I support a progressive agenda and appreciate the even temperament and intelligence of President Obama. So I’ve looked into healthcare a little deeper and have come to appreciate this cause a little more.

I see H.R. 3200 as having 4 components. The first is changing the rules for commercial insurers so that they can no longer cherry-pick their customers. The second is strengthening Medicare through adjustment of the rules and broadening coverage of the preventive aspects of care, with the intention of reducing emergent disease and reducing expenses with Part D and Medicare Advantage plans. The third is the mandate that will both get more Americans in to see a doctor and greatly reduce the uncompensated care in hospitals. The fourth is the healthcare exchange concept where a government run plan will be one of the choices for a basic insurance option. Without this aspect, we will simply be delivering 30-40 million new customers to commercial insurers without any incentive to contain costs.

What if we approached this more incrementally? I think the urgency is driven by the trajectory of the costs. Health insurance costs have risen 5% in the past year, while general inflation is -1.5%. According to research published by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the American Hospital Association, family insurance premiums for employer-provided insurance now cost $13,375 annually, with workers paying an average share of $3,515 and employers paying $9,860.

According to the study, premiums have jumped 131% during the past decade. That is 3 times the rise in workers’ wages and 4 times general inflation. 42% of companies plan to raise the premium to employees, 36% plan to increase the deductible amounts, 39% plan to increase the office visit copays, and 37% plan to increase prescription costs.

Only 2% of firms are very likely to drop coverage completely, and 6% are somewhat likely to drop coverage. Projecting that 2% figure out over 10 years, around 17% (1 in 6), of those with company-sponsored health insurance today will be losing their insurance and either purchasing their own plan or losing coverage completely.

That’s why a plan that looks like Medicare for all, or a mechanism to use competition and risk-spreading to move costs downward, is so important for Americans. Health insurance status quo is a poor option.

Another friend was complaining about those people who you show interest in — out of courtesy — and they go on and on about themselves, but in the end they know nothing about you or what you are thinking or feeling. Communication is a one way street. You ask them about work, they go on and on and on, never does it come to, “and how about you, what’s happening at your place?” The world is full of these people. They constantly show they have no interest in anyone besides themselves. Does it never occur to them to ask a question in return?

It can get worse. In families, the mention of one sibling’s job can instantly bring the conversation to what another sibling is doing at work. Or a mention of one nephew immediately turns the conversation towards another. The funny thing is that it almost has to be a defense mechanism and not disrespect. The person who is moved to the superior position is being defended somehow. I wonder how I know about that?

Last on my rant list is the case where you start to talk about something that pertains to you, and the listener turns it into something about them. I say, “Boy, my boss didn’t understand how much he upset Jim when he called him ‘dumb as a rock’.” The other person says, “My coworkers are all dumb as rocks, but the stupid bosses won’t tell them. One time, there was a meeting and blah blah blah.”

None of these things are overt behaviors designed to hurt other people. Not that they couldn’t be, they just usually aren’t. It is strictly a self-awareness issue. We think we are more aware than we are but in this way, we’re a little asleep.

Takeaway lessons:

1. You shouldn’t assume you know better than another person because you might be wrong. Also, everyone should be able to enjoy the journey of trial and error, building knowledge from the ground up, etc., and who the heck do you think you are anyway to shove your views on another person unasked?
2. If you’ve finished a conversation, walked away from the person, and never asked them a question then you haven’t had a real conversation, have you? That should stop.
3. The family thing will never change.
4. If someone is telling you about themselves, you shouldn’t use it as a launching board to talk about yourself. Respect and relationships say you listen to the other person no matter how little it interests you.

Now this from left field. This all reminds me of Gurdjieff and the sleeping masses. The teacher Gurdjieff proposed that the ordinary state of humanity was sleep.  Many live their entire lives without being aware that something more is possible, imagining that they are fully conscious. People don’t try to wake up, because they don’t know they are asleep.

I am fully awake — okay not really — but I know that by recognizing the behaviors that are jarring in their lack of self-awareness, it moves me to become a little more self-aware.

Keynes theories don’t seem to negate Smith’s but they add a dimension. Keynes believed in the circular flow of money. One person’s spendings goes towards anothers earnings, and that person’s spent earnings supports another person’s earnings. This circle continues on and helps support a normal functioning economy. When a depression or serious recession hits people’s natural reaction is to slow spending. However, under Keynes’ theory this stops the circular flow of money, keeping the economy at a standstill. Keynes’ solution to this poor economic state is to prime the pump by using institutions like government and the Federal Reserve to step in and stimulate the economy through spending and lower interest rates.

