George A. Sprecace M.D.,
J.D., F.A.C.P. and Allergy
Associates of New
London,
P.C.
www.asthma.drsprecace.com
RAPID
RESPONSE (Archives)...Daily Commentary on News of the Day
This is a new
section. It will
offer fresh,
quick reactions by myself to news and events of the day, day by day, in
this rapid-fire world of ours. Of course, as in military
campaigns,
a rapid response in one direction may occasionally have to be followed
by a "strategic withdrawal" in another direction. Charge that
to
"the fog of war", and to the necessary flexibility any mental or
military
campaign must maintain to be effective. But the mission will
always
be the same: common sense, based upon facts and "real politick",
supported
by a visceral sense of Justice and a commitment to be
pro-active.
That's all I promise.
GS
THE VIETNAM WAR: A DOCUMENTARY BY KEN BURNS: MY COMMENTARY ON THAT “POLICE ACTION” AND ON ITS CONTINUING AFTERMATH.
Worse
and more consequential than the Civil War, the Vietnam War was a
disaster while in progress…and one that has had long-lasting effects
that hobble this nation to the present time. Those of us who lived
through it and who have lived with its effects since then need no
reminder about the veracity of this opinion. Those who have not would
benefit from viewing all of the episodes of Burns’ 2017 documentary.
What
follows is my personal review of that documentary, of its historical
facts, of the consequences during the last 45 years, and of the tears
and rage that effort produced in me in the process.
Vietnam
and its people had been through centuries of efforts to gain freedom
and independence from outsiders. The French colonization began in the
1860’s, the most recent and nearly century-long challenge to that goal.
Those efforts continued after WW l, when a young Ho Chi Minh tried to
get President Wilson’s attention to apply the President’s high-sounding
statements to block further colonization. He was afforded no contact
and no help. It was then that Ho embraced Communism as possibly a
better way to obtain freedom for his people from French colonization.
World
War II, with the Japanese and Chinese designs on Viet Nam and on all of
Indochina, was followed by French President De Gaulle’s threatening a
reluctant President Truman that he would join the Soviet sphere if
Truman did not support France’s continued colonization after the war.
Then came the great French defeat by the Vietnamese in 1954.
Then
came a succession of U.S. Presidents (Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, and
Nixon) who serially lied to the American People regarding the
disastrous effects our “police action” was having on the Vietnamese
people and also on our nation. The rationale for these actions was the
“Domino Effect” that the ever – expanding Communist Russia and China
seemed to have settled into. Had the proposition been brought honestly
to the American People, they would likely have agreed to that
rationale…so long as they were keep apprised of the “action’s “
progress, effects and likely outcome. None of that took place, while
our “leaders” lied and lied for years, as the increasing disaster
unfolded. That was the level of confidence that our leaders had on the
American People. The “dissembling miscreants” included Secretary of
Defense McNamara, General Westmoreland, Henry Kissinger, and many
others.
Meanwhile, the Vietnamese were subjected to wholesale
destruction at the hands of corrupt national leaders, by constant
invasion by Communist Viet Cong supported by Communist China and
Russia…and by increasingly deadly but feckless American military action
committed to their “salvation” beginning in 1960. The result was over
50,000 American military deaths, over 2 million Vietnamese deaths, the
destruction of South Vietnam, and its loss – as well as of much of
Indochina to the Communists. It also resulted in the violent divisions
of Americans and their radicalization at home, the massive introduction
of a Drug Culture, many tens of thousands of “walking wounded” since
then, the general loss of faith in government – and in authority in
general. Lingering effects include devaluation of family life, a return
of racism, a broad sense of “entitlement” without corresponding
personal responsibility, a debasement of public education and internal
deep political divisions that enabled the rise of terrorism, 9-11,
Afghanistan, Iraq, Isis, and a recent President who worked toward the
enfeeblement of America vis a vis the rest of the world.
The
Vietnam War was a disaster worse for America than the Civil War. It
brings to mind the increasingly effective invasions of the Germanic
“hords” into the Rome of antiquity and the serial insanity of some of
its Emperors, leading to the decline and fall of the Roman Empire. That
took over 400 years. We are half – way there, if we do not embrace the
efforts of our current transparent and effective outsider to
Make America Great Again. George A. Sprecace., M.D., J.D.
