Healthcare: What’s the Problem; What are We Going to Do About It; When?

This is a brief discussion in general of our healthcare problem, the causes, and the solution—in my mind, the only solution that will work in the scheme of things.

In short, healthcare need(s) in our nation is growing rapidly; our population is increasing; our people are growing older; costs are rising exponentially; and, given the increasing disparity in income and wealth, our standard of living has decreased to a point where healthcare has become prohibitively unaffordable, what the politicians tell us notwithstanding.

But you all know that; don’t you? You feel the pain every time you receive the bill. The very thought is tantamount to a stab in the gut. In fact, many, if not most of you, have come to the point where you no longer even have the ability to pay

We all know why our population is increasing. Primarily, it’s due to immigration and increasing life spans outweighing our decreasing birth rates. We are getting older—no one wants to change that; and, as to immigration, those who have really studied the subject empirically, know we need these people. Legal immigration is a boon to our country and contributes to our economy, intellectually and productively.

With regard to increasing costs, in a free market economy, supply and demand in and of itself will cause prices to rise; but, that having been said (and it’s true about supply and demand), don’t think for a moment that I believe we are in a truly free market economy and neither should you. The only really free market we have is in a classroom on the chalkboard. That our corporations manipulate markets regularly is obvious to all—but I digress. There are other reasons for increasing costs—profiteering by the insurance companies and large healthcare providers, price gouging, fraudulent billing practices, corruption—it goes on and on. Additionally, these companies spend millions, if not billions, of dollars every year in lobbying Congress, and campaign contributions (do you think these costs just might find a place in your insurance or hospital or doctor bill)?

The problem with our healthcare is obvious. Our system of healthcare is a disaster. The question is what we are going to do about it, the answer to which is simple—adopt a universal single-payer healthcare system with public access affordable to all, i.e. Medicare for everybody.

And, finally, when are we going to do it? Aye, there’s the rub. And the answer is, when our illustrious Congress and President quit playing chess with our lives, set aside their outmoded ideologies, personal greed, and narcissism, and just do it. Enough is enough.

We the people are suffering under increasing pressure. The breaking point is near. Do you really want that to happen? Yes, you can shoot us down in the streets; but, in the end, is it really worth it to you? Keep doing what you’re doing. Play your games. The ball is in your court. You are responsible.

In the meantime, this is Ronald Miller. www.sageobserver.blogspot.com

Health Care

I have written about this before—more than once.

A healthy people are absolutely imperative for a successful and prosperous country, and that's an irrefutable fact. We the people, every last one of us, must have access to affordable healthcare where and when we need it.

To that end, we should and must adapt a single payer healthcare system, i.e. Medicare for everyone, cradle to the grave. We don't have to conduct any more studies. This thing has been studied to death—we have experts “running out our ears”; and, from my personal experience, Medicare, which pays 80%, along with a good supplemental insurance which pays the remaining 20%, is a fine system (I may be off 5% on this). Also, there is a small deductible at the beginning of each year—presently approximately $150. Now, if there are any faults which we can find in this kind of program, we surely have enough representatives in our Congress who are smart enough to correct them in the writing of this new healthcare bill before it is passed.

This having been said, surely we know that nothing is free—there are no free lunches. Our healthcare must be financed. To this end, I strongly recommend that we establish a “pay as you go” self-liquidating stand-alone fund, similar to Social Security, completely independent from our general fund and budget and financed by a designated and fully transparent healthcare tax. At the end of each year, no deficit should remain. I would suggest that in this particular instance a wise government would create this tax as a non-deductible adjunct to the corporate income tax—no payroll taxes, etc. A good time to do this would be when we reform corporate taxes. It’s imperative, however, that the healthcare tax be identified separately so as to maintain its transparency. We need this! We need it now! It makes no sense for us to continue wasting millions, if not billions, of dollars arguing, bickering, and playing politics over it. Let's "Gitter Done". Let's do it now.

I’m certain you all know that, presently, Medicare runs a deficit every year and is one of the largest contributors to our national deficit and debt, as it is underfunded by our payroll deductions. Our adoption of a single payer national healthcare plan in the manner I have suggested will immediately relieve the state and federal governments of the burden of Medicaid, facilitate our efforts toward reduction of the national debt, and, in addition, employee healthcare will no longer be a burden on business—especially small business. We will, also, be better able to better control the upward movement in our healthcare costs and stabilize our spending.

In closing this comment, let me briefly discuss another aspect which I’m sure will be argued by some who will shout, “This is Socialism; this is Communism”. Rubbish! Hogwash! This is no more Communism than the man in the moon by any definition, and it is no more Socialism than anything we are doing now and have been doing for many years in many areas of our government and then some. The people of our nation have enjoyed the conveniences of publicly owned institutions since before we were born, i.e. roads, bridges, transportation, schools, Medicaid, Medicare, etc. Especially in our country, the words Socialism and Communism serve only as pejoratives used to stir up emotions and cause conflict, costing millions of dollars and heartbreak in the process. Adopting a Single Payer Healthcare system will save billions of dollars and rid our people of a major worry as well as leave us with a better government in the process.

In the meantime, this is Ronald Miller, www.sageobserver.blogspot.com.

Smokescreen

It is my view that the current presidential debates are little more than an insult to the intelligence of the American people, a smokescreen “majoring in minors” and “minoring in majors”, casting a cloud over the real issues confronting the citizens of our great nation in this forthcoming election. Let me tell you this up front. I abhor and disapprove of both of these candidates, neither of which, in the long run, truly represents the interests of our people or our nation—one is a fascist, and the other, Mrs. Clinton, represents the Corporatocracy and Power Elite, our Shadow Government now in control of our nation. I submit to you that, if elected, Mr. Trump will prove to be a catastrophe. Mrs. Clinton, over a longer period of time, will prove to be a disaster. We really missed the boat when we turned our back on Bernie Sanders, a huge mistake for which we will pay dearly.

