Where Conspiracy and Reality Collide

Dear friends,

 Just for a change I’m writing during the day and sober.  The language won’t be as colorful or the images as violent.  Maybe I should start cocktail time early.

Healthcare Reform

As you know, I always have strong opinions about everything.  The bailout is so complicated that I don’t have an opinion.  Am I just getting soft and senile?

I’m hearing a lot of yak about the healthcare reform bill, most of it negative.  70% of Americans agree that we need reform, but our ramshackle congress, as usual, is making a dog’s breakfast of it.

I tried reading the bill as it stands now.  It’s so long and complicated, I gave up and read an Elmore Leonard book instead.  Who wrote it?  No one wants to read it.  What’s the point?  I think the general outlines are very good.  Simply offering an alternative to expensive private insurance isn’t a radical idea.  The insurance companies skim a huge percentage off the top and do nothing but shuffle paper.  The numbers speak for themselves.  Only a hardened, well-paid Republican thinks (or says) things are fine the way they are.

The “socialism” bugaboo is so ridiculous, it hardly bears refuting.  Somehow it’s not socialism to give millions to CEOs, but it’s practically communism to give decent healthcare to the poor?  Will Rush Limbaugh refuse his Social Security or Medicare?  Will Congress refuse to give themselves a raise?  Will  farmers turn down their subsidies?  Will defense contractors give us a break on the price?  Halliburton cut us a deal?  Billionaires turn down the tax breaks their buddy, George fought so hard to get them?  Big corporations give up their turn at the public sugartit?  Not on your Nellie!  “America is the only country in the world with socialism for the rich.” (Gore Vidal)

Obama has been speaking at town halls and trying to talk sense about it, but obviously the members of congress aren’t relating to anything in real time.  The Dem leadership in Congress is almost as pathetic as the GOP.  The pres. is gonna have to send some sumo wrestlers to the hill to do some serious arm-twisting.  Git ‘em right in their minds, y’know?   To continue with the Cool Hand Luke parallel, “What we have heah is a failure to communicate.”

The Republicans obviously can’t come right out and say they want the insurance companies to continue stealing from us.  Instead they obfuscate, stall and downright lie.  The strategy is obvious.  They intend to stall until the media and the people get tired of the issue and it dies for another 20 years.  All it will take is someone with the exalted stature of Michael Jackson to die, and the whole kerfizzle ist kaput.  God, please don’t let Madonna or Dolly Parton die!

They don’t want to rush into anything, but if you’ll recall, both parties stampeded into war in Iraq which, by the way, cost more than healthcare and so far has only killed a lot of people.  For some reason they all think we need to approach healthcare at the speed of a glacier.  People who couldn’t wait to dump hundreds of billions into Iraq (not to the troops, mind you, but to Halliburton), now are suddenly concerned about the national debt.

So the big question is; Are we going to allow the whole shebang to go down in flames, or are we going to get her done?  Hundreds of Billions in profits are at stake.  The majority of Congress (both parties) are stupid, venal and greedy.  I’m not optimistic.

— Angry Cowboy

Also:  I just returned from Indiana, where I attended my 50^th High School reunion.  The trip was fine.  Short lay-overs, aisle seats and no screeching kids. Spent time with mom, hung out with people my age, drank beer with the cousins and damned George Bush. There are no Republicans in my family. 

Someone ran down my beautiful Pine Canyon sign this morning.  I expected
some drunken hillbilly to blast it with a 12 gauge, but not this.  I’ve notified the sheriff and the CHP and am cruising the canyon for a damaged vehicle.  Oh, they’ll pay!

My daughter-in-law just posted a sign on my facebook wall saying I actually like pictures of kittens.  We have a new kitten.  He’s very cute, and if you send me pictures of cats, I will retaliate!

It’s almost cocktail time, so I’ll send this before I start cursing, sputtering and fouling the ether waves with unspeakable invective.

~ by angrycowboy on August 12, 2009.

Posted in Current Events, RANTS
Tags: Angry Cowboy, Helathcare Reform