The Headlines, with commentary:
Ladies and Gentlemen, I thank you for joining me on this most auspicious of occasions. I have finally found reason to have hope in the intelligence of our President. I know, this coming from anyone at this blog is quite jarring to the senses, but just hang in there, all will reveal itself in due course.
You see, our fearless leader has gone around whoring himself to the media as usual, but several interviews and/or stories made a deep impression on me. I will go over some of the more special news events of the past couple days.
Obama to Dem Voters: You're Apathetic!
In this lovely piece of presidential desperation, Mr. Obama points out that for some reason people who are usually sympathetic to the Democrat way of political life seem to be unhappy. I couldn’t ever imagine why. Could it be because they finally realized that while they were so happy about a change-touting politician they forgot to pay attention to what kind of changes he was touting? Well that couldn’t be it, Obama would never mislead them! But he will feel free to treat them like a bunch of two year olds having a tantrum.
In a description of the interview with Rolling Stone, a Yahoo!© reporter states that,
Awww, He Didn’t Sell It Properly?
Lo and behold, another article reported in September that Obama was blaming himself for the poor response to his healthcare bill.
Well, I blame him too, but that’s neither here nor there. Granted, there’s been an ungodly amount of misinformation on nearly every presidential cock-up since the first piece of bad legislation wiggled its way through Congress on calloused knees, but the fact remains that a costly chunk of bad legislation passed through emotional pleas and whining is still bad legislation. It’s like why you don’t let men that aren’t gay pick your clothes; a $3,000 dress that makes you look like a whore is still a dress that makes you look like a whore--specifically, one that’s selling something that will make you pay like hell later. And baby, Barack has never looked so fetching.
Fact of the matter is, the bill is costly. Regardless of the reporter’s snide commentary about “death panels” at the bottom of the article, that doesn’t discount the billions that will be spent on what is a legislative black hole. And according to the article, Barack’s delightful little pinata of ick (?) is going to be bursting over everyone’s heads. This includes such lovely inclusions as:
Golly gee. Doesn’t get much better than that, if you’re in favor of the government having an unusually large stake in your healthcare. Now, for those of us who do take advantage of healthcare insurance, these changes aren’t necessarily bad. I like most of these changes, but the thing is this could have gotten accomplished with 50% less pomp and next to no circumstance. If Congress had been paying attention to experts in the field, they would have known that increasing competition by allowing interstate insurance plans would have led to such conditions. Simply put, if you are allowed to entertain offers from companies around the countries then they will have to compete for you. It works on the same principle that eBay does, where the person with the best offer gets the merchandise.
In the piece the President is quoted as saying, “We just got to give people some basic peace of mind," Well ... you could start by resigning, but I won’t hold my breath on that one either.
When talking about the possibility of a Republican-led congress repealing the law Obama had this to say, "It makes sense in terms of politics and polls," Obama said of the GOP position. "It doesn't make sense in terms of actually making people's lives better." He does have a point, like so many other entitlement programs it is nearly impossible to repeal once it has been signed, however, there are pending law suits regarding it’s constitutionality. If the law is found to be unconstitutional, which it should, the law would be ruled null and void. There is also the possibility of bringing it before The Court based on violations of anti-trust laws. Since this law would effectively monopolize the insurance industry, these rumors are music to my ears.
Ding! Dong! The Dumbass is Gone!
Once the glitter and ticker-tape is swept off my block from the party I am throwing I may be able to look at this a tad more objectively, but not for now. From the video attached to the article you can clearly see that Dear Ole Rahm is visibly upset and highly emotional about his departure. I would be too. After all, the ventriloquist and his puppet are a pair; get too far from each other and the act falls apart.
