You have nary a glint of my attitude on war, or the funding of the
military, or the pom pom waving, yet you say you know them. Neat trick, I guess
I need to start wearing that aluminum beanie again just in case. I'm sure you
know conservatives like me though, since there are approx. 2 conservative for
each liberal throughout the country. It is funny though, have you ever
wondered why it is, that the veterans who have fought for this country are
usually the most conservative. Do you think they might have learned something,
having been in the service of their country and the price of freedom that
others just don't get? Oh, it's probably just the brain washing we get, you
know all that god and country crap, huh. But I digress, I would like to set you
factually straight about my observations on war that you would rather not hear,
and you can correct me if I'm wrong (but I'm not). Over the past 61 years, your
liberal friends have involved our country in wars in these 3rd world countries
as you so aptly put it, to the tune of nearly 112, 000 American soldiers lives
lost, while those, war loving conservatives, have expended nearly 6,650 lives.
Lets see thats nearly 17 to 1 if my math serves me well (and I won't even
bother with the numbers of injured or worry about those MIA's from Viet Nam,
and whether we should we count them, now that it's been over 40 years.). So
lets see, in your world the conservatives build the up the military, so the
liberals can use it? Hmmm, and one last item that frustrates me to death. Why
was it that when Bush was in office the daily death count and total death count
in iraq was on every nightly news, yet now that the president is a democrat it
is hardly mentioned at all in Afghanistan. Hmm, another of mysterious conundrum
I guess.
Those 1%'ers you refer to, the one's these wars enriched, such the infamous
military industrial complex that your type love to espouse, are supposed to be
the real basis of evil I suspect. Well, I guess under the big government
policies you seem to love, the 1%'ers will be those that run that big
government, so instead of that military industrial complex getting our tax
payer dollars, it will only cost you only your freedoms as that big government
controls more and more of your life. You may ask why I think this? Maybe it's
like that 1(800) number I mention below.
Look, someone always finds a way to the top of the pyramid, there will
always be 1%er's. I put to you that if you took all the money in the United
states tomorrow and divided it up equally among everyone (I know you would love
that), that within ten years the present financial break down of the population
would be very close to what it is today, like water, everything gravitates to
it's own level. It might not be the exactly the same people (there is some luck
involved) but the break down in the numbers themselves would look very similar,
and this is what income redistribution attempts to control. I'm sorry, there
will always be 1%er's whether they be in business or government, it's just that
now it's being slanted in favor of the government. Inasmuch as the government
continues to demonize the capitalist system that made this this greatest
country in the history of the world.
Throughout history, there is always a few 1%er's that are remembered and a
few that aren't for their achievements whether they be good or ill. As for the
rest of the masses of humanity that existed, they are no more important than
the trees and bushes that were alive at that time these memorable people lived.
I'm sure your going to say a lot of non famous people contributed but went
unnoticed. Yes there were but they are also part of your 1%er's. That is the
way it will always be, and any attempt to harness the dynamics of the few
achievers will be as futile as trying to beat Bobby Fischer on the chess board,
because if you stop him one way, he beats you another way. Kings and Queens and
all other forms of centrally based big governments have morphed into tyrannical
systems, that is the very nature of governing and power.That was the very
reason our founders tried to create a weak central government with many smaller
state governments to keep the central government in check. Hence federalism.
No matter how hard you may try to govern every aspect of everyones life,
there are going to be situations and circumstances that will not only seem
unfair, but are unfair, because anything that ends a life before it's natural
time has to be unfair, and you cannot make laws or government agencies to
protect us from everything that can happen. The truly important thing is that
we are allowed to live in a place that allows us the freedoms to be and grow to
whatever potential we are capable of, whether it's rich or poor, beautiful or
ugly, smart or dumb, leader or peasant and deal with the unfairness as we
travel along life's road. We can force short term solutions upon the peasants
(you and me), but left to the market forces these have always corrected
themselves without government intervention, usually through technology, such as
light, flushing toilets, hot water, heating and cooling, medicines such as
Gleevec and the drugs that follow Gleevec and Sprycel. Perhaps it will be the
asthma drug Zileuton that actually may cure CML, or maybe a drug very close to
it. It may not save you and me but it will save future generations. As
technology continues to advance, these medical issues will continue to be
addressed and solved just as they are being solved now. And just like
electronics the price will continue to drop and patents expire, as the new
discoveries age with time and become common place. Everyday, we hear more and
more about the break throughs in cancer detection and treatment. Cancers that
have been the enemy of many since man came upon the earth. I can even see the
day that physicians will be little more than mechanics. Feed the data into a
computer and out comes the diagnosis' in descending order of probability, with
the treatment for each. We presently have robots doing surgery, although the
surgeon is still in the room. but not beside the operating table. That will
continue to evolve and grow.
