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1) Health care in this country is fucked, even if you have "insurance." Extensive recent exposure to the "system" for a variety of reasons has reinforced my feelings and thoughts. The combination of the current situation and the "reform" that will be hung around the neck of the Democrats will result in a lot more pissed-off people. There will be acts of "striking out" at the perceived causes - the Dems will suffer electoral losses and the medical institutions, providers and parasites (insurers) will be targeted for personal attacks. I can also see a future where <[b>there is pressure on the older members of our society to simply "get out of the way" because the truth is that we oldsters DO eat up a major portion of medical resources.
For myself, I have decided that I WILL NOT become a burden on my family. There is something called "quality of life" that IMHO outweighs sticking around, no matter the cost. Once I become a "net loss" - either economically or caretaking-wise, I am out-of-here. I just hope that time does not come too soon.
2) Just maybe, we are getting ALL we are ever going to get from Obama and the Dems. Because they are so in-sync with the GOP in loyalty to their corporate owners, the "system" in all its glory cannot be changed (under the current conditions). So, we are left to be grateful and satisfied with the relatively-minor "ponies" of
(a) lifting of the ban on entry into U.S. by HIV-positive people;
(b) the use of stem cells for medical research;
(c) easing access to the “morning after” pill;
(d) the Pentagon now allowing photographs of soldiers’ coffins;
(e) and a handful of other "gains."
The structure that has been imposed on all aspects of life in this country will not go peacefully. There is too much riding on the status quo for those in power to give up. I think it was naive to think that we were going to "turn things around" with a change in Congress and administration. Sure, the crumbs are meaningful to specific individuals, but for society, nothing will change. The Big Three (the warfare state, medical exploitation by the corps, financial dominance by the elite) are firmly entrenched and will not be significantly improved.
3) The selfishness and greed exhibited by (the majority of) my fellow citizens is disgusting. The US has run its course as the "leader" of how things are supposed to be. The rest of the planet has to step up to save themselves from the cancer that is America.
We each have to decide how to live our lives - how much of what this world has to offer we are entitled to. For myself, less is more because, in the end, we do have to live with ourselves and I cannot justify actions that most Americans seem to find perfectly acceptable.
Happy frackin' New Year.
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