That having been said, I want to call one other subject to your attention which I must believe you already know but may have overlooked due to all the hype involved in the matter. This is just my opinion, I admit; but I don’t believe Donald Trump’s everyday morals are any worse than those of Hillary Clinton or the majority of others ranging from the elite among us to the proletariat. As evidence of what I am saying, I call your attention to such examples as Richard Nixon, John and Edward Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, Dennis Hastert, etc. I also remind you of what gave the internet its biggest boost in the beginning, i.e. the widespread popularity of pornography. I also ask you to look at our daily television programming. There is programming on television today that would have been banned in yesteryears. Also, consider all the births out of wedlock, abortions, and our rate of divorce— So much for morality in this election. As Jesus said, “Let those without sin cast the first stone.”

So what is it about Mr. Trump which causes him, in addition to his many other shortcomings, i.e. myopic, grossly uninformed, mentally lazy (doesn’t want to learn), egocentric, narcissistic to an extreme, etc., to look worse than others with many of the same faults? I’ll tell you. He has no finesse—NONE. Do you want to know why we have so many corrupt and incompetent people in government; and yet, they are reelected time and time again? They have finesse thru which we cannot see. Over a sticky situation, finesse, a word spoken only infrequently, is like perfume.

So what are the “real issues” behind the smokescreen in the election of November 8^th?

There are many issues, but I believe the most important and urgent issue above all in this election, the threat of nuclear war hanging over our heads every day notwithstanding, is the polarity of the American people. Whoever is elected must inspire and reunite our people to a common goal, eliminating racism and xenophobia throughout. We need to decide who we are as a nation, the direction in which we are going, and do it. As we are, we are not unlike a giant ocean liner in the middle of a vast ocean without power or direction, floating aimlessly, going nowhere, and getting deeper and deeper into trouble. We have been arguing and bickering about this for 240 years. It is past time for us to decide. I might—No, I must add that this task must be determined and decided upon by the American people—not an oligarchy of the Corporatocracy and Power Elite and not the other powers around the world. This issue is of the utmost urgency for our country.

Second, and certainly in conjunction with the first, we must, once and for all, eliminate our Shadow government. We must take back our country from the Corporatocracy and Power Elite which stole it from us. We need our elite; we need our corporations; but we need them to serve us rather than for us to serve them. Somehow, in the last thirty-five or forty years, while we slept, they took over our country (or we gave it to them).  In a democracy, our representative democracy if you will, the people must do their job and participate. They must be responsible. That means keeping informed, and staying on top of matters. If we are unwilling to do that, choosing not to think beyond our own back yard, we will surely lose our democracy and ultimately our sovereignty. It will be too late to take it back. Mark my words.

That also means we must have a government that is transparent. How can a government of a representative democracy, a sovereign nation such as ours, pass laws and make treaties with foreign nations such as NAFTA, the TPP, etc, the provisions of which are so shocking that they are mandated by law not to be declassified until four years after they go into effect? Excuse me for being so dumb; but how can we be a government of the people, by the people, and for the people when the people have no voice and are literally kept in the dark about the laws we pass? Yes! I am referring to the "Investor-State Dispute Settlement" mechanism or investment court system (included in the TPP), allowing an investor the right to use dispute settlement proceedings in a world court against a country’s government for loss of profits wherein the people of that government have no voice (or even know about them for that matter). Yet, through their taxes, they pay the damages assessed.  This law is an assault on the people of the world by the Trans National Corporations who, every day, usurp our sovereignty; but where is this reported in prime time news?

Corporations are the creation of man for the purpose of serving man. It is man who should govern—not the corporations. Our government should get the TPP out of the secret vault in their basement and publish it for the people to see. It should be readily available to everyone before being voted on. The Investor-State Dispute Settlement mechanism is no secret at all to foreign governments and the Corporatocracy and Power Elite in our country. The only one from whom it is kept secret is we the people. In fact, we should and must defeat these agreements when they come up for a vote. If it affects our lives, we should have a voice before it is enacted. It's past time for us to practice what we preach on our bumper stickers and "Take Back Our Country" from these leaches. This, too, is of the utmost urgency.

How are we going to do this? Let us begin with the reversal of Citizens United. Let us get the money out of our election campaigns, shorten the length of campaigns making them less expensive, and finance campaign spending through our tax collections. Let our representatives be accountable once again to the electorate rather than to the lobbyists. In conjunction with this, let us nationalize voting laws, making them fair to all with every citizen having the right to vote.

There are more very serious and urgent issues before us, i.e. public education, Social Security and Disability, universal single payer healthcare for all, to name a few; but, for the immediate future, the above are the most urgent.

In the meantime, this is Ronald Miller, www.sageobserver.blogspot.com signing off.

Where Are We Going?

I haven’t made an entry into this blog for quite some time, but I can remain silent no longer. I am sick and tired of this political campaign and the multiplicity of lies, misinformation, and downright B… S… proffered to the public on a daily basis. Let me begin this with some facts that, hopefully, will help to put some current conditions in perspective.

First, our country, The United States of America, is the greatest, most powerful, and most prosperous country in the history of civilization. There is none and never has been any greater—even the Roman Empire; and, for the time being, there are, arguably, none on the horizon—so much for “Let’s make America great again”. Throw away that hat, Donald.

Second, the United States of America constitutes approximately five percent of the world’s population, and consumes twenty-five percent of the world’s production. Our economy and standard of living is the highest in the world. That’s a fact. Current issues notwithstanding, our nation is blessed. Even our poor are more prosperous than most of the poor elsewhere in the world. Therefore, as we open our economy to the rest of the world through “globalization”, their standard of living will increase and ours will decrease. There is just not enough to go around otherwise. An economy is like water, and water always seeks its own level. We can increase productivity in the short run; but, ultimately, our natural resources will be depleted that much sooner. We can picture this in our minds by envisaging our economy as a glass of water set on a table connected to another glass of water by a control valve. The one glass (our economy) contains a higher level of water than the second (the rest of the world); but, when the valve is opened even slightly, the level in the first glass will lower as that in the second glass rises.

Third, no further back than recent history, it took weeks just to cross the ocean(s), they can now be crossed in hours; and, whereas it took a month or more, depending, to send a message or a letter, it can now be done in seconds. We do it every day. But so what, you ask? The “so what” of it is the rest of the world is catching up to us; and they want to share in our prosperity, power, prestige—our standard of living, i.e. our piece of the pie; and they are going to insist upon it.