Supply side economics is a part of Smith’s theory. If Jones gets more money he will create more jobs allowing more people to purchase his or someone else’s products. Keynes recognized that wealth at the top is not spent to the same degree as money given to the middle and lower income people. Therefore it’s important to manage the demand, even saying that saving should be limited to encourage the flow of money.

Adam Smith’s theories can’t be disputed on the surface, but there are a number of factors that confound it in the current world. Workers are less free to move from industry to industry because we have become a specialist society. The flow of labor from one line to another gets restricted. Assembly line workers don’t become Radiology Technicians without retraining that takes time and money.

Another confounder is the international nature of business. Megacorp outsources its accounting department but the workers can’t move to another country to work so the market’s invisible hand doesn’t get activated. Since wages go to that other country, spending drops in the U.S. creating a surplus of goods leading to less need for other sectors, more unemployment, etc. The growth starts heading downwards as the reduction of income causes a reduction in demand which causes a reduction in income.

We should also consider the merger mania has had a negative effect on the flow of labor from unsuccesful industries to successful industries. The losses and gains are all kept internal to the large corporations and opportunities for new players or migrating workers is lessened. Even if billions of dollars were available it wouldn’t be enough to challenge most large corporations for market share. Greed causes the income of successful companies to be directed to management and shareholders instead of the workers that created the success.

Now we’ll let Ravi Batra into the ring. Ravi Batra is a present day economist, author, and SMU professor. He writes that productivity is the main source of supply, whereas wages are the main source of demand. Real wages must increase as productivity is increasing or a gap occurs. If this wage-productivity gap keeps rising over time, supply will rise faster than demand and the result is overproduction. Overproduction leads to higher unemployment because when businesses don’t sell what they produce, they lose money, and when they lose money, they have to lay off people.

Some of the factors leading to the gap today include the overuse of credit (fueled by an overheated housing market), outsourcing to lower wage countries, lack of a trade policy that could cushion the effect of cheap imported goods displacing production at home, and over-taxation on the working class caused by under-taxing the top earners. (This has Ronald Reagan’s hands all over it.) In Batra’s view, the credit and banking problems today (2009) are not the cause of the problem, they are the result of the productivity gap. He says, “This will entail breaking up companies, raising taxes on the rich and lowering them for the poor. I’m not sure the country is ready for this yet, but it will be once we fall deeper into the abyss.” Scary.

Now I need a takeaway lesson. Hmmm. How about the idea that market economies are the best way to provide the most success for the most people, but that there are enough factors interfering with the actions of the market to make a hands-off approach unfeasible. Economies thrive on demand, so it is time we started accepting the idea that the success of the average worker is success for the economy at large. The worker’s gains must get in line with productivity while we work to adjust the factors that lead to productivity gaps and use a Keynesian approach to regulating them.

He doesn’t need to train the hammer how to hit a nail.

The hammer doesn’t need to know how to do the carpenter’s work.

The carpenter doesn’t want the hammer to do the job of a wrench.

The hammer doesn’t need to know how to be a wrench to do a hammer’s job.

The carpenter is not unhappy with the hammer because it is not a wrench.

The carpenter doesn’t promise big things to the hammer to make it want to become a wrench.

Too obscure? Sorry.

The interesting thing about the posting boards is that they have a shelf life of 2 days. The first day they are listed with the intro text, the second day a link, the third day gone. In the 2 days they can have up to 150 comments. Many are by the same posters. There are very few people who post their opinions who are in the middle of the road.

Back to guns. A recent letter about guns said, “Shame on Mayor Daley! How dare Mayor Daley declare that taxpaying, law-abiding, legal citizens be prohibited from practicing our God-given, Constitutional right of self-defense, while he has the audacity to use money from those same taxpayers to provide armed security guards for himself and his family! It is time for Illinois to catch up to the other 48 states that currently allow for a civilian license to carry a concealed weapon. ”

Now, I think that concealed weapons is a bad idea. There’s a few reasons why over at the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence Website. Check it out here: http://www.bradycenter.org/issues/concealedcarry/

The point I want to make is that there is no middle ground in these discussions. The macho posturing and anger is just crazy. Since these are all going away, I thought I would preserve them at wc:

For the “elitest” “Naziwannabe” crowd in this state (in Chicago/Cook County and state government) to use an unConstitutional “law’ to deny us our God given right is criminal and corrupt! We are at their mercy.

I would rather be judged by twelve than carried by six.

Dailey canot let the Potato Famine IRISH cary guns they might get to think they are PEOPLE.

I have a right and a DUTY to protect myself, my family and my property – liberals can hide in terror waiting minutes to hours for the police – I have trained and also trained my wife to utilize any available tool (including firearms) to protect ourselves – we do not and will not live in fear – ours is a confident existence. God Bless the 2nd Amendment!! To the gun fearing libs – call me when danger approaches.

