Archive for category politics
A Twinkie in California
Posted by zoboxrox in human rights, justice, politics on January 11th, 2010
Oh god no. Why this man? Eyebrows over here, Paul Katami, and his partner, Jeffrey Zarrillo, are among a group of plaintiffs going to court over the recent ban on gay marriage in the state of California, Proposition 8. Somehow, out of all the homosexuals in San Francisco, this is the one who got to do the talking when the time came. And here is what he had to say:
“[It's] like putting a Twinkie at the end of a treadmill and saying, ‘You can only have a bite,’ ” testified Paul Katami, one of the plaintiffs. “And you want the whole thing. … All I want is to be married.”
Hey Paul — are you fucking kidding me? That’s the best you could come up with? First of all, Paul here obviously knows N-O-T-H-I-N-G about the history of his state, most notably, the late great Harvey Milk, who fought so vigorously for gay rights in the very same city Paul and Jeffrey call home. If Paul had studied up a little more, he’d know not to bring Twinkies into the fight (unless Paul is brilliant, and is purposefully evoking the painful memories of Milk’s tragic ending, thereby arousing some deeply closeted heterosexual guilt).
Complete and total mental lapse aside, this is simply not the right argument to be making. While how you feel is always very important to yourself, this will not sway a judge in a court of law, nor will it make all those evangelicals in California suddenly feel bad enough to change their minds. You must evoke the sensation of being denied a basic right by your government — you must shine light on the absurdity of this situation, which is clearly the most prominent case of persecution so far this century.
Happy Veterans Day
Obama’s speech at Fort Hood on Tuesday was one of the best he’s given so far as President. While its not his Veteran’s Day speech, I find it appropriate for today as well.
Every single soldier in our volunteer military, is a veteran, whether thay have fought on foreign soils, protected those at home, or died tragically while preparing for deployment. It is not about the struggles they will face, it is about the sacrifice they have already made before they ever learn to shoot a gun or run a drill. This is a sacrifice that too often goes unnoticed – forgotten — even as we are engaged in two militarized conflicts.
Here is a list of the names of the fallen. Please take a moment to read at least one name. Remember that this is someone’s son, daughter, mother, father, etc. And whether or not you believe in the wars we are fighting, honor the sacrifice that so many have made. As Obama said:
Your loved ones endure through the life of our nation. Their memory will be honored in the places they lived and by the people they touched. Their life’s work is our security, and the freedom that we all too often take for granted. Every evening that the sun sets on a tranquil town; every dawn that a flag is unfurled; every moment that an American enjoys life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness — that is their legacy.
If you are feeling very humbled, consider donating to this charitable operation: Clearwater Initiative.
Founded in 2007 by Army Capt. Ben Sklaver while stationed in Uganda, Clearwater provides clean water ”to populations effected by natural or man-made humanitarian emergencies.”
Ben was killed on October 2 of this year in a suicide bombing in Afghanistan. This post is dedicated to him, and to the thousands of others like him, who sacrifice so much so that we may be free.
When History Calls, a love story
Posted by zoboxrox in health, politics, powerful women on October 15th, 2009
I would like to just start off here by giving my girl Olympia Snowe [seriously great name] a big one up for growing a pair. I’m pretty sure she and I live by the same motto, which, though basic and commercialized, I’ve found tends to work out in the long run: DO THE RIGHT THING.
Inevitably, we will not remember this moment as fondly as we do today, if she changes her mind in the next few months, but I’d like to point out that, unlike, I’d say, the majority of her colleagues, she made a lot of sense when she finally opened her mouth:
When history calls, history calls. And I happen to think that the consequences of inaction dictate the urgency of Congress to take every opportunity to demonstrate its capacity to solve the monumental issues of our time
I want one of those little tape recorders!!
In other words: how will we face our children and our children’s children if we don’t do this now, when things have gotten so bad, that if we do nothing, we will always be remembered for our failure to act? You know what Olympia, I happen to agree with you.
