Dear Democratic Party

I have received two requests from the Democratic National Committee asking that I respond to surveys. I have filled out the forms and am including this letter along with them to let you know what I think of the political situation in the United States of America right now. Let me make it clear: I am a self-employed woman, without the time or interest to be a wild-eyed feminist, and certainly consider myself a capitalist. However, the competition found in capitalism is not based on a few large companies gaining all the wealth because they already have the money and power to enforce laws that benefit them, keeping them in their power positions.*

The impressive speeches made by President Obama leave many people with the concern that his plans are not based on what he said he would do to help make changes when he was campaigning, but are based on what he believes he can do to make this country's politicians cooperate together so that we are an example to the rest of the world. Does our President believe and adhere to the old American Mission: that the United States of America is to fulfill some great destiny by its people being docile and harmonious, so we can be an example that is to be copied by all the other countries on the planet? A rather lofty belief and one that requires our political house be put in order—which it is not. Seemingly he has only taken the actions to help create the changes he campaigned on when he is forced into doing it by the outcry from those who helped get him elected in the first place. These are my major areas of distress: President Obama did not get involved in the Health Care question until very late. I had expected him to get behind the bill early on and was shocked indeed when he denied that he had supported a one-payer option during his campaign. I was especially scandalized because it wasn't until he made that statement that I became willing to support him. Guantanamo Bay is still in operation and I am once again stunned that the Democratic Party feels a need to ask on its questionnaire whether water-boarding or any other form of torture is acceptable. U.S. troops remain in Afghanistan, so I must ask if anyone in our government has ever read any history about the middle-East? And now off shore drilling has been approved.

The people of this country are wondering what has changed. All that's happened so far is our government paid out billions dollars to shore up the banking industry, leaving those who caused the world economy to teeter on the edge of economic depression in their same positions of power. None of those government funds went back into those countless retirement funds that the banking and stock market leaders lost, but those powerful companies gave and continue to give millions of tax payer dollars to their executives. The citizens of this country also watched our government bail-out the auto industry whose executives showed up with their hands out, got their money, and left the congressional meetings in their private jets to continue selling cars that adds to global warming and keeps us in a war that has much more to do with oil than human rights.

Where are those electric cars? The ones originally manufactured by the General Motors Corporation were removed and destroyed while the new models promised by that company have never appeared. Where I live there are electric stations already in place and Southern California Edison is gearing up for recharging to occur in homes and offices, but our President has opened vast sections of protected coastlines to oil and gas drilling instead of offering meaningful help to the wind and solar power industries that can create two (2) to three (3) times more jobs than those oil companies, which only continues to shore up a petroleum based industry while undermining the non-petroleum options. The United States continues to drag behind other countries that are taking the lead in renewable energy as we remain ever addicted to and dependent on oil. Anyone who notices this must be disturbed by what has been said in comparison to what is actually being done.

Sorry, I cannot get off this soap-box because even the dullest person knows health care in this country is controlled by insurance companies that are profit driven. As long as profit is part of the dynamics we will never be able to sort it out. When a system, such as Medicare, that includes everyone in this country is established the cost of the system drops automatically—and it drops dramatically. It's the hodgepodge of so many health insurance companies—under holding company umbrellas—all doing the same unethical profit based things that maintains the high costs. The Democratic Party needs to look at what must occur to gain health care for every citizen right now, not years from now. Anyone who wants to pay for health services outside a national system is welcome to do it, but as long as everyone is not included in a national system, there remains a real lack of democratic freedom in this country. Are you among those political elitists who are willing to sacrifice the long term future of this country to retain your short term position? United States citizens are no longer politically naive, so if the Democratic Party goes along with other members of our government who continue to help maintain a health insurance system, based on profit that ignores so many millions of this country's people then the Democratic Party is absolutely not the answer to this country's problems.

Unless the government imposes laws to prevent them from charging the high amounts they already do for health insurance and prescriptive drugs, the only change is that those groups will gain an ability to make even more profits at the expense of us, the citizens. It is very obvious that health care expenses, including pharmaceutical costs, must be regulated. Making it illegal for health insurance companies to not offer coverage or cancel coverage due to pre-existing conditions cannot resolve the health care crisis unless part of the plan includes a cap on the price for health care. A lid without any thought about profit. The entire health insurance system is rotten from the top right to the bottom. Unless the profit attitude is taken out of the health care system those numbers are bound to increase. Double, or is it really triple, digit billions has been added to this countries debt to retain the economic system that keeps the rich and infamous in power. But, not a penny is to be spent to bring financial, emotional, and physical relief to this country's citizens.

The poles continue to indicate that the vast majority of people in this country still want national health for all citizens, including a single-payer option! The elected officials, both Democrats and Republicans, who can make that change, have refused to do it. Why aren't those Democrats who have the political power to make it happen not using their clout to bring about the promised changes? Why is it they are still trying to convince the inconvincible, rather than just getting on with making the change that is being clamored for by their own constituents? Ask what that says about democracy in this country? The Democratic Party has not been able to get members of its own party to vote-in what the vast majority of Americans desire. Thus, it indicates that both the Democratic and Republican elected officials do not care what the people want; there really is no democracy in this country because the large corporations are in power, lobbying and buying-off politicians, making the rest of us, the working people, slaves to those corporations and unethical politicians.

There are certain basic necessities that must not be profit driven: air, water, health, and education are some of them. Is the Democratic Party so insulated from the experiences of a normal citizen that it wonders what it needs to do to have the American public support it? How can the Democratic Party be so dense that it would ask the same people who worked hard to get this government into power to help again when so many of the promises for change have not been implemented, but have actually kept the old ways in place? I do not see this government being democratic. Rather it is a group of elitists engaging in a free-for-all with those having the most money and power ever struggling to maintain and gain more and more at the expense of everyone else. That is not a change. That is what we, the citizens, voted to get changed.

This letter will be posted on my Blog and you are welcome to respond as long as you address the issues raised without resorting to some form letter jargon.

Sincerely,
May Sinclair, PhD

* Page 335, Infamous Eve, A History

MoveOn.org is being extremely kind, but one of their posts this week clearly indicates a large segment of people in this country recognize that President Obama must be pushed into doing what he said he would do during his campaign.

Who actually lost?

The Democrats (Party that is) seem to be concerned about the loss of one of the seats in the Senate. I wonder, are they really concerned? If they are, what about? The mischief that reigned during the time they were supposed to be getting health care reform in the United States isn't much of an indication they are concerned about the American people. So, I have to assume the concern being shown is really about their own little selves.

In November, 2008 I was willing to look at conciliation of all sides. I'm not now. I am leaning further to the left because it is obvious to anyone who pays attention that we have not gotten any of the changes for the people at all. The same people are in power and are doing the same things: keeping the good things in life for and to themselves.

We may not be serfs, having to stay on the land to serve our Lord and the Czar, but many people are forced into staying in jobs that limit them because of their fear of losing health care insurance. What part of that is democracy?

Obama was called a liar for the wrong reasons, but I'm questioning his truthfulness at this point. And I am absolutely of the opinion he's not being the firm Presidential figure—for the people—that he presented himself to be during the last thirty days of his campaign.

One more time I ask: What does it take for politicians to understand that what's been offered to the American people is NOT right? When do they finally get that they are the elected NOT the elect? When will they stop believing the American people will accept the same old games that maintain a status quo that is simply wrong? I suppose it will require lots of people losing their appointed seats in the political houses for them to get that the people ARE growing up politically and will not take it any more.