Justice by refusing to uphold the laws of established Judiciary Powers and has refused to prosecute those responsible for acts tantamount to treason and torture, and collusion in both domestic and international economic terrorism and acts of subversion by the Supreme Court Justices by virtue of political partisanship and in support of corporate interests while ignoring the will of the People.

This Dysfunctional Representative Democracy has allowed Judges and members of congress and govenours to become dependent on, and do the bidding of corporate interests for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

This Dysfunctional Representative Democracy has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance through unjust appropriations and misappropriation of collected taxes to appease the richest, and with political partisanship, cause the dismantling of the hard working middle class.

This Dysfunctional Representative Democracy has mishandled in times of both peace and war, the Standing Armies assigned to its responsibility and has entered into unfunded wars both with and without the Consent of our legislatures and in direct opposition to the majority will of We the People.

This Dysfunctional Representative Democracy has combined and colluded with Supreme Court Justices and others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving it’s Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation, favoring corporate interests over We the People:
For imposing Taxes on those who can ill afford it while providing unjust tax breaks for the richest and to corporate interests without our Consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be confined, without due process, for pretended or unspecified offences:
For allowing partisan State leaders to establish Arbitrary legislation and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into other states against the majority Will of the People and at the expense of the working class.
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
For allowing partisan State Leaders to suspend hundreds of years of Legislation, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever at the peril of We the People.

This Dysfunctional Representative Democracy has allowed the plundering of our seas, the ravaging of our coasts, the pollution of our air and water supplies, and destroyed the lives of our hard working class people for partisan political gain and for the benifit of corporate benefactors.

This Dysfunctional Representative Democracy has at times transported large Armies of Mercenaries to foreign lands to complete the works of death, desolation, under the guise of promoting the spread of democracy however broken, and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & Perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

This Dysfunctional Representative Democracy has allowed through ineptness, political partisanship, and arrogance in legislation, the excitement of the People, to the brink of domestic insurrection, and has endeavored to bring on the inhabitants of our Great Nation the merciless rule of class warfare, and its undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Government, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define autocracy, is unfit to be the Governing rule of a free people.

We have consistently warned our current Representative Democratic Government about the attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have reminded them that the birth of this country was through insurrection. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence.

It is becoming more evident day by day that they are deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the People of the United States of America Assemble, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these United States solemnly publish and declare, that We are united and demand a total reconstitution of governance and that as Free and Independent People we have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent Peoples may of right do. — And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.
Signed:
We the People

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Health Care In America Can be Dangerous to Your Health...Does America Want Health Care...or Health Insurance?


There has been much discussion about America's health care system...or the lack thereof. Whether you like the current system or not...few will argue that the system is broke and dysfunctional. Those who have health insurance are paying through the nose for health care. Those that don't have insurance are either paying through the nose for service they receive...or are a strain/drain on hospitals and the American tax payer who are footing the bill when people without "health" insurance become ill and need care.

So let us have a real and frank discussion about health care in America...whether by insurance exchanges, public option, or by other means...and it's impact on workers and the American economy. This is how I see it...you may disagree....

First and foremost...most foreign countries have an advantage over America for at least 2 reasons. 1st, their business' are not strangled by the cost of healthcare for their workers. THIS in itself make their labor cheaper than that in the US...and 2nd....Most civilized foreign counties have a health care system that is paid for either by taxes...or by a combination of taxes and contributions by citizens. Some call this "socialized medicine"...I call it smart...or more to the point SANITY!

Now let's take a REAL look at so called health care in America....The public option or the proposed so called insurance exchanges are a smoke screen. Why is it a smoke screen? Because the the central issue has been obscured by rhetoric both from the left and right...and facts are being obfuscated by for profit health care providers. The question remains....are we talking about health care reform...or health insurance reform? I dont' believe anyone will argue the fact that we as a country are unhealthy...obesity is rampant, cancer, diabetes, smoking, alcoholism...and a plethora of other illnesses. Some are bad/deadly habits that can be broken...some are not. So the issue now becomes how do we pay for health maintenance or curing peoples illness.

