Is it just me (#5) …

… or does is seem that the chief casualties of parenthood are your golf game and sex life?!?

Those Aren’t Balls, Harry

That must be a sock stuffed into Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s shorts, because it sure isn’t the new set of cojones I had hoped for. Word is that Senate Democrats, led by balless-Harry has decided to drop any type of public option from a newly agreed to healthcare “reform” bill. Instead, they have decided to mix several plans together, including an ability to buy into Medicare for those 55 and older. Reid just touted this as a major break through. But I don’t get how?
First of all, I don’t know a person on Medicare who is happy with it, and many are forced to buy supplemental insurance to get satisfactory coverage. Oops! … there go your savings!! So, why would anyone want to buy into a plan like that? Nothing like paying for the privilege of being kicked in the nuts.
Plus, what about the rest of us suckers looking for some relief from the ridiculous cost of healthcare who haven’t reached the magic double-nickels? Unfortunately, the patchwork of plans for the younger set will be administered by private concerns. So, don’t expect to get any more of a break than we already enjoy from the “private concerns” running the current health insurance show.
So what happened? Plain and simple, Harry and the Dem-management caved to the lobbyists of the most powerful group in DC. When the going got tough, they folded like Chinese laundry. And, speaking of the Chinese, why not let them compete in the market … that would drive down prices! But, seriously, why not just give us the same plan that members of congress enjoy? Too easy, I suppose. Though, don’t the generals say “the troops come first”? And, it wouldn’t even put us first, just on the same level playing field.
Bottom line is, the Senate plan won’t likely have much of an impact on our collective bottom lines, other than to continue to spiral up. Maybe at a slower rate (and I’m sure they’ll celebrate that when the time comes), but don’t expect to pay any less than you already do. Can you say, “Status quo”?

Bin Laden’s Free Pass

WARNING: THIS BLOG MAY CONTAIN EXPLICIT LANGUAGE AND/OR ADULT THEMES

A report from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee released over the weekend details the Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld blunder in 2001 that let Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden escape certain capture in the hills above Tora Bora. Apparently, American troops and their Afghan allies had bin Laden cornered and frantically called for reinforcements to complete the job. But, not only were their requests denied, they were ordered not to block any potential escape routes in any way!
Before you say, “Oh, that’s bullshit! Never happened!!”, here is an excerpt from the actual report:
“On or around Dec. 16, two days after writing his will, [Osama] bin Laden and an entourage of bodyguards walked unmolested out of Tora Bora and disappeared into Pakistan’s unregulated tribal area. Most analysts say he is still there today.
Fewer than 100 American commandos were on the scene with their Afghan allies and calls for reinforcements to launch an assault were rejected. Requests were also turned down for U.S. troops to block the mountain paths leading to sanctuary a few miles away in Pakistan.”
You should be saying, “Are you fucking kidding me??? Public Enemy #1 (with a bullet) was given a free pass?!?!?” Not surprising, really … if you look between the lines to see the reality of the situation.
The spin on this story is that even if bin Laden was caught or killed the war in Afghanistan wouldn’t have changed much from what we face today, and that he would have been made a poster-child martyr for Al Qaeda recruitment for years to come. While the latter assertion merits some consideration the former is not only full of holes, it is the very reason he was allowed to take a Sunday walk into the mountains of Pakistan.
When the tragedy now known as 9-11 happened, OBL was the face of responsibility that was put on it. The “War On Terror” was born with bin Laden as the target for success. Thus, if he had been “taken down” on that December day the “War On Terror” would have effectively been over before it was allowed to consume our attention and resources – both, financial and human. The Bush gang wouldn’t have been able to pursue the Taliban, which was used as the “logical” launching point for senselessly going into Iraq to hunt down the “guy who tried to kill my (Bush’s) father”.
Get it yet? Cheney wouldn’t have been able to make a disgusting fortune from his warmongering stake in Halliburton (anybody find that missing $9 billion, yet?); Bush and Rumsfeld wouldn’t have been able to make similar profits from their oil & gas investments that soared as the conflicts fueled a manipulated spike in the energy complex; and the right-wingers wouldn’t have been able to have their man in the White House for an additional four years, as a war-President is rarely voted out of office.
That’s right, they let the most sought after man in the world get away in the name of money and power. Like I said, not a big surprise. Appalling, yes. Disconcerting, absolutely. But, shocking? Not really. If you look at most of the decisions made by these Nazi-youth rejects you find that love of the almighty dollar and narcissistic hegemonic hunger are usually the motivating factors.
So, instead of claiming a quick victory in this war, that is beginning to span a second generation, we have squandered billions of dollars that could have solved all of our domestic crises – including healthcare, education, and infrastructure. Plus, we could have funded 100 “Manhattan Projects” to address our dependance on foreign oil (interesting how it always comes back to oil). Worst of all, these selfish and disturbing decisions have led to the loss of over 5,000 of America’s finest and physically changed the lives of over 50,000 (not to mention the mass psychological damage to our troops that never makes it into the casualty reports).
In effect, this miscarriage of responsiblity has done more damage to our country than bin Laden and Al Qaeda could have ever managed to accomplish themselves. Between accosting the Geneva Convention, lying to the country about the necessity for the Iraq invasion, and now the revelations that they aided and abetted our nation’s supposed biggest enemy, it is amazing to me that these repugnant crap-weasels haven’t been brought up on charges.
Enough with the Tiger Woods domestic crash coverage, people! THIS is the story we should be discussing, ad nauseum!! But, I guess everyone else would rather wallow in their ignorant stupor, watch another episode of Jon & Kate Plus Eight, and delude themselves that Michaele and Tareq Salahi are the real news story of the day. Well, not me, dickwads … not me!