Third Party & Independents Archives

October 31, 2008

Election: Crisis of Confidence and Judgement

As always, elections are about variables so myriad as to make polling effective only in trend for some elections, and entirely unreliable in others. It appears to me this 2008 election however, is about a crisis in confidence toward authority and the presidential winner will be the person having shown the most credible judgement.

Crisis in confidence.

Consumer confidence just reached an all time low. What began as a crisis in confidence toward U.S. presidents during the LBJ and Nixon administrations, has reached unparalleled proportions in the George W. Bush administration. And in between, there have been all manner of assaults upon the confidence of the American people toward authority, such as:

The Oil Embargo of the 1970's and failure to move away from import dependence thereafter
The Savings and Loan crisis of the 1980's which cost taxpayers $324.6 billion dollars, and Americans more than a half trillion dollars
The cultural issues crisis over 2nd Amendment rights to bear arms, abortion, religion in schools and government, and of course, the defiling of the Oval Office by a promiscuous William Jefferson Clinton
And in the first decade of .the new century, the pedophilia crisis in the Catholic Church and American schools, the growing crisis of deficits and debt, and the current mortgage and credit crises.

The American people, while not recalling this specific litany of historical crises in the U.S. and world, are nonetheless responding to their cumulative effect. The Republican government, which was to bring America fiscal sanity, smaller and lower cost government, and a reduction in corruption of values, politics, legislation, and policy, disappointed the American on all these fronts. There is a crisis in confidence toward authority figures. It appears in the polls as less than a 65% favorable polling toward Obama, a dramatic and rapid drop in approval of Sarah Palin as McCain's VP choice, even amongst segments of Republicans, and serious doubts regarding the judgement of the veteran Senator and war hero, John McCain.

Approval ratings for Congress are near all time historical lows. The American people have lost a great deal of faith in their government and those elected to run it. Who can blame them? Yet, the American sense of hope for the future is a quality not easily diminished nor snuffed. A majority of American voters and the Electoral College will select a president in four days, in whom they will again invest their trust and hope for a better future. There can be little doubt that a measurable portion of this hope and trust comes from voters under 30, who are intrinsically hopeful and trusting, and they may well prove to be the numbers needed to put Barack Obama into the White House.

Whether Obama or McCain wins, however, there are challenges facing our nation, which if ignored any longer, will spell the ruination of a hopeful and confident America going forward. In September of 2003, I wrote here at WatchBlog:

The United States National debt, now approaching 7 trillion dollars, will be in the 10 to 12 trillion dollar range in 10 to 12 years.

and:

The Perfect Storm, was partly about an historical convergence of a hurricane, a cold front, and a low pressure center, if memory serves, which created a storm of such magnitude that it could not be entered and survived by normal vessels. Such a storm is growing on the economic front and the convergence of three main trends will occur in the next 8 to 12 years resulting in a wave of devastation across the American economy and possibly the world economy. The three trends are growing U.S. national debt, the retirement of the baby boom generation, and the incredible growth of foreign economies.

I confess to being wrong about it taking until 2013 to 2015 to arrive at 10 trillion dollars of national debt. But, over the years since 2003, I have, in many other articles here, updated the debt projections in light of actions of the Bush Administration and Congress to reflect this shortening of the calendar.

Standing before the next president is an additional 44 Trillion Dollars of debt in the form of unfunded mandates via the Social Security and Medicare/Medicaid programs. There are at least two ways to deal with it, the simple minded stupid way, and the vastly more difficult and challenging intelligent way.

The Simple and Stupid way, the McCain way, is to privatize these programs and let those who can't afford to self-insure their health care and retirement, suffer and die of poverty in the 10's of millions, which will sow the seeds of civil war or revolution in this country. It is incomprehensible that anyone today could believe that so much suffering by the parents of the shrinking middle class would not result in a revolt after witnessing their parents and grandparents suffer the pain and misery of poverty, having paid a portion of their earnings throughout their lives to the government to insure against such poverty.

I wish I could say the the intelligent but challenging way is the Obama Way, but, we simply don't have enough information from Obama to make that determination. This way however, does incorporate Obama's single payer health insurance plan. But, it must go much further. And there are no guarantees that a more intelligent threading of the needle on this issue will be successful. But, to not even try, will spell the economic and political collapse of our nation within 30 years.

The intelligent way includes:

incentivizing not-for-profit health care delivery clinics, hospitals, and private practice partnerships, in which doctors, nurses, administrators, janitors, and all the other personnel in the medical care field continue as they do now, earning a competitive living providing health care, but, without shareholders and execs skimming profits of the health care dollars spent.
Halt the influx of illegal immigrants. America can no longer afford to continue its practice of mandating health care to those in need by law, and provide that health care to uninsured illegal immigrants in the 10's of millions.
Incorporating voluntary healthy lifestyle promotion in schools, work places, neighborhoods, and empowering the FDA with truth in advertising enforcement with teeth.
Establish smoking cessation check-in clinics at the cost to the smoker of the smoker's budget for cigarettes. This could incur a tax payer expense up front, but, successful programs would return tax payer benefits in reduced long term smoking related illnesses. This could also be partially, or fully funded by current taxes on tobacco products.
End the war on drugs (except toward toward sellers to children): redirect 25% of the current budget for drug law enforcement into clinics for drug users to quit. The savings here of the other 75% could be redirected to pay for single payer health insurance lowering taxes for this purpose.
Force the pharmaceutical companies to sell Americans prescription drugs at the same cost they are being sold overseas and stop their discrimination against American consumers.
Establish medical review courts populated by retired judges and doctors/RN's, to screen out frivolous medical malpractice suits from entering our court systems, and make public all records of complaints regarding malpractice claims against hospitals, clinics, and medical personnel both for purposes of screening malpractice suits before entering the court system, and providing consumers with the power to research, shop, and compare their health care provider choices.
Relieve all businesses of obligations to provide health care insurance, and enact a tax on all businesses employing more than 50 people to help fund the universal health care insurance system, at a fraction of what businesses would otherwise pay to provide health care insurance themselves to their employees.
Allow the U.S. Government to negotiate royalty rights, at a fraction of a percent, for any, and all patents, resulting from tax payer subsidized research and development. This one simple step could, over the course of the baby boom generation, generate trillions of dollars in revenue to offset the costs of Medicare/Medicaid.
Lastly, put to bed forever the notion that unregulated markets will self-correct without incredible harm to the American people. If this current crisis and previous ones prove anything, it is that unregulated market bubbles in an interdependent global economy are no longer to be tolerated or allowed.

