Good Saturday Morning,
I have not expired, nor left this earth. I apologize to those of you who have wondered where my blog posts have gone. I took a leave due to the level of work I am committed to here, in addition to my overwhelming despair about the worst presidential election in history. Thinking it could sink no lower, it did.
I am not surprised about Trump's comments about women- I made my decision on him long ago when I came to the conclusion that::
1. He was willfully ignorant on the issues and wore that ignorance as a badge of pride, and
2. He believed himself entitle to abuse people he held lower than him.
So, his recently released comments neither surprised me, nor changed my opinion. To all of the women in America, you are perfectly entitled to tell him to go F**K himself, as he so eloquently puts it..
But it continues to amaze me that those same women, and a good number of men, would blindly accept the other major candidate, a candidate who simply does not believe telling the truth is in her interest. Yesterday, as well, transcripts of her speeches were released, where she confirmed that every politician needs both "a public and a private position." That means, I will lie to you.
Now I realize that you may believe she will implement policies she says are important to her and to you, but why would you believe that? If she openly expresses her willingness to lie, what makes you so special? I made my mind up on her a long time ago as well. My principles will not permit me to vote for any candidate I do not trust, not because I dislike their policies, but because a politician who does not believe in telling the truth to the American people does not trust them, because she believves she is better than them.
See a pattern here?
I am done with our elected leaders getting away with asserting positions for me because they know more and have the answers.
One example, real life, that I intentionally experienced so I could express facts not conjecture.
This year, under my Affordable Care Act, I pay a monthly premium of $652.43 a month. I have a high deductible policy, and it is one of the least expensive premiums available. I am entitled to one complete physical each year, and then I am required to pay $6450.00 in out of pocket expenses before the policy kicks in to help.
The way I see it, my elected leaders decided it was a good idea for me to risk fine unless they forced me to buy an insurance policy that effectively costs me $14,740 for a physical. Blood pressure, temperature, and history questions. With a Nurse Practitioner.
The affordable care act is coming apart, and the American people, sold an impossible dream based on lies told by their elected leaders, are suffering.
And I have heard all the excuses- and they are lies too.
We have lowered our standards so that we will accept as our President anyone who sells us enough dirt to cover up their opponents.
For me, at least, that is not enough. And I know all the justifications- Supreme Court judges, Hyde amendment, immigration.. all of which sounds to me like, well, I know my choice is really bad, but hey, I can get and keep what I want at least. Is there a more selfish act in our political toolbox than accepting and making a choice because it pleases you?
So I am taking a break from my blog and my dismay, and I will work with UCLA Extension on technical issues to telecast a class from my office here on the farm, so I can deal with these issues as I need to do: with reason, with facts and with my unwavering demand that my students to as well.
We shall see how that plays out- and until then, happy hunting. Oh wait, I cant even say that. I have triggered some deep emotional angst about Second Amendment rights, or implicitly called on one of you to harm another human being, or some innocent animal, and for those offenses I plead, no contest.
Kurt
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7 comments:
Thanks for communicating with us again. I do hope you can arrange for a class broadcast from there!
I think many of us feel your despair. I guess I accepted the fact, years ago, that all politicians say one thing and do another. Maybe I'm too cynical, but that just seems to be the way it is. I'm more concerned about her lack of real leadership ability. But, that seems to pale in comparison to his stupidity.
Also, I agree Obamacare is a failure, but so is the system we have had for years. The whole healthcare system needs to be totally changed....which, of course, will never happen. We really haven't had a free market when insurance companies are regulated by each state and when employers are in the business of being in he middle of providing insurance. I think we either need a real free market (which I'd prefer) or a single payer system.
Welcome back!
Assuming that Hillary wins, how does she govern with the frenzy Trump has whipped up about the election being stolen? The Republicans fought against Obama from the moment he was elected and then called his presidency a failure (which many of us disagree with). We used to pride ourselves on accepting the results of an election even when our candidate lost -- even when the Supreme Court selected George W Bush, we may have complained but we accepted -- and Congress worked with him. Is this talk of election theft and a rigged system going to leave us ungovernable?
Oh, tis indeed, a sad predicament we have found ourselves in! Yet the roots are pretty cleary. Newt Gingrich and his "Contract with America" in the 90s sold the public on the concept that compromise was weak and corrupt. Lest we forget, our Constitution was called "the Great Compromise". Compromise is the lubricant of democracy, without it the engine of freedom siezes and we turn toward demagogues. Seems to me we are facing a nominee who is a demagogue in this election. Then Fox news sold propoganda as hard news and spawned ever more false news outlets, many of which sell paranoid conspiracy theories as fact. Then the internet and search engines read our moves and targets and pushes information to us which matches our biases. This exacerbates division, hatered and resentment. So my friends we are left with an establishment figure pushing old ideas (albeit, she has been pushed lef by Sanders); and a demagogue, petty authoritaian figure pushing a doommsday scenario that only he and he alone can fix. Not great choices. But it seems clear that the former represents at least a sane choice.
Finally, Obama was thwarted completely in his attempts to govern by a congress that avowed to be totally obstrucitionist. Health care was hamstrung by an uncompromising congress that resulted in a bastardized version of what could work. Insurance companies had no value to the supply chain, they just take thier cut and raise costs. That would have continued at even a faster rate had nothing been done.
But let us not dwell on individual policies in this limited forum. Needless to say, we need changes. Needless to say, we need to get back to the idea of compromise to solve our problems and move forward. Moving backwards is not only improssible, but never the answer. Giving up is giving in. Don't give up...
Further I would like to refer you to Michelle Obama's speech yesterday in New Hampshire. If you have access to New Yorker on line, also read Amy Davidson's comment on that speech. That should be enough to make you not give up.
Please, please know you are being greatly missed here in Los Angeles, aka UCLA OSHER classes and by your students!
When and where will we know about the telecast?
Today, a week after the election, the future suddenly appears more uncertain than ever, one can feel the anxiety and fear ...
Karin
Please come back. We need your insight!
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