America: An Insane Asylum Gone Ariot!

The United States of America is a nation gone insane.

We watch as poisonous puerile passions pose as political ideology; the guttersnipe trash-talk of a former Republican senator obfuscates the seriousness of protecting one of the world's most effective anti-poverty programs-Social Security; and our corporately owned news media, staffed mostly by semi-literate, shellac-haired,  "Barbie" & "Ken" clones, race each other to be the first to voice the press releases of  right-wing geeks rather than developing a story or checking for the facts; and our president vacates and placates in the face of scurrilous and dangerously provocative personal attacks from the mentally incapacitated and venomously vile and violent professional wing-nuts (the same 35% of the willfully ignorant who believe to this day that George W. Bush was just the beans).

Today, we awaken to the news:

• That the White House will not demand the resignation of Alan Simpson as co-chair of the commission on fiscal responsibility and deficit reduction.  This, despite his continued campaign of abuse and insult and disparagement of older people and retirees!
• That another member of the commission, Republican Paul Ryan, using the commission as a pulpit from which he can continue his chant for drastic cuts in Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and, which he has now added, national defense and the FBI.
•  That, according to a Newsweek poll of Republicans, a majority believe that President Obama "...sympathizes with Islamic fundamentalists and wants worldwide Islamic law".
• That a dying Christopher Hitchens has called the recent Glen Beck rally as the "Water World of  White Self-Pity!"
• That since Saturday last, 18 GIs have been killed in Afghanistan (*may I personally note that their presence in that backwater of the world serves mainly to shore up a corrupt Karzai regime and narco-terrorists).

And, I can assure you of this.  More Americans are aware of Bristol Palin's standings on some TV dance contest than they are of the above.

Yep, America has gone moon-baying nuts!

Mr. President: It Is Time to Fire Alan Simpson

I have written extensively of that damned fool Alan Simpson and his dismal attitude toward older Americans--perhaps he is driven by self-loathing, as he himself is older than dirt and obviously dumber than a gunny sack full of wet Brazos River sand!

But over the past week or so, he has gone way beyond his earlier snide sarcasms and ugly denigrations of seniors to display a level of  hatred that borders on the psychotic.  The man is in desperate need of an intervention and some geriatric counseling and treatment. 

In an e-mail to the Executive Director of the Older Women's League, Simpson wrote that Social Security is like a "milk cow with 310 million tits".  Furthermore, he also told her, "call when you get honest work".  Gosh, Alan, has no one warned you that one sign of a deteriorating mind in the elderly is a careless disregard for self-control demonstrated by wildly inappropriate outbursts of rudeness and crudity.  Alan, seek help!

Last Wednesday, on August 25th, Barbara Easterling (*President) and Edward Coyle, (*Executive Director) of the 4-million member Alliance for Retired Americans wrote to President Barack Obama demanding Simpson's resignation  from the Co-Chair of the National Committee on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform.  Obama appointed Simpson to that position when the commission was formed.

In their jointly signed letter they wrote:

"This is conduct unbecoming a person named to co-chair a presidential panel.  Moreover, it is the latest in a series of divisive and inappropriate comments Mr. Simpson has made about our nation's seniors and the Social Security benefits they have earned and rely upon to make ends meet.

He has also said, according to multiple news sources:

• "Where do I get my mail?  From these old cats 70 and 80 years old who are not affected in one whiff.  People who live in gated communities and drive their Lexus to Perkins restaurant to get the AARP discount"
• That older Americans are greedy geezers";
• That the economically-disadvantaged are the lesser-people in society."

Mr. President, the Alliance for Retired Americans fully supports your goal of lowering the federal budget deficit, but as you know Social Security has not added one cent to the debt.  We do not want a large debt to be our legacy we leave behind to our children and grandchildren.  But the growing series series of venomous comments by Mr. Simpson greatly compromises his ability to lea a panel that tackles these complex issues in a thorough and objective manner"

The B.A. Stands For Bad Attitude

I am ready to admit that the B.A. after my name does not necessarily mean Bachelor of Arts, rather it could readily mean Bad Attitude!  Yes, I will own up to it here and now, I am a short-fused, contentious, curmudgeonly old S.O.B. who is fairly easy to rile.  Nonsense does it most often, but people trying to rip me off is guaranteed to make my dander soar like a hungry raptor in search of prey.  Put the two together and I am a sight to behold, and be sure to cover the ears of the children.