This is not a comprehensive list, but, includes some of the major initiatives that could and would drive down the cost of health care in America to more manageable levels, and shave trillions off the unfunded mandates for Medicare/Medicaid.

Of course, all of these ideas and solutions are meaningless, unless increasing numbers of voters hold their own representatives accountable for enacting such solutions. Reelecting incumbents who fail to enact such solutions, for whatever reasons of incompetence, corruption by lobbyists and campaign donors, or ideology, will only compound the current looming crises into actual crises in coming years. And that means the voters must hold our next president to the same standard, making them a one term president if in their first 4 years they are not out in front using the bully pulpit to push the Congress toward these tough solutions which will be fought intensely by corporate and wealthy special interests.

America's future was never intended to belong to the wealthy special interests. Our founders overthrew the King and his aristocracy to insure that America's future belonged to all Americans. It is time Americans fulfilled that great promise and exercised its democratic process of, by, and for the people. Vote!

People in power will use that power to keep themselves in power. The vote is unnecessary for those in power to remain in power. Our founders understood this about King George. It is time Americans exercised their vote for the purpose it was intended, to remove politicians from office when it appears they are serving their own interests instead of the people's. Vote Out Incumbents Democracy is working to make the latter a reality, for this election, and those to come. Do your part, and vote to replace at least one ineffective, incompetent, or corrupt incumbent politician in this election.

Posted by David R. Remer at October 31, 2008 07:27 AM

Comments

Comment #268968

First David, Congratulations on No 500, Great Post, you put down so many great ideas, I’ll get more in dept a little later, First Legalize marijuana and grow it as a cash taxed crop you want to smoke it go to a doctor get a Rx and buy it at a drug store, second quit warehousing people in prison for petty offenses, they’ve made it a industry in NY state where over a hundred years this Little city started the first prison with a concept of rehabilitation and Job skills Instead of brutal hard time and severe punishment for all, gotta run .

Posted by: Rodney Brown at October 31, 2008 11:55 AM

Comment #268972

David R. Remer wrote: Halt the influx of illegal immigrants. America can no longer afford to continue its practice of mandating health care to those in need by law, and provide that health care to uninsured illegal immigrants in the 10’s of millions.

Yet, most Americans tolerate net losses estimated between $70-to-$327 Billion per year, and much of (see other causes below) it is because of over-run hospitals (many closing), welfare, Medicaid, and Medi-CAL for illegal aliens.

For some reason, despite most Americans polled being against another shamnesty such as the shamnesty of 1986 (which more than quadrupled the problem), and being against letting illegal aliens game our health care systems (among numerous others), illegal immigration was barely mentioned in this election.

That is probably because BOTH candidates want to pass another shamnesty like the one McCain voted for in year 1986, and NEITHER candidates are serious about prosecuting greedy illegal employers who despicably pit American citizens and illegal aliens against each other for votes , profits , and (supposedly, but severely misplaced or false) compassion.

This is only one of the major reasons I believe any universal healthcare system will fail miserably, because 20 million illegal aliens will destroy it, cost American tax-payers hundreds of billions per year, in addition to the net losses ALREADY estimated between $70-to-$327 Billion per year due to the following:

burden on education systems;

burden on healthcare systems;

burden on hospital systems; 84 hospitals closed/closing in California; 70% of women giving birth at Parkland Memorial hospital in Dallas,TX in only the first 3 months of year 2006 were illegal aliens (www.snopes.com/politics/immigration/parkland.asp); same thing for this Florida hospital (see video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLJxmJZXgNI); border states are hit hardest, but it’s happening in all 50 states in the U.S.!

burden on welfare systems; over 32% of illegal aliens collect welfare

burden on Medicaid system;

burden on border patrol systems; ever increasing numbers are needed;

burden on insurance systems; illegal aliens can/will not pay for damages they cause;

burden on law enforcement systems; costing California billions per year;

burden on prison systems; 29% of state and federal prisoners (Sep-2004) are illegal aliens;

2.3+ million displaced American workers; partly because half of all illegal aliens that don’t pay taxes, and greedy employers that don’t pay unemployment taxes, Social Security, Medicare taxes, etc.;

voter fraud; burden on voting systems;

crime, homicides, police officers murderd, deaths caused by drunk driving, and illegal aliens are repeatedly released to commit these crimes repeatedly (VOIAC.org);

It is despicable how irresponsible incumbent politicians are now pitting illegal aliens and American citizens against each other for profits and votes!

