The Good and Bad of the Republican Tax Plan by the Ancient Texan

Until Death Do Us Part: America and the 2nd Amendment by the Ancient Texan

Don't call them addicts, please, by the Ancient Texan

Healthcare for the Poor 101 by the Ancient Texan

Is capitalism still useful in America, by the Ancient Texan

As artifical intelligence and robots begin to eliminate more jobs, as our infrastructure crumbles, as our education becomes available only to the rich, as racism continues unabated, as hate enters our politics, etc., do we have confidence in capitalism to address these problems?

American's Political and Social Religions

Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people.

When I look around America, the land that held so many promises when I was a child, I see several dominant "political and social" religions, most of which have grown stronger as I have evolved into an oldish man:

America-is-the-land-of-opportunity Religion. LOOR

The Liberal Democratic Religion LDR

The Conservative Republican Religion CRR

The Trickle-Down Religion TDR

The Progressive Trickle-Up Religion PTUR

The Materialist Religion MR
and finally, but not least
The Religion of Science RoS

There are several religions under each of these religions, for instance, the traditional Christian and Mormon Religion seems to fall under the Conservative Republican Religion (CRR).  The Muslim Religion is still struggling for its place, but may become the first secular religion to fall under the Progressive Trickle-Up Religion.

The hierarchy I have assumed with traditional religions falling under the New American Religions is done because I see our faith stronger in these political manifestations of religion than I do in the traditional religions.  The political parties do not look for guidance from the traditional religions, but instead the traditional religions more or less spend their time justifying the behavior of the political leaders of our country that espouse their religion.  Perhaps you see it differently.

There is an integral philosophy that sees the growth of humanity evolving from survival and mythologically based religions, through traditional religions to the individual to the collective acceptance of all.  Each religion serves a useful purpose in the evolution of humanity and all are valuable to the extent that belief in them is helpful to the followers of the religion.  They all represent a point of view that emphasises certain truths and beliefs at the expense of other points of view.  In reality, man is barely capable of recognizing that their beliefs are simply a story to explain the world to their mind that is being flooded with sensory perceptions and ancient survival instincts.  I realize that may be a radical thought that does not fit with your view, your story of the world -- and that is okay with me -- I am not here to advocate my story over yours.

Let’s look at a couple of the religions more closely:  The Conservative Republican Religion.  They love their country and have fond memories of a simpler world where traditional rights prevailed.  They see our great days as being behind us and unless we can somehow turn back the clock and restore traditional values:  people go to church, only men have wives, America’s might is right, America is Almost Always Right, Reading, writing and arithmetic should be taught in schools and should be targeted at the gifted, being born in America makes you better than those born on the wrong side of river, America First, and men lead and head up the house and the church.  They believe we should not overtax the rich because they picture someday being the rich.  They usually also believe in the religion that America is the Land of Opportunity.  They see abortion as murder and homosexuality as a sin on the whole.  In general, they hold the America of their youth as being dear and all would be good if we could restore America to those times.  They tend to see man as inherently a sinner and flawed, and that the life we have is fundamentally the one we deserve.  The believe hard work will bring success, although this belief has started to waiver because they believe the liberal religion has mucked up things too much.

The Liberal Democratic Religion sees themselves as evolved, compassionate and caring for all humanity, except possibly those that practice the Conservative Republican Religion.  They believe the potential of humanity is determined primarily by the opportunities individuals are given and that even the hardened criminal needs to be loved with compassion.  They believe in a world where the fruits of our country should be more evenly distributed to all humans, especially those that have lacked opportunity because of lack of opportunity, or good parents, or poor education, or poverty.  (The Progressive Trickle Up religion believes we should be more like the Scandinavian countries, or Denmark, where it is the state’s responsibility to feed, clothe and shelter all men from the bounties generated by our modern technology and industrialization.)  Gays, other religions,other races and immigrants should not only be accepted but their diversity celebrated as a path to making everyone’s life better.

I define righteousness as the belief that one’s religion is more helpful to the world than all other religions.

I believe the condition of America is due to extreme righteousness by the vast majority of Americans.

Do you wonder about my religion?

