Capitalistic medicine defies the laws of economics and risks patient lives

Our medical system has many problems. Greed is the worst feature of the system.

When the primary motivation for doctors or future doctors is money, patient health and well-being take a backseat.

When the demand for primary care physicians isn't being met, then the invisible hand of economics has broken down.

Capitalism is great, but to ignore its problems won't improve our system. It's time for a change.

Palin-Letterman donnybrook nothing but a tired attempt to remain relevant with irrelevant fake outrage. Please.

The whole Palin-Letterman dustup shows how devoid of ideas the Republican party truly is.

Instead of working to improve our nation, Palin, her crew, and the Republicans would rather turn a joke by a tv host into the central issue of the week.

This is why the Republicans lost the election in large part. They have nothing but fabricated outrage over stupid stuff said by a tv personality that amounts to nothing more than a hill of beans.

What happened to substance over style?

Palin's a loser without any redeeming qualities except her attractiveness and moronic right-wing ruthlessness--isn't it time we call bullshit on that old style of repudiated politics?

I think so.

If Palin and the Republicans can't offer up more than an Atwater/Rove retread tactic, then they deserve exile. No wonder McCain has nothing to do with Palin now...he knows she lost him the election.

Good riddance.

Lies, damn lies, and agendas. Hoaxer causes more harm to her agenda by lying.

When people with an "agenda" do things like lying to push their views on people then it bespeaks more of their lack of integrity and their dearth of intellectual honesty than in the value of their worldview.

Escaping those of faith who champion their particular religion through dishonesty and deceit is the fact that hypocrisy kills any legitimacy their particular beliefs might have.

This woman who blogged about a fake troubled pregnancy to garner sympathy did nothing more than anger those sympathetic to her plight. What was she thinking? How do you translate sympathy based on a lie into a change of heart in those who were duped by the lie?

You don't. Lying is counter-productive.

This is the problem with agendas. When agenda supersedes the truth, then we are left with nothing but an unfounded belief upon which to built a edifice of trust. All based on lies.

60% of Bankruptcies caused by medical bills--shocking!

This story sums up the problem with health care, as it is currently run, in this country.

When our system prefers to send people to the poor house so that medical providers can rack up significant bank, then something is askew.

Explain why health care for profit benefits our country when we see results like this?

Things must change.

Think on this: If you had to choose between a doctor who practiced medicine because they saw it as a calling or doctor who went into medicine because of the income possibilities, which one would you choose?

Our medical system needs a lifestyle adjustment.

Study indicates our tendency to ignore news that conflicts with our worldview.

Studies like this one underscore the necessity for reading or viewing a number of media sources instead of relying on one or two.

As we age, the danger of viewpoint ossification increases. We seek certainty. When a news story contradicts our particular worldview, then chances are good we'll minimize its value, criticize its source, or seek out other stories to offset the perceived threat to our cozy little worlds.

The Founding Fathers, especially Thomas Jefferson, were acutely aware of this natural tendency, despite having no name for it. Jefferson felt so strongly about the dangers of narrow-mindedness and simple-mindedness in the electorate that he donated all his books to start a library (University of Virginia). Along with the other founders, Jefferson noted that the dangers of a free press were far outweighed by having no press at all.

We find ourselves in an awkward situation today. Our media strives for profit. Profit motive fuels the tendency of the media to feed consumers what they want instead of what they need, viz., real news and conflicting stories.

My prescription: Read many sources, take them all with a grain of salt. Don't parrot some bozo who makes his or her money from maintaining an audience instead of actually adhering to a code of journalistic ethics.

Customer service is making a comeback---thankfully.

I'm of the opinion that automated phone systems are designed to thwart customers instead of addressing service issues.

Think about it: Who benefits from wasting your time and possibly frustrating you to the point that you hang up and maybe go away? You most assuredly don't benefit, but the companies do.

Service will differentiate the good from the bad. Price pressures from competition will keep price differences minuscule, so intangible--like good service--will inform the choices.

The internet makes it so much easier to hassle key decision makers so things will change.

It's time we get back to being Americans and live up to our Constitution

Stories like this highlight the vast dividing line between rich and poor.

I've been fortunate to grow up middle class. I've had every opportunity to succeed. My parents were not so lucky. Both came from poor country stock and both carry the attitudes and proclivities of the poor.