Well you wont be in my crossfire, I hit what I aim at, and I dont have to prove that to anyone, yes I have a CCW but not for this state, and yes when I travel as soon as I hit the state lines I proudly slip my IWB holster into place with my SA 1911 into it, she rides so proudly.

blah blah blah, every excuse to oppose me defending myself and my family while out in public. The Brady bunch (referring to Jim and Sarah Brady’s organization), what a bunch of monkeys playing with footballs at best.

And the winner is:

Why don’t all of you chicken crap pansies who don’t like the idea that good folks have a right to bear arms go bury your heads in the sand! What pathetic arguments you make. You’ll motor down the freeway and not give a thought about reckless and drunk drivers who you share the road with; people who are mathematically far more likely to cause you harm or death, but you’re worried about responsible citizens carrying a concealed gun for their own safety? People who mathematically are virtually no threat to you whatsoever! Grow up for cripes sake! Take your crappy little arguments and go home. Find a real problem to complain about. Sheesh. This crap is getting old. They said the sky would fall in every state that instituted concealed carry. Guess what? No shoot-outs over parking places, no increase in violent crime. The naysayers have been proven wrong every time. Quit whining, pull your head out of your butt and check the facts.

So why are these people so in love with their guns, so sure they need protection, and so angry? It gets a little frightening to think that angry people with guns think you suck. Luckily, they only know your screenname. The spelling is real, not satirical.

I’m pretty convinced that the political leanings of Americans are basically a bell curve. The highest point is the middle ground. In statistical terms, the 1st standard deviation, roughly 34% to the left and right of the center are not all that far apart in their attitudes about government. The 2nd standard deviation are the people who treat their politics as if there were insurmountable differences from their opposite wing brothers and sisters. That would be another 14% or so on each side. Then that last 2% are the far right and the far left. They are vocal, accusatory, and generally won’t listen to reason.

The farther you are from the center, the more you think positions in the center look extreme. That’s why those towards the far right think the media is so liberal, while the far left think of the “corporate media” in unflattering terms.

To bolster the argument of an even distribution, look at these recent popular vote totals:

2004: Bush 51%, Kerry 48%
2000: Bush 47.9% Gore 48.4% 
1996: Dole 40.71% Clinton 49.24% (Perot around 8%)

Of course, it’s the Electoral College that determines the winners and those figures won’t match the popular vote percentages. But there are no mandates being handed out, one side is squeaking by the other.

I believe it is time for both sides to understand that we are all Americans. We all want America to be a prosperous place to live and raise our families. We may have different ideas about the role of government but the divisions are not insurmountable. An American strength is believing all men (and women of course) are created equal and the poorest have the same rights as the richest and vice versa. Another strength is our independent outlook. We shouldn’t be sheep or lemmings or be easily led by propaganda.

While some Christians were praying for rain to ruin the Democratic convention the source of that rain, hurricane Gustav, was wreaking havoc on Haiti. This should be an eye-opener that the polarization of political views are not the moral high ground.

One of the most dangerous and unfortunate part of political life is the wedge issue. Things like oil drilling, abortion, women’s rights, healthcare, and other slices of political opinion are promoted to drive a wedge that forces people to follow one candidate or the other. That’s why the pro-life people assume that the choice people are pro-abortion. I don’t think anyone is pro-abortion. Some of the same leaders who are raised up on the support of pro-abortion religious people support military might over diplomacy (ignoring thou shalt not kill) and a reduction of the government’s support for those in need, ignoring Jesus’ message to feed the hungry and clothe the naked.

In the end, it’s tolerance and compromise that make it all work. Presidential claims to the contrary, they will not enact programs. Laws are made by Congress. If we demonize each other then what comes next? Civil war? Let’s feel the same kind of unity that 9/11 produced as we work through these difficult economic times. The barking dogs who preach divisiveness can be silenced simply by public indifference. Politicians using the wedge issues to serve themselves can be neutralized when we understand that personal positions can be worked on at the grassroots level rather than by expecting government to enact laws that affect everyone.

What does that have to do with baggage? In an environment where these things are not utilized (or recognized), we become frustrated. These positive attributes become baggage to deal with. If we pride ourselves in a trait, and we’re in a place at work or home where that trait is not valued, then we become frustrated. If we’ve taken the time to develop an attribute we’ve admired and it does not carry any weight among those you associate with, then we wonder what’s wrong with the other people.