Perhaps more Americans would be more interested if they knew how much it is really costing them (not only monetarily):

Medical Expenditures (2005):

H = Hospitals

D = Doctors

P = Prescription drugs

A = Illegal Aliens (health care, Medicaid, Medi-Cal)

I = Insurance (private)

$667B |——————————————————-

$633B |——————————————————H

$600B |—————————————————-H-

$567B |—————————————————H—

$533B |————————————————-H—-

$500B |————————————————H——

$467B |———————————————-H——-

$433B |———————————————H——-D

$400B |——————————————-H——-D-

$367B |——————————————H——-D—

$333B |—————————————-H——-D—A

$300B |—————————————H——-D—A-

$267B |————————————H———D—A—

$233B |———————————H———-D—A—-

$200B |——————————H———-D—-A—-P

$167B |—————————H———-D——A—-P-

$133B |———————-H———-D——-A—-P—I

$100B |——————H———-D——-A—-P—I—-

$067B |————-H———D——A——-P—I———

$033B |H————D——-A———P-I——————-

__ $0 |DPIA————————————————-

_____ (1970)__________(1987)__________(2005)YEAR

It appears Obama/Biden are likely to the office of President/VP, and things don’t look good for most Americans who want a halt to illegal immigration, want illegal employers prosecuted and borders secured, and are against another shamnesty like the shamnesty of 1986. Especially when Obama states the following:

Obama said on 06-APR-2008: And it’s not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns, or religion, or antipathy to people who aren’t like them, or anti-immigrant sentiment, or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations”.

… and since Obama has made it very clear that he wants to pass another shamnesty, and has said little (if anything) about stopping the greedy illegal employers and other magnets that lure illegal aliens to the U.S. (e.g. votes , profits , and severely misplaced or false compassion).

Obama and Biden (and most incumbent politicians in Congress) simply doesn’t get it.
If Obama’s and Biden’s concern is a genuine compassion for illegal aliens, then it is severely misplaced, because it shows MORE compassion for illegal aliens than his fellow Americans citizens:

Where is the compassion for the victims of increased crime rates (Source: GAO-05-646R, based on a study group of 55,322 illegal aliens over a 57 year period; 29% of all incarcerated are illegal aliens) ?

Where is the compassion for U.S. citizens that go without healthcare and access to E.R.s and hospitals which are over-flowing with illegal aliens (of which many don’t pay)? Is this fair to U.S. tax payers ?

Where is the compassion for the truly needy U.S. citizens that can not get help because of limited resources and 32% of illegal aliens receiving welfare instead ?

Where is the outrage of the greedy employers of illegal aliens ?

Where is the compassion for the U.S. victims and survivors of crimes perpetrated by illegal aliens (29% of all prisoners are illegal aliens), and the crime rates are rising.

Where is the compassion for U.S. citizens who’s lives have been changed forever by illegal aliens that spread disease ? One illegal alien in Santa Barbara, California infected 56 other people with tuberculosis as reported on April 24, 2004, by the Santa Barbara Press-News, “Anatomy of an Outbreak”. Because illegal alien migration into the USA continues unabated for the past 20 years, we now have 16,000 new cases of incurable MDR tuberculosis in the past five years. We suffer 7,000 new cases of leprosy. We tolerate 100,000 new cases of hepatitis “A” in our society. Chagas disease, which affects 14 million South Americans and kills 50,000 annually, streams across our borders as unchecked thousands enter our society illegally. If your child goes to public school, they could be exposed, as thousands already have been.

Where is the compassion for more Americans murdered by illegal aliens in the last 3 years than all U.S. Troops killed in Iraq in the last 5 years? ! ?

Where is the compassion for the U.S. tax payers that experience a net loss of about $70 billion to $326.7 billion per year due to all the numerous problems stemming from illegal aliens?

At any rate, the voters have the government that the voters elect (and re-elect, and re-elect, and re-elect , … , at least until that finally becomes too painful).

Posted by: d.a.n at October 31, 2008 12:38 PM

Comment #268974

I would also offer that removing the cap from so-sec could (probably) take care of that program’s financial needs. Not that I didn’t mind the bump in pay I got when I was making enough to break through the max! Anyway get rid of the cap and figure out how much the system gets, then figure out how low the percentage can go to get just enough to make/keep the system healthy, then do it.

Posted by: EdB at October 31, 2008 01:11 PM

Comment #268978

David -

You know I’m a big proponent of single-payer UHC. The fact is simply this: there is NO good and true reason why we can’t have UHC.

You can’t blame the illegal immigrants, because France, Italy, and especially Germany all have significant illegal alien (IA) problems. Germany’s might well be greater than our own, proportionally speaking. Israel certainly has a greater IA problem than we do…but they have UHC, a higher national life expectancy for their citizens, and do so paying about half what America does per capita.

IA’s are NOT a reason. An excuse, sure…but NOT a reason.

If you want to decrease the IA problem, then do what is necessary to improve Mexico’s economy. As long as Mexico is a poverty-ridden third-world country, America will have a huge IA problem.

THAT, sir, is the only TRULY practical solution. Punishing IA’s, their families, or even their employers will never, ever work to any significant extent, because as long as America has a significantly better standard of living, the IA’s will find a way here.

Posted by: Glenn Contrarian at October 31, 2008 01:58 PM

Comment #268985

Glenn Contrarian wrote: You can’t blame the illegal immigrants, because France, Italy, and especially Germany all have significant illegal alien (IA) problems.

Not true.

While the true villians are not the illegal aliens merely looking for work, that does not make trespass of our borders a blameless crime.

Also, France and Italy do not give away free heatlh care (excluding emergency) to illegal aliens. It is not even free to visitors and non-citizens there legally.

