Saturday, June 30, 2012

"Obamacare": The Road to Health or a Subsidy for Wealth?

I had a terrible day Thursday what with all the name calling. I support universal health care and think it's fine to tax the very wealthy for the benefit of society and those with the least. Still, after the court's ruling I dared to speak up and say that the outrageous health care COSTS we currently have, the lack of incentives for preventive care and the pay per procedure system should be reformed BEFORE we write a blank check to the health industrial complex. I also dared to point out that we will have to borrow money to pay for it (unless we raise taxes on the wealthy, which seems unlikely in this climate despite that it is the right thing to do). I repeatedly asserted my support for universal care throughout making these points. Nevertheless, I was attacked by a surprisingly large amount of people for being "tea party" (which is a ridiculous accusation given my politics) and a Fox news watcher, etc. It was VERY hateful by people I only assume call themselves "liberals". The sad thing is that without reforming the overpriced and substandard health care in this country, universal healthcare will further bankrupt our country (again, unless we raise taxes on the wealthy). When we get so much debt that we can't afford to pay interest payments anymore, austerity (aka structural adjustment policies in the third world) will eventually make its way here, making "Obamacare" ENTIRELY MOOT since at that point we would lose control over our own fiscal policy decisions. It's like every liberal in the country is whistling past the graveyard on this one, so delighted due to their enormous lowering of standards. It's sick. "You are all diseased" as George Carlin once said. I guess you feel it's easier just to make your grandchildren pay for today's corrupt health care instead of actually reforming the health care system so we can afford it. No amount of health care will save you from your own greedy, diseased minds.


Without reforming the outrageously high cost of health care in this country we are just writing a blank check to insurance and pharmaceutical companies. Since we borrow the money to pay them, we will be going into debt much faster than we are now (which is at a pretty fast pace mind you). Don't you understand what happens when you can't pay your interest payments anymore? They have control over your fiscal decisions. THEY WILL SHUT OBAMACARE, FOOD STAMPS, MEDICARE/MEDICAID ETC. AS SOON AS WE FALL BEHIND ON OUR DEBT OBLIGATIONS PEOPLE. Consider that we are only able to make our current payments by borrowing. What would happen if just one of our debt holders decided we had too much? Well, look it up. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Structural_adjustmenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Structural_adjustment


I'm sick of being attacked like I'm a tea partier. I'm NOT! I'm for raising taxes on the wealthy BY A LOT. BUT that isn't happening, now is it? Not when you've got millions of poor people convinced they might someday be rich and therefor vote AGAINST their own economic interests.

A friend said that it's better to go broke while trying to help sick people than going broke without trying to help sick people. I agree. A former professor asked if I thought it was better to sit on our hands and 'let people die'. I was embarrassed to have to correct a professor by pointing out her simple fallacy. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/False_dilemma


It was a long day.

Sunday, June 10, 2012

Most Sophisticated Cyberwarfare Tool ever Created, In Use For Two Years Already

The now two year old (but only recently made public) cyberworm/virus "Flame" is widely accepted to be created by a nation-state. Since 9-11, our own government has been using all formerly unavailable techniques to monitor as many citizens as possible, whether there is a warrant or cause or not. An incredible bureaucracy has formed around this freshly legal system of spying on innocent citizens. While it is widely believed already that smart phones can be used for monitoring, Flame takes this monitoring into your home as it uses your computer instead. Flame can do a great many different things, but some of the more disturbing abilities include: activating your computer's microphone and webcam for monitoring everything near your computer(s), access nearby Bluetooth devices, monitor IM and take screen shots. "The virus then uploads all this information to command and control servers, of which there are about a dozen scattered around the world." http://www.pcworld.com/article/256508/the_flame_virus_your_faqs_answered.html
"The UN has urged countries to seek a "peaceful resolution" in cyberspace to avoid the threat of global cyberwar. The comments by the head of the UN's telecommunications agency came a week after Flame, one of the most complex cyber-attacks to date, was uncovered." http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-18351995

http://www.digitaltrends.com/web/us-wasnt-behind-flame-virus-says-un-security-chief/

http://idealab.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/06/why-the-un-cares-so-much-about-flame-malware.php