RR#3
ENJOY "HOOKING UP" INDISCRIMINATELY AS PART OF THE SOCIAL SCENE? YOU DUMMIES! Read the Linked article: "STDs Reach Record Levels in CT, Early Data Show", by Jake Kara and MacKenzie Rigg, in ctmirror.org, August 30, 2018. Then "Google" Gonorrhea, Chlamydia and Syphilis. Read about Herpes for "extra credit". Then see if you "enjoy".
GS
RR#4
ABOUT CIVILIAN FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND PAY INCREASES... Even
if the Federal Government is not yet a wholly owned subsidiary of the
Public Employees, as is true in Connecticut, the Administrative arm of
the Federal Government has become an unelected and poorly supervised
law-maker, apart from the framework of our U.S. Constitution. This
needs to change. Whether President Trump is the best approach or not,
it is at least a start, together with the Presidential mandate to
reduce regulations.(See The Day, Aug. 30, 2018).
GS
RR#5
IS THIS BECOMING ANOTHER VIETNAM? See "WAR WITHOUT END", by C.J. Chivers, in NYTimes Magazine, August 12, 2018. Then
see my recent article on the Vietnam War and its lingering effects, in
this section and in the "State of the Union" section of my web site. If
the Taliban MUST BE DEFEATED to insure the peace and stability of that
part of the world, then the only way to achieve that is by forcing
Pakistan to STOP SUPPORTING THEM. Otherwise, this is another quagmire
that America can not afford, in both human and economic terms. Is
our government telling us "the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but
the truth" this time. Or is America facing another bunch of
"dissembling miscreants" as in the 1960's?
Complex.
A Hero, not because he was captured and suffered greatly in prison, but
because of how that experience finally focused his subsequent life
according to his own direction and to his nation's benefit.
I
only wish that he had left this life with Charity, rather than with
carefully composed instructions for his funeral arrangements that
included "thumbs down" to perceived antagonists. (See the related
article in the NYTimes, Aug. 30, 2018). (See also the article linked
below). REST IN PEACE, finally.
"MEANWHILE, BACK AT THE RANCH", did you see President Trump at Charleston, West Virginia? This is a real and really effective leader, for a change. The People value that greatly.
...AND IT'S GETTING WORSE, MUCH WORSE.
Insurance companies and government regulations are interfering more and
more with our ability to take care of our patients.
That's Great!
A Fine Woman. A real Mensch.
And thanks to you, your mother and I had a memorable meeting with her
backstage after her show at Foxwoods. I'm looking at the photo of the
three of us on the wall right now. And she was also very complementary
of you in working with her and with her daughter at "E".
Joan Rivers, Rest in Peace.
GS
MONDAY,
August 20,
2018
RR#1
CLIMATE CHANGE, GLOBAL WARMING, ETC.
We still don't know what we don't know. Stay tuned.
SO MANY OPINIONS. SO LITTLE TIME.
After all, I'm still conducting a busy medical practice: 61 years and
counting.
So, here's another edition of Pot Pourri, with only general references.
•
In ctmirror.org, an interesting and reliable on-line publication: about
low-scoring schools improving when they extend their school days. "WHO
WUDDA THUNK IT?"
• In The Day, about maintaining New
London schools: To the City Council and the School Board...YOU'RE ON
THE SAME TEAM! Stop the stupid bickering.
• A recent Editorial in The Day, about
henceforth requiring names for comments. "The boss is going to fire
you...?" In this nasty, vituperative, despotic Leftist climate we are
in, "You bet your sweet bippy". Don't be naive.
• A recent article in The Day, about
Seniors and driving. You addressed half of the story. Now write about
the younger (18-50+) jerks who always speed, who run red lights, who
cut in and out of heavy traffic, who never heard of "common courtesy of
the road" (or anywhere else), and whose car mufflers' decibels are
inversely related to their engine power. Meanwhile, I have the hardest
graders: my kids.
• Mike DiMauro's recent article in The
Day about Tiger Woods. On point, but you didn't comment on "the roar of
the grease-paint, the smell of the crowd" as soon as a notable falls
from his perch.
• In ctmirror.org, the recent Ct. Supreme
Court ruling that religious institutions must litigate their claims of
immunity in a specific "case or controversy". Expensive, yes. Fair, yes.
