Big, in-your-face, all controlling, government was the inception of the 28th President of the United States, Woodrow Wilson, a Democrat. Woody figured the by conning Congress into passing the Revenue Act of 1913 [Federal Income Tax ] and the 16th Amendment, he could strangle States and citizens into submission and fund an ever growing Washington bureaucracy. Woody's grand scheme did not stop with the U.S., he wanted a world government, controlled of course, by him, as the President of the U.S.. Woody fathered the League of Nations ( 1919 ) which, after WWII, morphed into the United Nations (1945) a collection of allied powers that had defeated Germany; and, the new world order, dominated by the U.S.. The U.S. urged and embraced the formation of the International Court of Justice [ ICJ ], as part of the new world order and U.N.. One of the primary functions of the ICJ is to determine the legitimacy of claims between nation states, and within nation states between groups seeking separate, nation state recognition.
Fast forward to the 21st Century, 2010. There was once a nation state known as Yugoslavia, but that was not a satisfactory state of affairs for many within Yugoslavia who wanted their own separate nation states. Thanks to the U.N., U.S. and allies, Yugoslavia was busted up into smaller pieces, each being given separate nation state status, each with land areas a fraction of the size of most U.S. States. So, via the U.N. and ICJ, and fully supported and embraced by the United States, Yugoslavia was initially broken into seven (7) separate nations: Albania; Bosnia/Herzegovina; Bulgaria; Croatia; Macedonia; Montenegro and Serbia.
There is a small area in Serbia, about the size Maricopa County, one of Arizona's many Counties, that was not happy. Using the mechanism that was initiated by the United States, and adopted by the U.N., Kosovo DECLARED INDEPENDENCE from Serbia and the International Court of Justice ( ICJ ) in July, 2010, held that it was legal and did not violate international law for Kosovo to declare independence and be recognized ( as the U.S. has done ) as a separate nation state. Not only has the U.S. recognized and embraced this small geographic area as a separate nation, but the Obama Administration is pouring hundreds of millions of U.S. taxpayer dollars in, to support the Kosovo regime.
The point of this little history lesson is, today, unlike in 1861 ( 1861-5, U.S. Civil War ) there is a recognized legal mechanism for State's of the United States to break the shackles Washington, D.C., has imposed upon them and their citizens. Arizona is being sued by BIG BROTHER OBAMA; Arizona should
follow Kosovo's lead and Declare Independence from the United States. Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Florida and Texas should also consider doing the same. Washington, D.C., has done nothing to protect these States and their citizens, e.g., BP gulf oil disaster.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Media use of word " NEWS" is a bit of a Fraud
" Much to do about nothing " is an appropriate label for the media "clubs"[ CBS, NBC, ABC, CNN, MSNBC ] flap over the Shirley Sherrod situation. Every mainstream media outlet, edits speeches, and reduces the total presentation to a very short sound-bite, that illustrates the point and prejudice the t.v.station, "newspaper", magazine, talk-radio, etc. advocates. This "holier then thou" criticism over the Sherrod sound-bite of a "club" outsider, orchestrated by CNN, MSNBC, CBS, ABC, NBC and other media hypocrites, is nothing short of an organized attempt to censor other opinions, and diminish 1st Amendment Constitutional rights.
CNN, MSNBC, CBS, ABC, NBC and politically correct collaborators
are in love with the idea of BIG ALL CONTROLLING government, much like the U.S.S.R. used to be. The proliferation of the internet has provided those outside the "club"
with the opportunity to express opposing views and opinions, and the "club" does not like it - BOO HOO.
CNN, MSNBC, CBS, ABC, NBC and politically correct collaborators
are in love with the idea of BIG ALL CONTROLLING government, much like the U.S.S.R. used to be. The proliferation of the internet has provided those outside the "club"
with the opportunity to express opposing views and opinions, and the "club" does not like it - BOO HOO.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
OPEN LETTER TO: President Obama re Crude Oil Gusher in Gulf of Mexico
Dear President Obama:
I am an over-the-hill, open heart surgery survivor, and senior citizen; but,I am no fool. Your smile and public words regarding the BP platform disaster, suggests to me, and probably many other citizens, that you and your Administration have no plan "B"should things continue to deteriorate and "leakage" becomes a "gusher".
What I fear we are witnessing is a environmental and economic catastrophe of biblical proportion. Although human lives will not be a stake, the economic life of all U.S. Gulf states will be devastated for years to come. The seafood industry will collapse, sport fisheries will be dead, tourism will die off, with a cascading affect leading to 4 million + workers being unemployed, businesses going bankrupt and unemployed homeowners having their homes foreclosed, and families being put out in the street. I have yet to hear one word from you on how your administration will address this crippling circumstance that will make the economic impact of "Katrina" look like child's play.