Also, France and Italy do not have 20+ Million illegal aliens. The problem here is much larger.

The U.S. is not obligated to fix Mexico’s problems. The U.S. is broke too, and can’t afford it.

(01) Secure the borders immediately (e.g. with 153,000 border patrol; a number equal to a mere 5.9% of the total 2.6 million military, guard, and reserves).
(02) Stop ignoring existing laws now. Immediately begin to enforce the existing laws to prosecute illegal employers.
(03) Then pass a BILL to provide a path to citizenship ONLY for the truly innocent persons, which are some persons that were brought into the U.S. illegally by their parent(s) when young and have lived over N years of their life in the U.S., and are no longer dependent on their parents. This will be a painfully difficult and costly process, but one that will only get more costly and difficult until the borders are secured and the illegal employers are stopped from employing illegal aliens. Another broad amnesty is not the solution. Our politicians already failed to secure the borders and enforce existing laws after the last amnesty of 1986, so they can not be trusted again, and must first secure the borders and enforce existing laws before considering a path to citizenship ONLY for the truly innocent persons.
(04) Require deportation of ALL illegal entries and visa overstays currently within our jails and prisons (i.e. within our custody).
(05) Require ALL employers to use the Social Security Verification System for ALL hires. Prosecute violators.
(06) Pass an amendment to the Constitution to eliminate automatic citizenship for illegal alien births. Stop the abuse of anchor babies to acquire Blue Passports.
(07) Deny ALL illegal aliens a FREE K-12 education.
(08) Deny ALL illegal aliens ANY and ALL public benefits (welfare, Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, etc.), except Emergency healthcare.
(09) Deny ALL illegal aliens driver’s licenses.
(10) Deny ALL illegal aliens college tuition.
(11) Verify ALL voter’s citizenship, before permission to vote. Biometrics could be helpful.
(12) Provide pre-paid transportation to each illegal alien volunteering to leave the U.S.
(13) With no more magnets (no jobs, welfare, education, etc.), the remaining illegal aliens will leave voluntarily. Allow all illegal aliens to leave on their own, with their own property. Those wishing to immigrate to the U.S. must get in line behind those already seeking to immigrate legally.
(14) Lastly, voters must recognize that nothing is likely to ever improve as long as voters reward irresponsible incumbent politicians with 85%-to-90% re-election rates and empowering irresponsible incumbent politicians to (despicably) pit American citizens and illegal aliens against each other.

Glenn Contrarian wrote: THAT, sir, is the only TRULY practical solution.

False.

There solution above is the solution that MOST Americans want.

Glenn Contrarian wrote: Punishing IA’s, their families,

Punishing? How? By not allowing them to continue to break our laws, use fake IDentification, drive without valid drivers’ licenses, and burden our many systems?

Glenn Contrarian wrote: … or [punish] even their employers …

Sure it can work. Simply enforec existing laws, and stop greedy illegal employers.

Glenn Contrarian wrote: … will never, ever work to any significant extent, because as long as America has a significantly better standard of living, the IA’s will find a way here.

False.

Illegal aliens won’t stay and/or come here if existing laws are enforced to prosecute greedy illegal employers. Border security will help too, but internal enforcement of existing laws and border security are BOTH needed.

Also, not all illegal aliens come here merely to find work. These policemen could tell you that, but they were murdered by illegal aliens.

David R. Remer is right. The illegal immigration problem will hammer any universal health care system unless illegal immigration is halted.
Already, the cost to U.S. tax payers is massive, not to mention the untold cost of disease and crime.

At any rate, the voters have the government that the voters elect (and re-elect, and re-elect, and re-elect , … , at least until that finally becomes too painful).

Posted by: d.a.n at October 31, 2008 03:01 PM

Comment #269040

I agree with several of the items on David’s list, but many are either self-contradictory, unfeasible, or would create their own unintended (and in many cases expensive) problems.

“Incorporating voluntary healthy lifestyle promotion” around the country is good and fine, but it would in fact be more necessary than ever if you legalized drugs.

Legalizing pot? Okay, I can get behind that, but legalizing meth, crack cocaine, and heroine? If you want to put extra burdens on the health care industry, and even make the public pay for it, then we’re talking about both a public health and public financial nightmare in the making if we make it easier to buy and use hard drugs.

I don’t like this idea of publicly-run smoker cessation clinics. There are dozens and dozens of easily available programs and medical treatments that anybody who really wants to quit smoking can easily avail themselves of (i.e., everything from mediation, hypnosis, motivational tapes, the patch and nicotine gum). What they all have in common is that they all succeed or fail depending on whether somebody’s motivation is strong enough. Expensive new public clinics aren’t going to provide people with willpower. You can say that there would be public saving on healthcare that would offset the costs of these clinics if people quit smoking—but the same savings would take place however people quit smoking, and I simply don’t believe that government clinics are going to make the difference for those who lack the willpower to quit using the means already available to them.

Pharmaceutical companies often sell their drugs at a loss overseas, especially in third world countries or countries which institute price controls on drugs. How can you demand for them to sell them at a loss everywhere? That would effectively hold American drug companies hostage to foreign laws and in addition end any charitable mark-downs on drugs in third-world countries.

If the government holds royalty rights on patents developed in part with tax-payer subsidized research, are they also responsible for subsidizing corporate losses when the research fails? Will they help subsidize lawsuits against pharmaceutical companies? These are all part of the drug companies’ cost of doing business. Only a fraction of the drugs that are developed ever make it to market.

