The Color of Stupid

Wow, just when you think you have encountered Stupid in every color visible to the human eye, bam! Some idiot shows up with Uninformed Opinions, lowering the definition of Stupid to a whole new level. Most popular case in point, our beloved president: two guys seen doing what looks like a break-in. Police respond. Harvard law professor who broke into his own home - because he what, lost his keys? - is arrested after refusing to show ID and getting semi-hostile with police officer. The professor is a buddy of the POTUS. So Oblama, unappraised of the facts, calls the police officer (and EVERY police officer) "stupid" because he arrested the professor.

Here's the twist. Obama was playing a race card, implying that police officers all do some kind of racial profiling, and oppress the black man. He brought Color to Stupid. In so doing, he insulted every honest, hard-working policeman in the country, men and women YOU WANT TO SHOW UP when you call 911. He called them stupid by virtue of their role.

There's national leadership for you. Actually, what that is is the un-teleprompter-governed blathering of a novice who wants the world to be color-blind while he is the farthest thing from it. What a national embarassment. But, I ask myself on that note: how is today different from any other? Oh yeah, it's not.

Thanks for playing.
:^\

The Big Evil Healthcare Industry!

OK I have absolutely had enough (again). I've just watched the President's press conference, which was largely centered on healthcare reform and the bill he's trying to ram through Congress.

Look. I'm not stupid. I completely tire of the healthcare industry being painted as the Big Evil Monster who is pillaging the country. I'd be near the front of the line to point out the problems with healthcare in the USA, but for the leader of the country to basically imply that the doctors and the health insurance companies are evil profit takers all out to get our wallets (not that he could ever be grouped with "our," what with a private doctor and all)? Come on. I'd categorize that as Ignorant and Unhinged and Unbelievable.

I'm supposed to believe that the market has no competition, so that's why the government needs to have an option, to force competition and lower costs. The government couldn't compete with a blind man in an archery contest. I'm not stupid. What would happen if the Post Office had competition? They'd be out of business.

I'm supposed to believe that the government is going to bring efficiency and reduce waste and fraud out of healthcare. Like they do with Medicare, right? Like they do with welfare, right? Right. I'm not stupid.

I'm supposed to believe that this healthcare plan will not cost the American taxpayers any additional money. You mean beyond the $650b downpayment? Or do you mean like the multi-trillion dollar expense the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office predicts it will cost? If I had a frontal lobodomy, I would still not be that stupid.

I'm supposed to be okay with a government plan covering 10 MILLION illegal aliens. No, I will never be okay with government-provided healthcare services to people who have no right to be in my country.

I'm supposed to tear up because 50 million people do not have coverage. But break it down. 10 million are illegal aliens. 19 million can afford it, but CHOOSE NOT to have healthcare coverage. That's 29 million, which leaves 21 million. Many of whom are presently elligible for Medicare. All dry eyes here so far. The problem is massively overstated in this regard. I call that Drama.

Many cry that something should be done. I agree. Something should be done. Hospital associations should stop resisting (via lobbying) the legal specialization of hospitals into value-added process shops. A growing number of hospitals have focused on just key areas, such as hip and knee replacements, have much lower costs than general hospitals (their competition), have extremely lower patient post-op issue rates than their competition, and consequently have a much better value and success rate. It should be allowed nationally for any hospital to specialize in any areas in which it chooses to. The efficiency of such precision medicine for ailments that are predictable in diagnosis and treatment drives down costs and drives up success rates of treatment. There are presently regulatory obstacles to that continuing, courtesy of our nation's two hospital associations, who are resisting change. But wait - yep, there's more.

The pharmaceutical industry should have its federal protection removed or at least paired back. As it is, it is federally protected and allowed to amortize all its research into the cost of new drugs. Those drugs eventually get cloned by the pharm industry in other countries (mainly Israel and India), and they end up in less-regulated markets (like Canada and Mexico) for a small fraction of the charge per pill in US dollars. Change the rules (in some effective way) - open the markets, and watch the costs drop.

Medical liability and tort law needs a big rip and replace. Start making the losers of frivilous lawsuits pay the expenses of the winners, and the number of lawsuits will drop. Take away pain and suffering damage awards from a jury, and put caps on them so hair-brained judges don't continue to feed the legal industry, and medical expenses will drop. I'm sure there's a heck of a lot more bloodsucking lawyer graft going on here, but this is all I am aware of at present.

Reform healthcare insurance law so that it is not illegal for a doctor to offer medical insurance plans directly to his patients (pushing the insurance industry out from in between the doctor and the patient/customer). Yes, that's pretty much illegal in most states. Make it legal. Watch innovative local doctors and doctor groups offer plans that are affordable and creative in meeting the basic healthcare needs of their markets. Costs will go down. Service will go up.

Those are just 4 brief examples of at least 72 or more. You want to reform the healthcare industry? Okay, reform it. Plenty of places to start. But launching a new government healthcare program will be like launching the Titanic. It will hit a glacier of cost explosion and service implosion, shortly after onboarding 100 million new passengers freshly forced from the land of private health insurance, and it will sink them all in an ocean of debt and healthcare disservice. Unnecessary suffering and premature death will ensue on a massive scale. I kid you not.

If you don't believe me, ask yourself this question: can you name one thing the government does effectively, beside collect taxes and defend this nation? Name one. Can you? I didn't think so.

Thanks for playing.

:^/