Push 'n Scare, Betsy McCaughey, and Children of the Corn-esqe?

Well, I suppose I shall start off by mentioning an interview that, when I first found out, I was excited about; I speak of the interview of Betsy McCaughey and Jon Stewart. Yes, THAT Jon Stewart, host of The Daily Show.

Part 1 of the interview.

And Part 2.

In my personal opinion, I think she bombed. Hard. She got pwned! But that's just my opinion. Furthermore, she resigned from the board of directors of the Cantel Medical Corp. On the same day as her interview. I cannot say why, nor do I pretend to know. I'll leave that up to others to guess at.

It's no surprise that the GOP has been accused of fear-mongering. And I personally believe they are, to extreme levels.

A questionnaire accompanying the appeal says the government could check voting registration records, "prompting fears that GOP voters might be discriminated against for medical treatment in a Democrat-imposed health care rationing system."

It asks, "Does this possibility concern you?"

Katie Wright, a spokeswoman for the Republican National Committee, said the question was "inartfully worded."

But she said people should worry because government officials would have access to personal financial and medical data.

"The RNC doesn't try to scare people," said Wright. "We're just trying to get the facts out on health care. And that's what we do every day."

Missionaries in the Census, Religion and Dysfunction

I came across an article on MSNBC that caught my attention: "Utah told it can’t count missionaries in census" -I quote on part in particular.

The Census Bureau does count military and federal employees serving overseas, and Rob Bishop, R-Utah, says it should include Mormons on proselytizing missions.

"The bottom line should still be fairness and accuracy," Bishop said. "If we are currently counting some people abroad and not others, there is just no logic to that whatsoever."

Now, the article said later that there is simply no reliable way to count those overseas. But that's not the point I want to make. They count military and federal persons overseas, because they work for the government (and they're much more easily counted). They are out there under the whim of the government and/or military. Missionaries are not. Missionaries are sent out by a religious institution. I do not think they should be counted, because they work for a religious institution, are sent out by them. While I understand the purpose of a census, they are still living overseas for a religious cause, even if it is temporary. And, I don't think those living outside the U.S. should be counted, except for military, federal, or businesses. I say this, because they are not living in the U.S. yet their numbers could influence the House.

Follow Up: "Palin, the GOP, and Healthcare"

There are a few more points that I realize I did not address.

Firstly is the criticism that health care reform would "drive up the deficit." Well, to that I say, and? Just about everything involving reform or new programs costs money- at first. Think of it as buying a new car, or house, boat, anything large and expensive. First you put in a down payment. Well, the initial costs to implement this reform is like that; it's not the full payment up front, but rather, there is a starting cost. Then, every month after that down payment, you pay in installments. That is funding and taxation. Yes, it will cost a lot, and will add to the deficit at first, but the idea is saving a great deal later on.

Speaking on taxes, of course one of the GOP's central pillars of criticism is, "it'll raise taxes!" They use it like the boy who cried wolf. And that's essentially what it is. Taxation is good, if it is good representation. That is the problem. Representation. Taxes overall are not bad, and very much necessary for any civilization's economy, if it wants to survive.

The other point, is Medicaid. Yes, the lower-income families do get the support of Medicaid, but the problem here is that Medicaid is broken. From what I understand, it's overly difficult, and even then, what about those families who cannot afford insurance, yet are above the requirements of Medicaid?

Now I'm sure some would love to use that to support the idea that socialism is bad. Well, let me ask you then: why are socialist countries so successful with it? Take a look at France's health care system; it's beautiful, and it works. No, it's not that socialism is bad, or that it doesn't work. I think the problem is that, it is a socialist program written by capitalist politicians, in a heavily capitalist society. It's a matter of conflict between to very different political and economic philosophies, with one trying to survive within the other. It's prey living in a den of predators.

Yet hopefully, reform will be founded on learning what went wrong with previous programs.

Palin, the GOP, and Health Care

Recently, Palin expressed (or rather, echoed) her views on health care reform through Facebook. When I read what she had said, I was infuriated.

"And who will suffer the most when they ration care? The sick, the elderly, and the disabled, of course. The America I know and love is not one in which my parents or my baby with Down Syndrome will have to stand in front of Obama's 'death panel' so his bureaucrats can decide, based on a subjective judgment of their 'level of productivity in society,' whether they are worthy of health care. Such a system is downright evil."

I was shocked at this, although, I shouldn't have been. The idea of "death panels" like out of some 70s, 80s B-rated science fiction movie has been spread across the Republican base. People such as Glenn Beck or Rush Limbaugh spread this idea. They feed it. I find myself questioning if they really believe what they say, or if they say these things only to be against the Democrats and liberals. Possibly both, depending on the situation?

First Blog, First Post

At first, I honestly didn't much like the idea of a blog. But, with so much to say, and my tendency for wall of texts, well, I decided it would just make it easier. I would usually discuss matters such as politics (or, more often than not, rant).

With so much to say on my mind that comes up from reading the news, to talk it out with friends, I'm sure is a burden to have to listen to me.

That said, I am bias, in favor of liberalism. Of course I am, since I am a liberal myself. To say I wasn't would be a completely lie. But, I also know I sometimes use "conservatives" interchangeably with "Republican," although I know that is wrong. I'll try to keep from doing that.

With all that said, guess I better get started!