Benefit of the Doubt for Trump or Just Doubt? Sarine Gas in Syria

In the old days, your opponents gave you the benefit of the doubt, your friends at least trusted your intentions even when they thought your actions or opinions were in doubt.

But look at what just happened to Trump with Syrian.  His followers don't like his actions because it goes against his non interventionist policy he proclaimed on the campaign trail.  His opponents don't trust his intentions and they are afraid of their own conjectures about what he might do next.  There are very few giving him the benefit of the doubt. Should they?

Logically there is a lot to worry about ...and oh the stories we can tell about what could happen next.  But, are the democrats willing to accept that decisive action driven from the heart (I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt) could have a positive effect? Could his prompt action cause North Korea and China to be a slower to act in their corner of the world?  I don't know, nobody does.  But, I’ll give Trump at least a maybe.

Here's another tidbit: there is no third party verification that the gas attack came from Assad.  The rebels that are fighting him of course would have no motivation to pull us into the conflict would they? They wouldn't frame Assad, would they?  And, of course, we can trust Rachel Maddow and Bill O’Reilly to give us the facts with their opinions, of course.  A favorite line of mine on Rachel’s show is “we were unable to confirm this story” but here it comes anyway.   And by confirm, they mean they call the person in the story and ask them if it's true.  Almost never is the story actually from Fox or MSNBC reports but third party newspapers struggling for survival.   Does it remind you more of a theater product or Walter Cronkite?

Of course, there is the bigger picture: Assad has killed a half million of his own people.  Of course, he would point out that they are trying to overthrow the government, which is true.  Of course, as always in the middle east, the rebels are a different religious sect than Assad’s people. Does that mean it's a religious war?

So we have an atrocity committed by someone, perhaps Assad, avenged by Trump by blowing up some buildings on an airfield being used by one side in what might be called a religious war.  Trump, the one offended by the death of the children, isn't he the one trying to block other Syrian children from coming to the U.S. for help?  And how is it that our military chose not to take out Assad’s planes that were sitting on the runway or even the runways themselves.  The runway was in use the next day.  Raytheon which made the $60 million dollars worth of missiles had a good day in the stock market.  Cuts in Meals on Wheels for the elderly proposed by the Republicans should cover most of this cost.  And Rex Tillerson is off to see his Russians buddies this week.  

Theater.  Sound bites. Nonsense.  Do you have doubts?

Who is your god?

My god is life, all life.  I am amazed by it, I worship it, I celebrate it.  

By extension, I am amazed that I exist, that you exist.  I think it is wonderful we are both here, here now in this moment.  I am.  I am, there is nothing more profound or more baffling in the Universe.

And I hear you saying, I am.  I’m glad to encounter you on your journey.  Isn’t it strange that we are making contact at this moment, at this place in the cosmos.  How wonderful.  But, you see, I don’t know that you exist, but I believe it.  I take it as my first act of faith that this is not all a dream.  This act of faith is the foundation of my religion.

My dog here by my side says “I am”.   I can feel his spirit, and it is no less than yours or mine.  I consider his life as sacred in my religion.  Green spring buds are emerging from the tree overhanging my pond.  Baby Koi and goldfish will soon join the tadpoles that have appeared from seemingly nowhere, as they do every year about now.  It is all amazing and important.  I am so lucky to be apart of it all.

The children of the earth are like my children, and my parents, each exploring this wonderful universe they have been dropped into.  They experience life like we do with both positive and negative stimulation, joy and pain, love and fear.  

I can approach this life and attempt to understand it rationally, but it is not rational that we are even here.  It just is, it seems.  We are here.  Wow.  Or, we can feel it, absorb it, immerse ourselves in the life that engulfs us, that swirls into our lungs and being even if we resist.  

Look out and about at our fellow children of life.  What else could be more worthy of worship and respect.  I don’t know another word to use, and despite all the negative connotations,  I don’t know what could be greater than this sea of life I am immersed in, what could deserve to be called god more than this miracle of being.