Those attitudes impacted me in a significant way--making me sensitive the the plight of the poor and downtrodden. These lessons, more than anything, explain my tendency to support the many over the few--the weak over the strong. Essentially, growing up with middle class resources, but a lower class mindset shaped my political values.

For many decades now, a scary, class-ist, and ultimately aristocratic attitude has governed our society. Hopefully, its final expression in the Bush administration and their mouthpieces in the press (Fox News, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Bill O'Reilly, and Glenn Beck to name a few..) will be nothing more than a death shudder of a narrow and mean view of society.

Policies enacted over decades make it easier to exploit those with little social power. Greed--encouraged by an ideology of self-reliance and a laissez-faire agenda reminiscent of pre-Depression era government and country, has resulted in an exploitative society that is nothing less than predatory.

It's time we own up to meanness. It's time we live united as a people. Too long have self-interest and the narcissism of certain self-satisfaction governed our land.

We should begin by treating the poor as people instead of like peasants to be abused for our own gain.

If we fail, then it won't be too long before our aristocratic tendencies lead to our undoing.

Cafferty Agrees with me on dealing with Bush Administration...for what it's worth.

As a charter member of the crotchety old fart club, of which I consider myself a member in good standing, Jack Cafferty of CNN calls for a special prosecutor for the Bush Administration.

Obama is making a big mistake by ignoring the crimes of the last administration. Until the matter is examined, publicly and fully, then our country won't be free of taint from the Bush years.

I say again that it's not a liberal/conservative or Republican/Democrat issue; it one of crime and justice.

It should surprise no one that two cronies from the Nixon Administration (Cheney & Rumsfeld) share a large part of the blame for the screw-ups and law-breaking of the Bush years. You can't teach old dogs new tricks. Both Cheney and Rumsfeld learned at the feet of the master--Tricky Dick. These two bozos retained the paranoia and the deceit that marked the Nixon administration. On top of that, they had something to prove.

I think Cheney and Rumsfeld went to great lengths to turn the Bush Administration into a continuation of the Nixon years. In some sick psychodrama, they sought redemption for themselves and Nixon by making policy indicative of their previous tenure. America is saddled with the results of these two geezers who couldn't let go of their ignominious service with Nixon.

Obama must excise this blot from our collective conscious. Pelosi, although a good conciliator, should own her failure to impeach Cheney and Rumsfeld; she could have stopped the tragedy of the Bush years caused by the Dicky & Donny Show.

Pelosi dust-up is tacit admission that Bush administration engaged in torture.

In a display of "gotcha" politics," the Republicans have pounced on Nanci Pelosi's allegation that the CIA lied to her about torture.

I don't know who to believe in this dust-up. I'm inclined to think Speaker Pelosi was informed of the torture. Thinking back on my general complaint of the Democrats during the time in question, I suspect she was. Democrats displayed such spinelessness just prior to the mid-term elections in 2004, so it's in keeping with their character at that time.

What should result from this?

If the Speaker was informed, then she should admit her complicity in the torture for failing to act. On the other hand, if she was misinformed, then those responsible must account for their omissions.

In my opinion, the best approach to resolving this matter--the ENTIRE matter--is to seat a Truth Commission to evaluate and report on everyone involved in the torture issue--including Nanci Pelosi.

The Republicans, by attacking Pelosi, tacitly admit torture occurred by the Bush-led government. Owning up to their part in these sordid events instead relying on a logical fallacy (Tu quoque - "you did it too") to score political points would begin the process.

I don't expect that to happen.

Now's the time for the Obama administration to show some leadership and jettison the impunity granted by their "looking to the future" agenda. This isn't a liberal or conservative issue, but one of justice and criminal activity going unpunished.

The current administration shirks their responsibility by ignoring the criminality of those aligned with the previous administration. Looking to the future doesn't mean ignoring the crimes of the past; it means we must properly resolve issues of the past in order to move into the future.

Letting previous malefactors slide as a courtesy scarcely qualifies as responsible governance.

Morons on parade.

The more I work with corporate America, the more I understand that the value of ....shall we call it VALUES!

For a time now, I've provided advice and other services to a corporation.

In the scant two (2) years of my association, I've experienced a caricature of corporate America.

First of all, this company (although one I hold deep regard for in my personal life...) seems to hire what I charitably call "flunkies" for their management staff.

These people spend most of their time avoiding responsibility, shirking work, and shifting blame rather than actually working.