• In The Day and also in ctmirror.org
recently: "We Will Not Shut Up". We don't want you to shut up. We just
want you to be fair and even-handed and non-partisan. Is that too much
to ask? And, by the way, your professionalism as Journalists and your
long-term credibility with the People entirely depend on it.
You might start with the NYTimes.
GS
RR#4
VERY INTERESTING: MORE ON "TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME"
MITIGATING CLIMATE CHANGE: NO SIMPLE FIX.
Check out my web site section entitled "The Arctic And Global Warming"
section for a continuing collection of related articles.
A LESSON FROM THE FRONT: VICARIOUS EXPERIENCE IS CHEAPER THAN REAL LIFE.
It also helps in a real-life situation.
1) THINK, DON'T EMOTE.
2) PRAY.
3) CHOOSE A PLAN.
4) FOLLOW THAT PLAN...UNLESS IT NEEDS TO CHANGE.
5)THINK AGAIN. DON'T EMOTE.
6) REPEAT THE ABOVE.
Of course, not getting into the situation is much better. An "accident"
is most often not a sudden and random event. Engineers talk about an
"accident cacade" of several prior unwise actions that led directly to
the "accident".
About the Catholic Church and its scandals.
The attached is an excellent Editorial on the subject.
I have been literally scandalized on only one occasion in my life. That
was when Bernard Law, fresh from massive scandals in Boston, was
"honored" at a ceremony at St. Patrick's Cathedral in Norwich, CT.
attended by scores of bishops from throughout the nation...on his way
to an apparent promotion in Rome.
The point is aptly made in the Editorial that now corrective action
must be spearheaded by the Laity, "The Body of the Church".
What the Clergy and the Magisterium must do is to reconsider the
"discipline" (not a doctrine) of celibacy for priests. This is
undermining the Priesthood, just as the insistence on "the unitive
function of sex" regarding even committed married couples has
undermined the Laity - in numbers and in faithfulness.
Is Pope Francis, a breath of fresh air and Hope, himself becoming
compromised by his surroundings and its occupants?
HERE IS ANOTHER RELEVANT ARTICLE BY NEWT GINGRICH.
The Democratic Party, increasingly co-opted by the insane Left, is
becoming increasingly radioactive for Independents...and even for their
Black constituency, as reflected in recent reliable polls.
"CONSERVATIVE VERSUS LIBERAL: Have we reached the stage of irreconcilable differences?"
So
begins a very rational analysis that crystallizes the differences
between the "Weltshauung" of these increasingly polarized points of
view. My proposed treatment, however, would involve not divorce
which was addressed in the Civil War, but rather a return to a
Republican form of government, with individual States choosing their
own paths. These would always be under the same central Government,
although a Government that actually obeyed the 10th Amendment of our
Constitution.
ATTA BOYS...AND
GIRLS OF THE NEW LONDON DAY
for publishing three items in the August 12, 2018 edition.
1) The excellent reply of Ron Rando to the off-the-mark prior letter of
Donald Donila. (Perspective, pB3.)
2) The new policy of requiring author names to accompany on-line
comments...and now allowing comments to Letters to the Editor.
3) The Letter Linked below.
The "Democrats" of today are off-the-wall, certainly not the Democratic
Party of which I was a member and office-holder between 1964 and 1990.
GET A GRIP...and get a platform of policies and positions that you can
support...other than blind and incoherent obstructionism. You are in
danger of becoming totally irrelevant. And that would not be good for
this democracy.
FUNNY...
except I guess I'm not "a real smart person".
GS
Automobile Air Conditioner
To: The Goldberg Brothers - The Inventors of the Automobile
Air Conditioner:
Here's a little fact for automotive buffs, or just to dazzle your
friends.
The
four Goldberg brothers, Lowell, Norman, Hiram, and Max, invented and
developed the first automobile air-conditioner. On July 17, 1946 , the
temperature in Detroit was 97 degrees.
The four brothers
walked into old man Henry Ford's office and sweet-talked his secretary
into telling him that four gentlemen were there with the most exciting
innovation in the auto industry since the electric starter.
Henry was curious and invited them into his office.
They refused and instead asked that he come out to the parking lot to
their car.
