An Observation On Universal Health Care

It's a big topic this election season - Universal Health Care. Well, it's big on the Democratic agenda and I'm guessing it's because the Dems are betting most voters are stupid. They might be right. Lots of people are getting behind Clinton and Obama because of the promise (made by polititians remember) that they will provide health care to everyone. Wow.

Of course both of these political creatures gloss over the important issue of how it will be funded though Shrillary has hinted that participation would be mandatory. However, the nut and bolts of Universal Health Care are not what I want to write about at this time. Rather, I want to share an observation somewhat related to Universal Health Care.

Have you noticed that people living in countries that have Universal Health Care keep coming here to the United States of America where we don't have Universal Health Care? I've noticed...and I've made the observation that it happens with incredible frequency.

According to pseudo-documentarian Michael Moore, Cuba has some of the best health care in the world and it's available to every Cuban - it's Univeral Health Care. So, if Cuba has such wonderful health care that's free to every citizen...wait for it...wait...WHY THE HELL DO THEY RISK THEIR LIVES COMING HERE? Cubans literally risk their lives in makeshift boats and horrible rafts trying to get away from the free health care paradise they live in to come to the good ol' US of A where they would have to pay for it. Of course they realize all to well that they DO PAY FOR IT in Fidel's Cuba in ways Americans have a hard time understanding.

Canada, another Michael Moore favorite, has Universal Health Care yet Canadians come across the border with alarming frequency to PAY for health care. Why? Well, the why is simple...they get better health care here and they get it when they want it. Again, Americans have a hard time understanding this because we don't generally have to wait, but in the Great White North waiting months for a hip replacement or even a coronary bypass operation isn't unusual at all. How about something as simple as having a baby? No, Canadians don't reproduce through cloning that's just a terrible rumor. But, a couple of months ago there were several news stories about Canadian women being flown to American hospitals by the Canadian Government to have their babies because the Canadian Univeral Health Care system's maternity wards were overloaded. Hmm, what else....oh yeah, how about Canadians moving to the United States? Why on earth would they leave a country with free health care to come here? I can guess.

Strangely, people from all sorts of places that have free Universal Health Care from England to Panama keep showing up here in the United States. They all know we don't have Universal Health Care but they leave their home countries to come here. Sometimes they just come for the best health care in the world, and sometimes they move here to improve their lives in general but they do keep coming despite what we don't have. Don't you find that at least a little interesting?

The New Year? No Surprises.

I can't believe I haven't posted on this blog since December 17th of last year. But then again what's been happening? It's really more of business as usual in the entertainment industry or the presidential primaries...no surprises really. What? No surprises? Yeah, that's what I said and I'm sticking to it.

In entertainment news....Britney is still a loon which is no surprise and the surprise that K-Fed is the responsible one is last year's news. It's also no surprise that more and more overpaid celebrities are in the rehab resorts. No surprise that the writer's strike is still going and really no surprise that people haven't noticed.

In the primaries....I'm not surprised that Fred Thompson dropped out. I'm not surprised that Rudy G. dropped out. And, I'm not surprised that Chuck Norris is still for Huckabee. How about the losers that dropped out on the Dem's side? No surprises. Also no surprise are the endorsements picked up by Obama. John Kerry and the Kennedy's? How could that surprise anyone? Neither Kerry (a Vietnam Veteran) nor the Kennedy's (did any go to 'Nam?) have any love for Hillary Clinton...so, no surprises.

How about the miserable excuse for election year politics called the Economic Stimulus Package? No surprise. C'mon is anyone really surprised that a bunch of polititians would throw around money that isn't theirs in order to placate the idiots that form the masses? Are they giving the money to the people that pay the most in taxes like business owners - No. Are they giving money to people that really don't pay taxes anyway - Yes! Is that a surprise - No? Anyone surprised that the media isn't pointing out that a really similar plan to stimulate the economy failed when President Hoover tried it in an era called "The Great Depression"?

I'll get back to you when there's something surprising or at least interesting.

Global Warming...Really?

Ok, many of you that know me are aware that one of my favorite quotes is by me..."Every Ice Age Ended Due To Global Warming." I don't buy into the idea of man-made global warming though I'm quite aware that the planet goes through heating and cooling cycles all the time. This week somewhere around 60% of the United States is currently experiencing freezing temperatures and in many of those areas there is snow cover. Much of this is in areas experiencing record lows. Meanwhile the United Nations just finished a meeting about global warming...in BALI where it's warm all year. I guess it's easier to convince the gullible of man-made global warming when you're someplace warm and nearer to the equator rather than your headquarters in freezing cold New York City.

The powers supplying the idea of man-made global warming are trying their level best to get you to buy into the hysteria. Why? Simple, if you buy into it you're less likely to fight the taxes they're proposing to combat the evil polluters in the world. Yes, I said taxes. If you listen carefully to people like Al Gore and the other super liberals that think humans are a blight on the planet you'll hear them propose taxes to fight man-made global warming. Don't say I didn't warn you when your paycheck gets smaller.

Steroids In Baseball...Who Cares?

C'mon who really cares that a bunch of overpaid professional ball players use steroids and human growth hormone? Regular season baseball is about as exciting as watching paint dry so why would anyone mind that maybe it gets spiced up a bit?

Think about it. Why are steroids banned in sports? In amateur sports it's to supposedly keep the competition level by making it about the athletes instead of who has the best lab. I buy that for the Olympics and similar venues where many of the athletes are minors and where countries may have fewer resources than their competitors, but pro sports are different. The players are adults and every team has lots of resources. If the players are stupid enough to inject steroids and die young in pursuit of a better career so be it. It might make that boring ass game of baseball a little more fun.

By the way...I'm REALLY Glad the American Taxpayer had to foot the bill for the Mitchell Report - aren't you?

I Had A Dream

I don't wish Vice President Dick Cheney to have health problems, but the truth is that he has some heart issues. I do hope he's ok but since he's had these issues for so long they actually led to a daydream on my part.....

It was 2004 and I was in Laredo seeing some clients. During some of the usual chit-chat a client asked me who I thought the Republican party would run for President in 2008. I was at a complete loss. I actually had no idea, but as my mind wandered with the issue I came up with a possibility.

It went something like this...a year or two into Bush's second term VP Cheney would step down for health reasons. It would be entirely plausible because his heart issues are a matter of pulic record. With Cheney stepping down President Bush would be able to nominate ANYONE to be Vice President. There isn't an automatic succession to VP when the President is still alive. My line of reasoning/dreaming thought that Bush would appoint Condoleeza Rice to the VP position. Ha! Take that Democrats! Though Bush's appointee would have to be confirmed by the House and Senate (25th Amendment, section 2) who would ruin their Congressional career by voting against the first black person, the first woman, to be in the Vice President's office?

This would put Condi in the position of running for the presidency as a sitting Vice President with experience as VP, Secretary of State, and National Security Advisor. Condi versus Shrillary? Condi wins hands down. Oh well, it was just a dream.