Be honest instead of political. From a physical and experience perspective, everyone: BP, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Military, engineers and experts are operating in uncharted territory. Territory where the well head pressures are in the range of 4,000 to 6,000 pounds per square inch; where there is a probability that the submersibles will not be able to stem the flow of oil, and where the chances causing a blow-out are great. One expert likened it to a "volcano" on the verge of eruption.
So what are your and your Administrations plans? Is your justice department working on having all BP assets and operations placed in a trust, to satisfy the claims the U.S., States, citizens and other persons, will have against BP ? What about Congress, where is the pot of money hidden to extend unemployment and other benefits to the 4 million + Gulf State residents who will lose their jobs as businesses go bankrupt? We are not taking about bail-out here, we are taking about survival, economic survival. The survival of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Texas, delta and coastline dependent industries, businesses, workers and residents. It is as if the largest nuclear bomb known, has gone off in our backyard. What are your administrations plans? What are you doing, and going to do ? When ?
You have pledged billions to help Haiti, rebuild Iraq and Afghanistan,billions to Pakistan, more billions to help, support and subsidize countless foreign nations; but what about us, the U.S., the country you where elected President. I am listening, Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Texas are listening,and if the leakage becomes a "gusher”, the entire Southern and East Coast of the U.S. will be listening.
A concerned citizen,
http://www.villagevoice911.blogspot.com
I am an over-the-hill, open heart surgery survivor, and senior citizen; but,I am no fool. Your smile and public words regarding the BP platform disaster, suggests to me, and probably many other citizens, that you and your Administration have no plan "B"should things continue to deteriorate and "leakage" becomes a "gusher".
What I fear we are witnessing is a environmental and economic catastrophe of biblical proportion. Although human lives will not be a stake, the economic life of all U.S. Gulf states will be devastated for years to come. The seafood industry will collapse, sport fisheries will be dead, tourism will die off, with a cascading affect leading to 4 million + workers being unemployed, businesses going bankrupt and unemployed homeowners having their homes foreclosed, and families being put out in the street. I have yet to hear one word from you on how your administration will address this crippling circumstance that will make the economic impact of "Katrina" look like child's play.
Be honest instead of political. From a physical and experience perspective, everyone: BP, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Military, engineers and experts are operating in uncharted territory. Territory where the well head pressures are in the range of 4,000 to 6,000 pounds per square inch; where there is a probability that the submersibles will not be able to stem the flow of oil, and where the chances causing a blow-out are great. One expert likened it to a "volcano" on the verge of eruption.
So what are your and your Administrations plans? Is your justice department working on having all BP assets and operations placed in a trust, to satisfy the claims the U.S., States, citizens and other persons, will have against BP ? What about Congress, where is the pot of money hidden to extend unemployment and other benefits to the 4 million + Gulf State residents who will lose their jobs as businesses go bankrupt? We are not taking about bail-out here, we are taking about survival, economic survival. The survival of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Texas, delta and coastline dependent industries, businesses, workers and residents. It is as if the largest nuclear bomb known, has gone off in our backyard. What are your administrations plans? What are you doing, and going to do ? When ?
You have pledged billions to help Haiti, rebuild Iraq and Afghanistan,billions to Pakistan, more billions to help, support and subsidize countless foreign nations; but what about us, the U.S., the country you where elected President. I am listening, Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Texas are listening,and if the leakage becomes a "gusher”, the entire Southern and East Coast of the U.S. will be listening.
A concerned citizen,
http://www.villagevoice911.blogspot.com
Friday, March 26, 2010
WHAT THE NEW U.S. HEALTH CARE LAW SAYS & MEANS
Regardless of the political rhetoric an hype, the middle-class [ those with annual earnings between $35,000. and $88,000. ] as always, will shoulder the burden and pay the price for Health Care reform. The HC Bill does not prevent Health insurers from increasing premiums related to rising health and prescription drug costs, and mandates substantial new risks that insurers will translate into significant premium increases. Let's face reality, something Congress fails to do when passing legislation. The new law mandates that folks cannot be excluded because of preexisting conditions AND eliminates caps on payouts for care. Sounds great, but the reality is that Health Insurers are in business, a business for PROFIT, even through technically incorporated as a non-profit. The bottom line: premiums are going to SKYROCKET !!!