They
persuaded him to get into the car, which was about 130 degrees, turned
on the air conditioner, and cooled the car off immediately.
The old man got very excited and invited them back to the office, where
he offered them $3 million for the patent.
The
brothers refused, saying they would settle for $2 million, but they
wanted the recognition by having a label, 'The Goldberg
Air-Conditioner,' on the dashboard of each car in which it was
installed.
Now old man Ford was more than just a little
anti-Jewish, and there was no way he was going to put the Goldberg's
name on two million Fords.
They haggled back and forth for about two hours and finally agreed on
$4 million and that just their first names would be shown.
And so to this day, all Ford air conditioners show --
Lo, Norm, Hi, and Max -- on the dashboard
A real smart person would have been suspicious when they first saw
those names.
This is what happens when you are retired and have too much time on
your hands!
PHYSICIANS, MENTAL HEALTH, SUICIDE: WHAT TO DO?
A physician does not achieve a medical degree and beyond as a "weak
sister".
He or she is healthy, strong in body and mind, and resilient.
And
he is observed, monitored and evaluated constantly for many years by
his peers, who are usually the most strict "markers" of fellow
physicians.
So what's going on? The answer should be obvious to
anyone who follows this Rapid Response section or the Health Alerts
section of this web site.
What to do?
What not to expect is for
an affected physician to formally report his problems to his superiors
or to the State Medical Board, actions which could cost him his license
to practice Medicine - after decades of preparation.
What should be
available is for a colleague to offer to help / mentor a fellow
physician who in most cases just needs to talk and to vent to someone
who can relate to his problems and concerns - in strictest confidence.
That would help greatly. And it would also help achieve the kind of
doctor - patient relationship that could allow the mentor to guide his
patient toward further help. Try it.
WHEN MEN WERE MEN...AND THEIR LADIES SUPPORTED THEM.
GS
COMPARE WITH HOLLYWOOD
TODAY!!!!!!!!
George Gobel comedian taught fighter pilots, I believe it was in
Oklahoma.
Johnny Carson made a big deal about it once on the Tonight Show, to
which George said, "The Japs didn't get past us!"
Sterling Hayden, US Marines and OSS. Smuggled guns into
Yugoslavia and parachuted into Croatia.
James Stewart, US Army Air Corps. Bomber pilot who rose to
the rank of General.
Ernest Borgnine, US Navy. Gunners Mate 1c, destroyer USS
Lamberton.
Ed McMahon, US Marines. Fighter Pilot. (Flew OE-1
Bird Dogs over Korea as well.)
Telly Savalas, US Army
Walter Matthau, US Army Air Corps., B-24 Radioman/Gunner and
cryptographer.
Steve Forrest, US Army Wounded, Battle of the Bulge.
Jonathan
Winters, USMC Battleship USS Wisconsin and Carrier USS Bon
Homme
Richard. Anti-aircraft gunner, Battle of Okinawa.
Paul Newman, US Navy Rear seat gunner/radioman, torpedo bombers of USS
Bunker Hill.
Kirk Douglas, US Navy. Sub-chaser in the Pacific.
Wounded in action and medically discharged.
Robert Mitchum, US Army.
Dale Robertson, US Army. Tank Commander in North Africa under
Patton. Wounded twice. Battlefield Commission.
Henry Fonda, US Navy. Destroyer USS Satterlee.
John Carroll, US Army Air Corps. Pilot in North
Africa. Broke his back in a crash.
Lee
Marvin US Marines. Sniper. Wounded in action on
Saipan. Buried in Arlington National Cemetery, Sec. 7A next
to
Greg Boyington and Joe Louis.
Art Carney, US Army. Wounded on Normandy beach,
D-Day. Limped for the rest of his life.
Wayne Morris, US Navy fighter pilot, USS Essex. Downed seven
Japanese fighters.
Rod Steiger, US Navy. Was aboard one of the ships that
launched the Doolittle Raid.
Tony Curtis, US Navy. Sub tender USS Proteus. In
Tokyo Bay for the surrender of Japan.
Larry Storch. US Navy. Sub tender USS Proteus with
Tony Curtis.
Forrest Tucker, US Army. Enlisted as a private, rose to
Lieutenant.
Robert Montgomery, US Navy.
