When the history of America from 1980 - 2010 is written it might be described as the Age of Greed and Dishonesty. There are no self-imposed ethical restrictions on business that might put the brakes on greed - individual greed and corporate greed. Somehow we got the idea that what generates the most money defines "good." In order to minimize possible government restrictions founded in any kind of ethical thinking, however slight, those benefiting from laissez faire invest in the purchase of legislators. This compensates for the fact that there are not enough such beneficiaries to win elections by force of their numbers. It is easier to buy them than to elect them; one can buy whoever wins. Why worry?
We have disdain in sporting events against teams that pile on points after having assured victory. Yet we don't seem to have trouble swallowing when we hear of individuals making $100 million a year - more money than can be spent in the productive economy of goods and services. Where does it go? To banks and other financial institutions competing with one another to offer the highest returns. Do they care about the soundness of their investment products? The recent economic collapse had nothing to do with the underlying economy in which most of us live. It resulted from dishonesty in the financial community. And what did we do about it? We pumped trillions into these crooked organizations run by crooked executives so they could keep doing what they had been doing before: taking billions off the top (taxpayers' money this time) for themselves and making more hare-brained investments with our tax money. Everything goes. In some cases, they paid back the money that saved them from oblivion in order to avoid any restrictions on what their leadership could pay itself. And we swallow hard this time, but making a hundred million a year generates an attitude. They raise an eyebrow at us. We realize that we are not in this game at all.
We do however, need health care services for ourselves and our families, especially if we're 'boomers' getting ready to check out. This is good news for 'providers' and insurers. In fact, it's great news. We don't want to die, and they can help us. Are we going to quibble about price? Hardly - at first. But inflation in the cost of 'providers' outstrips everthing else for a couple of decades. Good grief, these CAT scans are a couple of grand apiece. The radiologist likes it because he/she owns a piece of the scanner. Do you need one? Of course, says your PCP who is in the same profit-making company as the radiologist. Besides, you get the warm feeling that they are doing everything they can for you. It's a good thing you have insurance - if you're not already ill and you don't change jobs in this vigorous econonomic climate. Ooopps. Insurance costs money, too - more and more every year. And now your employer is hurting; it either stops paying for as much of your insurance as it had, or it gets an insurance company that offers you less coverage for more money. Now you're starting to feel it. You see that when you retire, you won't be able to do much more than pay for your health care. Like I said, its not a good business, it's a great business.
If you're over 65, you can get Medicare. For some more money you can also get insurance to cover the 20% not covered by Medicare and a prescription drug policy as well. It's costly, but you need it, and you can rely on it. You don't care if it's one of those big government boondoggles. In fact you are terrified that the government will change it, pull it out from under you. And now, the government is talking about change. This can't be good; it could threaten your Medicare. They are talking about Obamacare! It will kill you. It will force you to have inferior care, as opposed to the good-government Medicare that you so love. You are angry at the thought. And some politicians who think it's just fine to spend half of your post-retirement income on health care (they're covered), who accept millions of dollars from the health care industry, tell you that you ought to be worried. This frightens you.
You go to a townhall meeting. You look Satan (your representative or senator) in the eye and you scream. And why not? The guy from Iowa told you that you ought to be afraid.A lot of people are getting richer than we can imagine, and we get to be scared. We aren't in this game as players, we're the stuff that other peoples' wealth is made of. We're angry. Where should we direct this anger? At the President of the United States who has been in office for 8 months? Or should we forget being angry and start thinking about whether we really like things as they are, or whether we're just afraid. Greed and dishonesty leave a big wake.
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