Here's what has my dudgeon boiling right now.  Stay with me here and see if my peevishness is not well based.

I go to our neighborhood Brookshire's and being the taciturn lout that I am, I just prefer to enter the store, remain silent and anonymous, and do my business and get out without being chatted up...but no!  By the time I've gotten through the door and wiped down the cart handles at least three clerks, baggers, managers, or assistant managers have shouted out, for all to hear, inquiries as to my well being..."How are you today Sir?"

I'm tempted on these occasions to tell them about my aching back, the things going on with my wife's health and the horrific affliction of a hives-like rash I'm afflicted with periodically as a residual effect of either the chemo or radiation for my cancer treatment.  How am I?  Don't ask!

And by the time I make it to produce and around the corner past the meat department at least three more store employees have greeted me with cheery "hello, how are yous" and I want to shout, "Just the same as I was when I walked in the damned door and was first assaulted with your misplaced interest as to my well-being".

Now understand, I went to Brookshire's as a conscious decision because I really was in no humor for Wal-Mart.  That tedium is best undertaken early in the morning while still half asleep.  Had I gone to Wal-Mart in this humor, there would have been headlines.

Sure, I get it; some suit in Brooshire's home-office had a brain spasm and held a few dozen meetings and drilled every one in the stores on being "friendly" and "customer aware".  High motives indeed. But, put into practice, the redundancy plays out like a skit put on by lunatics.

Then I get to the pharmacy and find out I have to show my I.D. and sign three documents to merely pick up a prescription...a "controlled substance" you see, and all overseen by a pimply-faced 18-year old clerk!  Just answer me this will you?  How many 70-year old drug addicts go to the trouble of having a physician call in a prescription on a Medicare Part D plan and stand in line at Brookshires to get it. 

As I check out (yet another bubbly inquiry as to my health) and am ready to leave the store, I am forced, over a pretty strong protest, to allow one of the store employees to push my cart and load my car.  Never mind that I'm 6'1", 190lbs and fairly rugged and this employee is a wizened, partially crippled with osteoporosis, old woman at least my age or more.  Brookshires will try to tell you it's more of their "friendly customer service" but I think it's just a means to keep their shopping carts from wandering off.  For God's sake, find her something meaningful to do in the office instead of schlepping heavy carts and loading cars!

If Brookshire's were serious about customer service instead of just imposing their ill-advised solicitous groveling on people for the sake of appearances they would figure out a way to sell produce that does not turn rotten with a day or two of leaving the store, or 60-cent a pound bananas, or $2.00 a pound oranges.  A few less "greeters" and "cart pushers' and they could trim their overhead enough to provide real customer satisfaction.

They make a big deal out of how "Christian" they are, even to the extent of ballyhooing their closures on Easter in celebration of their "Savior".  That's fine, but tell me when gouging for every last penny and selling sub-standard products became a Christian virtue.

How am I?  Aren't you glad you asked?

Entitlements - We've Earned them

Yesterday I partook of some socialized medicine at the Dallas, TX V.A. hospital.  I searched through the entire building for the "Death Panel" office but found none.  Which, I regard as a damned shame, since I have a few people I would have suggested they take under consideration.

It was a pleasant enough experience; no wait for more than twenty minutes within my appointment time and friendly, courteous, and caring front end staff, and bright intelligent doctors who quickly responded to my questions with clear and meaningful answers.  Altogether opposite the experiences I have had with some of the rude  and arrogant bozos in private practice here in East Texas. 

I mention this because my V.A eligibility is an "entitlement"!  I am entitled to it because I am an honorably discharged veteran of the Marine Corps who put his ass on the line and did all the hideous things expected of me with barely a whimper or objection and because I was told that if I did those things in an honorable way someday health care through the V.A would be mine.