George Kennedy, US Army. Enlisted after Pearl Harbor, stayed
in sixteen years.
Mickey Rooney, US Army under Patton. Bronze Star.
Denver Pyle, US Navy. Wounded in the Battle of
Guadalcanal. Medically discharged.
Burgess Meredith, US Army Air Corps.
DeForest Kelley, US Army Air Corps.
Robert Stack, US Navy. Gunnery Officer.
Neville Brand, US Army, Europe. Was awarded the Silver Star
and Purple Heart.
Tyrone Power, US Marines. Transport pilot in the Pacific
Theater.
Charlton Heston, US Army Air Corps. Radio operator and aerial
gunner on a B-25, Aleutians.
Danny Aiello, US Army. Lied about his age to enlist at
16. Served three years.
James Arness, US Army. As an infantryman, he was severely
wounded at Anzio, Italy.
Efram Zimbalist, Jr., US Army. Purple Heart for a severe
wound received at Huertgen Forest.
Mickey Spillane, US Army Air Corps, Fighter Pilot and later Instructor
Pilot..
Rod
Serling. US Army. 11th Airborne Division in the
Pacific. He jumped at Tagaytay in the Philippines and was
later
wounded in Manila.
Gene Autry, US Army Air Corps. Crewman
on transports that ferried supplies over "The Hump" in the
China-Burma-India Theater.
William Holden, US Army Air Corps.
Alan Hale Jr, US Coast Guard.
Russell
Johnson, US Army Air Corps. B-24 crewman who was awarded
Purple
Heart when his aircraft was shot down by the Japanese in the Philippines
William Conrad, US Army Air Corps. Fighter Pilot.
Jack Klugman, US Army.
Frank Sutton, US Army. Took part in 14 assault landings,
including Leyte, Luzon, Bataan and Corregidor.
Jackie Coogan, US Army Air Corps. Volunteered for gliders and
flew troops and materials into Burma behind enemy lines.
Tom Bosley, US Navy.
Claude Akins, US Army. Signal Corps., Burma and the
Philippines.
Chuck Connors, US Army Tank-warfare instructor.
Harry Carey Jr., US Navy.
Mel Brooks, US Army. Combat Engineer. Saw action in
the Battle of the Bulge.
Robert Altman, US Army Air Corps. B-24 Co-Pilot.
Pat Hingle, US Navy. Destroyer USS Marshall
Fred Gwynne, US Navy. Radioman.
Karl Malden, US Army Air Corps. 8th Air Force, NCO.
Earl Holliman. US Navy. Lied about his age to
enlist. Discharged after a year when they Navy found out.
Rock Hudson, US Navy. Aircraft mechanic, the Philippines.
Harvey Korman, US Navy
Aldo Ray. US Navy. UDT frogman, Okinawa.
Don Knotts, US Army, Pacific Theater.
Don Rickles, US Navy aboard USS Cyrene.
Harry Dean Stanton, US Navy. Served aboard an LST in the
Battle of Okinawa.
Soupy Sales, US Navy. Served on USS Randall in the South
Pacific.
Lee Van Cleef, US Navy Served aboard a sub chaser then a mine
sweeper
Clifton James, US Army, South Pacific. Was awarded the Silver
Star, Bronze Star, and Purple Heart.
Ted Knight, US Army, Combat Engineers.
Jack Warden, US Navy, 1938-1942, then US Army, 1942-1945.
101st Airborne Division.
Don Adams. US Marines. Wounded on Guadalcanal, then
served as a Drill Instructor.
James Gregory, US Navy and US Marines.
Brian Keith, US Marines. Radioman/Gunner in Dauntless
dive-bombers.
Fess Parker, US Navy and US Marines. Booted from pilot
training for being too tall, joined Marines as a radio operator.
Charles Durning. US Army. Landed at Normandy on
D-Day.. Shot multiple times.
Awarded the Silver Star and Bronze Star and three Purple Hearts.
Survived Malmedy Massacre.
Raymond Burr, US Navy. Shot in the stomach on Okinawa and
medically discharged.
Hugh O’Brian, US Marines.
Robert Ryan, US Marines
Eddie
Albert, US Coast Guard. Bronze Star with Combat V for saving
several Marines under heavy fire as pilot of a landing craft during the
invasion of Tarawa.