In conclusion, we must at some point in time help the other nations of the world increase their standard of living and share with us in the prosperity of the world. It is only right; but this must be accomplished slowly and planned so as not to disrupt our economy in the process as is being done presently or giving up our democracy as in the case of the TPP. What is presently happening to the American people is unconscionable. I cannot believe the audacity of the corporatists and power elite as they steadfastly rape and seduce the common people in our country in their pursuit of excess profits, power, and prestige right in front of our eyes with no care for anyone other than themselves. Their avarice is exceeded only by their corruption. The free market theory behind which they hide no longer exists, having long since been reduced to the chalk board of a college classroom. Change in our great nation, in the world for that matter, is too much, too fast. I’ll admit such change is inevitable, but our leaders need to control it—to plan, to prepare, to minimize the pain of our people through improved education, training, and safety nets, cradle to grave.

In the mean time, this is Ronald Miller, www.sageobserver.blogspot.com  signing off. Email me at mtss86@comcast.net

The Future of Our Nation

It is reputed that statistical analysis indicates that our people are divided approximately 50/50 as to the direction our nation should go in our future; and it seems that every other year or so we change from one way to the other and back again. Perhaps, but, what we think notwithstanding, we are where we are; and where we are is not good. Our country is in one hell of a mess, politically as well as economically; and I don’t think there are many who will argue with that. The question is what to do about it. What’s the problem? What are we going to do about it? When?

The people of this nation seem to think the political contest in which we are now engaged is between the Republicans and the Democrats. Ostensibly, this is true. In reality, it is not—absolutely not. Most of what one sees in this contest is superfluous. This election is a contest for the sovereignty of America. This election is just another step, in the takeover of our country by an Oligarchy of the Corporatocracy and Power Elite, now operating as a Shadow Government controlling our elected officials through paid lobbyists, campaign contributions, and political coercion.

Who are these people? They are the huge transnational corporations, Wall Street, the banking industry, the think tanks, and super rich, the 0.1% who are “milking dry” the middle-class and poor in this country. Are you aware that, as this is being written, key leaders of the Democratic Party—including the president—are getting on board with the Republicans, despite the massive growth in inequality in income and wealth in our country, to negotiate the size and terms of post-facto tax “forgiveness” for America’s globalized companies to the tune of $400 billion? (Reported by William Greider in “The Nation”—Also, check out www.billmoyers.com) Are you aware of the agreements in various trade treaties  such as NAFTA, the TPP, and others that allow corporations to sue our government and others within the country for violations of the agreement in secret international courts and collect damages even if there is conflict with our law? In almost all the arguments you hear about these treaties, they don’t mention this which is in direct conflict with our national sovereignty. These are just a couple examples of what is going on.

The “takeover” of our nation, a nation of the people, by the people, and for the people has been happening right before our eyes like a slow growing cancer, a cancer that was put in remission under President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in the 1940s and recurred in 1981 under the administration of President Ronald Reagan. Now, however, it is no longer slow growing. Now, it’s in the “fourth stage”.

The Republican Party has represented the interests of “Big Business”, the Corporatocracy, and the interests of money since the Industrial Revolution in the 1800’s. It has been supported by them and, also, those who aspire to be wealthy and powerful ever since. Most informed people know that. But, in very recent times, it has invaded the Democratic Party, supposedly the party of the people, with a vengeance. Today, the Democratic Party is a party of the people in name only. In general, the interests of the people, the middleclass, the underclass, i.e. basically the 90%, are ignored. How else could our standard of living deplete so much in the last thirty-five years?

So, this is where we are. You may have to shake your head a bit in order to rid yourself of the cobwebs of older perceptions accumulated over the years because there have been significant changes in our great nation. You may not believe what I have said. Maybe you don’t want to believe me, but if you will evaluate our present political and economic condition in light of current events that you see all around you, you will see the truth. These times are no light matter. They are critical. They are worth your time to study and contemplate. Silly ideological theories aren’t worth much to you when you are out of a job and your kids are hungry or you are on the verge of losing your home. Neither are old rules of the game such as how grandma and grandpa voted. You’ve heard it before.

I ask you to do this. Think slow and hard before you vote. If you have already made up your mind, reconsider—just in case you may have missed something. I submit to you that the Corporatocracy and Power Elite, that Shadow Government which has been governing you, that has run up your debt, put you through useless wars in order to fill the pockets of their military industrial complex, made the very rich very much richer, and bankrupted you through lost jobs, student loans, lost homes, and other deprivation, does not have your interest at heart. Especially through these past years, the Republican Party has shown its inability to govern. You can surely see that. They even shut down your government at a cost to the taxpayers of $25 billion, accomplishing absolutely nothing. They don’t represent the interests of the common working man. Neither do those in the Democratic Party who represent only the Corporatocracy and Power Elite with their representative, Hillary Clinton.

Then who is left? Who is left is Senator Bernie Sanders and those who will support his best efforts. I submit to you that Bernie Sanders is the only viable candidate with compassion for the people within his heart. Watch him. Listen to him. He’s not trying to get rich or achieve royalty. He wants to serve you. Look at his competition. When her husband left office in 2000 she said she was broke. Now, she is part of the upper 0.1% (Ref: the book, “Clinton Cash”, by Peter Schweizer). When the “rubber meets the road”, when “the chips are down” and her back is against the wall, do you think Hillary Clinton will represent you or herself? If you need further information on that question, I suggest you Google Chelsea Clinton.

Bernie Sanders is our man. He will do his very best to represent you and me rather than the special interests represented by others. I ask that you vote for him.