Roe
March 2017

Two Fatally Flawed Healthcare Plans Inside of a Flawed Healthcare System updated July 2017

• Both Trumpcare and ObamaCare are fatally flawed in intention and execution.
• Obamacare is not economically viable; Trumpcare lacks compassion.
• Neither accepts that all Americans are entitled to healthcare like citizens of more compassionate countries (like Cuba)

Here are some well kept secrets: 

• For insurance company to be profitable they need a lot of healthy people to sign up for their policies and as few sick people as possible. To insure those with pre-existing conditions, the individual mandate must stay in place for insurance companies to make a profit. (The single payer system does not have this problem.)
• Our country is not a healthy place to live: we live in a high stress, materialistic society, eat and drink poorly, sit on our butts too much, and are driven by a "righteous" competition.
• The poor are much sicker on average than middle class but do not have the resources or knowledge on average to improve their lot in live, including their health.

How is it that Cuba has decided that all people deserve access to their healthcare system and we have decided that all our people are not entitled to healthcare? Did you know that the Cuban Healthcare System produces better results in terms of the health of their people than our system? (Its good we have kept separate from them for 50 years, otherwise we would start expecting to be as healthy as a Cuban.)

Intention
Democrats and Republicans are most concerned with being re-elected. The current strategy of both is to make the other side look bad and blame the other side for all the problems facing us in healthcare (and everything else for that matter). Neither side is bringing serious and well-thought-out-options to the table. There is no easy way out of this mess and few are willing to face the reality we need to re-evaluate all of our assumptions, keep an open-mind and work together to solve this healthcare crisis.

Now let's look at some details of the broken system(s):

The Fine for Obamacare is too Small

Obamacare requires everyone to either sign up for insurance or pay a fine/tax.  The goal was to get everyone that is healthy to sign up for insurance to avoid paying the mandated fine/tax. The problem is the fine was/is too small and people quickly figure out that it's better to just pay the fine and then when you get sick sign up for insurance. Well, what happens is that only sick people sign up for healthcare, especially those with pre-existing conditions- and the rates snowball upward. So, the intention was noble but the mandate did not have enough teeth. (You don't have to like the mandate, but the fact is that the mandate is necessary if you want those with pre-existing conditions to have insurance.)

And as far as the mandate being a tax forced upon all -- well, that is true -- just like I am forced to pay taxes that are used for war. This is a tax forced upon us all to help our neighbors have healthcare. Here's the deal, don't make me pay taxes for the military industrial complex and I will listen to your complaint about not paying taxes for your neighbors. Taxes for war are painful for me, taxes to help my neighbor, not so much.

Trumpcare Approach is Simple and Cruel
The strategy is simple for Trumpcare: don't provide health care for the poor covered by medicaid and cut taxes for the rich. It also allows a two tier insurance system, expensive policies for those with pre-existing and cheaper policies for the healthy. In short, those with pre-existing conditions will just be priced out of the market and have no insurance just like the poor. Simple way to save money, let people die.

Those with jobs will still be okay since there is more or less a mandate that every one in a company has access to healthcare insurance including those with pre-existing conditions and those without  ... the company is mandated to cover all employees.  Which is why it works ...

In short, Trumpcare will price the poor, sick and those with pre-existing conditions out of the healthcare system to make it easier for the rest of us. Yes, it more economically viable for the insurance companies. But, poor people and those with pre-existing conditions would be better off in Cuba than the U.S. for their healthcare needs. Of coure, an American going to Cuba for medical care is against the law in our free country.

We are an Unhealthy Country and a Back-Assward Approach to Healthcare
We have lost our way.  Like an old toothless drunk in a bar that was the tough guy in his youth, we sway in front of the crowd and scream out I AM THE GREATEST.  We are not healthy -- we are stressed out people, in debt, buying stuff and not enjoying the simple pleasures of life.  We have anxiety that leads to addiction, excess drinking and eating, compulsive behavior, working excessively and carrying around a lot of anger and blame.  Yea, you may be the exception, or you may be lying to yourself. But, back to a sharper focus on healthcare.

Our system is based on treating sickness.  Live like you want, work yourself to death, pop pills or have another cocktail to make it through another day, drink that can of sugar water or puff on the cigeratte, or rant at the other political party, and then when your body develops some cracks in the mortar, go see the doctor. Our system is based on beating out the other guy to get the big prize; it is not based on carrying the load together.  Our Military can solve all our problems and the world problems because we know what is best -- we are the greatest.

