In spite of the fact that more than 30,000 scientists are opposing the global warming/climate change scam that’s being perpetrated – and perpetuated – by some of the nation’s leaders, those same leaders will continue to market their snake oil because, for them at least, it’s the “gold mine of tomorrow”.

Rumor has it that Al Gore had a net worth of some $ 2 million just prior to the Kyoto Protocol. It’s more than $ 100 million now, they say, and will continue to grow if “cap-and-trade” gains congressional approval. It all depends upon how long we-the-people can live with the burden.

And that’s not the only burden that’s headed our way. Maureen Cruise is an RN who recently questioned the approach that the Administration has been taking with regard to what’s being called “health care reform”. The position favored by the politicians is the so-called “Public Option”, a term that makes it appear as though we-the-people have freedom of choice in the matter. But we don’t.

Ms. Cruise asks the following questions:

“Who wrote the 1,000 page document now before congress? Who has read it? Does spending $ 1.5 million a day, deploying 900 lobbyists daily, employing relatives, staff members and committee members matter? Do the lobbyists secretly visiting Washington without any record of public discussion make a difference? Why is that a secret?

“Single Payer advocates have been banned from discussion. Why is that? Why is Single Payer dangerous? Why isn’t Public Option equally dangerous? Do the millions of dollars they have personally invested in the Insurance and related industries affect the judgement of legislators sitting on these relevant committees?

“What is Public Option as it stands? What does Public Option get us? How does it do that? Who is eligible and who is not? What problems now facing us does it solve? Who are we protecting and who are we enriching? Who wins and what? Who loses and what? Who pays and how? Who profits and how? Who has the power? Who does not?

“Is this universal, and is it available to anyone who wants and needs it? NO.
“Does this solve runaway costs, co-pays, deductibles, and premiums to individuals? NO.
“Does this prevent medical debt, bankruptcy, and the concomitant foreclosures and reverse mortgages? NO.
“Does this ensure comprehensive necessary care? NO. Does this ensure quality standard care? NO.
“Will the emergency rooms be unburdened? NO.
“Does this solve denial of care? Minimization of care? Over treatment for profit? Under treatment for profit? NO.
“Does this return medical decisions to healthcare providers? NO.
“Does this free individuals from bad policies and give them a choice of plans? NO.
“Is the risk pool sufficient to support the system? NO.

“The NO answers are because …
“Public Option buys insurance … it does not guarantee healthcare.
“We are suffering from a lack of access to healthcare.
“We have 6,000 policies.
“We have 1,300 insurance companies controlled by 10 or so monopoly conglomerates.

“With those policies … we get premiums, co-pays, deductibles, medical debt, bankruptcy and healthcare treatment decisions based on profitability and investment return.

“We do not get access to quality evidence-based, medically advised healthcare. Profit as a goal prevents that. People are only a means to the end of amassing money. Healthcare is not the goal of insurance. Purchasing policies is the goal.

“Public Option is a stealth bailout for the insurance industry. It forestalls any real reform. It keeps corporate control and it continues publicly funding their investment strategies, shareholders and CEO salaries. People will continue to suffer needlessly.

“Think Machiavelli. Think organized crime. Think Mafia. Think Trojan Horse, Brer Rabbit, Tom Sawyer.

“We will get nothing of real value from Public Option because whatever passes will not be what we want or need. Agreeing to a non-solution is not a personal option for me. We will pay in lives and livelihoods for this corporate raid on the public trust dolled up as ‘reform’. Mutton dressed as lamb, as the Irish would say.

“I prefer to champion what is needed to solve our problems and what has worked everywhere in the world for over 100 years. I don’t accept that a well-bribed congress tells us what we can and cannot have. They forget that they work for us. Genuine change will only happen with dogged advocacy. For me, giving up real comprehensive reform is giving in and becoming complicit in our own demise.”

You’re absolutely right, Maureen. It’s just another bailout. It’s a bill of goods being sold as a benefit for the downtrodden, and like the previous bailouts, the purchase price will be borne by the downtrodden. A “stealth bailout” is the perfect way to describe this newest Ponzi scheme.

Here’s a question … or a proposal … that should be considered. Members of congress are not covered by Social Security, as we all know, because – as we all know – they have a much better retirement program than we have. They have much better medical coverage, too.

Instead of incessant debates and Town Hall Meetings, therefore, why don’t we just include all U.S. citizens in those programs reserved only for the privileged political personages in Washington? Think of the time and money that could be saved. Without a doubt those special programs are nothing short of perfection, and including all Americans would be the ideal way to reform healthcare and Social Security. Who could argue? Why all the bickering? The solution is simple and obvious.