Secondly, I’d like to offer one piece of truth I imagine would be recognized if it was pondered by anyone with the capacity for understanding: the health care system, in its entirety — from insurance companies to pharmaceutical companies to private hospitals to ERs, ORs, ICUs, OBGYNs, etc.– should be a NON-FOR-PROFIT enterprise. And let me tell you why… (you knew I was going to):
1. There will never not be doctors
There have always been doctors. And, I can say from my own experience with them, both the doctors who have treated me and those I know personally, they’re really not in it for the money. Part of the Hippocratic oath reads: “Into whatever houses I enter, I will go into them for the benefit of the sick and will abstain from every voluntary act of mischief and corruption.”
While they can look scary, they tend to be pretty decent, unselfish people. That which is driving doctors to leave their profession is not their pay, but instead their inability to treat their patients the way they would like to if they were free of the restrictions brought on by insurance companies. Ex. “No, we won’t cover that life-saving medication.” Which brings me to point two.
2. Medicine, as a science, will never advance without large scale access, in both directions
I was reading about the phony “insurance industry report” recently released by, lets face it, the bad guys, which stated something along the lines of “premiums to reach $4000/month under Bacaus plan.” While we’re obviously not the most empathetic country in the world, I’m not sure we’re ready to reach a point when less than a quarter of our population has health care. Not only is wrong, but it is also against the natural progression of medicine, which requires new patients with unique cases in order to grow.
And guess who gets irritated when they don’t have a massive population to sell their overpriced drugs to?
3. We all need each other in order to make this work in the end
The truth is, while they currently have all the say in the relationship, without access to professional health care and FDA approved medications, people will find another way — it is in our nature to do so; it is, perhaps, the greatest genius of our species — and Big Pharma will lose control of the court. And pharmaceutical companies need a large population of people on their medications in order to sustain themselves. Why do you think they advertise so aggressively?
You don’t have to talk to your doctor about these drugs, they already know about them! And they know if you should be on them or not. But Pharma continues to advertise because Pharma needs us to keep buying their drugs, and they need scientists to keep producing them. Likewise, the insurance industry needs doctors to accept their plans, which many have stopped doing, and in turn, needs us to buy into them. If anyone stopped for a second and realized how well this could work if it ran the way it ought to… maybe instead of changing the practices, we just have to remove the people currently practicing them.
ELIMINATE GREED FROM HEALTH CARE: THERE IS NO ROOM FOR IT IN TRUE MEDICINE
“Wherever the art of medicine is loved, there is also a love of humanity”
Hippocrates, c. 400 BC
Smashion Week
Posted by zoboxrox in environment, international, politics, science on September 23rd, 2009
So I guess last week was Fashion Week. People all over the city buzzed about it, including 75% of the men I know (look for future blog: what is happening to the heterosexual male?), but to be honest I could care less. All I see when I look at the pictures from a fashion show are incredibely sick-looking models who could use a hug and a hamburger. THIS WEEK, however, the President is in town for his first UN appearance, and I find that MUCH MORE EXCITING!
Here’s why: For the first time in over eight years, we have a representative in the International Community who isn’t retarded (no offense to retarded people, but yeah, Bush is one of you [by the way, the definition of retarded is slow or stupid, not handicapped.... please dont come back at me with a whole bunch of pc nonsense. If Bush were handicapped, at least he would have an excuse]). The Times:
The United States is ready to begin a new era of engagement with the world, President Obama said Wednesday in a sweeping address to the United Nations General Assembly in which he sought to clearly delineate differences between his administration and that of former President George W. Bush.
People are eager to judge Obama: he hasn’t done enough, he’s breaking his promises, he’s more moderate than he allowed, nothing has changed. Tell that to the rest of the world.
“We have re-engaged the United Nations,” Mr. Obama said, to cheers from world leaders and delegates in the cavernous hall of the General Assembly….
An array of world leaders sat in the hall for Mr. Obama’s speech, which was often interrupted by applause…
….For Mr. Obama personally [Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi] had only warm words, calling on the collected nations to welcome “our son” on his first United Nations appearance.
Even Qaddafi, who’s not really that nice a guy (apparently no one cares about Lockerbie these days), can’t get enough. And its not because Obama is a celebrity, despite what you may have heard.
For one, there’s climate change, an issue that sat on the sidelines for eight years while our former administration pretended there was nothing wrong (how can man change the climate, when god controls the universe…?). Again, from the Times:
The United States — the world’s largest emitter in historical terms — is acknowledging its responsibility to help the poorest and most vulnerable nations reduce emissions without sacrificing growth….
