Tag: Newspaper Commentary
Health Care Has Conscientious Objectors. Well, Obama Just Drafted Them!
March 2nd, 2011, No Comments
The NY Times sports this editorial in today’s paper entitled, “Mr. Obama’s Health Care Challenge“. The President, a socialist to the ‘Far Right’ and an appeasement president as far as ‘The Left’ is concerned, threw out a reasonable offer to the rabid dogs hellbent upon denying Americans health care. This is problematic in principle since [...]
The Media and HealthCare
January 7th, 2011, No Comments
Several articles stood out in recent weeks as typical of the manner in which public opinion can be swayed by a press corp which is overly impressed with the dramatic license taken by news figures. In an astonishing lack of respect for the intelligence of its audience, journalists today feel compelled to allow ‘news-worthy’ individuals [...]
Fixing America Ltd.; How is it Supposed to Work?
November 25th, 2010, 2 Comments
The recent conviction of terrorist Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani proved that citizens can effectively implement justice in a system intended to be managed by civilians, preventing the military from ever taking supremacy over a government, “…of the people, by the people, for the people.”. The question remains why this normal judicial process was so long delayed. [...]
SISYPHUS MUST HAVE BEEN A WOMAN
July 17th, 2010, No Comments
Our national attachment to reality—often hanging by a thread– is illustrated in our newspaper columns. The culture is basically represented in the way in which newspapers choose their columnists who proceed to comment about our culture. Choices vary depending upon the stature of the publication; was its reputation earned for journalistic integrity or entertainment value? [...]
A Nation of Patients
March 8th, 2010, 2 Comments
I’m convinced that failure to legislate access to health care for all Americans is a means of giving aid and comfort to the enemy. Where’s the Patriot Act when you really need it? Between 1956 and 1998, the conflict in Southeast Asia (Vietnam War for my fellow oldsters) caused the deaths of approximately 58,193 military personnel. [...]
Media Coverage of Smoking Bans – Some Stories Don’t Have “Two” Sides
January 3rd, 2010, No Comments
This New Years saw yet another revival of the ‘personal liberties’ debate about exposure to second-hand smoke in this NY Times article, “Blowing Smoke at a Ban” by Douglas Quenqua. Once again we have an article showcasing the derision of the public for these bans in the absence of citations of data regarding why these [...]
The Health Care Debate in the Times or “Live from New York – It’s Saturday Night!”
December 20th, 2009, No Comments
How does one debate the subject of life and death? Really, what are we pretending is happening here? Either access to medical care is a basic right of citizens in a civilized society or it’s a privilege restricted to middle and upper income level consumers (until such time as it’s withdrawn by those conferring the [...]
Remiss about Violence
October 11th, 2009, No Comments
Several recent articles and a blog have served as powerful reminders that governments cannot be discussed without reference to issues of male dominance and violence. These issues overshadow economic, political and cultural factors often cited as the reason why the intolerable should be accepted. Oppression can never be relegated to the level of a mere [...]
That’s Show-Biz! President Obama, Health Care and the Media
September 16th, 2009, No Comments
Last Sunday’s Op-Ed column by the usually engaging Frank Rich was typical of the disturbing transition of journalism into just another form of theater. Entitled Obama’s Squandered Summer (NYTimes, 9/12/09), it completely misses the lessons our learned President has been trying to teach his constituency during these past months. Call it Civics 101, in which [...]
The Health Care Divide – The Republic versus A Democracy; Which Will We Choose?
August 30th, 2009, No Comments
The Senate appears to be considering the ramifications of pretending we live in a democracy instead of a republic. Tired of the health care battle, in which there will assuredly be no survivors of that old, ‘wheel and deal’ process, there may actually be an old-fashioned vote in which the majority rules. Fancy that. The [...]