In the mean time, this is Ronald Miller, www.sageobserver.blogspot.com signing off. Email me at mtss86@comcast.net

Just No Class

‘You know? I watched the Republican debates last night. Here we are, in the middle of a series of job interviews (and, mind you, that’s what these debates are) seeking a candidate to fill what is probably one of the highest and most important executive positions in the world, that of President of the United States of America, and the interviews are little more than a spectacle. Saturday Night Live couldn’t have been more ridiculous. The problem is (and it is a critically serious problem—of that you can be sure), it ain’t funny. Our very lives, the future of our nation, depend on our success in making the right decision in this matter—choosing the right person for this job. And what happens? The whole event was little more than a circus—an absolute spectacle—an unmitigated joke—just no class. Ladies and gentlemen, I submit to you: You can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear. Jesus said, “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces” (Matthew 7:6). If we want to be a leader in the world community, we must have the respect of those whom we expect to lead. A real leader, a successful leader, is one whom others follow because they want to follow—not because they are driven.

In the mean time, this is Ronald Miller, www.sageobserver.blogspot.com signing off. Email me at mtss86@comcast.net

Conundrum

An email, under the above subject, has been circulating which, from all appearances, presumes to set forth the thinking and ideology of those on the right. On its face, it is nothing more or less than a distortion of reality and a misrepresentation of truths, i.e. political propaganda. I have tried, below, to cast light on the real truth of the matter.

The email is as follows in the large red and blue print. The smaller black print is my response:

Free people are not equal.  Equal people are not free. (Think this one over and over…makes sense!)  Response: Our Constitution tells us all men are (supposedly) equal under the law. Our Bible tells us all men are equal in the eyes of God (that’s what Grace and Forgiveness is about). But, in the “Real World”, we all know everyone is not born equal. We come in all shapes, colors, appearances, and deformations, with all degrees of intelligence, ranging from stupid to brilliant, and personalities derived from a multiple of effects ranging from inheritable genes, family effects, and the environment, both physical and social, including a depressed economy. With this stipulation, I agree.

"A gun is like a parachute.  If you need one, and don't have one, you'll probably never need one again." 

 The definition of the word Conundrum is: something that is puzzling or confusing. 

 Here are six Conundrums of socialism in the United States of America:   

1. America is capitalist and greedy - yet half of the population is subsidized.   Answer: Half the population is subsidized because they have been raped and pillaged for the past thirty five years by our Shadow Government, the Corporatocracy and Power Elite. But please take notice. That same Shadow Government which is doing the raping and pillaging is also being subsidized. Have you not heard of Corporate Welfare? Are you not informed about the growing inequality of income and wealth in this country during the past forty years? Have you not heard of our disappearing middle class?

 2. Half of the population is subsidized - yet they think they are victims.   Answer: They are victims! See above.

 

3. They think they are victims - yet their representatives run the government.   Answer: True! That’s because these so-called representatives are not representing them/us as they are supposed to do. Rather, they are betraying us by selling out to the lobbyists, satchel carriers for the Oligarchy of the Corporatocracy and Power Elite, our Shadow Government, who bribe them with campaign contributions and/or favors. Our representatives even allow their bribers to write some of the laws they are supposed to write themselves. To use an old phrase, follow the money. Our representatives are, in effect, on their payroll.

4. Their representatives run the government - yet the poor keep getting poorer.   Answer: True again. You get that way when you are constantly being robbed by those to whom your representatives have sold out.

 5. The poor keep getting poorer - yet they have things that people in other countries only dream about.   Answer: True again. Don’t you know? Generally speaking, our country has had a higher standard of living than the rest of the world for the past approximately 100 years or more. There has been a difference—a vast difference. America has five percent of the world’s population and 20% of the world’s productivity. Except for the hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of our people living on the streets, our poor are wealthy when compared to the poor in some countries. On the other hand, however, surely you have noticed the decrease in that difference. That is what our growing inequality and our disappearing middle class is all about. Surely you have also heard about the growing increase in standard of living in China and elsewhere in the world. Where do you think that is coming from? An economy is like water. Water seeks its own level; and the increase in living standards there results in a decrease in living standards here. 

6. They have things that people in other countries only dream about - yet they want America to be more like those other countries. 

Answer: Who told you we want to be more like other countries? Where is your source of such erroneous information?  We don’t want America to be more like those other countries. What we want is access to Single Payer Universal Healthcare, i.e. Medicare for everyone.  

 Think about it! And that, my friends, pretty much sums up the USA in the 21st Century.   Makes you wonder who is doing the math.   

Response: Nothing above falls within the definition of a conundrum. The six statements indicated in blue, above, are meant to mislead, to misinform. That’s all they are, and that’s all they’re worth.
 

These three, short sentences tell you a lot about the direction of our current government and cultural environment:   

 1. We are advised to NOT judge ALL Muslims by the actions of a few lunatics, but we are encouraged to judge ALL gun owners by the actions of a few lunatics.  Answer: Once again, we have a misleading statement intended to misinform. The first sentence is true. The second is false. We are not encouraged to judge “All gun owners”. We are asked to control the sale of guns. It’s that simple.

Funny how that works.  And here's another one worth considering…   

 2. Seems we constantly hear about how Social Security is going to run out of money.  But we never hear about welfare or food stamps running out of money!   What's interesting is the first group "worked for" their money, but the second didn't.   Answer: The only way Social Security will run out of money will be because we let it happen. It is not broke as we sit, and it never need be in the future. As to welfare or food stamps running out of money—I certainly hope not; and it will not unless we let it happen. Jesus said, “The poor will always be with us.” He also said, “Feed My sheep”. As to who worked for their money as compared to who did not, you surely do not believe that everybody on welfare and/or food stamps never worked for their money. Also, in the same vein, surely you do not believe everybody who collects or has collected Social Security worked for all they received. Give me a break. Except for those who died prematurely, almost everyone on Social Security has, to some extent, received more than they paid in from the very beginning.

 Think about it.....and Last but not least :   

 3. Why are we cutting benefits for our veterans, no pay raises for our military and cutting our army to a level lower than before WWII, but we are not stopping the payments or benefits to illegal aliens. Answer: I’m not as informed on this matter as on the others, but I’m not aware of any benefits being paid to illegal aliens. Perhaps you can inform us of what those benefits are. Or, is this just another example of misinformation?

 "If you do not take an interest in the affairs of your government, then you are doomed to live under the rule of fools." – Plato Response: Agreed! 