Clark Gable, US Army Air Corps. B-17 gunner over Europe.
Charles Bronson, US Army Air Corps. B-29 gunner, wounded in
action.
Peter Graves, US Army Air Corps.
Buddy Hackett, US Army anti-aircraft gunner.
Victor Mature, US Coast Guard.
Jack Palance, US Army Air Corps. Severely injured bailing out
of a burning B-24 bomber.
Robert Preston, US Army Air Corps. Intelligence Officer
Cesar
Romero, US Coast Guard. Coast Guard. Participated
in the
invasions of Tinian and Saipan on the assault transport USS Cavalier.
Norman Fell, US Army Air Corps., Tail Gunner, Pacific Theater.
Jason
Robards, US Navy was aboard heavy cruiser USS Northampton
when it
was sunk off Guadalcanal. Also served on the USS Nashville
during
the invasion of the Philippines, surviving a kamikaze hit that caused
223 casualties.
Steve Reeves, US Army, Philippines.
Dennis Weaver, US Navy Pilot.
Robert Taylor, US Navy Instructor Pilot.
Randolph Scott. Tried to enlist in the Marines but was
rejected due to injuries sustained in US Army, World War 1.
Ronald
Reagan. US Army. Was a 2nd Lt. in the Cavalry
Reserves
before the war. His poor eyesight kept him from being sent
overseas with his unit when war came so he transferred to the Army Air
Corps Public Relations Unit where he served for the duration.
John
Wayne. Declared "4F medically unfit" due to pre-existing
injuries, he nonetheless attempted to volunteer three times (Army, Navy
and Film Corps.) so he gets honorable mention.
RR#4
YES...YOU: "GET A LIFE".
GS
Great story Military Town, Ft.
Walton Beach, FL
Eglin Joint Base Command located near Ft. Walton, Florida, is
presently
the largest Military Complex in the world and encompasses a
large contingent
of Air Force units, Naval Warfare units, and the 7th Army
Special Forces and
6th Army Rangers.
My home is exactly 5 miles outside the main gate of Eglin AFB.
Most folks in the USA don't live in a Military Town, with
lots of guys in
uniform walking the streets and jets overhead daily. They go
on with
their lives unaware of what a Military Town is all about. And
that's OK... but
I want to share with you what it's like to live in a Military
Town. We see
guys in uniform all the time, we have state of the art, high-performance
aircraft in the air nearby all day long. We hear the SOUND OF FREEDOM
when an F-22 or F-35 streaks over the house... and we read in the local
paper,
some times daily, but at least weekly, of the loss of one of our own in
combat in the Middle East.
And that is what brings me to the reason for this email.
Staff Sergeant Mark DeAlencar was 37 years old, had a family
and was a
Green Beret with the 7th Army Special Forces stationed here
in the Fort Walton
area. He was killed on April 8, 2017, while fighting Islamic
State in
eastern Afghanistan. In January of 2017, he was deployed for
the second
time to Afghanistan. He promised his adopted daughter,
Octavia, that he
would be home for her High School Graduation. He didn't make
it. But she
went to graduation anyway. And in the audience were eighty
(80) US Army,
7th Special Forces soldiers from her dad's unit in full
Parade Dress
Uniform. Additionally, they brought THEIR FAMILIES to be with
them, as
well.
And as Octavia ascended the steps to the stage to receive her
diploma THEY
ALL
SILENTLY STOOD UP.. And when she was presented her diploma they ALL
CHEERED, CLAPPED, WHISTLED... and YES, CRIED. Everyone in attendance
then stood up and cried and cheered. Octavia had graduated and yes she
had lost her Dad... but she had 80 other DADS to stand there with her
and take his place. I just wanted to share this moment with
you... and remind you that THIS IS WHAT IT'S LIKE TO LIVE IN
A
MILITARY TOWN. This is the real America we all love... and I'm proud to
be part of it. May God bless our men in uniform and their families who
give so much.
(Take a second to pass this along to someone you know. It's
the least we
can do for Octavia and SSgt Mark DeAlencar, 7th Special
Forces, United
States Army.)
And to those do-nothing, accomplishment-less, shameless, punk
sports
figures who are so proud of their juvenile "take-a-knee"
crap... Get a LIFE!
