I am so disturbed about the state of my country. I just cannot comprehend how the euphoria of November has turned into total chaos.
It seems as though a great number of people listen to ONLY a few voices on the radio and look at (as opposed to reading) ONLY a few websites and believe, parrot, and act on whatever instructions are given to them. They do not seem to question or research anything that they are told. If these people really believed that the government is spending too much money and the deficit is out of control where were they for the 8 years of George W Bush's Presidency? They cannot really think that this all just happened. The TARP program and the "takeover" of the automobile industry was started while GEORGE W BUSH WAS PRESIDENT. Why weren't these so called believers out on the streets screaming and carrying ridiculous signs then? More than a few "protesters" have gone ballistic over "government takeover health care" but then indicate that they are on Medicare, A SINGLE PAYER GOVERNMENT RUN HEALTH CARE SYSTEM. Some of these people are unbalanced and do not live in the world that you and I live in, but most are reasonably intelligent people who participate in society but are so ill informed that it has become dangerous. They do not read. They would NEVER actually see what the New York Times, Washington Post, Time, Newsweek or any information outlet had to say about an issue. They only believe Rush or Sean or emails that come to them from like-minded individuals. They are forever referencing the Constitution and the Founders, but they really have no idea what the Constitution really says or what the Founders wanted. For example Michele Bachmann recently told Sean Hannity on Fox that members of the House had to represent their constituents' wishes, IT IS IN THE CONSTITUTION. No it isn't. No where in the document does it state this. She also went on to say that Health care reform as it is proposed is unconstitutional because the enumerated powers do not include funding health care. to quote Barney Frank, "what planet do you live on?" Does she not know that there is The Preamble and implied powers? Article I sec 8 clause 18 was interpreted by the Supreme Court in McCulloch v Maryland to say that Congress could pass laws that were implied by the enumerated powers, hence a national bank could be created. And that pesky Preamble with the call to "promote the general welfare". Why does Michele Bachmann think the Court has not declared Medicare unconstitutional? Where does she think national roads, paper money, aid to education, national institute of health, EPA, Social Security, the FED, or any other government agency that performs a function not specifically enumerated in Article I, sec 8 clauses 1-17 come from. I am sure that all those regulars who heard her did not question, did not think, they just went out and repeated it to someone else.
I am putting blame on President Obama, the Democratic Congress, and the Media. Obama should not have believed for one minute that these people would compromise. He needs to take a stand and get it done. What in the world are the leaders of Congress doing? When will someone stand up and do what is right? Those in the media who are actually journalists and understand the political system and the history of this country need to report what the Constitution actually says, they need to call into question the ridiculous rantings of the right. Donations from the health care industry to every member of Congress need to be reported.
4 comments:
You have not read the document, Article I sec 8 CLAUSE 18!!!!!!!!! Supreme Court decisions are the Constitution! when the Supreme Court interprets the Constitution that interpretation IS the Constitution, hence IMPLIED POWERS.
#1. The Bush Budget deficit before TARP was $482 billion.
Yesterday Reuters reported the Obama administration changed their deficit estimate to $9 trillion dollars. People have a right to be upset- this is insane.
One of the biggest myths about President Bush was that he was a true blue conservative. He never ran or called himself such-
With regard to Medicare. I would venture to guess that if you asked Medicare beneficiaries if they would take all the money they have payed in + what their employer contributed + interest over the years, in exchange for leaving the program and purchasing their own insurance they would do it in a heartbeat.
Today we have $60T in unfunded liabilities in the Social Security and Medicare programs- that is unsustainable.
Bernie your deficit figures are wrong!!!! It appears you are confusing debt with deficit. Why don't we really ask all those Medicare and SS beneficiaries if they want to give up their payments. "Keep your hands off my Medicare" is heard at every townhall meeting. If Bush was not a conservative and the right had so much trouble with him why weren't there protests in the street? Why now. Read the Rich column in NYT today...the answer lies there.
Post a Comment