In the mean time, this is Ronald Miller, www.sageobserver.blogspot.com signing off. Email me at mtss86@comcast.net

Socialism

Exacerbated by the candidacy for the presidency of Senator Bernie Sanders who claims to be a Democratic Socialist, the subject of Socialism keeps raising its, some might say ugly, head in the news these days. Unfortunately, in our culture the word Socialism has become a pejorative. Just the sound of the word creates animosity in spite of the fact that most of us don’t really know what Socialism really is. We only know the very thought of it makes us mad. In defense of our position, we may use the words free markets and capitalism; but most of us can’t really provide a good explanation of what these are either. If you don’t believe me, ask around. Ask what these things are; or, even more difficult, see if you can get your answers in writing. In almost every case those whom you question will not be able to answer. They aren’t dumb. Up to now, they just haven’t had the need to know.

So what is Socialism, Capitalism, or a Free Market? For this venue, I believe as simple an explanation as possible will suffice. In short, Socialism (not to be confused with Communism) is a system wherein ownership and management, i.e. governance, of the means of production and related systems, are by the people. Competition is minimal if at all. Capitalism, on the other hand, is a system based on private ownership of the means of production, the creation of goods and services for profit, the accruing of profits to a capitalist class, and a system of salary and wage labor for the workers. Decision-making and investment is determined by the owners and/or managers of the factors of production. Competition is foremost with a philosophy of “survival of the fittest, let the devil take the hindmost”. As to free markets, no matter what others may tell you, they only really exist in the classroom. In the real world, markets are affected by manipulation of one kind or another, monopoly, and/or price fixing.

In the end, both Socialism and Capitalism are self-defeating. Generally speaking, without competition, under Socialism everybody wants to receive, nobody wants to give. By its very definition, Capitalism is self-defeating because, in the end, only the winner, i.e. the strongest, remains—then it is no longer Capitalism. As a result, all that is left is some form of dictatorship, i.e. an autocracy, oligarchy, etc. I think you can already see that in the progression of our democratic republic today (unless we do something about it before it is too late, that is).

Hopefully having cleared the air on this to this point, where are we now?  I’ll tell you how I view our nation’s status and you can (and you will) see for yourself. In all candor, our nation and our people, i.e. YOU, are being literally raped by an Oligarchy of the Corporatocracy and Power Elite, operating through a Shadow Government surreptitiously controlling our nation through our government elected by us, we the people, and bribed and manipulated by them. They, that oligarchy, even write our laws. We vote (some of us—that is) and pay the bills. They rule and take the spoils. You have heard the expression, “to the victor belong the spoils”. You have heard from many sources of the course our income has taken over the past forty years, the disappearing middle-class, and of the growing disparity in income and wealth. You have even felt the pain. You have to know where you stand, i.e. your status, in these matters. You surely know.

These people have owned the Republican Party from the beginning; but, now, in recent years, they have done the unthinkable. They have begun to take over the party of the people, the Democratic Party—the only hope the people, we in the 90%, have had left to represent our needs, the party of Roosevelt, the party of Truman, and, yes, the party of Carter, after which we begun to go downhill.

But “Avast”, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. The honorable Senator from Vermont, Bernie Sanders, has thrown his hat in the ring for president. He calls himself a Democratic Socialist. I call him a Liberal. Everything he proposes is liberal. Nothing he proposes is any more Socialist than we are now. Nothing he proposes is any more Socialist than we have ever been in the past. Was our bailout of General Motors Socialist? Was our bailout of the mortgage industry Socialist? Is anything we support, our guarantee of the risk, with the private industry receiving the profits, Socialist? Let me tell you what one of the greatest, if not the greatest, leaders in all history had to say about Socialism vs. Liberalism in a speech one hundred years ago; and it is just as true today:

I want to-night to speak about these cross-currents; and let me first say a word about Socialism. There are a great many Socialists whose characters and whose views I have much respect for—men some of whom I know well, and whose friendship I enjoy. A good many of those gentlemen who have delightful, rosy views of a noble and brilliant future for the world, are so remote from hard facts of daily life and of ordinary politics that I am not very sure that they will bring any useful or effective influence to bear upon the immediate course of events. To the revolutionary Socialist, whether dreamer or politician, I do not appeal as the Liberal candidate for Dundee. I recognise that they are perfectly right in voting against me and voting against the Liberals, because Liberalism is not Socialism, and never will be. There is a great gulf fixed. It is not only a gulf of method, it is a gulf of principle. There are many steps we have to take which our Socialist opponents or friends, whichever they like to call themselves, will have to take with us; but there are immense differences of principle and of political philosophy between our views and their views. Liberalism has its own history and its own tradition. Socialism has its own formulas and aims. Socialism seeks to pull down wealth; Liberalism seeks to raise up poverty. Socialism would destroy private interests; Liberalism would preserve private interests in the only way in which they can be safely and justly preserved, namely, by reconciling them with public right. Socialism would kill enterprise; Liberalism would rescue enterprise from the trammels of privilege and preference. Socialism assails the pre-eminence of the individual; Liberalism seeks, and shall seek more in the future, to build up a minimum standard for the mass. Socialism exalts the rule; Liberalism exalts the man. Socialism attacks capital; Liberalism attacks monopoly. These are the great distinctions which I draw, and which, I think, you will agree I am right in drawing at this election between our respective policies and moods. Don’t think that Liberalism is a faith that is played out; that it is a creed to which there is no expanding future. As long as the world rolls round, Liberalism will have its part to play—grand, beneficent, and ameliorating—in relation to men and States. The truth lies in these matters, as it always lies in difficult matters, midway between extreme formulas. It is in the nice adjustment of the respective ideas of collectivism and individualism that the problem of the world and the solution of that problem lie in the years to come.

Winston Churchill
October 11, 1906

One hundred years ago, Winston Churchill called it Liberalism. I call it Progressivism. The truth of the matter is that some markets are better adapted to collective governance and others are better governed as regulated “free markets”. In no event of which I can think should we allow Laissez-faire Capitalism to prevail in our economic markets. How many times do we have to suffer thieves in our hen houses? Our government is permeated with them. Surely we should not over regulate. Surely we should eliminate the liars, cheaters, and thieves in our government and restore the will of our people to power. We should elect Bernie Sanders to the presidency and we should elect the right people to support his efforts. All we have to do is get out and do it.

