11.26.2003
Thankfulness
No computer access for a couple days. Please utilize the links offered on the sidebar to catch news not well covered by mainstream corporate media.
Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving.
I sent out an e-mail to a conscious, thinking friend containing this link documenting Mr Bush's lying concerning the Iraqi War. Unfortunatly I accidently sent it out "reply to all"; making for a big fuss from some and praise from others. It put my friend who is not that news savvy but a kind person in a pickle, and I have apologised for my mistake. I have been called hateful as well as unChristian. On the otherhand I enjoyed he "Thank Yous" I got all the more in light of these others. So I offer the link to you. What do you think? Each lie mentioned is footnoted with links.
Enjoy!
"The President is merely the most important among a large number of public servants. He should be supported or opposed exactly to the degree which is warranted by his good conduct or bad conduct, his efficiency or inefficiency in rendering loyal, able, and disinterested service to the Nation as a whole. Therefore it is absolutely necessary that there should be full liberty to tell the truth about his acts, and this means that it is exactly necessary to blame him when he does wrong as to praise him when he does right. Any other attitude in an American citizen is both base and servile. To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public. Nothing but the truth should be spoken about him or any one else. But it is even more important to tell the truth, pleasant or unpleasant, about him than about any one else."
--Theodore Roosevelt in the Kansas City Star May 7, 1918
Explore CBC News "Deadline Iraq"
11/26/2003
|
If a free society will not help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich." - John F. Kennedy
Here is some analysis from Consumers Union publishers of Consumer Reports. Jumping to page 35 in the .pdf file linked first for an easy to understand scorecard explaing the bill and just who benefits.
• Congress set aside money in the budget resolution that would cover just 22 percent
of anticipated prescription drug expenditures.
• It created a structure that foreclosed (and even literally prohibits) negotiating deep
prescription drug discounts on behalf of consumers, assuring that prescription drug
costs will continue to spiral.
• Both the House and Senate decided to rely on private insurance companies and
health plans, guaranteeing a perpetual flood of lobbyists requesting more money
(or threatening to cut off benefits).
It reads pretty badly for regular people. It looks pretty good for Corporations. Go figure...
You've doubtless heard about the Republican strong arming that passed the GOP version of the Medicare prescription drug benefit. The vote which is usually allowed 15 minutes was extended for 2 hours and 51 minutes. At the end of the usual voting time, the Democrats had one. It took a bunch of persuasion for the Republicans to change the minds of a few of their own over the intervening nearly 3 hours. The Conservatives had dragged one vote out for nearly an hour earlier this year. That was considered shocking at the time.
It's an all out assault on Medicare.
Read about Single Payer Health systems. See why a plan that could pay for itself scares the recipients of the largesse of the current insurance pharmaceutical nexus. Cutting out the middleman means they stand to lose while the people of America stand to gain.
Why would anyonein government vote for a plan that doesn't allow for the lower cost purchases of drugs bought for America's needs? That would save tax monies, wouldn't it?
WASHINGTON -- More than three dozen of President Bush's major fundraisers are affiliated with companies that stand to benefit from the passage of two central pieces of the administration's legislative agenda: the energy and Medicare bills.
The energy bill provides billions of dollars in benefits to companies run by at least 22 executives and their spouses who have qualified as either "Pioneers" or "Rangers" as well as to the clients of at least 15 lobbyists and their spouses who have achieved similar status as fundraisers. At least 24 Rangers and Pioneers could benefit from the Medicare bill as executives of companies or lobbyists working for them, including eight who have clients affected by both bills.
If you were wondering about the support of AARP for a bill that threatens to begin the dismantling of Medicare, the poor/low income elders friend you might be interested to know AARP depends on companies whos interests conflict with a "regular" persons for at least 30% of their annual revenues. Another interesting fact is that AARP chief executive William Novelli wrote a preface for a book by Newt Gingrich recently, a book that deals with, yup, you guessed it, dismantling Medicare.
AARP sold out its' members. Check link for contact info.
The pharmaceutical industry says it needs to keep drug profits higher to pay for research and development, yet spends about 14 b illion dollars more on advertising than R&D.
In a democracy, the public should set overall health policies. Personal medical decisions must be made by patients with their caregivers, not by corporate or government bureaucrats.
Again, money counts more than the common good of "We the People".
What's wrong with this picture?
11/26/2003
|
|
|
