Curmudgeon's Corner
cur-mud-geon: anyone who hates hypocrisy and pretense and has the temerity to say so; anyone with the habit of pointing out unpleasant facts in an engaging and humorous manner
Post-Labor Day Thoughts...
Another Labor Day has come and gone, and we are back in the work-a-day world, if we're fortunate enough to have jobs.
The "August Recess" of Congress is over. The "debate" over health care will re-heat very quickly. Our president will speak to us on Wednesday. He'll probably give us a more definitive view of what he thinks health care reform is, or ought to be. Had he done that early-on, he might've already been in position to sign a bill, or several bills. We must become very careful listeners at this point because this promises to be a rapidly changing political arena.
Our elected representatives have supposedly heard from the "grass roots" now that they've conducted their version of "listening sessions". Will this experience have changed any of their minds? We should not expect that to have happened since they, for the most part, believe that they know better than we what is good for us.
There are physician/politicians in Congress who are apparently ill-informed as to how our health care system works. If not ill-informed, then they must have forgotten their Hippocratic Oath since they are about to do us great harm, and one can only presume they get something back from those in power that causes them to sell us out.
There are words that come to mind. Words like "trustworthy" and "honest" and "caring". Words like "power" and "elite" and "pompous".
Let's face it. Some of those we've elected and re-elected are simply not worthy of our trust; and they are certainly, as the result, not worthy of any more votes in their behalf. We're involved with something that touches everyone of us...health care. This is not child's play. This isn't something that carries with it a "do over" clause. With the substantive changes being discussed today, we'd be hard-pressed to change back even if given a decade or two in which to do so. And yet, the political class knows what is best...at least for them...today. If they survive this battle to fight another, they'll have gotten a victory; never mind that you and me will suffer as the result. We don't count; they are the ones that count.
Us voters operate at a distinct disadvantage. For starters, we believe what we hear. We trust those we send to Washington, and to Madison, for that matter. We don't hold their feet to the fire often enough. We cannot imagine that we'd ever do anything so rotten as to hear what those we represent want and then go back to the seat of power and do the contrary. That is true no matter the issue. We are a gullible lot, us voters; and, the political class understands that, and plays it for all its worth.
Do I sound cynical? That's because I have become cynical about politics...through experience.
We have a deficit that we'll not overcome for several lifetimes, and we're about to spend even more money without any idea if what we're buying will work. That makes no sense at all. There are ways to go about this that do not turn the world of health care delivery and financing upside down.
Think there's a chance that reason will prevail? We'll see, but, in the meantime, be vigilant and be involved. Be civil but be persistent. Do not back down in the face of sarcasm or huffiness. Tell it the way it is and tell it over and over again.
The Labor Day week-end weather was great though. Wasn't it?
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The Curmudgeon Blog today is titled "Czars".
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