The Obama administration is learning that it is the tail ( Israel ) that wags the dog ( U.S.A. ) when it comes to the middle-east, flow of oil, and world finances.
Israel, since it's recognition in 1947, by then U.S. President Harry Truman, as a de-facto State of the U.S., has received more U.S. aid and subsidies than any other U.S. State and virtually every other Nation. In direct U.S. aid, Israel has received well over $400 billion U.S. taxpayer dollars; in addition, the U.S. has provided Israel with nuclear technology and military ordinance worth the billions of dollars. Bottom line, Israel is the most powerful U.S. State and is U.S. proxy abroad.
As the recent visit of U.S. Secretary of Defense Gates indicates, the Israeli government of Benjamin Netanyahu, and his Defense Chief Ehud Barak, intend to bomb Iran, resulting in the interruption of the flow of Iranian oil to China and other Asian customers. Israel is U.S. foreign policy. The bombing of Iran will interrupt oil flow and markets, permanently de-stabilize the middle-east with U.S. troop occupation for the foreseeable future. The world will be plunged into a full blown financial depression.
What is amazing is the silence of China. China stands to lose the most, politically and financially, from this planned chaos. One would think that China would assert itself as a world power, enter into defense/security agreements with Iran, Iraq, Syria, etc. ( fashioned after U.S. /NATO agreements ) and deploy troops and equipment accordingly, in order to check Israel, prevent the further de-stabilization of the middle-east, and to avert civilian catastrophe in the making. The Israeli bombing of Iran will trigger the collapse of world financial regimes, rendering the dollar of little value, and substantially diminishing the value of dollar assets held by China.
China has been reluctant to assume the roll of "peace maker" in a world tumbling into disorder under the leadership of the U.S. The U.S. thrives on and cultivates chaos and disorder. There is no single nation, with the exception of China, that has the capability of bringing order and common sense to the bargaining table. Hopefully, China will recognize it's roll and responsibility as "peace maker" before it is to late; now, appears appropriate.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Friday, July 24, 2009
Health Care Reform - Open Letter to President & Congress
Dear President Obama, Senators and Representatives:
Yes, the U.S. needs health care reform BUT NOT AT ANY COST. I have reviewed various snippets from the 850+ page draft bills that have been circulating in the House and Senate. I am very disappointed in both House and Senate versions, and both represent a step backward regarding health care reform.
Massive bills ( any Bill over 50 pages, let alone the gargantuan 850+ pages health care versions ) have the probability that not less then 33% will be subject to Fraud amounting to billions of dollars of waste. IT IS TIME FOR THE PRESIDENT, SENATE AND HOUSE TO GO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD, and craft a health care reform package and bill, consisting of not more then 35-50 pages, readable ( and is read and singed off by every Senator and Representative ) and comprehensible by the average U.S. Citizen.
Current versions of health care reform, essentially rob senior Medicare recipients of current benefits in order to pay for the health care of virtually everyone who is in, or makes it to the U.S. Acceptable health care reform must be limited to U.S. citizens who have continuously resided in the U.S. for seven(7)consecutive years. Existing Medicare benefits should be left in place, and a form of basic coverage for eligible U.S. citizens with initial premiums of $96.40 per month per individual, and $250.00 per month for a qualifying family of four should be provided. All health care premiums should remain fully deductible and employer benefits should not be taxed.
A National Health Care Trust should be established, and Congress should be prohibited from dipping into or "borrowing" from the NHC Trust for any purpose or reason. The NHC Trust Account would be held at and by the Federal Reserve, and contributions to such an account could be made through any FDIC insured Federal Reserve Bank. Contributions to the account would be voluntary and fully deductible by any individual, person, trust, association, corporation or entity making the same.Proceeds of the fund would be used to defer the costs of basic health care coverage for qualifying U.S. citizens who are unable to make the premium payments for basic coverage.
A majority of citizens are in favor of health care reform, but opposed to the proposed versions in the form of bills now circulating in the Senate and House of Representatives. It is unnecessary to "break to bank" to have meaningful health care reform, but there is much more work that needs to be done by the Administration, Senate and House of Representatives before a coherent, readable and financially feasible health care reform package is formulated.
Respectfully,
D. Citizen
Yes, the U.S. needs health care reform BUT NOT AT ANY COST. I have reviewed various snippets from the 850+ page draft bills that have been circulating in the House and Senate. I am very disappointed in both House and Senate versions, and both represent a step backward regarding health care reform.
Massive bills ( any Bill over 50 pages, let alone the gargantuan 850+ pages health care versions ) have the probability that not less then 33% will be subject to Fraud amounting to billions of dollars of waste. IT IS TIME FOR THE PRESIDENT, SENATE AND HOUSE TO GO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD, and craft a health care reform package and bill, consisting of not more then 35-50 pages, readable ( and is read and singed off by every Senator and Representative ) and comprehensible by the average U.S. Citizen.