One of my favorite quotes is from a science fiction writer name Robert
Heinlein. When the queen of the universe was asked how she could be gone from
her thrown such a long period of time, her response was, "that over the eons
they had learned that most problems tended to work themselves out far better on
their own, than when government got involved". Now, that is a concept I
understand perfectly.
I know you will disagree with my basic tenet that we have the best
healthcare in the world, but I want you to guarantee me that it will continue
be at least at it's present level in ten years into this healthcare bill. No
you can't, because you nor anyone can't anticipate the unintended consequences
that it brings with it. Right now, we hear about new medical break throughs
daily. Can you insure that those will continue at the pace they are now once
the government controls are put in place? No you can't, and neither can I or
anyone else. Except maybe for Pelosi who knew it without even reading the bill.
That statement alone should live in everyones memory forever. Truly amazing!
Although it may end up costing me my life, I would like knowing that I
wasn't the reason all americans lost more of their precious freedoms, because
freedoms that are lost can never be regained without revolution, which is a
price we as a country have paid once already. Remember every time a law is
passed a freedom is lost! And this puppy is going to have a whole bunch of new
laws!
By the way, I just heard (this is not a joke) that our government has now
setup a 1(800) number you can call if you have a mean boss, (no I'm serious
about this) so they can get you in touch with an atty. I guess that takes care
of the payback to the trial attys. contributions to the democratic party.
Don't bother replying, this will be the last word on this topic.
P.S. Minsu, I will be waiting to hear your thoughts on "Atlas Shrugged" by Ayn
Rand (I'm counting on you to read it)
On Feb 7, 2011, at 7:59 PM, Russell wrote:
> Daniel unfortunately most all of us all know one person or another in
> our lives like yourself who, especially in today's world, continuously
> try and warn us of the dangers and horrors of higher taxes, increasing
> debt and above all BIG GOVERNMENT. While an admirable trait to be sure
> it's incredible how when someone mentions the word WAR those same
> conscientious conservatives suddenly morph into uber tax spending,
> deficit enhancing, pom pom waving pro government cheerleaders for whom
> Washington DC itself cannot present a big enough presence in the
> world.
>
> And kid yourself not, for when that those high powered armies reach
> their ultimate destination for another glorious conquest of yet
> another 3rd world country, it's not yours nor my way of life they are
> fighting for, it's those top 1%'ers your idolizing, THEIR way of life.
>
> It's not too much for me to ask for most of that money that's still
> defending us from the horrors of the USSR to be used right here in the
> good 'ole USA helping the kid down the block pay for her CML
> treatment, just like the rest of the civilized world so that our life
> expectancy and infant mortality rates climb at least into the top 30
> worldwide.
>
> Our new healthcare plan isn't perfect, but it's a good start to help
> bring us up to the rest of the world standards.
>
>
>
> On Feb 7, 4:08 pm, Daniel Brown <[email protected]> wrote:
>> OK.
>>
>> Just know that this healthcare bill will not create the utopia you seek. And
>> as far as the top of the food chain not paying taxes is a myth. 47% of our
>> population pays no federal withholding taxes at all! The top 20% of income
>> earners pay 85% of all federal witholding taxes. Those numbers come from
>> NPR, hardly a conservative
>> Bastian(http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=125997180).
>> Unlike some, I don't dislike the rich, hell I hoped to be one of them,
>> didn't we all? Yet, we think they must have done something evil or wrong to
>> get that money, when in fact they educated themselves and put themselves
>> into the positions they are with thier own skills. Do we blame the beautiful
>> for their beauty that we don't posses? Or the athletes that posses the
>> athleticism that we lack? Yet, we blame the rich for their hard work and
>> good fortune. So be it. I guess we need someone to blame for our
>> misfortunes, for surely it couldn't be our own fault. why are some born more
>> intelligent than others? That doesn't seem fair does it. Maybe with this new
>> healthcare bill they can make us all equal in that regard to.