If you fix drug prices to what they’re sold for overseas, often at a loss, AND skim the profits of any profitable drugs, you risk effectively destroying the pharmaceutical industries and preventing the development of live-saving new drugs. What would likely happen, actually, is that drugs would just become far more expensive and hard to get as companies offset these additional expenses by passing the costs off to consumers.

I know it’s popular to bash drug companies because they make a profit on what is seen as a necessary commodity, but if you’re going to do it with drugs, why not with food, energy, or for that matter education, all things which receive public investment?

Should the government get a share of the profits (beyond what they already get through taxation) of crops grown with agricultural subsidies? When you buy a box of Corn Flakes, how much of the profit should go to Uncle Sam? Don’t you realize that you’ll just have to pay more for that box of Corn Flakes? If you get a federal college loan and land a job because of your education, how much of your paycheck (in addition to taxes) is the government’s cut because they paid for your schooling? For some reason, liberals like to single out pharmaceutical companies with proposals that they’d never think of directing to others.

Illegal immigration? Amen, let’s end it. But you and I both know that that is NEVER going to happen. Ending these abuses are popular with large segments of the American public—but abusing the system is also very popular with large segments of the voting population and their families who happen to live in “swing states.”

The fact is that illegal immigration is totally out of hand, tens of millions of illegals are already here and having children, and the burden that this would eventually place on any pie-in-the-sky single-payer healthcare scheme will be immense and unsustainable.

Posted by: Loyal Opposition at October 31, 2008 11:40 PM

Comment #269048

Loyal Opp said: “Incorporating voluntary healthy lifestyle promotion” around the country is good and fine, but it would in fact be more necessary than ever if you legalized drugs.”

First I didn’t say legalize harmful drugs. I said end the war on drugs. Yes, decriminalizing drug usage (not pedaling to anyone under 21, that should remain a crime) would free up vast tax revenues over the years to both establish affordable rehab clinics and underwrite health care. The cost of incarcerating users is enormous. The cost of treating them might be a bit higher, but the recidivism rate would drop dramatically as would other crime since they wouldn’t end up in prison to learn to be a criminal, paranoid, and maladjusted.

Second, this war on drugs has been a complete failure. There is every reason to believe that drug use would actually drop in a few years after decriminalization, which would take the profitability out of that underground black market. As well as the mystique, and the rebellious aspect of usage. Add a healthy dose of honest and true education about the effects and consequences of drug use in our schools, and it would be a safe bet that within 10 years of decriminalization, overall drug use both recreational and addicted would drop significantly. And the savings would be in the 10’s of billions which could help offset the cost of health and well care.

Loyal Opp said: “I don’t like this idea of publicly-run smoker cessation clinics. There are dozens and dozens of easily available programs and medical treatments that anybody who really wants to quit smoking can easily avail themselves”

I suspect you are either a non-smoker or you have never lived paycheck to paycheck. The vast majority of smokers are in the lower middle classes and poor. Checking in to a smoke free environment away from family and friends who smoke is the single most effective foundation for quitting smoking. Smoking cessation should be a part of every health insurance plan.

I never said these clinics should be government run, only that they should be made available through the universal single payer health care plan to any smokers who want to quit that bad, and they should, at the very least, incur the cost of their smoking budget out of pocket.

Loyal Opp said: “Pharmaceutical companies often sell their drugs at a loss overseas,”

If there shareholders agree to this poor business practice, so be it. But OUR Laws should not discriminate against American citizens in need of prescriptions charging them exorbident profits in order to sell them at a loss overseas. That is just NUTS and unfair to American consumers.

“especially in third world countries or countries which institute price controls on drugs.”

How can you rationalize that American citizens should be penalized for other government’s price controls on imported pharmaceuticals. Your priorities are backwards, Loyal Opposition.

“How can you demand for them to sell them at a loss everywhere?”

I don’t demand that at all. Those are your words, not mine. My recommendation is that our laws require pharmaceuticals to sell their products to Americans at the same rate they sell them overseas. If they comply with this new law, they obviously will raise their export cost in order to insure a profit on domestic sales, now wouldn’t they? A little common sense is not hard to come by on this topic.

If we lose some export markets for pharmaceuticals, so be it, the American consumers and tax payers will benefit tremendously as a counter balance by lower Rx drug costs and dramatic reductions over the years in our government spending on health care. That is our number one issue, here, the bankrupting of America due to unfunded rapidly rising health care costs in the Medicare/Medicaid program. It is about priorities, Loyal Opp. And a wholistic approach that salvages our economic future.

Loyal Opp said: “If the government holds royalty rights on patents developed in part with tax-payer subsidized research, are they also responsible for subsidizing corporate losses when the research fails?”

That was a wierd comment. Of course NOT!!!! They already got their tax subsidy for the research, if that research fails, their company loses and the tax payers are out the subsidy, just like now. But, if the research becomes profitable, tax payers obligations will drop from incoming revenues on the government’s fractional share of royalties on the patents.

Loyal Opp, it will do American pharmaceuticals no good to permit the coming economic failure due to the government bankrupting on Medicare/Medicaid. There will be no market for their products here if that happens. Again, you have to get your priorities straight. Saving our future economy and getting the government fiscal house back into balance is job 1, without that, the nation goes bust. So it costs the pharmaceuticals some profits, but they get to keep the largest drug market in the world alive and well for future business in return.

Loyal Opp asked: “Should the government get a share of the profits (beyond what they already get through taxation) of crops grown with agricultural subsidies?”

It’s worth considering that the taxpayers should share in the profits of those profit entities that take tax payer’s dollars as underwriting for their future profits. Why should the taxpayers decrease their personal wealth through tax subsidies without any upside if the businesses taking subsidies profit from them? That is not capitalism nor fair and just for tax payers.