Congress says “...don't worry middle class and poor...” we have you covered; we will subsidize your health care premium costs, on a sliding scale, of course; less for the family making $88,000 annually, more for the family making $30,000 or less annually, by taxing the rich, defined as those making more then $200,000.00 annually. Sounds great, but Congress and most U.S. High School graduates are not good at math. Using government figures this translates into around 900,000 high earners who will be subject to a 3.8% tax generating at best $ 3 billion to 3.5 billion in added revenue. This new tax will be a drop in the bucket when the costs of adding 31 million now uninsured, plus an additional 12 million who will become uninsured ( as a result of the recession and unemployment ); 41 million NEW insureds. In the next two years ( 2012) there is a probability of immigration reform, that will add an additional 20 million to the subsidy roll. The realistic number of persons entitled to a government health subsidy( your taxpayer dollars ) by 2014, jumps to 63 million.
Under the new law, the average family of four ( 4 ) minimum monthly health insurance premium will be in the $1000.00 range; $12,000. 00 a year plus co-pays. 75% of the new 63 million enrollees' will be subsidized; 47million 250thousand ( 47, 250,000 ) x ( times ) a 50% subsidy means the government (you the taxpayer via Congress) will have to come up with a minimum of $2 trillion 835 billion dollars by 2014 to fund the program, and this does NOT INCLUDE the costs of medicare.
The other reality is that by 2012, according to U.S. Government figures, 23% of the U.S. Population ( estimated to be 350 million ) will be over 65 years of age and on medicare: 80 million 500 thousand medicare beneficiaries. Even by CUTTING MEDICARE payments to $6,000 per year per senior [ currently around $9900.00 a year per medicare senior is paid to Medicare Advantage providers ] and by REDUCING COVERAGE[to bare bones/guaranteeing early death ] the government will have to come up with an additional $ 483 billion dollars pushing the 2014 deficit to OVER $3,200,000,000,000.00 TRILLION FOR HEALTH CARE ALONE.
How about coverage: on PAPER everyone will have coverage; but try and find a M.D. who will accept the medicaid or medicare payment as total payment for his or her bill. Go on, go ask your doctor.
Crank up the presses, the dollar........ will it be worth 10 cents ? What is our banker ( China ) going to say ? Hello, … another bankrupt nation headed toward third world status.
Congress says “...don't worry middle class and poor...” we have you covered; we will subsidize your health care premium costs, on a sliding scale, of course; less for the family making $88,000 annually, more for the family making $30,000 or less annually, by taxing the rich, defined as those making more then $200,000.00 annually. Sounds great, but Congress and most U.S. High School graduates are not good at math. Using government figures this translates into around 900,000 high earners who will be subject to a 3.8% tax generating at best $ 3 billion to 3.5 billion in added revenue. This new tax will be a drop in the bucket when the costs of adding 31 million now uninsured, plus an additional 12 million who will become uninsured ( as a result of the recession and unemployment ); 41 million NEW insureds. In the next two years ( 2012) there is a probability of immigration reform, that will add an additional 20 million to the subsidy roll. The realistic number of persons entitled to a government health subsidy( your taxpayer dollars ) by 2014, jumps to 63 million.
Under the new law, the average family of four ( 4 ) minimum monthly health insurance premium will be in the $1000.00 range; $12,000. 00 a year plus co-pays. 75% of the new 63 million enrollees' will be subsidized; 47million 250thousand ( 47, 250,000 ) x ( times ) a 50% subsidy means the government (you the taxpayer via Congress) will have to come up with a minimum of $2 trillion 835 billion dollars by 2014 to fund the program, and this does NOT INCLUDE the costs of medicare.
The other reality is that by 2012, according to U.S. Government figures, 23% of the U.S. Population ( estimated to be 350 million ) will be over 65 years of age and on medicare: 80 million 500 thousand medicare beneficiaries. Even by CUTTING MEDICARE payments to $6,000 per year per senior [ currently around $9900.00 a year per medicare senior is paid to Medicare Advantage providers ] and by REDUCING COVERAGE[to bare bones/guaranteeing early death ] the government will have to come up with an additional $ 483 billion dollars pushing the 2014 deficit to OVER $3,200,000,000,000.00 TRILLION FOR HEALTH CARE ALONE.
How about coverage: on PAPER everyone will have coverage; but try and find a M.D. who will accept the medicaid or medicare payment as total payment for his or her bill. Go on, go ask your doctor.
Crank up the presses, the dollar........ will it be worth 10 cents ? What is our banker ( China ) going to say ? Hello, … another bankrupt nation headed toward third world status.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
BLIND AMBITION - The U.S. WAR Against Terrorism
www.villagevoice911.blogspot.com
Blind Ambition - The U.S. War Against Terrorism
Troops, weapons, technology, security - trillions of U.S. taxpayer dollars are being spent by Washington D.C. to combat the threat of terrorism around the world. The U.S. has been a warrior nation from it's very inception; the U.S. has always been about "FORCE". When the U.S. has run out of immediate foes, it has turned on itself, the Civil War 1860-1865. The mentality of Washington, and the U.S., is that every adversity can be overcome by the use of "force". This blind ambition of the U.S. regarding the current crusade, war, on "terrorism " is leading to the downfall of the U.S. and mass poverty of its citizens; it is a recipe for failure.
