America: f**ked, crazy, and now f**kin' crazy

As I sit here atop the United States in the socialist state of Canada with its polar bears, mukluks, and Universal Health Care, I look south with a wry smile. Government shutdown? Oh, how the mighty have fallen. From the nation that has split the atom and put a man on the moon, we now have a bunch of right wing extremists led by such notables as Sarah Pallen and Michele Bachmann. Oh heck, let's throw Boehner and Cruz in the mix. The level of intellectualism has sunk so low in the double digits, Forrest himself now looks like a genius.

The Republican Party is no longer the party of the right; it is the party of the far right and sometimes I feel obliged to preface right to two far's. Obamacare is here. The Affordable Care Act is not going away. But the more childish extremists in the group, the spoiled brats who refuse to accept defeat, are not just threatening to hold their breath; they are willing to stand by their convictions by burning the entire house down. If I can't get my way, I am going to damn well make sure nobody gets their way. Wait. You do realise you're standing on the deck of the same ship as everybody else, right?

With laser-like focus (Or is this OCD?), time and time again the GOP has pointed to over-spending as the downfall of the nation. Unfortunately, they have adamantly stuck to their guns over not raising taxes. Fifty percent of the time I'm right and fifty percent of the time you're wrong. On September 3, 2013, Berkeley economics professor Emmanuel Saez published the paper "Striking it Richer: The Evolution of Top Incomes in the United States" in which he discusses what has happened since the financial crisis. "The top 1% captured 95% of the income gains in the first three years of the recovery."

What? That is so staggering; the mind's first reaction is to reject the idea outright as ludicrous. There is no possible way the situation could be like that. Unfortunately, the public is so out of touch with facts, real facts, not factoids, and inundated with pure unadulterated ideological bullsh*t from the vocal right wing minority, nobody has a chance of sorting anything out for themselves.

The United States doesn't need health care reform? According to the WHO, the United States spends more money than any other country in the world, yes, the entire world, on health care and yet only ranks 37 in Overall Health System Performance and 72 in Level of Health. When you put on your big foam hand with the raised index finger while yelling, "We're number one!" I bet you didn't see the irony in how you're number one in spending more than anybody else.

How out of touch are people? Last year in writing about Obamacare, I cited a report from the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies which stated: "Lack of health insurance causes roughly 18,000 unnecessary deaths every year in the United States." A commentator wrote to me and said he didn't believe it; it was all just a bunch of liberal B.S. What!?!

How out of touch are the people? On October 1, 2013, Jimmy Kimmel released the following video. It is just unbelievably hilarious but it also points out how the average American has no grasp whatsoever of the issues. People think Obamacare and The Affordable Care Act are two different things when in fact, the word Obamacare is merely a nickname for the latter. People state they are against Obamacare then turn around and agree with many of its provisions. America is doomed!


Published on Oct 1, 2013 by Jimmy Kimmel Live
Six of One - Obamacare vs. The Affordable Care Act (4:01)

Final Word
I'm sitting here shaking my head. Oh don't get me wrong, Canada like every other country has its own moments where you have to wonder if people haven't lost their minds. But right now, the good ol' US of A is in the spotlight as one of the most Looney Tunes political dramas unfolds in front of the entire world. Where this goes from here is anybody's business, but I've heard tell that the next superpower of the world is going to be China. The GDP of the United States currently stands at $15 trillion with China coming in second at $8 trillion. The population of the United States is 314 million while China's is over a 1.3 billion. It's only a matter of time. And this stupidity is only going to hasten the passing of the baton.


References

The Guardian - Oct 1/2013
The US healthcare paradox: we like the Affordable Care Act but fear Obamacare by Harry J Enten
President Obama's healthcare law is hated and loved by some so much that they are willing to shut down the government over it. I'm not sure I've ever seen so much passion over an issue about which so few (myself included) know as much as we should.

The World Health Organization
Health system attainment and performance in all Member States, ranked by eight measures

my blog: John Green: Why Are American Health Care Costs So High? - Sep 20/2013
I ran across the following video the other day about American health care costs. Isn't everybody still debating this? - Geesh, how many times have the Republicans tabled a bill to repeal Obamacare? They are never going to give up.

my blog: Obamacare: Congratulations on doing the right thing, America! - June 29/2012
Obamacare is not perfect. But it is a step is the right direction. Socialism? Is helping your neighbour socialism? Is helping your country socialism? Is spending more on uncompensated charity care than on insuring people not very astute? Is spending more than any other country on health care but only ranking 72nd in the WHO's health assessment ranking something anybody would not want to turn around? Would you let 18,000 people die unnecessarily each year because they have no health insurance? You have a right to be free. You have the right to work, succeed, and travel. Shouldn't you have the right to be healthy?

2013-10-01

Site Map - William Quincy Belle

Follow me on Twitter