Secondly, whenever I provide any advice, legal or otherwise, if it conflicts with their bottom line, I immediately suffer demonization and threats against my future tenure.

What I've learned from this experience?

Schmoes work in corporate America. They sacrifice integrity for their own self-interest.

I don't think the founding fathers had this in mind when they set up our great country.

I've also learned that the truth is really scary when money in involved.

Why?

It seems that every decision made by my corporate affiliate gets resolved in a fashion that results in maximization of their cash-flow NOW rather than for their long-term financial stability.

Such is the life of Mr. Brutal Honesty.

Obama has ticked me off! Military brass is a bunch a wusses.

Obama has finally pissed me off.

I'm sorry that the troops might be put in danger over the release of the photos of abuse.

But all I have to say is "Tough shit."

If they're so damned worried about the effect it might have then perhaps they should have obeyed the Constitution instead of following the dictates of their Commander-In-Chief (Bush) when they had the chance.

Need I remind everyone that soldiers take an oath when they join the service. Every last one of them swears to uphold the Constitution before anything. Next in the oath is to follow the orders of the President. If the President gives an order that contradicts the Constitution then as I see it, every soldier has a legal obligation to disobey.

Why? Because the Constitution governs all of us, including the President. Otherwise, we are no longer a nation of laws, but one of tyranny.

The way I see it, if the military want's to act like a bunch of pussies and worry about the effect that photos of their malfeasance and broken oaths might have, then perhaps they should have thought about that before they violated the damn law!

I may get hate mail for this, but one thing I am not is a wuss. I speak the truth and when Obama wimps out on the truth because some pansy-ass Generals are worried about hurt feelings and the potential consequences, then I draw the line.

These Generals are more worried about their careers than they are about their oaths to uphold the Constitution and defend our county. If they aren't smart enough to follow the law then they need to be replaced.

Sometimes to the truth hurts. Grow a spine you sissies.

Obama administration is restoring competitiveness to the marketplace.

Upon reading this story all I could say to myself is this: It's about time we restore some real competition to the marketplace.

Despite all the blathering about the "free market" and "capitalism", the Bush administration did more to undermine real competition than many previous administrations by gutting anti-trust law.

You can't call yourself a capitalist unless you support strong anti-trust enforcement.

Anti-trust law, when properly applied, eliminates monopolies and punishes those profiting from anti-competitive contracts. Basically, anti-trust law punishes croneyism--a hallmark of the Bush years.

For a market to work properly, concentrations of market power must be thwarted; that's what anti-trust law does--it prevents concentrations of power and greases the wheels of commerce.

Easy commerce makes for cheaper stuff.

Excellent!

Williamson County Tennessee--Home of Right-Wing Douchebags

People amaze me. Rarely am I astounded by depth, intellect, wisdom, or grace. Usually, people astound me by their utter stupidity and willingness to expend precious energy being assholes.

While roving the aisles of a bookstore in Brentwood, Tennessee (Brentwood is in Williamson County--home of Marsha Blackburn (R)), an employee mentioned that he and his fellow workers devote many man-hours to fixing the displays when right-wing bozos mess them up.

How? You may ask.

This guy, whose name is Evan and is nicknamed "McLovin" (a bit of humor to this story..) mentioned that some cretins enter his establishment and cover or hide any book with Obama on it.

I suppose this small gesture, or little rebellion on the part of Williamson County and it's mass of rich, Republican, idiots passes for "counting coup" on the Right. What else is a Limbaugh sycophant, Glenn Beck fan, or Bill O'Reilly nimrod supposed to do when their ideology, their whole raison d'etre is repudiated by a majority?

For those of you unaware: Williamson County Tennessee is one of the richest counties in the country. It's offers exceedingly large homes, expensive shopping, Land Rover driving housewives whose only work involves keeping up with the Joneses and who lack any capacity to yield while in traffic (why should they? It's all about them anyway...), and predominantly white, Republicans who believe Reaganism is still a viable political ideology (if it ever was one).

Sometimes, it's the little douchebaggeries that stick in my craw.

Rather than examine their own failings, these nitwits make life harder for the low-paid employees of a bookstore.

Suppose that's the price paid by a business that caters to the educated and well-informed. God knows no self-respecting right-winger would be caught in a bookstore that wasn't LifeWay unless they were up to mischief.