MONDAY
and TUESDAY, August 6 and 7,
2018
RR#1
AND NOW, WHERE IS THE COUNTER-POINT?
With
the environmental and human activity changes proposed and inferred by
this study, the world's people would kill each other in the frying pan
long before the fire arrived.
BUYING HEALTH INSURANCE.
This is called "choice", "supply and demand", and "a free market".
Of
course the Health Insurance swamp is against it, just as it has been
against that other common sense product: the Health Savings Account.
MIKE, YOU CAN DO BETTER THAN THIS.
A Free Press is critical to a Free Society.
A
biased Press promotes dis-information, which is dis-believed
-
eventually together with true information...a perfect climate for
despotism.
Any good journalist concerned about the direction of his or her
Profession must first
Confess your sins;
then Repent;
then "Do No More".
Until then, a large swath of American mainstream Journalism has become
"an enemy of the people", for the reason expressed above.
BINGO!
This is THE TRUTH, THE WHOLE TRUTH, AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH...
about physicians, the Medical Profession and the patients they find it
increasingly difficult to care for properly.
This could only have been written by a Good Doctor. THANK YOU.
JUST SO YOU KNOW: THE DEMOCRATIC ANIMUS AGAINST JUDGE KAVANAUGH GOES
BACK A LONG WAY.
And his further and continuing professional development as a Jurist
comes forward a long way.
His nomination, if decided on the merits..." NOLO CONTENDERE".
GS.
From
The New York Times: The Partisan Battle Brett Kavanaugh Now Regrets The
Supreme Court nominee, despite his own doubts, left his Washington law
firm to rejoin the investigation into President Bill Clintons affair
with Monica Lewinsky.
JUST SO YOU KNOW: THE DEMOCRATIC ANIMUS AGAINST JUDGE KAVANAUGH GOES
BACK A LONG WAY.
And his
FRIDAY,
August 3,
2018
FYI.
GS
On
Friday, the Trump administration released their annual report to
Congress on White House Office Personnel. It includes the name, status,
salary and position title of all 377 White House employees.
The report also said that Trump decided not to take a dime of his
salary; instead he donated it to an amazing cause! See below
The
report also showed that President Trump is far better at saving money
than Obama was. The total annual White House salaries under Trump are
$35.8 million vs. $60.9 million under Obama, a savings of $25.1
million. Here are some other key findings:
There are 140 fewer employees on White House staff under Trump than
under Obama at this point in their respective presidencies.
Thirty-nine
fewer staffers are also dedicated to The First Lady of the United
States (FLOTUS). Currently, there are only five staffers dedicated to
Melania Trump vs. forty-four staffers who served Michelle Obama (FY2009)
However, it's what the report said Trump did with this salary that has
everyone talking.
Instead
of taking his salary, Trump donated all $400,000 to the Department of
the Interior where it will be used for construction and repair needs at
military cemeteries! AMAZING! It's so great to have a President who
loves our brave military men and women so much!
Oh, and where's the media coverage of this? That's right, they don't
cover anything decent that the President does...
WEDNESDAY
and THURSDAY, August 1 and 2,
2018
PAYING FOR HEALTH
CARE DELIVERY: THE MACRO AND THE MICRO.
Let's start with the MACRO...and with the obvious.
"Yes,
the government should help those in need; but there is no fundamental
reason that your and my health care and insurance must be so screwed up
to achieve that goal".
So ends a recent article by John H. Cochrane entitled: "The
Tax-And-Spend Health-Care Solution
(WSJ July 30, 2018, Opinion, pA17. The author compares the current
Health Care payment experience nation-wide with our experience with
national telephone service and with national air service before and
after finally producing a rational solution. Of course, why these vital
and massive services were "so screwed up" was because businesses with
great political clout wanted great profit - without competition. And
our fearless leaders obliged. The same is true now - and for decades -
with the Health Care Industry.
And now onto the MICRO. See: "The
GOP's Clean Bills Of Health Savings"
(in the same edition of WSJ, Editorial, pA16). As I have been writing
for decades on this web-site and in the lay press, Health Savings
Accounts have been a logical solution for decades...and have been
thwarted for decades by the same organizations with great clout and by
their wholly-owned subsidiary, the Government. And we are all,
providers as well as consumers of health care, getting screwed!
