Where do we go now?

It’s been a long time since I’ve written anything that is considered political, mainly because the political “is” personal and I’ve been so upset with the mess this country has found itself in which is based on the lack of concern from the vast majority of the politicians that I couldn’t get my thoughts onto paper, feeling like many: “What’s the use?”
I’m now looking at the fact that we will all be facing another election for the President of the United States without any true options. The campaign platform from Obama was not realized. He made promises of change that were not remotely kept. Both the Republican and Democratic Parties are filled with strife and the people who are willing to run for the office of President are both ridiculous and scary. So, where does that leave the vast majority of people who have been and remain affected by the political system that everyone agrees is broken? Maybe, it leaves us in a situation where we need another option. A third party, perhaps? Many say that won’t work because it will only take votes away from the Democratic Party, ensuring the Republicans will win the election. Well, I disagree with that thinking. After all, Obama won the last election because people believed him and his fine rhetoric about “change”.
Right now I’m cautiously looking at the options that are being created by various organizations that are doing what is necessary to form another way to get the United States of America back on track. That is possible. I don’t see is being possible by allowing the “broken system” to continue. We are living at a time when the citizens of this country are maturing. We tried to elect someone who gave the impression that he would “save” us and now realize we are going to have to save ourselves. All of the groups that can make a difference and change are going to need to support the people who have already shown what they stand for by looking at how they have formed, or re-formed, and voted on the issues that affect all of us. Those who have already shown that it is important for this country to get back to work rather than squabble over the finer points of ideology.
I’m a self-employed woman and am no more interested in a huge government that forms a welfare state than most other people. But, I am not so tunnel-visioned that I can’t see that the government needs to take actions to get people back to work, either. There are too many large corporations that have the edge over the small companies, especially when it comes to fossil fuels or renewable energy sources. The health insurance systems are based on profit rather than health care. There are too many comfortable politicians that listen to those rich corporation’s lobbyists and gain wealth from them to let the business communities regulate themselves. As long as the politicians are allowed to be kept separate from the average person they have no incentive to make “changes”. That is, unless they are not greedy and fearful, which is not the case for the vast majority who are content since they do not have to participate in Social Security, Medicare, and the need to contribute to their own retirement plan. And that is why the Democratic Party is worse off that the Republican Party. The Republicans are forced to vote the Party’s line or they don’t get the stay in office. Whereas far too many of the Democrats say one thing to get elected and then do something else when they are voted into office assuming the citizens of this country are not smart enough to come up with another option.
I don’t know which of the other options are the means of cleaning up the political mess yet, but I do know the ones we’ve had up till now are unacceptable.

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.

The Numbers are Revealing. Or maybe they aren't!

It really all depends on whether you know what those numbers represent. There is a greater percentage of people who recognize that those social, political and economic changes we were promised before we went to the polls in 2008 are not visible. Many are wondering if they ever will be. I'm one of them. Getting a single payer option for healthcare doesn't mean anything if it doesn't really manage to create the competition that will force the health insurance companies to change their ways. All I've seen is a lot of politicians doing what most of us fear they always do: take care of their own needs at the expense of the people.

It really is disgusting and I'm ready to let it all fall apart so that building can begin in earnest.

Thanks to the professionals

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Check out what they have to say.

The Numbers are rather revealing

Over the past several months I've heard that as many as 83% of Americans are FOR a single payer plan for health care. And still there is none. Even the politicians who are for it haven't chosen to gather up the others who could make it happen, right now. I understand why President Obama cannot do it by himself. I don't understand why those who have the political power to make it happen are not using their clout to bring about the change that they can. 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?

Okay, this is not Britain or Canada, but there is no reason why this country cannot come up with a way to have health care for all of our citizens that is unique to our own system and way of doing things. Right now. The idea of health insurance did not become a profit making system until a few political administrations ago. When the HMOs and PPOs first came along, they were non-profit groups. So, it is possible to have health care within groups that provide care in a unique American way as long as the issue of profit is removed. Health care is not something that needs to be profitable and it is possible to use a form of our current system for health care as long as it does not include a profit.

I listened to the speech President Obama made last week that intended to resolve some of the fear based rhetoric being spread all over the media. I was impressed with his candor and style. But I was left, just like everyone else, with the concern that his basic plan will not take shape for another four years. And I was also disturbed that the health insurance companies may just continue to rake-in profits. Actually, unless the government imposes laws to prevent them from charging the high amounts they already do to obtain health care, the only change is that those groups will gain an even greater ability to rake-in more profits at the expense of us, the citizens. It is very obvious that health costs must be governed. Just making it illegal for health insurance companies to not offer coverage or cancel coverage due to pre-existing conditions will not resolve the health care crisis unless part of the plan includes a cap on the price for the coverage. A lid without any thought about profit. As I listened to the speech I could just see the hands of the insurance company executives. Each of their hands caressing the other as they had greedy thoughts about the legally enforced expansion of their business numbers bringing their profits up to get them more private jets and exotic vacations.

Let's face it: this health care situation is the perfect place to decide what Americans believe about individual citizens and what we believe about business. The idea that corporations have the same rights as human beings is at issue. I am on the side that corporations are not human and therefore are not to get the same rights as individual citizens. Corporations are made up of individual citizens, so nothing is taken away from the corporations, but if those corporate entities get the same rights as humans, our political structure is then no longer democratic. Our politics becomes a free-for-all with those having the most money and power ever struggling to maintain or gain more and more at the expense of everyone else.

How long does it take for all of the changes to….well, change?

Here we are still waiting for all of those elected politicians to realize that they are NOT the "elect". The majority of the people in this country are demanding a single payer health care system. You have to ask: Why don't we already have it? And why is it still being discussed? One reason is the amount of money being spent by companies to tell half truths and full blown lies so they can retain the status quo that lets them continue their business as usual. It is a case of double-speak. Those health insurance companies know that when there is a better system available too many of the current health insurance policy holders will change to that better system and stop paying exorbitant premiums. Another is the silent majority. We have spoken up and obviously been ignored, so we must continue to speak up and be heard or our personal heath care will remain an impersonal business!
The vast majority of companies in this country are not found on the Stock Exchanges. Nor are most of the employers and employees flying around in private jets. As long as we allow our most basic infrastructure to be based on the unrealistic ideas of those privileged people who gain their life-styles from stock earnings rather than from actually working there can be no parity, let alone equality of living in this country.
When the businesses in this country are freed from the extraordinary burden of an unhealthy system those who are in power and continue to block needed changes will be exposed for what they are. Well, with all of the information that has recently been made known they already are exposed. You remember when people were told they were not supporting our country if they did not support the war? That was a lie and it certainly will not work to suggest that a person who says the health insurance system in this country is not very good means that person is a bad citizen.
So I say, as are millions of other citizens, to all those elected politicians: pay attention. We all know that your first item of business is to keep your job. The people of this country are telling you that for you to keep your job, you are absolutely obligated to get those changes we voted you in to get, actually get changed.