The "WARRIOR" mindset of the U.S. has promoted rather then abated the rise of "Terrorism". The primary tool for recruitment of future "Terrorists", those who will present problems for U.S. and Western allies for the next sixty ( 60 ) plus years, is the C.I.A./military, and political involvement in third world nations. The U.S. invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan has guaranteed that there will be a plentiful supply of "Terrorists" for the next five or more generations. When the U.S. and Western allies kill thousands of civilians ( media speak: "collateral damage" ) thousands of surviving children, the majority who are orphaned, do not care about U.S. and Ally motives. Thousands of these orphans will grow-up hating the U.S. and Allies, and they will be willing recruits for ideological radicalization targeting the U.S., U.S. Allies, and the citizens of the U.S. and Allies.
No County, know matter how powerful, can, for but limited period of time, impose its values on, or convert entire populations of peoples with different views and religions, to it's way of thinking or lifestyle. As long as you hold a "gun" to some ones head they will agree with you, the question is: How long can the U.S. afford to occupy the many regions of the Middle-East, Africa, Indonesia and Eurasia, that are or will become the breeding grounds for "Terrorists" ?
What Washington, the U.S. and Western Allies, do not appear to understand is that there are opposing ideological and religious forces involved. Guns, bullets and bombs will not wipe out ideological and religious convictions and beliefs. No matter how many " Terrorists " the U.S. and Allies kill, there will be countless others to take their places. Killing the " Messenger " DOES NOT KILL THE MESSAGE.
What is the " Message " that Washington and Western Allies simply do not get:
STAY OUT OF THE BUSINESS of regions of the world where you are not welcome by the masses of the population, by virtue of political, religious, lifestyle and economic differences. Stop supporting Kings, Emirs and Regimes that exist by virtue of U.S. aid and the aid of Western Allies. India is much better off now that it is out from under the thumb of the British... hello !
What the U.S. and Western Allies can and should do, is to tighten up respective borders and limit the entry of non-citizens. This is a major task in and of itself, but something that is within the capability of the U.S. and Western Allies. The elimination of "Terrorism " and "Terrorists" is simply not an achievable or realistic goal.
Blind Ambition - The U.S. War Against Terrorism
Troops, weapons, technology, security - trillions of U.S. taxpayer dollars are being spent by Washington D.C. to combat the threat of terrorism around the world. The U.S. has been a warrior nation from it's very inception; the U.S. has always been about "FORCE". When the U.S. has run out of immediate foes, it has turned on itself, the Civil War 1860-1865. The mentality of Washington, and the U.S., is that every adversity can be overcome by the use of "force". This blind ambition of the U.S. regarding the current crusade, war, on "terrorism " is leading to the downfall of the U.S. and mass poverty of its citizens; it is a recipe for failure.
The "WARRIOR" mindset of the U.S. has promoted rather then abated the rise of "Terrorism". The primary tool for recruitment of future "Terrorists", those who will present problems for U.S. and Western allies for the next sixty ( 60 ) plus years, is the C.I.A./military, and political involvement in third world nations. The U.S. invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan has guaranteed that there will be a plentiful supply of "Terrorists" for the next five or more generations. When the U.S. and Western allies kill thousands of civilians ( media speak: "collateral damage" ) thousands of surviving children, the majority who are orphaned, do not care about U.S. and Ally motives. Thousands of these orphans will grow-up hating the U.S. and Allies, and they will be willing recruits for ideological radicalization targeting the U.S., U.S. Allies, and the citizens of the U.S. and Allies.
No County, know matter how powerful, can, for but limited period of time, impose its values on, or convert entire populations of peoples with different views and religions, to it's way of thinking or lifestyle. As long as you hold a "gun" to some ones head they will agree with you, the question is: How long can the U.S. afford to occupy the many regions of the Middle-East, Africa, Indonesia and Eurasia, that are or will become the breeding grounds for "Terrorists" ?
What Washington, the U.S. and Western Allies, do not appear to understand is that there are opposing ideological and religious forces involved. Guns, bullets and bombs will not wipe out ideological and religious convictions and beliefs. No matter how many " Terrorists " the U.S. and Allies kill, there will be countless others to take their places. Killing the " Messenger " DOES NOT KILL THE MESSAGE.