It’s the same as asking investors to buy stocks in companies without any hope of a return on investment if that company does well and profits by using that capital from sale of shares. That would be the end of capitalism. So why would you suggest that this would be unfair when the taxpayers are the investors and capital lenders in the future profitability of subsidized corporations? The alternative is to simply ban all government subsidies to any private sector entities whatsoever. We tried that, it didn’t work between 1865 and 1929.

Loyal Opp said: “Illegal immigration? Amen, let’s end it. But you and I both know that that is NEVER going to happen.”

Yes, just as learned people said we would never land people on the moon by the end of the decade, or that we would never defeat communism without a hot war, or that we would never be able to halt the AIDS epidemic, or as late as 2 years ago, the many who said we would not elect a person of color to the White House in the coming election.

Your saying it can’t be done, does NOT mean it can’t be done. It only means YOU won’t help get it done. Every goal oriented action is preceded by the belief that the act can and will take place. It would appear from your comment that the phrase, ‘faith can move mountains’, has little cognitive meaning for you in philosophical terms.

Where would the Coal Industry be without the belief that they could literally move mountains. If voters make the halt of illegal immigration their fulcrum for voting for or against incumbent politicians, illegal immigration will be halted.

It is a simple matter of democracy and voter will.

Posted by: David R. Remer at November 1, 2008 04:39 AM

Comment #269068

Picture us blogging away on this site and the thousands of other sites across the country. Imagine how many news articles, magazines, not for profits, activists, etc. are busy throwing darts at the system. I appreciate the efforts of every one of them. Howsumever, the political system is impervious to all this dart throwing. Once again, we are about to elect the candidate who had the most money to spend. When has your representative responded to you in a way that would make a difference in your life or even given you a rational intelligent answer? It is often useful to try and see the world through their eyes. Drugs for instance. The drug trade represents one of the 10 largest businesses in the country. It provides real capital to many underdeveloped countries. If properly controlled this drug business can be a good thing (from their perspective). Drug enforcement can be used as a tool for foreign policy. When you consider the business as a whole, growers, processors, marketers, shipping and transportation, political influence, end users, enforcement including military deployments at sea and around world, etc, then you can see what a viable commercial enterprise the drug business has become. Why would a government in its right mind want to dismantle such an advantageous enterprise? You wouldn’t want to dismantle the drug trade any more than you would want to invoke a simple flat tax. Look at the capitalist venture you would destroy.
Until the people are willing to coalesce around a new political party with a different attitude about politics and one that will put accountability into the political equation I suspect the darts will continue to miss their intended target.

Posted by: Roy Ellis at November 1, 2008 12:26 PM

Comment #269073

Roy Ellis wrote: Until the people are willing to coalesce around a new political party with a different attitude about politics and one that will put accountability into the political equation I suspect the darts will continue to miss their intended target.

Or, until failing to improve our bad voting habits finally becomes too painful.

That is more likely.

Of course, by that time, it will be too late to avoid a lot of unnecessary pain and misery.

Regarding the war on drugs … is it working?

That doesn’t mean drug pushers shouldn’t be incarcerated when caught, but jailing drug users for mere possession of small quantities for themselves doesn’t make much sense. By the way, which border do you think most illegal drugs cross? Perhaps that would be another good reason for better border security? That is, there’s no sense in ignoring a vehicle carrying illegal drugs crossing the border, is there?

At any rate, the voters have the government that the voters elect (and re-elect, and re-elect, and re-elect , … , at least until that finally becomes too painful).

Posted by: d.a.n at November 1, 2008 01:05 PM

Comment #269075

Loyal Opp wrote: Illegal immigration? Amen, let’s end it. But you and I both know that that is NEVER going to happen.

You may be right, but that does not mean it is impossible to reduce illegal immigration to a significant degree (even if never 100% fool proof).

The one step that could create the most significant reduction in illegal immigration is the prosecution of the greedy illegal employers.

However, incumbent Democrat and Republican politicians want votes , profits from cheap labor , and have either a severely misplaced or false compassion for illegal aliens.

Regardless of those incumbent politicians reasons, they choose to despicably pit American citizens and illegal aliens against each other for votes , profits , and severely misplaced or false compassion.

And most voters repeatedly reward them for it.

Border security alone is not enough, because many immigrants cross the border legally, but then never leave after their VISAs and permits expire.

If the massive illegal immigration problem is not addressed, a universal healthcare system will get hammered by 20 million illegal aliens who will game the system the same way they have gamed our existing health care system, hospitals, schools, porous borders, welfare, Medicaid, Medicare, Medi-CAL, drivers’ licenses, law enforcement, border patrols, and even voting in our elections.

At any rate, the voters have the government that the voters elect (and re-elect, and re-elect, and re-elect , … , at least until that finally becomes too painful).

Posted by: d.a.n at November 1, 2008 01:18 PM

Comment #269096

David, putting a man on the moon is child’s play compared to ending illegal immigration. Nobody is going to call you a racist for going to the moon, and the moon landing didn’t result in putting the presidency beyond the reach of whoever proposed it.

None of these government problems you want, especially those involving healthcare, are going to be possible or sustainable because of illegal immigration.

You seem to prefer Obama as a vehicle for getting these things you want, but do you seriously suppose that Obama—whose own aunt is an illegal immigrant in the USA—is going to crack down on illegals? You think he’s going to deport his own aunt? No. In fact, he’s not even going to send back the illegal campaign contributions this illegal immigrant relative of his sent him. This is a man who wants driver’s licenses for illegals, for crying out loud.