Current versions of health care reform, essentially rob senior Medicare recipients of current benefits in order to pay for the health care of virtually everyone who is in, or makes it to the U.S. Acceptable health care reform must be limited to U.S. citizens who have continuously resided in the U.S. for seven(7)consecutive years. Existing Medicare benefits should be left in place, and a form of basic coverage for eligible U.S. citizens with initial premiums of $96.40 per month per individual, and $250.00 per month for a qualifying family of four should be provided. All health care premiums should remain fully deductible and employer benefits should not be taxed.
A National Health Care Trust should be established, and Congress should be prohibited from dipping into or "borrowing" from the NHC Trust for any purpose or reason. The NHC Trust Account would be held at and by the Federal Reserve, and contributions to such an account could be made through any FDIC insured Federal Reserve Bank. Contributions to the account would be voluntary and fully deductible by any individual, person, trust, association, corporation or entity making the same.Proceeds of the fund would be used to defer the costs of basic health care coverage for qualifying U.S. citizens who are unable to make the premium payments for basic coverage.
A majority of citizens are in favor of health care reform, but opposed to the proposed versions in the form of bills now circulating in the Senate and House of Representatives. It is unnecessary to "break to bank" to have meaningful health care reform, but there is much more work that needs to be done by the Administration, Senate and House of Representatives before a coherent, readable and financially feasible health care reform package is formulated.
Respectfully,
D. Citizen
Sunday, July 5, 2009
National Health Debate - Starting Point Missing
As the Obama Administration, Congress and nation continue to spar regarding health coverage for U.S. Citizens, and the 40+ million who are uninsured; a material item is missing from the debate: a $ dollar starting point.
None of the various "plans " address participant costs. The cart has been placed before the horse, and debates, without financial foundation, will drowned in rhetoric. Until there is agreement on feasible participant premiums there will be limited progress in resolving the U.S. national health disgrace.
The horse needs to be put back in the lead, before, and not after, the cart. Until the "masters of the universe" in Washington, D.C., can agree on participant premiums, a dollar starting point, meaningful discussion will remain vacuous. There is no need to re-invent the wheel. Medicare, on an income adjusted scale, pegs $96.40 a month per person, as the average participant premium. Any National
( U.S.A. ) plan should peg participant premiums be it $96.40 per month per person or $250.00 per month for a family of four, some dollar starting point needs to be agreed on before meaningful discussion can go forward.
Once a dollar participant premium is established,the debate can meaningfully move forward to determine what coverage can be purchased for the participant premium;what type of coverage will $96.40 a month buy ? There hundreds of HMO's and Health Insurers that can provide data addressing coverage given a participant premium amount. Caps are needed, including caps to Medicare payouts: e.g., no more then $200,000.00( two-hundred thousand dollars, drugs included ) in services to any participant or family during any one year, with a million dollar lifetime cap. For any "plan" to become law, there must be limitations and caps, a carte blanche system, or expanded Medicare, will bankrupt this Nation.
IF and it's a BIG IF, congress focuses on who will be included in any plan ( should be limited to U.S. citizens over 18 ), and can agree on a monthly dollar participant premium, there may be a chance debates over coverage can be resolved within financially feasible parameters, providing coverage through existing HMO's and Insurance Carriers with limited government participation. The U.S. government should limit it's direct participation to mandating uniform records keeping, billing, claims, dispute resolution and service classification standards; and publishing plan and coverage comparisons available in each State, similar to what Medicare publishes each year for Medicare Advantage plans.
None of the various "plans " address participant costs. The cart has been placed before the horse, and debates, without financial foundation, will drowned in rhetoric. Until there is agreement on feasible participant premiums there will be limited progress in resolving the U.S. national health disgrace.
The horse needs to be put back in the lead, before, and not after, the cart. Until the "masters of the universe" in Washington, D.C., can agree on participant premiums, a dollar starting point, meaningful discussion will remain vacuous. There is no need to re-invent the wheel. Medicare, on an income adjusted scale, pegs $96.40 a month per person, as the average participant premium. Any National
( U.S.A. ) plan should peg participant premiums be it $96.40 per month per person or $250.00 per month for a family of four, some dollar starting point needs to be agreed on before meaningful discussion can go forward.
Once a dollar participant premium is established,the debate can meaningfully move forward to determine what coverage can be purchased for the participant premium;what type of coverage will $96.40 a month buy ? There hundreds of HMO's and Health Insurers that can provide data addressing coverage given a participant premium amount. Caps are needed, including caps to Medicare payouts: e.g., no more then $200,000.00( two-hundred thousand dollars, drugs included ) in services to any participant or family during any one year, with a million dollar lifetime cap. For any "plan" to become law, there must be limitations and caps, a carte blanche system, or expanded Medicare, will bankrupt this Nation.
IF and it's a BIG IF, congress focuses on who will be included in any plan ( should be limited to U.S. citizens over 18 ), and can agree on a monthly dollar participant premium, there may be a chance debates over coverage can be resolved within financially feasible parameters, providing coverage through existing HMO's and Insurance Carriers with limited government participation. The U.S. government should limit it's direct participation to mandating uniform records keeping, billing, claims, dispute resolution and service classification standards; and publishing plan and coverage comparisons available in each State, similar to what Medicare publishes each year for Medicare Advantage plans.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)