How does your healthcare system help you live a healthy life?  What preventative systems does it provide?  Does anyone help you monitor your life, your habits and help you understand the consequences of your actions?  Does anyone help you address your anxieties and anger?  Does anyone help you plan a healthy life style? Isn't the message from our healthcare system:  No need to worry about your lifestyle, just live for today and when you get sick all you need to do is pop a new pill for each new aliment.

When is the last time that you got an assessment of your life expectancy for your living style?  Or a prediction of how many days you will live your life in poor health if you stay on the path you are on?   Of course not, we do not fund such mundane, useless items.  What about helping you eliminate carcogins from your environment?  Oh, that appointment is next week?  What about your report on your level of physical activity and how that is impacting your future?  What about that therapist that is advising you on how to have a happier and more peaceful life?  Not going to happen in our system -- duh.

We Can Afford a Preventive Healthcare System for All

It is a selfish myth that we can not afford a preventative healthcare system for all.  Read about the Cuban Healthcare System.  And don't dare compare the care the wealthy get in this country to the care a common man in Cuba gets.  Compare the poor in this country to the poor in Cuba ... and there is no contest, Cuba ... Cuba!!!!!! wins.

The hard part of impoving our healthcare system is the self-evaluation of our lifestyle and our priorities in this country that is leading to an increasingly sick country in both mind, body and spirit.  The world is full of countries that can provide a blueprint for universal healthcare.  We just have to be willing to pick it up and follow it.

We need a health care system based on love and compassion for our fellow man.  What we have now is the best medical facilities in the world with access increasingly tied to one's economic position in our GDP machine.

Love and compassion for all -- or hate and fear for "them" --- that is the issue before us.

The Trump-Russia Witch-Hunt by Robert R. Odle, Ph.D.

If you turn on the news, especially MSNBC or CNN, you get only one story: Trump and his associates may have conspired with the Russians to win the election or perhaps something even more terrible.  A trickle of “facts” keep coming in that  shows Trump’s associates DID TALK WITH RUSSIANS.  Oh, my god is what they want you to think.  What did they talk about?

This has been going on since the summer!!!  Almost nothing else has happened in the rest of the world since then, except of course,  Trump’s Immigrant and Refugee Debacles.  Democrats are intent on proving that Trump is not only incompetent but that he is a traitor.  The news has joined the cause with the democrats.

Let me first state that I am Independent, that I supported Bernie and then Gary.  Philosophically I am closely aligned with the democrats on most social and environmental issues and aligned more with Republicans on many monetary issues (except for one).   I have little love for Trump or Hillary.

But, I am an American and I believe it is important to support the President and that we interact with him in a positive and meaningful way.  I believe in giving him the benefit of the doubt and not speculating on what he might of done wrong. I believe in innocent until proven guilty.  I also don’t believe in listening to Trump’s rhetoric on his greatness, let’s see a plan with some meat on the bones and the legislation to support it. I would also like to see some unbiased reporting on the impact of his executive orders.  Of course, I have more concerns about Trump but that is not the subject of this blog.

Aside from bashing Trump, what is the message of the news and the democrats.  The news and the democrats seem to be laying the groundwork for a military war with Russia. They never (seldom) report on the very real threats Russia feels as we tightened the noose around their country with anti ballistic missiles.   If we can shoot down Russian missiles, even some of them, it destroys the balance of power between the U.S. and Russia.  Of course, to our media the Russians are the bad guys and there is no justification for their fears or actions.  That is not to say Putin is a good guy.

So, where is this all leading.  Trump just asked for $55 billion additional funding for the military.  And here is the saddest part.  It is not cool to stand against military spending, it is un-American.  A few like Rand Paul will step up and say they want a balanced budget, but there will be no outcry from the democrats and media similar to this Trump-Russia witch-hunt.  

So, as Americans we have lots of challenges ahead of us:  a decaying infrastructure, a medical system that is expensive and ineffective as Americans become sicker, big cities with lots of inner-city violence, social programs that are not sustainable, trade imbalances, soaring personal and government debt, etc.  And are the democrats and the media discussing the merits of the pending legislation of the Republicans or seeking to join hands with them in addressing these challenges?  Of course not.  And we have come to accept this as just the way it is.  These are tough challenges and the democrats are copping out behind rhetoric, see an example with Obamacare.