Posted by: Loyal Opposition at November 1, 2008 04:27 PM

Comment #269101

Is UHCare being proposed by anyone, it’s only UHInsurance, right?

Posted by: ohrealy at November 1, 2008 05:31 PM

Comment #269102

Loyal Opp, I don’t have a crystal ball, so I can’t know what Obama is going to decide to do about illegal immigration. He knows it is a costly problem and a threat to national security. He also knows taking a hard stand on the issue in this election campaign would defeat his being elected. We will have to wait and see.

If I were president and my Aunt were an illegal immigrant, that would not stop me from halting future illegal immigration, not for an instant. The issues of illegal immigrants here, and future illegal immigrants to come, are and can be handled as separate issues, as I am sure you are well aware. Conflating the two, does not alter that fact.

Posted by: David R. Remer at November 1, 2008 05:38 PM

Comment #269136

David, no crystal ball in necessary to know what Obama is going to do about illegal immigration: the answer is nothing. Has he ever even uttered one peep that suggests he plans to do anything except extend benefits of citizenship even further to illegals?

Absolutely not. And if elected Tuesday, Obama would presumably like to run for reelection. And he knows full well that increasing instead of decreasing illegal immigration raises his chances considerably.

Posted by: Loyal Opposition at November 2, 2008 12:58 AM

Comment #269138

David, it’s ironic that you should talk about my “opinionated speculation” and claim that Obama has not “discussed this topic.” He favors giving driving licenses to illegal aliens, a step which makes it massively easier for illegals to do things like get their children enrolled in schools, obtain employment, open bank accounts, and VOTE. It comes very close to granting de facto citizenship. There is very little security whatsoever in screening voters, for example—the most I’ve ever been asked for is a home address and a DRIVER’S LICENSE.

Once, elected, I am very confident he will take a stand on these issues.

You ignore the stands he already HAS taken and idly “speculate” that he will do something better on the mere basis that you hope he’ll do a 180 degree turn. It’s delusional to think that Obama would spend any political capital whatsoever in his first 18 months on measures that are totally unpopular with his party and base and which would only serve to undermine his chances for getting reelected.

This is like harboring a fantasy that if Sarah Palin became president, she would push for laws to legalize gay marriage and ensure abortion rights. There is as much in Sarah Palin’s record and political affiliations to suggest she would behave this way as there in Obama’s to suggest that he’ll do anything whatsoever about illegal immigration (unless by “do anything” one means make it easier).

Posted by: Loyal Opposition at November 2, 2008 01:17 AM

Comment #269137

Loyal Opp., I have it on good authority that you don’t have a working crystal ball, either. Your bias is showing up in your comments dressed as knowledge, when opinionated speculation is all that lies beneath the guise.

Extending benefits to illegals already here is an entirely separate issue, as I have pointed out to you previously, from halting future illegal immigration.

And no, he has not discussed this topic, because it is a third rail for getting elected. Once, elected, I am very confident he will take a stand on these issues.

History demonstrates that unpopular policies can be enacted in the first 18 months of an administration and not affect their reelection 4 years later. We shall see. You don’t know Obama any better than I do, and your speculation as to what he will do on issues he has not yet addressed, is just that, idle speculation.

Posted by: David R. Remer at November 2, 2008 01:48 AM

Comment #269164

Loyal Opposition wrote: It’s delusional to think that Obama would spend any political capital whatsoever in his first 18 months on measures that are totally unpopular with his party and base and which would only serve to undermine his chances for getting reelected.

I’m afraid future events will prove you to be 100% correct about all of that.

If we were to place bets now, I’d bet future events prove you to be 100% correct.

Loyal Opposition wrote: … no crystal ball in necessary to know what Obama is going to do about illegal immigration: the answer is nothing. Has he ever even uttered one peep that suggests he plans to do anything except extend benefits of citizenship even further to illegals?

Of course, none of us have a crystal ball, but it is still possible to make some educated predictions based on statements, voting records, and track records of Obama and most Congress persons.

Here is a prediction based on those numerous statements, voting records, and track records, which gives the prediction a very high probability of actually coming to pass.

Based on Obama’s own statements and voting record, Obama plans to push through another shamnesty (as Obama stated was his intention in a debate earlier this year), and that is also very highly likely with the support of a predominately Demcorat Congress, and many Republicans (such as McCain who also supports another amnesty, and who voted for the first shamnesty of 1986 which more than quadrupled the problem) who also share Obama’s severely misplaced (or false) compassion for illegal aliens.

After the shamnesty, the following will continue to be mostly ignored:

(1) internal enforcement of existing laws to prosecute greedy illegal employers;

(2) border security;

The end result will be:

(a) 12-to-20+ Million illegal aliens will receive amnesty, and the constraints (e.g. learning English, paying fines, and other requirements, etc.) will be ignored as they were after year 1986.

(b) 12-to-20+ million new U.S. Citizens will instantly become eligible for Social Security and more Medicare, Medicaid, and welfare.

(c) there will very likely be a H_U_G_E influx of millions of more illegal aliens across our porous borders, with the intentions of also receiving U.S. citizenship;

(d) there will be a HUGE, inefficient, costly, and failed attempt to determine which of the 12-to-20+ Million illegal aliens have met requirements for getting U.S. citizenship. In the end, they will merely give most (if not all) illegal aliens amnesty. Remember, after the shamnesty of 1986, there were a few similar requirements which were not enforced; especially the law that made it illegal to knowingly hire or recruit illegal aliens.