But along the way, the damned Republicans rewrote the rules and rescinded that promise and applied "means testing" to my eligibility so that I am now saddled with some co-pays.  Minimal co-pays actually, but co-pays and not free, none-the-less.  And, the V.A. drug plan beats the living hell out of the Republican and drug company designed Medicare Part D.  But, never mind all that, it is an "entitlement" which I use and plan to continue using despite the nattering of right-wing politicians and corporate media.

I also draw monthly Social Security benefits--another entitlement.  And, I've got to tell you, a damned good one.  I and my employers have been paying into it since I "officially" began working at age 16 in 1955.  I say officially, because no one paid into it when I was about 14 and running around collecting numbers slips for my stepfather.  That is when I wasn't lugging beer cases up out of the basement of the bar where he worked.  So yeah, I'm entitled!  But, the point is this; I would be flat on my ass without it---my 401k took a beating in this recession, and every company that I worked for with the promise of a "pension" failed and folded their pension programs!  Yes, I have some savings, and what remains of my 401k, some equity, low expenses and overhead--but without social security, they would be whittled away in mere survival!

I am also entitled to be safe and secure in my home and protected against fire or flood.  I am entitled to those things through my willingness to sacrifice some of my earnings to pay taxes to support police, fire, EMT and other first responders.  I am also entitled to these things because I am a good citizen who stays informed, involved, and who votes and serves on juries and stands ready to help my neighbors when they need it.

I am also entitled to timely mail delivery at a reasonable cost.  That's because I am an American citizen and it's in the Constitution.  And, I am entitled to decent roads and highways in return for my prompt payment of taxes.  I am also entitled to see that my children and the children of others get a good, building for the future, public education free of any particular religion or other superstitious mumbo-jumbo or displays of uber-patriotism.

I am entitled to having my money safe and secure in well regulated banks and financial institutions and protected against loss if those entities should "fail".

Oh yeah, let's not forget, were it not for another "socialized medicine" entitlement; Medicare, I would have died of cancer or been made bankrupt by the expense of my treatment.  Which, by the way, is another plan that I and my employers paid into for most of my working years--hardly "welfare", just a very effective, well-managed health insurance option.

Entitlements? You damned straight skippy!  And I don't want to hear a stupid word against them.  I, and millions of others just like me, have earned them...we are entitled to them!

Texas: Social Security Works For You!

Social Security brings nearly $39-billion to the Texas economy each year.  Those dollars "turn over" several times after being spent for health care, lodging, food, transportation and other of life's necessities.  They lift from poverty over 1.3-million Texans and provide income to nearly 1/2-million disabled workers, nearly 300-thousand children, 3.25-million widows & widowers and almost 2-million retired workers.

As that $39-billion (equivalent to 3% of the state's annual GDP) works its way through our economy; businesses, small and large, are able to grow and and provide employment to other Texas.

As these figures demonstrate, Social Security is an extremely effective and beneficial family insurance protection for Texans against lost wages due to old age, disability, or death.  Simply put:  It is impossible to overstate the importance of Social Security's earned protections.  However, we find ourselves here in Texas with too many rabidly-radical, right-wing politicians of the type that would have us apologize to BP for its disastrous oil spill and hand Social Security over the the cut-purses, liars, thieves, and mendicants of Wall Street.

They ignore the truth that Social Security has not caused the federal deficit, and that the program enjoys a $2.6-trillion surplus today which is projected to become $4.3-trillion by 2023.   Middle-aged and young workers will find that Social Security must be a mainstay against poverty as they become older after watching their housing equities, retirement savings and 401k investments being ravaged by what is now called "The Great Recession".  The attempts to deprive them of FULL Social Security benefits by Republicans and Blue-Dog Democrats and their arch-conservative fellow travelors  is both unbelievable and unconscionab

Social Security is not a welfare program breaking our financial backs and causing our fiscal deficit.  Social Security is paid for through dedicated taxes contributed by workers and their employers into a trust fund.  This makes Social Security a promise---a bond between generations that belongs to the people who have worked hard all their lives and their families!