What is the " Message " that Washington and Western Allies simply do not get:
STAY OUT OF THE BUSINESS of regions of the world where you are not welcome by the masses of the population, by virtue of political, religious, lifestyle and economic differences. Stop supporting Kings, Emirs and Regimes that exist by virtue of U.S. aid and the aid of Western Allies. India is much better off now that it is out from under the thumb of the British... hello !
What the U.S. and Western Allies can and should do, is to tighten up respective borders and limit the entry of non-citizens. This is a major task in and of itself, but something that is within the capability of the U.S. and Western Allies. The elimination of "Terrorism " and "Terrorists" is simply not an achievable or realistic goal.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Afghanistan & Iraq: Things U.S. Government & Media Don't Want the Public to Know
The U.S. public has been shielded from real answers to the questions regarding the U.S. commitments to Iraq and Afghanistan. The U.S. Government and Media have shifted focus from real issues to those more acceptable to the U.S. public - military force and a WIN v. LOSE scenario. U.S. commitments to Iraq and Afghanistan will cost the U.S. taxpayer over $$$ TEN TRILLION U.S. Dollars by 2015. Ten Trillion borrowed funds, Ten Trillion that will not be spent on U.S. domestic infrastructure and social needs, Ten Trillion spent by a bankrupt nation that refuses to recognize reality and attend to it's domestic needs.
Afghanistan and Iraq are fictional creations of Western Europe and the U.S. government. Western governments, for their respective convenience, ignored indigenous populations, and arbitrarily drew lines on the geography, and assigned designations to areas within such lines as Countries: Afghanistan & Iraq. The indigenous people within these designations never had, and to this day have no NATIONAL IDENTITY. What the U.S. and Western European nations regard as Iraq, is in reality , three ( 3 ) separate populations each with their own religious identity. What the U.S. regards as Afghanistan, is in reality, twenty ( 20 ) separate populations with different tribal and religious loyalties.
Regardless of Washington rhetoric, the objective in Iraq was "regime" change, and securing continued access to approximately 15% of known oil reserves. The U.S. spent and will spend 4-5 Trillion ( 2001-2015 ) in order to provide the U.S. and Allies with oil. No cost accounting is being done on the cost in loss of life and disability of the 100's of thousands of U.S. military veterans adversely affected by their deployment to Iraq. One of the dark sides of "regime change"in Iraq, has been the establishment of an Islamic regime. Saddam Hessian tolerated and protected secular religious beliefs including "Christianity". The new , U.S. supported, Iraqi government has limited religious tolerance except for Islam, which is the de facto official religion of Iraq. Prior to the U.S. invasion of Iraq, there were upwards of 1,000,000 openly practicing "Christians"; today it is estimated that there are fewer then 5,000 "Christians" now in hiding. THE BENEFICIARIES of the U.S invasion of Iraq have been the Major Oil Companies and U.S. subcontractors the likes of Halliburton.
Afghanistan is another problem: with twenty ( 20 ) separate populations with different tribal loyalties; "Central Government", has never been nor will it be a sustainable reality. The Karzai government was and is totally financed, created and empowered by the U.S. supported by U.S and NATO troops . Once the U.S. stops financially supporting Karzai, the fictional entity , branded by the U.S. and allies as a "Central Government" will vanish. "Central Government" and National Identity, as far as Afghanistan is concerned, is a pipe dream of the U.S., costing U.S. taxpayers 4-5 Trillion 2001-2015. U.S. and NATO military involvement, regardless of the number of troops, supporting an Afghan "Central Government", will fail. WIN v LOSE has nothing to do with it; as long as the U.S. taxpayer continues to embrace the fiction of Afghan "Central Government", the U.S. taxpayer will pay and be in Afghanistan for the next 100 years. NO U.S. financial support, NO "Central Government" in Afghanistan.
Karzai "Central Government" means taxes, taxes on people who are among the poorest in the world. The way things are now working is the U.S. is "training", supplying and paying the salaries of a private Karzai army and police, who in-turn, go into tribal regions with the backing of the U.S. and NATO troops, and demand taxes from valley populations. It's improbable that demanding "taxes" from tribal and valley populations will win the "hearts and minds" of poverty populations. We Westerners' have the answer to everything, and as long as the U.S. is willing to pay, in dollars, and military lives, for the fiction of an Afghan "Central Government", the U.S. will remain mired in Afghanistan.
What is the "Taliban". In the West and U.S. , there are various "brands" of Christianity and Judaism. The same is true of Islam, what we refer to as Taliban is an ultra fundamentalist, Sunni "brand" of Islam. Washington and the media have thrown all Islam followers into the category "Taliban" meaning bad, evil, terrorists who are out to get the U.S. and Allies. The U.S. invasion of Afghanistan has contributed to the growth of the Taliban movement in Afghanistan, Pakistan and surrounds. One must remember that U.S. based Christian community has ultra fundamentalist sects who kill abortion providers who do not adhere to "their brand" of Christianity. Promoting the "Taliban" as the enemy, is essentially saying that the U.S. and NATO are at war with Islam; essentially, 21st Century Crusades. When the U.S. and NATO trample Islam, it drives moderate believers underground, and enhances support for radical "brands" of Islam to percolate to positions of authority.