(e) due to the shamnesty of 1986, for every illegal alien granted amnesty, 4 (or more probably) new illegal aliens have since replaced them (growing from 3 Million to 21-to-20+ Million as of year 2008, and the largest influx began after 1986).

(f) the amnesty of 12-to-20+ Million illegal aliens, who are mostly more impoverished, less educated, and less skilled, will impose a huge burden on any new entitlement system(s) for American citizens. A Universal Health Care System will be gamed mercilessly, and cheat American citizens out of billions per year (more than the current estimated $70-to-$327 Billion of annual net losses due to burdened systems: health care, overrun and closing hospitals, education, Medicaid, Medi-CAL, welfare, law enforcement, prisons (29% of all incarcerated in federal prisons are illegal aliens), border patrol, the untold cost of crime (more U.S. citizens murdered by illegal aliens in 3 years than all U.S. troops killed in Iraq in 5 years), insurance, voter fraud, job displacement, etc.);

(g) another amnesty, such as the amnesty of 1986, will also increase the numbers of illegal aliens (possibly quadrupling the number again as occurred after 1986).

(h) numerous entitlement systems will be hammered by an amnesty and continued influx of millions of illegal aliens; numerous entitlement systems will become less and less effective, as numerous deteriorating economic conditions chip away at their foundations (massive $10.6 Trillion National debt, massive $67 Trillion nation-wide debt (never worse in size or a percentage of GDP ($13.9 Trillion as of year 2007) ever); falling median household incomes; declining GDP; a doomed pyramid-scheme monetary system that significantly erodes the value of entitlements, wages, pensions, and savings; record-level foreclosures of 10,000 per day; home ownership will continue to decline; home equities will continue to fall (now below 50%, which has never been lower since year 1945); negative savings rates (since year 2005) will decline further (never lower since year 1933); Medicare’s already hundreds of billions of unfunded liabilities will balloon the debt and inflation ever larger; regressive and unfair taxation will still exist, even if made less unfair; government will still be FOR-SALE (declining transparency in government; i.e. the U.S.A. Corruption Perception Index has fallen for 10 years), crime rates will probably increase as economic conditions deteriorate; many laws and portions of the Constitution are already routinely violated: One-Simple-Idea.com/ConstitutionalViolations1.htm ; the federal government will continue to grow beyond already nightmare proportions; the wealth disparity gap, of which wealth owned by 1% has grown from 20%-to-40%, will continue to worsen; declining quality and rising cost of education; etc., etc., etc.)

(i) the national debt ($10.5 Trillion) and nation-wide debt ($67 Trillion) will continue to grow, creating more pressure to borrow more and create more money out of thin air, threatening the crash of the U.S. Currency (www.youtube.com/watch?v=4n3g5lUgkWk&feature=related), which is most likely already doomed to crash (as are all pyramid schemes where debt is created at a ratio of 9-to-1 from existing money reserves), due to nation-wide debt that is 482% of GDP ($13.9 Trillion). The little understood Credit Default Swaps (CDSs) alone are capable of massive damage to the U.S. financial system, resulting in a U.S. economic implosion from eliminated bank and financial system structures almost entirely. The process has only begun, but without the knowledge of most Americans who do not even know what a Credit Default Swap is. The other purpose for big bailouts was to prevent CDS implosions, risking a string of consecutive financial disasters. A key danger of CDS contracts is their hidden nature, which will soon become all too obvious next year (if not sooner);

(j) and too many voters will continue to reward polticians with re-election for despicably pitting Americans and illegal aliens against each other for votes , profits , and severely misplaced or false compassion … at least until the consequences of those bad voting habits finally become too painful.

At any rate, the voters have the government that the voters elect (and re-elect, and re-elect, and re-elect , … , at least until that finally becomes too painful).

Posted by: d.a.n at November 2, 2008 11:04 AM

Comment #269165

CORRECTION: (e) due to the shamnesty of 1986, for every illegal alien granted amnesty, 4 (or more probably) new illegal aliens have since replaced them (growing from 3 Million to ~~21-to-20+~~ 12-to-20+ Million as of year 2008, and the largest influx began after 1986).

Posted by: d.a.n at November 2, 2008 11:09 AM

Comment #269167

ohrealy wrote: Is UHCare being proposed by anyone, it’s only UHInsurance, right?

Good question.

It seems the goal of politicians is to master the art of ambiguity.

I’ve asked people to explain Obama’s health care system, and have yet to get a coherent answer as to what it will cost, and what it will cover.

If the unnecessary middlemen (e.g. insurance companies) are no eliminated to create a non-profit insurance system, it will essentially change nothing, and will continue to be too costly.

Posted by: d.a.n at November 2, 2008 11:13 AM

Comment #269182

d.a.n, assessing the costs and benefits for a net result of a health care plan which spurs economic activity by relieving employers of the health care cost burden, and adds additional government fiscal spending cost, is very difficult to assess and guesswork, at best.

Of course, increased economic activity will increase federal revenues (if business and corporate taxes are still levied), and individual incomes increase as a result of business not having to carry the health care premium burden, which offsets some greater or lesser part of the increased fiscal budget for universal health care insurance.

I suppose an economist could work out a formula, but even that would be little more than educated guesswork. All manner of variables enter into such an enormous social shift. For example, it may become true that universal health care insurance results in few illnesses per capita, lowering the overall cost of health care per tax payer dollar. We just don’t know until we do it.

Posted by: David R. Remer at November 2, 2008 01:28 PM

Comment #270044

hehe.. This page about Credit Solutions of America is good too.

Posted by: stewertlaw at November 10, 2008 02:38 AM