In the mean time, this is Ronald Miller, www.sageobserver.blogspot.com signing off. Email me at mtss86@comcast.net

Education

My mother had an eighth grade education; my father had an eighth grade education; and they did all right. If an eighth grade education was good enough for them, why should it not be good enough for me? Why should I finish high school or go on to college? I’ll never use all that stuff anyway. That’s the story I used to hear frequently all through the early years of my life. Please forgive the vernacular, but what a bunch of crap. A college education today has almost less “job-getting” power today than a high school certificate of graduation sixty years ago; and a high school education isn’t important? Exacerbating the problem even further, many high schools today (if not most) no longer provide vocational school training. When I entered Jr. high school, “a couple years ago”, I was given a choice of attending trade school (we called it that then) or pursuing as academic curriculum which would prepare us for college. How is it done today in your school(s)?

Back in 1963, I had the opportunity to view an educational film on the subject of “Change” in which the following information was presented (This was a BNA Film; and, keep in mind, this was in 1963, fifty-two years ago—over half a century): A scientist in chemical engineering—an expert who knew everything there was to know on the subject, was given the task, beginning at midnight December 31^st of the year, to keep abreast of each and every change, i.e. advance in knowledge, which would occur in “the field”, i.e. chemical engineering, through December 31^st of the following year. At the end of that year, he was five years behind. Five years—imagine that! And, again, that was over fifty-two years ago—half a century. How much more change do you think has occurred since then? How much even more valuable has a high school or college education become since?  How much more important has it become for one to gain an education, trade, or profession? I submit to you that, for someone who cannot adapt to change, for those who refuse to progress in knowledge, life—right now—is more insecure than a nudist trying to sneak through a barbed wire fence in the throes of winter.

Our education system in America is one of, if not the, most important institutions there is to our national security, the general prosperity of our country, and our leadership in the world. If the whole is the sum of its parts, it is just as true that the quality of the whole is too. Unfortunately, this nation has let our education system deteriorate. Whether we want to admit it or not, we have “dumbed it down”. There are experts who have forgotten more on this subject than I know, but I do know this. For the benefit and success of our country as a whole, we must restore and improve our system of public education. There may be exceptions here and there, but one can’t educate students who lack motivation, discipline, the will to study, and equal opportunity to succeed according to his or her abilities. I didn’t say guaranteed success. I said guaranteed opportunity for success. Achievement is up to the individual.

To this end, I submit that our Congress enact an education bill, taxpayer paid, that will make mandatory, nationally, a system of education from prekindergarten through college or vocational school, whichever the student chooses, the successful completion of which the student will have a certified vocation, trade, or profession. He or she will be employable. The curriculum should consist of a series of courses standard for all throughout the nation (a common curriculum not subject to change) supplemented by courses within the student’s major course of study (student’s choice) and those additional courses which may be required by individual electives of the student’s home state.  

 

An educated and informed public is necessary for the overall good and prosperity of our country. A quality system of education will pay for itself from that increase in prosperity. Our G.I. Bill dating back to the end of World War II has proved that.

In the mean time, this is Ronald Miller, www.sageobserver.blogspot.com signing off. Email me at mtss86@comcast.net.

Elections 2016

What the ostensibly in charge political parties or the media may have you think notwithstanding, the oncoming presidential elections of November, 2016 are Republican vs. Democrats in name only. Ignore what I am telling you at your own peril and that of the democracy in which you are privileged to live. This election will be a contest to determine whether our great nation will be a democratic republic controlled by we the people of the United States of America or an oligarchy of the Corporatocracy and Power Elite of the Western World, consisting of the very largest corporations and the very rich and powerful—Democracy vs. Serfdom.

This has been coming on ever so slowly over the past thirty-five years or so, slowly eroding our programs for the people begun in the thirties and progressing to the state of affairs in which we now find ourselves today, i.e. outsourcing of jobs, millions unemployed, homeless and sleeping in cars and on the streets, failing schools—must I go on? The American dream and equal opportunity are literally sifting through our fingers. Our leaders have turned Corporatists. They follow the money. They serve their own interests. Just a few remain who truly have the interests of the people, “us”, at heart.

This threat to the very sovereignty of our nation is the greatest issue facing our nation today. We must take money out of our politics completely, revise our voting and election laws, and amend our Constitution accordingly. Social Security and Medicare for everyone and appropriate safety nets for those in economic difficulty must be the order of the day in conjunction with requisite tax reform. The problems of inequality in income and wealth must be resolved as well along with comprehensive reform in our banking systems. Everyone must pay taxes fairly in accordance with their ability to pay. Corporate welfare and loopholes must be eliminated. Corporations must serve and produce for the people—not rule the people. This nation belongs to we the people—all of us—not just the rich and powerful.

This must change and you, the people, must change it with your vote in 2016.

In the mean time, this is Ronald Miller, www.sageobserver.blogspot.com, signing off. Email me at mtss86@comcast.net.

Edward Snowden

There are traitors and there are whistleblowers. Sometimes there is a fine line in-between. Sometimes there is even an overlap. In the final analysis, the determining factor as to which is which centers on loyalty and intent, i.e. did the “traitor” intend to destroy our country or did he intend to save it. Final judgment of Edward Snowden as to whether or not he is a traitor to our/his country must be based on this. 

I believe Edward Snowden is a whistleblower and not a traitor. He may be even a hero from one point of view. God only knows how far down the thorny path to tyranny our government would have taken us, if not for Edward Snowden. Secrecy and the classification of information in our country (in my opinion) have gone too far beyond the need for national security. One’s political security isn’t covered by the law. I submit to you that the power(s) of the NSA have been significantly abused to the detriment of our democracy, at times leaving even our Congress out of the “Loop”.

While I’m writing this, I want to make one additional observation. In legalese, there are the terms, de jure and de facto. De jure means “according to the law”, the way things are supposed to be. De facto means “in fact or in practice”, the way it’s really done or works in practice. What does this have to do with anything? It has to do with everything! I take exception with those who claim that Snowden had other courses which he could pursue in order to call this problem to the attention of government. Right—in terms of de jure, he did. Wrong!—in terms of de facto, he did not.