The U.S. created and recognized Kosovo, a land area around the size of Manhattan Island, as an independent Nation. In order to satisfy the U.S. insistence for victory and success in Afghanistan, the immediate area surrounding Kabul, should be recognized as a separate Nation; and, the U.S. and NATO should abandoned Nation building in the remainder of the Afghan geography. Routing out “terrorists” is another matter entirely, one that requires accurate intelligence, surgical strikes and an invisible military presence.
Under the U.S. form of Federal Government, there is no provision like " initiative referendum" for the U.S. public to directly participate in how U.S. taxpayer dollars and troops will be used to pursue vainglory ambitions of those in power in Washington, D.C.. 30 years down the road when the U.S. population will be living at "third world" standards, the folly and arrogance of the U.S. Government and NATO allies will remain a burden on citizens who will only faintly remember Afghanistan and Iraq and why they have been committed to support these foreign lands.
Afghanistan and Iraq are fictional creations of Western Europe and the U.S. government. Western governments, for their respective convenience, ignored indigenous populations, and arbitrarily drew lines on the geography, and assigned designations to areas within such lines as Countries: Afghanistan & Iraq. The indigenous people within these designations never had, and to this day have no NATIONAL IDENTITY. What the U.S. and Western European nations regard as Iraq, is in reality , three ( 3 ) separate populations each with their own religious identity. What the U.S. regards as Afghanistan, is in reality, twenty ( 20 ) separate populations with different tribal and religious loyalties.
Regardless of Washington rhetoric, the objective in Iraq was "regime" change, and securing continued access to approximately 15% of known oil reserves. The U.S. spent and will spend 4-5 Trillion ( 2001-2015 ) in order to provide the U.S. and Allies with oil. No cost accounting is being done on the cost in loss of life and disability of the 100's of thousands of U.S. military veterans adversely affected by their deployment to Iraq. One of the dark sides of "regime change"in Iraq, has been the establishment of an Islamic regime. Saddam Hessian tolerated and protected secular religious beliefs including "Christianity". The new , U.S. supported, Iraqi government has limited religious tolerance except for Islam, which is the de facto official religion of Iraq. Prior to the U.S. invasion of Iraq, there were upwards of 1,000,000 openly practicing "Christians"; today it is estimated that there are fewer then 5,000 "Christians" now in hiding. THE BENEFICIARIES of the U.S invasion of Iraq have been the Major Oil Companies and U.S. subcontractors the likes of Halliburton.
Afghanistan is another problem: with twenty ( 20 ) separate populations with different tribal loyalties; "Central Government", has never been nor will it be a sustainable reality. The Karzai government was and is totally financed, created and empowered by the U.S. supported by U.S and NATO troops . Once the U.S. stops financially supporting Karzai, the fictional entity , branded by the U.S. and allies as a "Central Government" will vanish. "Central Government" and National Identity, as far as Afghanistan is concerned, is a pipe dream of the U.S., costing U.S. taxpayers 4-5 Trillion 2001-2015. U.S. and NATO military involvement, regardless of the number of troops, supporting an Afghan "Central Government", will fail. WIN v LOSE has nothing to do with it; as long as the U.S. taxpayer continues to embrace the fiction of Afghan "Central Government", the U.S. taxpayer will pay and be in Afghanistan for the next 100 years. NO U.S. financial support, NO "Central Government" in Afghanistan.
Karzai "Central Government" means taxes, taxes on people who are among the poorest in the world. The way things are now working is the U.S. is "training", supplying and paying the salaries of a private Karzai army and police, who in-turn, go into tribal regions with the backing of the U.S. and NATO troops, and demand taxes from valley populations. It's improbable that demanding "taxes" from tribal and valley populations will win the "hearts and minds" of poverty populations. We Westerners' have the answer to everything, and as long as the U.S. is willing to pay, in dollars, and military lives, for the fiction of an Afghan "Central Government", the U.S. will remain mired in Afghanistan.
