What has made America great?

I think that most people will agree that there are some very obvious contributions to the success of the American experiment. Among the intangible things are: the spirit of innovation, the genius of inventive endeavors, the concept that if you build a better mouse trap people will buy it, a proclivity to find better ways of doing things, for example: Henry Ford and his concept of mass assembly production of automobiles. Then the never ending contributions from the diversity that other cultures have brought with them when they immigrated to America and last but not least; as well as the premise that all men are created equal; not really, all men are different but they are equal under the law.

Among the tangible things we can readily point out that America has resources. America benefited from the bountiful crops of grains to the almost inexhaustible fuel supplies. The terrain did not make it any easier but Americans succeeded in making all peoples and products accessible; at first with the building of the railroads, followed by the aviation pioneering and in the middle of the last century with the construction of a grid of Interstate highways that truly united these United States.

The underpinnings of all this resounding success also was fomented by the existence of what most of us believe used to be a true democratic process: one person, one vote. It was an accepted premise that the people, for the people and by the people elected representatives to go to the Nation’s capital to enact laws for the common good. Only it has not turned out that way as of late. The constituents elect representatives and they turn around once they arrive in Washington and begin to represent the interests of powerful and rich individuals and corporations. These are done through the work of lobbyists who secure influence and power to enact legislation that is only beneficial to those they are paid to represent. Damn the constituents then.

There are currently many critics that are voicing objections and criticisms of the inability of the economic rescue or bail out to filter down to the general population and to have an effect on the reduction of unemployment. The answer is so simple and so obvious: President Bush and his Republican cronies were more interested in coming to the aid of their peers, the rich and powerful banks and insurance companies. The staggering sums that were provided to them did prevent a total collapse of the banking system and stock markets but that is where it all stopped.

This brings me to my next point: that when you give to the rich, the money is then hoarded. The banks still did not make loans, the small businesses continued to fail and with it the unemployment rose to record highs. It is the perfect example of why “trickle down” economics don’t work.

Insurance Companies win….America loses

Just as I have been ranting on numerous occasions, the outcome was exactly as I predicted. There will be no Public Option and the Health Care legislation that is going to be passed is insignificant and counterproductive. A lot of you said that I was being NEGATIVE and PESSIMISTIC. But as we speak, Insurance Company fat cats are quietly and cautiously celebrating in their Boardrooms. What a sweetheart deal for them! They are going to get more than 30 million new customers, and they are now emboldened enough that they will continue to raise premiums. Surely, they are going to be laughing all the way to the bank and after they get to their home in the Hamptons they will open a bottle of very expensive champagne…or maybe not…they might be too busy getting shit faced drunk on piña coladas with little umbrellas in them somewhere in a Caribbean resort.

What this does prove is what I have been saying all along…that DEMOCRACY in America is only an illusion. The voters elect Congress to go to Washington and represent their constituent’s desire for change and when they get there they start serving a different master and get pocketed by the lobbyists.

But I am going to further predict that this is only the beginning of a very tedious and painful struggle. There will have to be millions of more Americans who will either lose their lives or their wealth before any significant legislation is enacted to offer solutions and competition. When that happens, I am not going to lose any sleep if the Insurance companies close their doors, nor am I going to feel sorry for those executives living La Dolce Vita in the Hamptons when they are evicted from their homes.

The INSURANCE COMPANIES SERVE NO USEFUL PURPOSE BUT BEING THE MIDDLEMAN TO SKIM PROFITS AND PROVIDE NO SERVICE OR ANYTHING REEDEEMING.

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Raulito’s commentary

Dick the dick Cheney is at it again. He has now used the Constitutional definition of a traitor I ("think it'll give aid and comfort to the enemy”). Now, that takes gall. For a former Vice-President to come out and say what he did, when his boss George W. and all his crony friends were trampling the constitution, making up laws as they went along and torturing prisoners, he is not one to call the kettle black. Enough said. I think that Cheney, whether he likes it or not will have a legacy as a footnote in the history books as the radical right wing manipulator and evil man that he is.

On churches that repudiate gays.

I think they are missing the boat. There is no doubt in my mind that churches are a business. They are just as much a business as a movie theater. They get them in there every week and the theater sells you popcorn, a chocolate bar and a diet coke. The churches don’t give you shit, instead, you just put your money on the collection plate and they reassure you that you will be saved. Pretty sick joke if you ask me, to promise eternal salvation if you are a “believer”.

But as churches become less relevant while the general population is more educated and informed, they should be looking into accepting gays in their congregations. Going even further would be financially sound for them because even if gay people are enlightened, some still carry the heavy baggage of faith and will adhere to a religion that offers them unions between people of the same sex.

It is a matter of economics, the survival of religion depends on how relevant they are with the modern world. If they are going to be clinging on to the 14^th century as the Muslim religion does, then they are bound to lose followers.

But if these right wing fanatics are in favor of killing the gays as they want to do in Uganda; then they must hang Larry Craig, Foley and Barney Frank. We might as well get the firing squads ready to take care of adulterers like Ensign and Governor Mark Sanford. Can you imagine what America would be like if they succeed in turning it into a theocracy?