Did any of you read the recent article (last week) in the New York Times concerning the alleged abuse of employees by Amazon? Mr. Bezos, CEO of Amazon, responded by requesting his employees to report the abuses to management and they would be “looked into” (not good English—paraphrased, but you get the idea, I’m sure). Check out Amazon.com on Wikipedia and “click on” item 13.2, Working Conditions. It appears their problem with working conditions began in 2011. This is 2015. Do you really believe their de jure system for reporting to the top is working? From other cases about which I have read, it appears we aren’t enforcing the whistleblower laws we presently have on the books—so much for that other route to reporting.

Thank you, Edward Snowden. You have done a service to your country. When you came into office, Mr. President Obama, you promised transparency in government. I presume, consistent with your promise, you are in agreement with me.

In the mean time, this is Ronald Miller, www.sageobserver.blogspot.com signing off. Email me at mtss86@comcast.net.

  

The Next War

As I watched and listened to the debates last Thursday night, there was one recurring theme that, among some others, seemed to prevail throughout—WAR.

In the past, i.e. WWI, II, Korea, Vietnam, etc., etc., we fought, we killed, we destroyed, and we rebuilt. In WWIII, we will fight, we will kill, and we will NUKE. We will NOT REBUILD! There will be nothing left! WWIII will be a nuclear war! It will take hundreds, if not thousands, of years for the resultant radiation to dissipate. Also, if for no other reason, we cannot afford a conventional war. Just look at the national debts of all the nations involved. For all practical purposes, we are all broke. Can you imagine our country with a population of 320 million people taking on China with a population of 1.4 billion people in a conventional war? Are you kidding me? There is another thought which I wish to lay upon you. As most of you are aware, over the past many years we have been placing satellites in space to replace many of the analog systems we have used to control our electrical grids, internet, GPS, telecommunications, etc., in the past. I submit to you that World War III will probably begin with a strike on our satellites—possibly disarming us before we even start; and it could begin as quickly as the blink of an eye.

This world is under so much stress and disruption, so much greed and corruption, we may have another war no matter what we do—no matter whom we elect; but, come election time, be careful as for whom you vote. There are those who don’t mind who else’s son or daughter is killed as long as they can continue to make a profit from their blood.

In the mean time, this is Ronald Miller, www.sageobserver.blogspot.com signing off. Email me at mtss86@comcast.net.

Same Sex Marriage

          In our great nation, we have a population of approximately three hundred twenty million people with just as many viewpoints and opinions. Even my wife doesn’t agree with me all the time. This is in conjunction with our constitutional right to freedom of speech and thought. This having been said, I submit to you that when one exercises his (or her) right to free expression of their viewpoints and opinions, their implementation of which notwithstanding, they have the responsibility and obligation to know what they are talking about and the context within which they are being expressed. To this end, I want to express my understanding of the context in which our U.S. Supreme Court issued their opinion in the case of Obergefell v. Hodges re., marriage between two people of the same sex. I think I’m right in my thinking. If, however, you disagree, please let me know where I’m wrong. Please communicate tenderly, though, so as to not hurt my feelings and cause me to feel bad.

          The first fact which one must understand is that our nation was established as a secular nation with the rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, including freedom of religion and all other rights included in the first ten amendments to our Constitution. The right to not believe in a God is allowed right along with the right to believe. That’s why we call it freedom of religion. We have a division of church and state. I am a Christian and my understanding of God’s will is that we, as Christians, have the freedom of choice. We can accept our God or we can reject him. Jesus tells us (I’m paraphrasing, of course) to spread the word; and, if we are not received, we should shake the dust from our sandals and move on. Our religion is one of free choice. We are not forced. Jesus also tells us to give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s. What this all means, in my mind, is that we are to not mix our government with our religion—everyone is to be treated equal under the law, their religion notwithstanding.

          Second, and I am compelled to say this, we are taught that “no man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon (Matt’ 6:24)”. After its decision in the case of Citizens United v. FEC, I would have been surprised if SCOTUS had ruled in any other way in Obergefell v. Hodges—both cases are contrary to Biblical teachings. On the other hand, as I think about it, at least homosexuals were born the way they are. Corporations certainly were not (born people).

          This is neither here nor there with the subject of separation of church and state; but, in this country at any rate, it would appear that Christianity is fading—we are losing our faith. As we step aside and passively allow the Corporatocracy and Power Elite take over our government, it would seem to me that we more and more are replacing God with mammon. Past leaders of our nation such as the Roosevelts, Theodore (1901-1909) and Franklin Delano (1933-1945), contributed greatly toward braking their growth; but, beginning in the ‘70’s, and especially in 1981, the race to domination of our country by the oligarchy (our shadow government presently in power) of the Corporatocracy and Power Elite has been “on”; and it appears they are winning. In his book, Democracy in America, Alexis DeTocqueville warns us of the evil and danger of declining faith (and values) in a democracy.

In the mean time, this is Ronald Miller, www.sageobserver.blogspot.com, signing off. Email me at mtss86@comcast.net.

         

It’s Time For A Change

          When fantasy flows, everything glows; but, when it ends, life is grim. The great American fantasy, folks, is over; and it has been over for some time. It is just that we have been slow to open our eyes, our old living in the past relishing the afterglow of the prosperous fifties, and our young looking forward to conquering the world, unknowing of the past, taking the present for granted. Anyone knows that if you leave your purse, a symbol of your wealth, unattended in a shopping cart in a supermarket, there will be those who will try to steal it from you. Why in heaven’s name, therefore, would you not think there are those who would steal your rich and valuable democracy, and you the victim, be prepared to defend it?

          We understand the gun. As soon as a gun is fired, it has our attention. We act! We most certainly have no difficulty operating in that mode. Violence is our heritage. We have had one war after another throughout our history. We can win that kind of war whenever we want (when we are allowed—that is), but beware. Wars are the seen. It is the unseen by which we are threatened. It is the “thinking” wars wherein we fall short—where we are vulnerable and slow to act. It is the political con artists by whom we are threatened. Their propaganda, mind control, vast riches, and power are overwhelming, aided and abetted by our obsession with self, comfort, and other weaknesses. Not unlike a cancer, they spread and conquer while we “sleep”; and they are doing it now—right now, before your eyes!