What is the "Taliban". In the West and U.S. , there are various "brands" of Christianity and Judaism. The same is true of Islam, what we refer to as Taliban is an ultra fundamentalist, Sunni "brand" of Islam. Washington and the media have thrown all Islam followers into the category "Taliban" meaning bad, evil, terrorists who are out to get the U.S. and Allies. The U.S. invasion of Afghanistan has contributed to the growth of the Taliban movement in Afghanistan, Pakistan and surrounds. One must remember that U.S. based Christian community has ultra fundamentalist sects who kill abortion providers who do not adhere to "their brand" of Christianity. Promoting the "Taliban" as the enemy, is essentially saying that the U.S. and NATO are at war with Islam; essentially, 21st Century Crusades. When the U.S. and NATO trample Islam, it drives moderate believers underground, and enhances support for radical "brands" of Islam to percolate to positions of authority.
The U.S. created and recognized Kosovo, a land area around the size of Manhattan Island, as an independent Nation. In order to satisfy the U.S. insistence for victory and success in Afghanistan, the immediate area surrounding Kabul, should be recognized as a separate Nation; and, the U.S. and NATO should abandoned Nation building in the remainder of the Afghan geography. Routing out “terrorists” is another matter entirely, one that requires accurate intelligence, surgical strikes and an invisible military presence.
Under the U.S. form of Federal Government, there is no provision like " initiative referendum" for the U.S. public to directly participate in how U.S. taxpayer dollars and troops will be used to pursue vainglory ambitions of those in power in Washington, D.C.. 30 years down the road when the U.S. population will be living at "third world" standards, the folly and arrogance of the U.S. Government and NATO allies will remain a burden on citizens who will only faintly remember Afghanistan and Iraq and why they have been committed to support these foreign lands.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Congress Disenfranchises 50 Million U.S. Senior Citizens
As is typical, Congress is again, conniving to make the most fragile of the U.S. Population, senior citizens 65+ in age, pay so that 20 million uninsured U.S. residents ( not limited to U.S. Citizens ) will be provided medical coverage under HEALTH CARE REFORM proposals now before Congress. All versions of Health Care Reform now muddling through Congress, both House and Senate, require cuts in Medicare benefits now provided to U.S. Seniors 65 years of age and over. We are talking about 50 million U.S. Seniors, the majority of whom now receive medical/health care coverage under Medicare Advantage programs. Medicare Advantage programs offer seniors medical and prescription drug benefits not provided by Medicare and no additional cost to the senior citizens. Basically, each senior, on a sliding income scale, pays at least $96.40 per month ( or more ), automatically deducted from each seniors Social Security benefits, for Medicare coverages. Private HMO's and Health Insurance Companies offer additional medical and prescription drug benefits to seniors ( at no additional cost to the seniors ) under the various Medicare Advantage programs available in all States. The Federal Government, in turn, pays the HMO'S and Health Insurance companies a medicare premium for each senior who signs up for a Medicare Advantage program through an HMO or Health Insurance Company. Pretty straight forward; the system is not perfect, but it has been and is working for tens of millions of U.S. Senior citizens 65+.
Now this is where Congress plays fast, loose and underhanded: how to fund, pay for, health care reform. Under every proposal in Congress, a significant part of the “funding” of Health Care Reform will be paid by cutting Medicare benefits to U.S. senior citizens; in short: no more medicare advantage programs, and fewer medicare benefits. Medicare premiums will be increased, i.e., monthly medicare deductions from Social Security benefits will be increased to a minimum of $125.00 per month or more. This is how Congress claims the Federal budget deficit will be reduced over the next 10 years.This is yet another congressional slight-of-hand to deceive and essentially defraud the U.S. voter and taxpayer. As a further fraud and subterfuge, Congress and the CBO ( Congressional Budget Office ) projections of Health Care Reform program costs are based on coverage of around 20 million U.S. residents who are now uninsured. By manipulating figures Congress and the CBO have radically understated the actual costs of Health Care Reform by trillions of dollars.
OK, now to the illegal alien/ immigration issue. The federal government admits to at least 12 million persons being illegally in the U.S. The real figure is more like 25-30 million illegals plus their “anchor” babies ( babies born in the U.S., at U.S. Taxpayer expense, from illegals ); realistically the combined number of illegals and kids could top 50 million - 15% of the U.S. Population. Congress is poised to
grant AMNESTY to these illegals. The Federal Government has already rescinded agreements and the authority for local law enforcement to arrest and detain illegal aliens; this action on the part of the Obama Administration, has virtually opened U.S. borders to all comers, and provided sanctuary and protection for the 30 plus million illegals already here. Congress has plans to grant amnesty to these illegals within the coming year or so; but, congress has intentionally postponed action because it does not want the public to know that 30 to 50 million persons will be added and receive medical and health care under all of the Health Care Reform bills now before Congress.