The easy answer is that we should go somewhere else where the traits are appreciated. I suspect that this course of action will not necessarily lead to an improved situation. When the situation is particularly toxic, perhaps because of jealousy or the ambitions of others, then it makes perfect sense to shake the dust from your sandals, as someone said, and move on. If there are still positive aspects to a job or relationship, then the right approach is to adjust expectations.

Can we have respect for our own hard-earned improvement without external feedback? This is the only way to be. Right action without expectations is the best frame of mind. Avoiding negativity and pushing through difficulties is a challenge, but in the end we need to remain flexible and let the universe handle the rest.

******************************************************

Carmelita smiles.
Broadly without pretense.
Heavier hearts ache knowing such things have been lost.

Carmelita laughs.
Effortlessly. Often.
Only a soul still light could produce such a sound.

If she were a child it could be understood,
She’d still be untouched by worry and sacrifice;
Many children laugh and smile sweetly,
But she hasn’t been a child for many long years.

Were you such a child? Easily understood?
Or did you think too much, hurt too easy,
Did you need to know more, see more;
Did the laughter escape all that freely?

Carmelita loves.
She breathes in the world like a good smell,
She swims through its warm water,
Carmelita smiles at me.

******************************************************

The Consumer’s Prayer

Lord…
and Taylor, You Maketh Me to Walk in Macy’s,
the Limited and Carsons.
Grant Me Saks, Nordies and Bloomies,
and Deliver Me From K-Mart, Forever and Ever,
Amen.

70% of what America produces is consumed by Americans. If they don’t have the money to purchase as much as they have in the past, then the economy suffers.

Trickle-down economics is a myth. If you put money into the upper end of the food chain (rich people or rich companies) it sticks there. Voodoo trickle-down has starved the consumer, the consumer drives the economy, the economy has been weakened.

In support of the Voodoo POV, as of 2007 the number of Millionaire households had grown for the fifth consecutive year. While growth rates have slowed, the number of millionaires has nearly doubled in these 5 years. While the rich got richer, the majority have held their ground or slipped behind.

Then, the war in Iraq has had a double effect. First, 2% of the world’s oil supply was disrupted and lower supply led to higher prices. (In June of 2008 it was announced that Iraq’s oil exports, most of which come from southern oil fields around Basra, had risen above 2 million barrels a day for the first time since the invasion in 2003. The peak production from Iraq during the 1980s was closer to 3.5 million barrels per day.) Then, $10 to $11 billion a month of unfunded spending has been supporting the war. That, in addition to the rest of the $250 billion budget deficit, weakens our dollar. The result is that imports, including oil, cost more.

Department of Defense spending, for the military and the War on Terror®, has ballooned to between $600 and $700 billion per year–well over half of the government’s discretionary funding. It’s time to rethink the idea that military solutions best serve the nation and start cutting the DoD budget. We can also stimulate the economy with the development of new industries like alternative energy and green living and spend well-deserved dollars on infrastructure improvements. By spending tax money more wisely, we can direct government spending into areas that benefit the consumer thus benefitting the economy.

From the Energy Information Administration (EIA): ”Access to the Pacific, Atlantic, and eastern Gulf regions would not have a significant impact on domestic crude oil and natural gas production or prices before 2030.” Even in 2030, it would give us only a 3 percent increase over the 5.1 million or so barrels we currently produce. The problem is that we consume 25 percent of the world’s supply but have two percent of the proven reserves.

The oil industry currently has oil and natural gas leases on at least 42 million acres of Federal Land (some say higher) and have only worked 12 million of those acres.

It’s possible that the cost of production may not make every site worthwhile, and some may require new technologies to effectively develop, but are we sure that these leases haven’t been exhausted? Shouldn’t we be sure?

Is it possible that the oil companies feel that they are in a uniquely favorable position to obtain offshore leases at cut-rate or even subsidized prices? We already know that they have suppressed new refineries that would result in lower gas prices even though they are gaining record profits and putting billions in the bank.

Beyond that, analysts at Oxford Analytica cite the shortage of deep-water drilling rigs alone has already delayed Gulf Coast exploration and that the units in production for the next five years are already promised to other drill sites around the globe.

Would the oil from these offshore leases add to the U.S. supply? Even though we recognize the threat of dependency on foreign oil sources there is no such thing as American oil. The oil companies sell all the oil they get, including American oil, around the world. For the first four months of 2008, 1.6 million barrels of U.S. oil were exported each day. Experts predict that the oil from ANWR is more likely to go to Asia than to you and me.

The answer to the oil crisis is to reduce our dependance on oil. Perhaps President Obama will give this the priority it deserves rather than relying on rewarding the predatory oil companies and using archaic solutions to modern problems as the Bush administration, and John McCain, are doing.