Health insurance you say? Insurance is nothing more than a gamble. You place a monthly "bet" (your monthly insurance premium) at the casino (insurance company)...The insurance company is betting that you will pay them more money in premiums than they will have to spend on you for health care...and as you and everyone SHOULD know...when you gamble at a casino...the odds are stacked against you. Casinos know the odds are with them and the chances of them having to pay out are minimized. How do they do that? It's done in at least 2 ways....by policy (what the will and will not cover) and by health "maintenance" organizations (HMO).

How can I say the game is "rigged" or the odds are in favor of the casinos (insurance companies)? It's pretty obvious that casinos make millions if not billions of dollars. Millions of people "play" the game at casinos...but few actually come out winners. The odds are ALWAYS with the house. So...If on principle you agree with my position that on the whole, we as a nation are pretty unhealthy...AND that insurance is a gamble....neither the casinos nor health insurance companies can afford to pay out every time...they wouldn't be in business otherwise.

Policy is set by insurance companies relative to which illness' are covered and which are not. Physicians have a duty to either treat or cure you when you're sick...that's why you go to a doctor in the first place. But physicians (the dealers at a casino) who are in an insurance network are constrained by policies set by the casino (insurance company). They will only administer that care which is covered by policy. Any care outside of that policy will either (a) not be administered...(b) not be reimbursed....or (c) will require the insured to pay more money.

HMOs are typically very tightly constrained health care providers. Their primary concern (contrary to popular belief and their TV ads) is NOT providing health care...but rather to keep the costs to a minimum. Therein is the crux of the problem. Health care administered under the constraints of a company's bottom line. The physician's "duty" now becomes doing what the insurance company dictates in policy...and NOT what is in the best interests of the patients health.

Lets now talk about this wonderful idea called the public option. What is it really? Basically, it is the "choice" of what insurance company and insurance plan you will be covered by. So let's say for the sake of this discussion there are 10 insurance companies in this "pool" to choose from. Lets also assume they are mature companies...having been in business for a while. I don't know about you, but my monthly health insurance premiums (when I actually HAD insurance) were ALWAYS sky high, and if you do any comparison "shopping", you will find that yes, in some cases the prices do vary..but not that much. They are all in the same "sky high" ball park or vary only because the "coverage" is different. Its really is a shell game.
So if we find that the insurance premiums from the different companies in the pool are relatively the same...mostly unaffordable, especially in an economy where people are losing their jobs...and can barely afford to pay what is required to survive...food, shelter, etc...where/what is the option? Does it now become a choice of either feeding your family...or paying an insurance premium? THERE ARE NO OPTIONS IF ALL THE OPTIONS ARE BAD ONES!

SINGLE PAYER IS THE ONLY ANSWER! Some will argue it doesn't work. I say, look at 3/4 of all the civilized nations. They have some sort of single payer health care program, the cost of which is paid for in higher taxes paid by the people or corporations. The problem (if you can call it that) is that EVERYONE must contribute!...and as we know...everyone is or SHOULD be paying taxes. I'd be happy as a clam if I had to pay $50 or even $100 more a month in taxes to cover health care...as opposed to what the insurance companies wanted for a cobra premium...$825/month!

You might say...the doctors won't go for it...uhh...ok...where will they go? If there is only ONE health care system...they HAVE NO PLACE ELSE TO GO...Does anyone think they will somehow quit and become a plumber? That ain't happening...and they sure as hell won't be leaving the country in droves to try their hand in some other country...No...they will remain in America.

The bottom line?...Insurance companies do have a place in society...but IT'S NOT IN HEALTH CARE! Let them insure cars, trucks, houses, and boats. I don't want the quality of the health care I receive predicated on some insurance company's or HMO's bottom line. I want the decision to what health care treatment I receive to be between myself and my doctor!
Just a thought...