Now you may ask, like I did, what Rahm could possibly be giving up the metaphorical key to Emerald City in exchange for. Well, the suspense is not needed, of course he is crawling back into the filth that is Chicago politics. Scum misses scum, after all. It’s almost poetic, if it wasn’t so damned depressing. While it is very exciting that we are finally seeing some of the old junk being cleared out of the White House, it is depressing that most likely this particularly stinky vestige of mob-style politics is going to be getting his very own town to run further into the ground. It was a balancing act: I didn’t want Rahm in the White House whispering into the Puppet-in-Chief’s ear, but I also wasn’t prepared for him to have a political office all his own.
The only thing I can hope is that there are some voters left in Chicago that can see through Obama and all of his cronies and have the good sense to rail against Rahm’s agenda. So here is my warning Chicago: He will make promises, he will promise to create change, and he will seem to want Chicago’s best interest. Just remember what he has lobbied for and promised with Obama, and remember what they have actually delivered.
There is only one other thing I would like to comment on:
Doh! History Bites Us in the Ass Again...
So, it has recently come to light that in the late 1940s American scientists conducted STD research in Guatemala on human subjects that were confined to a mental hospital(s). According to research notes, Dr. John C. Cutler conducted research that intentionally infected possibly hundreds of patients. This man may also sound familiar as one of the leading researchers of the Tuskegee experiment, where hundreds of African American men infected with syphilis were observed (without treatment) to see the progression of the virus. The Tuskeegee experiment ended in the early 1970s, Cutler defended the project until his death.
In the Guatemalan version the researchers infected hundreds of people, many of them mental patients, with both gonorrhea and syphilis, and further encouraged infected patients to pass the diseases on to uninfected individuals. While the patients did not know, or give their permission to be part of the experiment, the Guatemalan government did.
All of this research was basically forgotten, until Tuskeegee experiment expert Susan Reverby found it by complete accident in the archives of the University of Pittsburgh.
Everyone has issued apologies to everyone.
I am already sick of this story. We are judging these practices by current standards, and that is impossible. It is true that these things are despicable, but they weren’t out of line for the time period (you can’t make that argument with Tuskegee). The fact is that science has brutal roots, get over it. If you have ever taken an antibiotic or had a shot in your entire life you have no reason to complain, because like it or not this is medical history. The important thing associated with this story should not be the amount of apologies issued, it should be a firm resolution not to have these kinds of experiments run ever again. People aren’t focusing on that though, they would rather complain about how much of a monster the US is and how this is just what we dominant cultures do in the developing world. I have to applaud Clinton and Sebelius, not for the damn apology, but for their commitment to investigating current US drug trials in foreign countries, and making sure they meet ethical standards. According to articles on this subject around eight percent of drugs approved in the US had clinical trials exclusively in foreign countries; with a full eighty percent of drug approvals having had data collected outside of the US. So instead of focusing on the past, let’s learn from it and make sure we are taking care of people now and in the future.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I thank you for joining me on this most auspicious of occasions. I have finally found reason to have hope in the intelligence of our President. I know, this coming from anyone at this blog is quite jarring to the senses, but just hang in there, all will reveal itself in due course.
You see, our fearless leader has gone around whoring himself to the media as usual, but several interviews and/or stories made a deep impression on me. I will go over some of the more special news events of the past couple days.
Obama to Dem Voters: You're Apathetic!
In this lovely piece of presidential desperation, Mr. Obama points out that for some reason people who are usually sympathetic to the Democrat way of political life seem to be unhappy. I couldn’t ever imagine why. Could it be because they finally realized that while they were so happy about a change-touting politician they forgot to pay attention to what kind of changes he was touting? Well that couldn’t be it, Obama would never mislead them! But he will feel free to treat them like a bunch of two year olds having a tantrum.
"People need to shake off this lethargy. People need to buck up,"This is what Mr. Obama is saying to his own constituents in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine. He did go even further in saying that:
"If people now want to take their ball and go home, that tells me folks weren't serious in the first place."Well gee, Barack, whatever would give you that impression? I am guessing that people are starting to wipe the Snake Oil out of their eyes and get a clear picture on what is really going on. If that is the case they are realizing that what change has occurred is far from for the better, and most of what is going on is merely a continuation of previous policy.