Let's redo the math: The current CBO cost projections, for the Baucus( Senate Bill ) Health Care Plan are based on adding around 20 million legal U.S. residents to be covered for health and medical benefits, at an estimated cost of $829 billion over 10 years. This figure does not take into account the 30-50 million illegals poise to be given AMNESTY . When you add the additional 30-50 million to the 20 million the CBO counted, we are realistically talking 70 million uninsured U.S. residents who will be covered by the Congressional and Presidents plans for Health Care Reform at a cost of well over $4 trillion dollars over the next 10 years. This will not be budget neutral without massive tax and medicare premium increases on the middle class. It will more then triple the Federal deficit resulting in a steep devaluation of the dollar.
The U.S. needs health care reform. U.S. industry needs health care reform in order to be competitive in world markets. 1000+ pages Congressional bills are hardly reform. All U.S. Health Insurance Companies and HMO's need to be made part of a risk pool, as is the case in many states with “assigned risk auto insurance”, and required to offer basic but limited health care coverage, pre-existing conditions included, for an initial monthly premium of $ 96.40, $250.00 a month for family of four, for U.S. citizens who have consecutively lived within the U.S. for 7 years. Medicare needs to employ auditors and prosecute providers when fraud is evident, and pay less attention to “coding” and paperwork regarding services and payments. Health Insurance Companies, HMO's and Individual Co-ops should be allowed to join and combine to negotiate with drug companies directly to reduce prescription drugs costs. Reform can be effectively accomplished in 50 pages or less of concisely drafted, readable, legislation.
Now this is where Congress plays fast, loose and underhanded: how to fund, pay for, health care reform. Under every proposal in Congress, a significant part of the “funding” of Health Care Reform will be paid by cutting Medicare benefits to U.S. senior citizens; in short: no more medicare advantage programs, and fewer medicare benefits. Medicare premiums will be increased, i.e., monthly medicare deductions from Social Security benefits will be increased to a minimum of $125.00 per month or more. This is how Congress claims the Federal budget deficit will be reduced over the next 10 years.This is yet another congressional slight-of-hand to deceive and essentially defraud the U.S. voter and taxpayer. As a further fraud and subterfuge, Congress and the CBO ( Congressional Budget Office ) projections of Health Care Reform program costs are based on coverage of around 20 million U.S. residents who are now uninsured. By manipulating figures Congress and the CBO have radically understated the actual costs of Health Care Reform by trillions of dollars.
OK, now to the illegal alien/ immigration issue. The federal government admits to at least 12 million persons being illegally in the U.S. The real figure is more like 25-30 million illegals plus their “anchor” babies ( babies born in the U.S., at U.S. Taxpayer expense, from illegals ); realistically the combined number of illegals and kids could top 50 million - 15% of the U.S. Population. Congress is poised to
grant AMNESTY to these illegals. The Federal Government has already rescinded agreements and the authority for local law enforcement to arrest and detain illegal aliens; this action on the part of the Obama Administration, has virtually opened U.S. borders to all comers, and provided sanctuary and protection for the 30 plus million illegals already here. Congress has plans to grant amnesty to these illegals within the coming year or so; but, congress has intentionally postponed action because it does not want the public to know that 30 to 50 million persons will be added and receive medical and health care under all of the Health Care Reform bills now before Congress.
Let's redo the math: The current CBO cost projections, for the Baucus( Senate Bill ) Health Care Plan are based on adding around 20 million legal U.S. residents to be covered for health and medical benefits, at an estimated cost of $829 billion over 10 years. This figure does not take into account the 30-50 million illegals poise to be given AMNESTY . When you add the additional 30-50 million to the 20 million the CBO counted, we are realistically talking 70 million uninsured U.S. residents who will be covered by the Congressional and Presidents plans for Health Care Reform at a cost of well over $4 trillion dollars over the next 10 years. This will not be budget neutral without massive tax and medicare premium increases on the middle class. It will more then triple the Federal deficit resulting in a steep devaluation of the dollar.
The U.S. needs health care reform. U.S. industry needs health care reform in order to be competitive in world markets. 1000+ pages Congressional bills are hardly reform. All U.S. Health Insurance Companies and HMO's need to be made part of a risk pool, as is the case in many states with “assigned risk auto insurance”, and required to offer basic but limited health care coverage, pre-existing conditions included, for an initial monthly premium of $ 96.40, $250.00 a month for family of four, for U.S. citizens who have consecutively lived within the U.S. for 7 years. Medicare needs to employ auditors and prosecute providers when fraud is evident, and pay less attention to “coding” and paperwork regarding services and payments. Health Insurance Companies, HMO's and Individual Co-ops should be allowed to join and combine to negotiate with drug companies directly to reduce prescription drugs costs. Reform can be effectively accomplished in 50 pages or less of concisely drafted, readable, legislation.
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