>> On Feb 7, 2011, at 3:33 PM, [email protected] wrote:
>>
>>> Thank you Russell.
>>
>>> I live in houston and daily witness tragedy when insurance companies 'just
>>> say no.' My own policy went from a 2000 deductible to a 5000 deductible,
>>> and the usual and customary percentages change with the wind, and never in
>>> my favor.
>>
>>> Progress is painful, and I'd like some of the folks at the top of the
>>> economic food chain to pay the same percentage of taxes I do, and deal with
>>> the life and death decisions that lack of MONEY -- not disease-- presents.
>>> Face it without health care reform, if you don't have the money, there is
>>> a good chance care may be denied--dying or not. I'd like to see some of
>>> the house republicans meet our friends in bankruptcy because of insurance
>>> loopholes and trying to fight huge corporate legal teams.
>>
>>> Compassion can't be legislated, and this is more than a debate. It's life
>>> and death.
>>> Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T
>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: Russell <[email protected]>
>>> Sender: [email protected]
>>> Date: Mon, 7 Feb 2011 12:50:11
>>> To: CMLHope<[email protected]>
>>> Reply-To: [email protected]
>>> Subject: [CMLHope] Re: Digest for [email protected] - 4 Messages in
>>> 2 Topics
>>
>>> I seldom contribute here anymore but still receive posts from the
>>> group in a lurking capacity. Please forgive my lack of recent
>>> contribution but once in a great while I find a post like Daniel
>>> Brown's that I simply cannot ignore without comment.
>>
>>> After my CML diagnosis is 2001 I started a successful stint on Gleevec
>>> until 2004 when my PCR's began showing signs of a gradual resistance
>>> to the drug and my numbers started creeping up again. At that time
>>> only clinical trials existed for the newer meds so that year we
>>> decided to take a chance with a transplant before my condition
>>> weakened to the point where a transplant would be far riskier. The
>>> result was my full blown matched unrelated donor transplant at the
>>> Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle Jan 2005. I'm 6
>>> years post transplant now and still CML free, doing well.
>>
>>> It is there at "The Hutch" that we witnessed some of the horrors
>>> people in the last days of their lives endured while insurance
>>> companies played "that's not my problem" with the fully insured. We
>>> witnessed dying and crying patients and family members begging and
>>> pleading for coverage of essential procedures and medications during
>>> the many stages of transplant only to find their insurance provider
>>> had spent considerable time and effort finding loopholes in policies
>>> that supposedly got them off the hook. We saw entire families, insured
>>> and uninsured, who had sold every belonging they owned, maxed every
>>> credit card they could apply for and mortgaged and sold homes to
>>> insure the survival of their daughter, son, father or mother. In many
>>> cases the family breadwinner had lost their job because the burden of
>>> being a caregiver has not allowed a return to work. It's quite surreal
>>> to see a family of four living out of suitcases that literally carry
>>> every material possession they own whose very lives are all in limbo
>>> waiting for their father to either recover or die.
>>
>>> I often see posts here by folks who struggle with the costs of high-
>>> end CML meds and the strain it puts on their budget. Imagine having to
>>> front much of the cost of a $750,000 bone marrow transplant because
>>> insurance has decided they are not going to pay for essential
>>> procedures such as a $85,000 Hickman catheter operation or has decided
>>> that according to the policy the time spent at the facility has
>>> exceeded the covered time span and that any further treatment must be
>>> paid for out of pocket by a family that has not a single penny left to
>>> their name. We witnessed both of these scenarios during our 4 month
>>> stay in Seattle and beleive me people lose their lives frequently
>>> there because they SIMPLY CANNOT AFFORD TO LIVE ANYMORE.
>>
>>> Of course none of what we witnessed there includes those who are
>>> uninsured and simply could not afford a transplant and rely on
>>> donations, fundraisers and the few pro bono doctors and facilities who
>>> are actually willing to treat advanced Leukemia without compensation.