          An election is coming. It will be here all too soon in November of 2016—the time will come quickly. Let us be awake and alert as well as informed of the issues—the seen and the unseen. In the course of political action by you, you not only have the power of your vote at the ballot box, you have the power of where you spend your money. If you support the corporations and the “big” money, that might just be what you get—their interests. If, on the other hand, you support those who represent the people, you just might get someone who supports you and your interests. If you study and do your best to “read between the lines”, you will find that this dilemma crosses party lines. The Corporatocracy and Power Elite who run our country isn’t bounded. Neither are they necessarily American or their interests American—witness the foreign donors to the Clinton Foundation (Ref: Clinton Cash: The Untold Story of How and Why Foreign Government and Businesses Helped Make Bill and Hillary Rich by Peter Schweizer), outsourcing of jobs to slave labor abroad, i.e. globalization, the many corporate inversions (Ref: my blogs of July 7, and August 29 of 2014), and the massive decrease in government revenues from corporate income taxes over the past years.

Oh yes! Let me not forget the, also massive, tax cuts to the very rich, the top one percent of us, during the past thirty-five years. Do you remember when the top rate was around ninety percent? It is now down to thirty-five percent with some paying fourteen percent (Ref: Willard Romney’s tax return published before the last election). Trust me. That fourteen percent is much less than some of you are paying. Patriotism seems to stop when it comes to paying one’s fair share of taxes according to one’s ability to pay as should be the rule. And it doesn’t stop here. You don’t have to go very far. The average working man today doesn’t earn any more money (adjusted for inflation) than he did in the late seventies just before Reagan came into office. Pretty words don’t put food on one’s table (Ref: Capital In The Twenty-First Century by Thomas Piketty).

Well now—where does that bring us? For whom do we vote? At times, it seems we’re damned if we do and we’re damned if we don’t—so to speak. In my mind, it’s time we vote for true representatives of the people. Not those who espouse the interests of the people and then, when the “rubber meets the road”, follow the demands of the “monied” interests, i.e. theirs—I’m not talking about those kind of representatives, the two-faced kind. I’m talking about those who truly have the interests of the American people and the nation at heart—party notwithstanding. I am talking about those who practice what they preach. Among others, not the least of whom are Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. True populists, they represent the nation and the people.

There are many very serious threats confronting our nation today, domestic and foreign. I dare say they threaten our very sovereignty as a nation and a people. In my mind, however, one must have their domestic problems under control before they can address those that are foreign. You have heard the saying many times, “United we stand. Divided we fall”. Again, in my mind, as I have said many times before, our first and foremost problem as a nation is that we the people must take back our democratic republic from the control of the Shadow Government controlled by the Corporatocracy and Power Elite. Our government must, once again, return to being a government “Of the people, by the people, and for the people”. Representatives must represent the people, corporations must serve the people, and ALL must serve the interests of The United States of America. This says it all!

How do we do this? I hope you read this, Bernie Sanders.

We must take money out of elections, i.e. politics. By this I mean we must have taxpayer paid political campaigns. Taxpayers are paying the bill indirectly through prices they pay in the marketplace anyway. Where do we think these billionaires get their money in the first place? All direct contributions from any source, personal or otherwise, should be outlawed.

Standardized national regulations and controls should be established over all elections throughout the nation with the elimination of gerrymandering; and every qualified citizen must have the right to vote, including convicted felons who have paid their debt to society.

Control over all lobbying and lobbyists should be implemented including the prohibition of lobbyists becoming elected representatives and elected representatives ever becoming lobbyists.

Establish a system of public access to healthcare for every qualified citizen of our nation modeled after our present Medicare system. It should and must be funded from a stand-alone, self-liquidating fund similar to that presently administered by Social Security from which all expenses are paid and into which all designated tax receipts are deposited. All taxes collected for the fund must be identifiable as such and the tax rates adjusted each year so as to “even out” surpluses and deficits each year.

The Social Security fund must be revised to act as a reasonable retirement plan for any and all citizens when they retire. Income and payments to and from the fund should be automatically adjusted annually so as to “even out” surpluses and deficits each year and eliminate lost time and money wasted by constant political bickering.

We must implement a comprehensive reform of our Federal Tax System beginning with Federal Income Taxes. I’m sure this is already in writing and on the table. There are those who have been working on it for a long time. It’s just a matter of doing it. Obviously, it should be progressive in its rate structure and based on the “ability to pay principle” While I’m doing this, let me add an applicable comment. We know what our needs are, and we know what are needs are going to be. We know these things. We have been working on them for a long time. So let’s quit the s_ _t. Let’s raise the necessary taxes and “gitter done”. I believe Thomas Piketty (Ref: above) said the top rate should be around eighty-five percent. The life of our country is at stake. During the 50’s our nation experienced the highest standard of living in history (Yes, including the “little guy”) and the rich did all right for themselves in spite of their taxes. It’s past time for the “gluttons” to get off it.

A long range plan must be established to pay off the national debt and it must be mandated that the plan will be followed. In conjunction with this, we should remove the cap from our debt; and, again, eliminate lost time and money wasted by constant political bickering. It’s long past time to conduct the business of our government like the business it is. As I have said in past postings to my blog, our elected representatives should be big enough to make the right decisions about money management without being treated like a bunch of school kids.

Although there is much more, this is enough to swallow for one sitting, so I am going to sign off for now. I am also not going to comment about our threats from foreign sources. There are too many unknowns behind the scenes or under the table, rendering me vastly unqualified. But I do wish to add one last thought relating back to paragraph six, above. When we were in Iraq and Afghanistan, we were told something to the effect that we were going to bring democracy to them—to their people. I think our government should practice what they preach and bring democracy to America. Instead, our representatives, not unlike Judas of old, have sold us out for “pieces of silver”, i.e. money and graft.

In the mean time, this is Ronald Miller, www.sageobserver.blogspot.com, signing off. Email me at mtss86@comcast.net.