Instead of addressing these challenges and encouraging meaningful discussion, the democrats and the media are instead pushing us toward a renewed cold war with Russia, and perhaps a ground war in Ukraine.  The big winner as usual will be the Military Industrial Complex (MIC) and the big loser will be the American people.  Don't confuse my distrust of the Democratic intentions with my acceptance of the Republican agenda. 

Both sides and the media need to step up to the plate and address the problems this nation is wallowing in.

Stalemate in Congress Continues: Americans Lose

Congress is at it again.  Trump brags he is going to make America great while signing executive orders attacking immigrants, refugees, and the environment.  Meanwhile the democrats are fixated on the Trump-Russia connection.  If that card is not an ace, then they have nothing.

What is the first quagmire?  Obamacare, of course.

Republicans have committed to repeal and recently to repeal and replace.

Democrats are committed to improving Obamacare.

Both now agree on “pre-existing conditions” although they don’t agree on how that will be funded.  Obama resorted to a mandate for everyone to get insurance or pay a tax.  Republicans will push for higher copays and put pressure on the states to fund the gap between what poor people can afford and what healthcare costs. Republicans will drop mandates that forces insurance companies to offer policies that meet minimum standards.   

Republicans will allow cross state competition in hopes that this will decrease insurance rates for healthcare.  Republicans will also lower the amount of medicaid that it sends the states and expect them to make up the difference.

So, much of these changes posed by the Republicans could be considered improvements to Obamacare that the Democrats would reluctantly accept.  A few would vote yes to these changes to balance out the no-votes from Republicans. However, Republicans will say they are repealing Obamacare and replacing it.  In reality, they will be copying most of Obamacare and making some changes to make it more affordable and/or competitive.

Democrats would accept the changes if they are called “improving Obamacare” but not if it is called repealing Obamacare and replacing it.  

The end product would be the same whether it is called “repeal and replace Obamacare” or if it called “improving Obamacare”.  Republicans will support the first, but not the second, and visa-versa for the Democrats.  Neither will have enough votes by themselves to get it passed.  Stalemate.

Who loses?  Americans, as usual. Both parties are broken, but Americans keep supporting these non-functional parties.

How Will Our Grandchildren Judge Our Country

Generations from now what will cause our children to weep?  What about the way we are managing our world, our resources, will cause our future children grief?  What are our priorities?

I do not think their grief will come from poor economic recovery in the U.S. or because we lost billions from not putting in a new pipeline.  I don’t there will be grief even if our economy didn’t produce enough jobs and instead we shared the wealth among all.  I can’t imagine our children’s children will care if we became more strict on fracking or shut down some coal mines.

But, I think they will cry when they realize the last lion is gone, the last tiger and elephant can only be seen in a zoo.  Imagine the tears when the last few polar bears are endangered.  I think at this point our children should hate us,  I would, perhaps I already do.

Will our children care if we beat Mexico out of a few dollars of trade?  Or will they care more if we form a strong relationship with Mexico and together we care for our drug addicts?  Will our children care if we have the strongest military if we still must use it full time to maintain world order.  Would they rather us lead the world in values, education, and caring about the world we live in?  

Will our children feel great if we stop all terrorism on our shores and let thousands of Syrian children die?  Or their parents?  Will they be proud of turning out back on those that fought alongside of us in Iraq?

Will they cheer that we have the most effective nuclear weapons and we fail to disarm the world that one day burns from a nuclear holocaust?

To my future children … I have shed many tears about how we are treating this planet, its life forms and our fellow humans. I know you will find it hard to understand how a country spending trillions making war let our people die in the streets cold and hungry and how we let many suffer without medical care.  How we treat addicts as criminals instead of humans that are struggling and need help.  I can not imagine you will judge us well.  I understand it is sad that we have done so little to form the values we need to rise above our pettiness and greed.  Forgive us, we were not ready for the wealth we have received or our place of leadership that was bestowed upon us.

Roe, 1/29/17