>>> We have a young friend who works at Copper Mountain Resort here in
>>> Colorado who's name is Kevin. Kevin being a relatively new employee at
>>> Copper was not offered any type of company sponsored insurance when he
>>> was diagnosed with Non Hodgkins Lymphoma a couple of years ago. His
>>> doctor told him without insurance he simply could not refer him to an
>>> oncology department at any hospital without insurance coverage but he
>>> had heard of a doctor in the Vail area that was developing an advanced
>>> technique for treatment and might be willing to work pro bono if Kevin
>>> could pay for part of the medications. It's working, but 24 year old
>>> Kevin has had to file bankruptcy and has little material posession at
>>> all. Fortunately he is able to live in affordable employee housing at
>>> Copper and relies on public transportation for most of his needs.
>>
>>> Unfortunately in this Country today we have people like Daniel, who
>>> obviously have little experience, contact nor compassion for
>>> potentially uninsured people making moral and ethical decisions about
>>> peoples lives based solely on a bean counter's mentality. Who honestly
>>> beleive one can show up uninsured at an emergency room and be treated
>>> for CML. Who believes the L & L foundation takes requests for the
>>> uninsured who need treatment. Who beleive kind hearted institutions
>>> all over the nation simply treat Leukemia because it's the right thing
>>> to do. Believe me Daniel everyone appreciates the work that St. Jude's
>>> does for pediatric cancers but you can well beleive if their
>>> considerable portfolio, including large contributions from our
>>> government, would not allow for treating the uninsured they would be
>>> ignoring them along with the other 99% of all hospitals in our
>>> country.
>>
>>> We live during a time when a group of government employees were
>>> fortuitous enough and had the courage and foresight to enact much
>>> needed change to a health care system that, despite being situated in
>>> the richest most powerful country on the planet earth, could not even
>>> provide basic health care needs for those who could not afford it and
>>> were shunned by corporate America for because the very conditions they
>>> needed coverage for existed at the wrong time in their lives. We live
>>> during a time when, as insurance premiums for health care coverage
>>> more than tripled for those who could least afford it, the wealthiest
>>> 1% of all American citizens paid less income tax than at any time in
>>> our country's history. Tax money that was previously used to fund
>>> essential government programs for the very group of people that
>>> without whom the 1%'ers could not exist at all.
>>
>>> Please Daniel, for the sake of those who truly suffer in this county
>>> because of the lack of insurance, educate yourself and spread the word
>>> to others who honestly haven't a clue what it must be like to lose
>>> one's home because of an inability to pay medical bills. Ask yourself,
>>> should that REALLY be happening in THIS country?
>>
>>> On Feb 7, 9:55 am, Daniel Brown <[email protected]> wrote:
>>>> The answer to your question is "yes" I had insurance that I paid for, for
>>>> 30 years before I needed it. However, the beauty is, that even if I
>>>> hadn't had the insurance, I would have been treated the same way because I
>>>> was in critical condition when diagnosed and no one had time to see if I
>>>> had insurance. White count of 360,000, enlarged spleen, skin color grey
>>>> because there wasn't any room for the red blood cells to carry the oxygen
>>>> to my body.
>>
>>>> Did you know that an E.R. physician isn't supposed to know you insurance
>>>> status when he or she treats you, to insure that you receive the same
>>>> level of healthcare as the insured? Now the hospital may know, but the
>>>> physician is supposed to be kept in the dark intentionally. Do you think
>>>> that when a person is brought in from a car accident that the hospital
>>>> determines your insurance status prior to taking them up to the O.R. for
>>>> emergency surgery?
>>
>>>> Then there are such volunteer organizations as the Leukemia and Lymphoma
>>>> Society and other organizations that can assist those without the means to
>>>> meet the costs. Look at St.Judes in Memphis that treat 1000's of children
>>>> with all types cancer completely free every year, and there are other
>>>> facilities around the country that do the same. This is one the most state
>>>> of the art facilities in the world. There is also Medicaid, that also
>>>> covers the very poor. Then the drug companies themselves donate millions
>>>> of $ for those without the means.
>>
>>>> No, this doesn't cover everyone, but I haven't heard
>>
>> ...
>>
>> read more ยป
>
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