Mr. Obama recognizes the urgency of the problem. He will have to work hard to persuade a Democratic-controlled Senate (the House has acted) to see it as well and to pass strong legislation committing the United States to binding cuts in greenhouse gases….
Since we’re all breathing the same air, drinking the same water (ok, not really), and living under the same sun, people around the world are relieved that we finally have a President who is not basing his evnironmental policy on the End Times.
Now that’s what I call fashion.
Who Deserves the Best?
Posted by zoboxrox in health, human rights, malfunction, politics on September 10th, 2009
First of all, South Carolina should probably just go ahead and secede all over again. They’re track record so far this year is about as impressive as Lindsay Lohan’s. This latest incident is hardly even surprising. In fact, I would say they were due for another serious embarrassment. South Carolina, I hear you’re trying to fire your governor — while you’re at it, why don’t you just get rid of your whole legislative body and start over again. Or better yet, merge with North Carolina and let them do all your voting for you.
Watch Joe Biden after Joe Wilson shouts out “You Lie” to the President. It looks like someone just ran over his German Shepard puppy Champ. I’ve never seen a grown man look so sad. And I get it. He’s thinking, “the times they are a changing,” because, before last night, nobody ever really shouted at the President (besides this guy).
One thing that I don’t understand about the Health Care debate, and maybe I’m being insensitive now, but why do senior citizens automatically deserve better (and freer) medical care than the rest of us? Its not that I don’t think they should be insured, but why them and no one else? Why not children? Why not students? I like the way this guy puts it:
The President [gave] a great speech last night and outlined his points for why we need universal health coverage in America. In case you missed it, here it is in a nutshell: you cannot call yourself the greatest country in the world if you don’t have it.
True that!
Why why why why why?
Posted by zoboxrox in corporate america, economy, health, human rights, international, malfunction, politics, religion, tragedy on August 17th, 2009
So, the major problem with American Democracy is that it is representative: we elect people who we feel will represent our views within the legislative body upon which they sit – we do not participate in our democracy directly — we are not always privy to the actual truth. Majority rules, and so depending on where you are and who won your local elections, this means you may not be represented at all. If your guy lost, then basically, you’re voice remains silent as your elected representative fulfills the needs of most of the people, which could be as little as one percentage point over half, in your district/county/state.
The reason this is a major problem, it seems pretty clear to me now, is that the majority of Americans are at worst stupid, and at best simply irresponsible, ignorant, gullible, stubborn, and set in their ways. What always amazes me is the fact that people actually vote against what’s in their own best interest: fiscally, the Republican Party only benefits around 5% of the population.
With Universal Health Care we meet a similar problem. Many of the people who’s lives would be improved by it, are being lied to and misinformed. Take this guy, for instance, who if you can believe it, is actually a Senator, Chuck Grassley of Iowa. He doesn’t even come close to answering the question he’s been asked, and then he lies, repeatedly, to those who he is supposed to be representing:
Come on Chuck. LETS BE TRUTHFUL!!
So here are the Top 5 lies about some of our health care options, and the one truth standing in its way:
LIES:
1. Single Payer Health Care is the same thing Socialized Medicine: NOT TRUE
Socialized Medicine doesn’t actually exist, but if it did, it would still be different than Single Payer System. Under “socialized medicine” the doctors work for the government directly. Single Payer simply means there is a single fund or insurance company which is making payments aka “centralized payment”:
Single-payer health insurance is a term used in the United States to describe the legislated insurance of individuals by way of centralized payment of doctors, hospitals, and other health care providers and facilities…. The administrator of the fund could be the government but it could also be a publicly owned agency regulated by law
2. Socialized Medicine leads to Socialism: NOT TRUE
We currently have socialized the following industries, and I’m pretty sure most every American, red-blooded or blue, would like to keep it this way: The Police Department, The Fire Department, The United States Postal Service, The Public Education System, The Public Library, and Neighborhood Parks and Recreational Services.
Imagine the outrage if we decided to privatize fire services, and unless you had insurance, your local department, no matter how close or how able, would simply let your house burn down. And we don’t talk about a government run Fire Department - it has not communalized our way of life, nor taken control of our personal liberties. It is simply something no American could imagine living without, which is exactly how they feel about health care in the countries where it is free.