Miss California may lose her crown over nude pictures---but she's still against Gay Marriage.

You'd think that after repeated displays of hypocrisy throughout time, that those positioning themselves as "moral" paragons, taking a stand on some controversial issue would realize what idiots their actions bespeak.

What am I blathering about?

Miss California and her stupid public statement against Gay Marriage.

Why is it hypocritical?

Because she is positioning herself as an upstanding Christian, but has posed nude.

If you'll recall, Vanessa Williams lost her crown for posing nude back in the '80's.

Now we have this Prejean woman claiming to be an upstanding Christian, and asserting (much to Perez Hilton's chagrin...) that Gay Marriage is wrong.

I don't get it. If you plan to take a moral stand, shouldn't you have the brains to make sure you've not done something stupid in your past? When the Moral police complain that the "liberals" call them stupid, maybe it's because they do stupid things like Miss Prejean.

Irony---it's what makes life worth living sometimes.

Murtha's nephew may have gotten $4 million in no-bid contract---Drop in the bucket compared to Halliburton.

Graft on the federal level--hell, on any level--is serious business.

When John Murtha's nephew gets a no-bid, defense contract worth $4 million, then it must be investigated. If anything wrong occurred, then the offending parties should pay the price.

But before we start jumping on $4 million, we must first investigate and prosecute the billions of dollars spent on no-bid contracts that went to Halliburton. We all know that Halliburton was the former employer of Dick Cheney and that Rumsfeld's defense department awarded those no-bid contracts.

Making matters worse is that Halliburton allegedly over-charged after short-circuiting the contract process.

I suspect that Republicans are doing everything they can to neutralize Murtha since he has a distinguished military career.

Let's do investigations all around.

Supreme Court wants to review the Janet Jackson breast video...again. Guess Justice Thomas' porn subscription ran out....

Apparently, the Supreme court wants another look at the Janet Jackson Superbowl wardrobe malfunction.

My suspicion is that Justice Clarence Thomas was behind the need for the male-dominated Supreme Court "needing to review the case again."

In the real world, I suppose it's hard (no pun intended) for the Justices to get their porn fix, so they gotta do what they gotta do.

Too bad this issue is really stupid. It highlights the inane things the Court finds itself being asked to resolve.

RNC attempting to set Steele up for failure because they're devoid of ideas.

After the election of Michael Steele to the chairmanship of the RNC, I thought that maybe, the Republicans were beginning to turn a corner.

Apparently I was mistaken.

The RNC is attempting to hamstring Mr. Steele by limiting his ability to spend RNC cash without a permission slip.

Even Newt Gingrich calls the RNC a bunch "ego maniacs."

Here's my two cents: Many of the RNC want a fall guy. Mr. Steele is the guy out front, he's also African-American. Limiting his ability to spend money is the quickest route to setting him up for failure. The RNC will have someone to blame (Steele) and it will further their pretext racism by having the stool pigeon (Steele) be African-American too.

Let's watch and see if I'm right.

White Collar criminals should go to the same prisons as the hard cases.

I don't know how I feel about this.

I have a serious problem with dividing the prison system into two camps--one for the hard criminals and one for the soft criminals.

Personally, I think all criminals should go to the same jail.

It doesn't matter to me that someone has an education and committed embezzlement of $50 million dollars as opposed to knocking over a liquor store for $200.

Crime is still a crime. Criminals should all pay the same penalty at the same venue.

Bigots alive and well and blaming Mexicans for Swine Flu--Dumbasses!

Among the various reasons I have for not listening to talk radio or watching Fox News, one has to be the bigotry and racism prominently displayed.

When Michael Savage gets fired because he blames Mexicans for the Swine Flu and says things like "they wipe the butts with their hands" (what else would they use their feet?) or Michelle Malkin of Fox news uses the Swine Flu to justify closing the border, then I draw the line.

In an effort to show my contempt for this slag that passes as media, I plan on eating Mexican food today, prepared by real Mexicans.

Screw you bigots! Screw you too if you support such drivel.

Relgious more likely to support torture...so much for forgiveness.

All I want to know: What exactly do they teach these people in church that causes them to be more likely to support the use of torture?

I mean, the Bible says nothing about supporting torture. In fact, the Bible says to forgive and turn the other cheek.

It's been awhile since I've been to Church, but if the results of this study provide a glimpse into what passes as Christianity these days, then I don't want to go.