Not Even a Peanut

[Felix The Assassin]

Not Even a Peanut
By ALEXANDER COCKBURN

A friend down the coast here in California called Wednesday to say that her mother, 95, had fallen, cracked her ribs, got a cough and told her daughters, “That’s it. I’m checking out.” She’s given up eating. I remembered all the arguments I’d had down the years with the old lady – a perennial optimist about Democrats when it came to assessing the likelihood that Carter or Clinton or Obama would ever actually serve up the progressive banquets they’d pledged on the campaign trail.

“Tell your mother that at least she won’t have to put up with me saying ‘I told you so, about Obama.’” Her daughter gave a deep, sad sigh. She too has been a loyal liberal Democrat all her life and now, she said, Obama’s breaking her heart. So many high hopes, and there’s a man accepting the Peace Prize with one hand, while signing deployment orders with the other, sending 30,000 more young soldiers to Afghanistan.


(Snipped, so the snivels will not drip)

http://www.counterpunch.org/

Very good article in many ways.

I find that I agree with several of the main points, including the part of sending in more troops.
*Send the troops, allow the Generals to operate, but don't tie their hands with personal political agenda as the precursor. We all know 2012 will be a voting year.

*Yet one receives the peace prize, but does not partake in the festivities? Classic American arrogance, but supplemented by announcing your sending 30K soldiers to war. A new point in history!

*If an elderly person chooses to stop eating, how can government health-care "save" her?

[Chewbacca]

We all know by now there is NOTHING Obama can do to make a certain portion of people happy and about that same portion of people will say ANYTHING (including invoking an image of the elderly starving) to make Obama look bad.

That about sums up that article and the terribly designed website it's posted at.

[robertthebard]

Let me tell you what I do know about Obama. As somebody that lives on disability, and has Medicare/Medicaid to pay my prescription costs, getting a letter in the mail that my prescription costs will double next year is really nice. Where's that money going? I'd bet it's going to Health Insurance Reform. Now, my prescription costs, to date, won't cripple me, but I can't help thinking about all those little old couples that may pay out 5x as much as I do, and wondering how they are supposed to pay for that? We can gild the lily as much as we like, but that doesn't mean that there are serious issues concerning this reform, that won't be addressed.

I'm lucky, I have Medicare and Medicaid. That fact means that I won't have to worry about facing a fine, or jail time because I can't afford health insurance. My neighbor across the way, with three kids they can barely keep fed may not be so lucky. So, if they pass this, and the parents end up in jail, who's taking care of their kids? You are, as tax payers. I don't make enough money on disability to pay taxes, so I won't have to pay for it, but this scenario will become common. It may not be an every day, week or month thing, but it will happen often enough that it will become an issue.

The sad thing is, that it's still debated as Health Care reform, even though they aren't actually reforming health care, just insurance.

[Chewbacca]

Originally Posted by robertthebard Let me tell you what I do know about Obama. As somebody that lives on disability, and has Medicare/Medicaid to pay my prescription costs, getting a letter in the mail that my prescription costs will double next year is really nice. Where's that money going? I'd bet it's going to Health Insurance Reform. Now, my prescription costs, to date, won't cripple me, but I can't help thinking about all those little old couples that may pay out 5x as much as I do, and wondering how they are supposed to pay for that? We can gild the lily as much as we like, but that doesn't mean that there are serious issues concerning this reform, that won't be addressed. I'm lucky, I have Medicare and Medicaid. That fact means that I won't have to worry about facing a fine, or jail time because I can't afford health insurance. My neighbor across the way, with three kids they can barely keep fed may not be so lucky. So, if they pass this, and the parents end up in jail, who's taking care of their kids? You are, as tax payers. I don't make enough money on disability to pay taxes, so I won't have to pay for it, but this scenario will become common. It may not be an every day, week or month thing, but it will happen often enough that it will become an issue. The sad thing is, that it's still debated as Health Care reform, even though they aren't actually reforming health care, just insurance.

Our insurance rates did triple last year and doubled this year. Things are tough in the private sector as well.

I'm convinced we have all been snookered by the insurance industry as well as the government into paying at least 30% more than we have to just to support the beauracracy. Easy answers not available.

[robertthebard]

I have an easy two word answer, but it won't solve anything, but it will make me feel better, or at least make me laugh for a while. Hey, feds, "Bite me.".... See, I feel better, nothing is fixed, but I feel better.

[Felix The Assassin]

Originally Posted by Chewbacca We all know by now there is NOTHING Obama can do to make a certain portion of people happy and about that same portion of people will say ANYTHING (including invoking an image of the elderly starving) to make Obama look bad. That about sums up that article and the terribly designed website it's posted at.

Wow, and that article is a true story, and the web-site set-up is for quick go, not a pretty show.

[Chewbacca]

The best part of that whole article is the author's last name!!!!


Second best is a conservative complaining that Obama isn't liberal enough. That's desperation (to get a punch in) at it's finest!


SRSLY that wasn't an attempt at hyperbolic reverse-polarity political satire done in the style of Frontpage 98?

[ElfBane]

Originally Posted by Chewbacca The best part of that whole article is the author's last name!!!! Second best is a conservative complaining that Obama isn't liberal enough. That's desperation (to get a punch in) at it's finest! SRSLY that wasn't an attempt at hyperbolic reverse-polarity political satire done in the style of Frontpage 98?

Cockburn has a long history of writing about semitism and anti-semitism. I have even read one of his books; Idle Passion: Chess and the Dance of Death. The book has a lot about former world chess champion (and renowned nutbar) Robert J. Fischer. I recommend reading it.

As to Cockburn's other politics, he's pretty much a mixed bag. "Libertarian" comes closest IMO, though he would probably resist being tagged with that.

I suspect that Felix was right about BO, however. I had hoped BO would rise above being a Chicago Machine Politician, but I don't guess he will. He's won the Peace Prize AND caught *leader-of-the-free-world-itis* so he has ALREADY become worried about his precious "legacy"!

Why the hell do we always get stuck propping up corrupt regimes so the Halliburton's of the world can make their damn percentage??

[SpiritWarrior]

OMFG what a surname!

[Felix The Assassin]

Lest ye forget his brother then:

Wall Street Snaps Its Fingers
By ANDREW COCKBURN

Washington DC

http://www.counterpunch.org/andrew12082009.html

At first I was concerned about you EB. Typing that you read one of their books, then I realized it was authored in 74, when he was young, liberal, and yet un-fooled by politicians.