3. Universal Health Care would be more expensive than our current system: NOT TRUE
Turns out, we spend more right now, both individually and as a nation, than we would in a government funded option.
A 2003 study examined costs and outputs in the U.S and other industrialized countries and broadly concluded that the U.S spends so much because its health care system is more costly. It noted that “…the United States spent considerably more on health care than any other country…[yet] most measures of aggregate utilization such as physician visits per capita and hospital days per capita were below the OECD median. Since spending is a product of both the goods and services used and their prices, this implies that much higher prices are paid in the United States than in other countries.
Perhaps it has something to do with the $71 Billion that Pfizer raked in last year, or the $61 Billion Johnson & Johnson made on pharmaceutical products alone.
4. Health Care in countries with a Universal System suffers in quality as a result: NOT TRUE
Not only is health care in the United States more expensive than it is in any other “first world” country, it turns out, its also not as good. I have this argument all the time: “Oh but we have by far the best health care in the world…” or “I’d rather be in a hospital in America than anywhere else….” Funny. The World Health Organization disagrees with you. As do over half of the citizens of Western Europe.
See here. Or here. Or here. Or here.
5. The government wants to create “Death Panels” in order to kill your elderly grandmother or your disabled child: JUST SO NOT TRUE
While a “death panel” more or less already exists, its called an insurance company, this particular piece of nonsense actually stems from a bill, written by a Republican member of Congress mind you, which requested that, part of health care reform would include end of life counseling for those approaching death. The horrors!
A couple months ago I had the opportunity to see New York Times contributor Jane Brody speak on her newest book, Jane Brody’s Guide to the Great Beyond: A Practical Primer to Help You and Your Loved Ones Prepare Medically, Legally, and Emotionally for the End of Life. As someone who, throughout her entire career has focused on living well and prolonging a healthy life, I can truly say Jane Brody is not the kind of person who would kill your grandma. She is, however, knowledgeable enough on the subject of death, that I trust her when she says the following: receive End of Life counseling, have a living will and a health care proxy, if you are in a situation where death is a possibility, acknowledge that!
So if your little old grandma is sitting at home alone, listening to conservative talk radio, clutching her shotgun and trembling in fear for her life, please just bring her a newspaper. If she can’t see the tiny print, read it out loud to her! Because right now, the people she’s supposed to be able to trust, well they’re lying and it ain’t helping granny out one little bit.
The Irony of Truth: Its Better Than Fiction
Posted by zoboxrox in health, human rights, politics on August 12th, 2009
Its really too bad that Michael Moore made all those other movies before he made Sicko. While I personally don’t have a problem with Mr. Moore, and tend to agree with a lot of his opinions, I do realize that he is neither the most popular, nor the Most Trusted Man in America, and I’m afraid that because of previous films like Fahrenheit 9/11, Sicko does not get the recognition it deserves. I believe that of all his films it is the most informative, least divisive, and exhibits the greatest compassion and humanity.
While it could easily have focused upon the plight of the nearly 50 million uninsured Americans*, it is instead about those who have insurance, and get screwed anyway.
Interviews are conducted with people who thought they had adequate coverage but were denied care. Former employees of insurance companies describe cost-cutting initiatives that give bonuses to insurance company physicians and others to find reasons for the company to avoid meeting the cost of medically necessary treatments for policy holders, and thus increase company profitability
In one particular case, an interviewee is denied coverage for the surgery necessary to treat her brain tumor, and dies within the time it took to make the film. For this reason, I find the whole “Death Panels — Obama wants to kill your Grandma” excitement unforgivable, because in reality, this is a policy that presently exists. Under current health care options, people who ALREADY HAVE INSURANCE are often denied access to treatments — which their doctors recommended for them — because they are considered too costly, or too experimental.
From Daily Kos:
You might ask yourself why, of all possibilities, reforming America’s health care system is the thing that “tramples on the Constitution” or “leaves the existence of the Republic at risk.” You might ask this, because you’re probably not insane. But again, this matches what we’ve been seeing in every “deather” protest so far –people angrily denouncing government intervention and “socialized medicine” — but they all love Medicare. They don’t want government to supposedly decide who’s too expensive to keep alive, with visions of “death panels” and the like — but insurance companies are doing that now, all the time, and there’s nary a peep about that. The opposition, in other words, doesn’t know the first damn thing about the thing they’re supposedly protesting.