"It is inexcusable for any Democrat or progressive right now to stand on thesidelines in this midterm election," Obama said.
I for one am just ecstatic that Obama isn’t one of those politicians that would lead his flock out to the pasture and then give them the intellectual leash to choose their own path. Apparently in all his trips around the country no one has told him that old horse-to-water phrase.
In a description of the interview with Rolling Stone, a Yahoo!© reporter states that,
“He [Obama] portrayed a clear choice between an administration that despite some warts has helped advance its agenda, and a Republican Party that would offer disastrous policies for the economy and civil liberties.”
I am all for dramatics and colorful adjectives, but to say this administration has had ‘some warts’ is like saying that Helen Thomas bears only a passing resemblance to a warthog. As for those disastrous policies regarding economy and civil liberties...
1) Obama’s policies are to a large degree identical to those of the despised GWB.
2) The left would never infringe on personal (civil) liberties like forcing people to partake in a health insurance industry against the threat of monumental fines.
In the final part of the Yahoo!© article, Obama comments on his campaign promises with a severely depressing thought:“The president said he keeps a checklist of his campaign promises and that he has met, by his account, about 70 percent of them.
As for the rest: "Well, that's what the next two years is for, or maybe the next six." Obama would need to win re-election in 2012 for that latter timeframe to occur.”
Please Democrats, be as apathetic as you want. Just don’t make me suffer through another 2-6 years.
Awww, He Didn’t Sell It Properly?
Lo and behold, another article reported in September that Obama was blaming himself for the poor response to his healthcare bill.
Well, I blame him too, but that’s neither here nor there. Granted, there’s been an ungodly amount of misinformation on nearly every presidential cock-up since the first piece of bad legislation wiggled its way through Congress on calloused knees, but the fact remains that a costly chunk of bad legislation passed through emotional pleas and whining is still bad legislation. It’s like why you don’t let men that aren’t gay pick your clothes; a $3,000 dress that makes you look like a whore is still a dress that makes you look like a whore--specifically, one that’s selling something that will make you pay like hell later. And baby, Barack has never looked so fetching.
Fact of the matter is, the bill is costly. Regardless of the reporter’s snide commentary about “death panels” at the bottom of the article, that doesn’t discount the billions that will be spent on what is a legislative black hole. And according to the article, Barack’s delightful little pinata of ick (?) is going to be bursting over everyone’s heads. This includes such lovely inclusions as:
“The biggest changes in the legislation, such as the new purchasing pools and requirement for everyone to carry insurance, don't kick in until 2014. Among changes taking effect this week:
_Young adults can remain on family health plans until they turn 26.
_Free immunization provided for kids.
_Free preventive care provided, such as mammograms and cholesterol screenings.
_No more lifetime coverage limits, and annual limits start to phase out.
_Plans can't cancel coverage for people who get sick.
_No denial of coverage for kids with pre-existing health conditions.”
Golly gee. Doesn’t get much better than that, if you’re in favor of the government having an unusually large stake in your healthcare. Now, for those of us who do take advantage of healthcare insurance, these changes aren’t necessarily bad. I like most of these changes, but the thing is this could have gotten accomplished with 50% less pomp and next to no circumstance. If Congress had been paying attention to experts in the field, they would have known that increasing competition by allowing interstate insurance plans would have led to such conditions. Simply put, if you are allowed to entertain offers from companies around the countries then they will have to compete for you. It works on the same principle that eBay does, where the person with the best offer gets the merchandise.
In the piece the President is quoted as saying, “We just got to give people some basic peace of mind," Well ... you could start by resigning, but I won’t hold my breath on that one either.
When talking about the possibility of a Republican-led congress repealing the law Obama had this to say, "It makes sense in terms of politics and polls," Obama said of the GOP position. "It doesn't make sense in terms of actually making people's lives better." He does have a point, like so many other entitlement programs it is nearly impossible to repeal once it has been signed, however, there are pending law suits regarding it’s constitutionality. If the law is found to be unconstitutional, which it should, the law would be ruled null and void. There is also the possibility of bringing it before The Court based on violations of anti-trust laws. Since this law would effectively monopolize the insurance industry, these rumors are music to my ears.
Ding! Dong! The Dumbass is Gone!
Once the glitter and ticker-tape is swept off my block from the party I am throwing I may be able to look at this a tad more objectively, but not for now. From the video attached to the article you can clearly see that Dear Ole Rahm is visibly upset and highly emotional about his departure. I would be too. After all, the ventriloquist and his puppet are a pair; get too far from each other and the act falls apart.
Now you may ask, like I did, what Rahm could possibly be giving up the metaphorical key to Emerald City in exchange for. Well, the suspense is not needed, of course he is crawling back into the filth that is Chicago politics. Scum misses scum, after all. It’s almost poetic, if it wasn’t so damned depressing. While it is very exciting that we are finally seeing some of the old junk being cleared out of the White House, it is depressing that most likely this particularly stinky vestige of mob-style politics is going to be getting his very own town to run further into the ground. It was a balancing act: I didn’t want Rahm in the White House whispering into the Puppet-in-Chief’s ear, but I also wasn’t prepared for him to have a political office all his own.
The only thing I can hope is that there are some voters left in Chicago that can see through Obama and all of his cronies and have the good sense to rail against Rahm’s agenda. So here is my warning Chicago: He will make promises, he will promise to create change, and he will seem to want Chicago’s best interest. Just remember what he has lobbied for and promised with Obama, and remember what they have actually delivered.
There is only one other thing I would like to comment on:
Doh! History Bites Us in the Ass Again...
So, it has recently come to light that in the late 1940s American scientists conducted STD research in Guatemala on human subjects that were confined to a mental hospital(s). According to research notes, Dr. John C. Cutler conducted research that intentionally infected possibly hundreds of patients. This man may also sound familiar as one of the leading researchers of the Tuskegee experiment, where hundreds of African American men infected with syphilis were observed (without treatment) to see the progression of the virus. The Tuskeegee experiment ended in the early 1970s, Cutler defended the project until his death.
In the Guatemalan version the researchers infected hundreds of people, many of them mental patients, with both gonorrhea and syphilis, and further encouraged infected patients to pass the diseases on to uninfected individuals. While the patients did not know, or give their permission to be part of the experiment, the Guatemalan government did.
All of this research was basically forgotten, until Tuskeegee experiment expert Susan Reverby found it by complete accident in the archives of the University of Pittsburgh.
Everyone has issued apologies to everyone.
I am already sick of this story. We are judging these practices by current standards, and that is impossible. It is true that these things are despicable, but they weren’t out of line for the time period (you can’t make that argument with Tuskegee). The fact is that science has brutal roots, get over it. If you have ever taken an antibiotic or had a shot in your entire life you have no reason to complain, because like it or not this is medical history. The important thing associated with this story should not be the amount of apologies issued, it should be a firm resolution not to have these kinds of experiments run ever again. People aren’t focusing on that though, they would rather complain about how much of a monster the US is and how this is just what we dominant cultures do in the developing world. I have to applaud Clinton and Sebelius, not for the damn apology, but for their commitment to investigating current US drug trials in foreign countries, and making sure they meet ethical standards. According to articles on this subject around eight percent of drugs approved in the US had clinical trials exclusively in foreign countries; with a full eighty percent of drug approvals having had data collected outside of the US. So instead of focusing on the past, let’s learn from it and make sure we are taking care of people now and in the future.
This blog was a collaborative effort between Mary and I, however, I hit the "publish" button so it will be marked with me alone as author.