*people will argue this number is exaggerated, which I think is ridiculous — when we already know the unemployment rate is at a high, shouldn’t the uninsured numbers also grow?
The Beginning of the End
Posted by zoboxrox in malfunction, politics on July 29th, 2009
I, for one, do not want the Republican Party to dissolve, believe it or not. It is far too amusing to watch, fumbling around issues. More importantly, its probably one of the few things that unites the Democrats at this point — they’re almost as splintered. But, at least in the Senate, it appears the thousands of cracks in the GOP are opening up into full blown schisms. You know the silly dog that bites his own tail — imagine its an elephant.
It started yesterday when Republican Senator George Voinovich of Ohio, who has already stepped on some GOP toes recently, went ahead and said this out loud and to another person, for reasons only known to himself (CNN reports):
Republican Sen. George Voinovich, who is not running for re-election next year, told a newspaper in his home state of Ohio yesterday that Southerners bore a good share of the blame for his party’s lagging popularity.
“We got too many Jim DeMints and Tom Coburns,” Voinovich told the Columbus Dispatch Monday. “It’s the Southerners….
“They get on TV and go ‘errrr, errrrr,’” he said, according to the paper. “People hear them and say, ‘These people, they’re Southerners. The party’s being taken over by Southerners. What they hell they got to do with Ohio?’”
Well guess who was not too happy about this? Did you guess Southern Republicans? You’re so smart. Once again, CNN reports.
Sen. David Vitter of Louisiana slammed fellow Republican George Voinovich Wednesday for saying the GOP’s problems stem from the fact that it is “being taken over by Southerners,” calling the Ohio senator “a moderate, really wishy-washy.”
“I’m on the side of conservatives getting back to core conservative values,” Vitter told the Washington Times. “There are a lot of us from the South who hold those values, which I think the party is supposed to be about. We strayed from them in the past few years, and that’s why we performed so badly in the national elections.
I suggest these guys settle this the old fashioned way… take it outside.
Is that a gun in your pants, or are you just happy to see me…
Posted by zoboxrox in Uncategorized, crime, politics on July 24th, 2009
How many senators does it take to screw in a light bulb? Of course the answer is 60 — and thank god for that. The Senate narrowly rejected an ammendment (which has to be approved by 60 votes — not a majority of 50+) attached to the new defense bill which would have allowed people to travel between states with concealed weapons, no matter the laws in the states to which they are traveling. In other words, anyone who has a gun permit, which is about as easy to get these days as a driver’s license in some places, could legally carry their hidden firearm on the streets of your home town, no matter what your local laws dictate.
My home town happens to be New York City, and I am so grateful to the two dissenting Republican Senators Richard Lugar of Indiana and George Voinovich of Ohio, because while its one thing to have a gun in your house, it is entirely different to bring it out with you at night. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN TO A BAR?!?!? There are so many morons out there (see below)… adding weapons to idiocy is never smart.
400 big city mayors, who came together to form Mayors Against Illegal Guns, agreed with me, including my own, Dictator Bloomberg, and sent a letter to the Senate pleading with them to come to their goddamn senses not to pass the bill. While this is clearly a case of the Federal Government imposing itself on State’s Rights, which is like, the main platform for conservatives these days, it was of course a Republican sponsored and supported bill.
The debate forced senators to wrestle with issues of states rights, sometimes in ways that seemed to clash with the general philosophies of their parties. Many Republicans, who typically favor limiting the ability of the federal government to dictate to states on social issues, voted in this case to limit the ability of states to insist on their own rules for concealed weapons carried by people from other states.
That said, however, 20 democrats also voted for the bill (NOT including my new Senator, Kristen Gillibrand, who was previously considered gun friendly but voted with her brain this time around). Why do people think this is a good idea? I know the argument – 
– but it doesn’t sit well with me. Is the good of the one really more important than the good of the many? Do we really live in a state of such fear that we generally feel a need to arm ourselves at all times? Maybe if we fixed the broken things in this country — health care, the economy, the middle-class — crime wouldn’t consume our streets. Is adding weapons really the answer to the problem?
Recent Comments