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Just so we’re clear

I am no fan of “Party Politics.” Too often, more often that not, these people put the party before the country.

There were no Tea Parties when GWB gave out the the Medicare Drug Benefit … a HUGE slice of Socialism that didn’t benefit any “regular citizens” just Big Pharma. The gov’t gave money to banks because of the situation they created. The gov’t gave money to the automobile manufacturers because they of the situation they created. Now the gov’t wants to give insurance companies a big windfall because of the situation they created. Sure “Cash for Clunkers” was a major waste of money, but not compared to the others.

The idiot Republicans and the moronic Democrats that complain when “the other” party doesn’t do what they want, they pitch a fit like my 9 year old daughter used to do 2 years ago … before she grew the fuck up. When the loony left was protesting a war and wearing unflattering t-shirts they were arrested, but when Tea Baggers show up at a presidential affair totting guns, nothing … the attention whoring ones aren’t even the issue. It’s the asshats that DROP THEIR GUNS at these events … those people should be taken away. Talk about gun control… WTF.

2009 08 18 Politics and Religion Comments (0) Permalink

A more libertarian approach to Medical Insurance Reform

Remove corporate tax incentives to provide medical insurance. One thing this does is encourage the way insurance is run through businesses, meaning people who are unemployed have a hard/impossible time paying for care, and that people don’t like moving jobs as much as they otherwise would. It also encourages health insurance which covers everything, even little check-up visits (my car insurance doesn’t cover my oil changes), No more HMO’s. This kind of insurance only serves to drive prices through the roof, without incentives to lower costs because, essentially, government is already paying, in some form, for the health care when they pay back the tax breaks.

Remove the AMA’s power. the AMA limits the number of doctors who can graduate every year (driving up prices).

Limit frivolous lawsuits, especially malpractice suits, by making the plaintiffs responsible if they lose. Malpractice suits are an enormous cost in the health care industry to doctors.

Don’t look to Medicare as an example. They generally do a good job of providing care. But if you think that when about 1/3 of Americans are already covered by this program (and Medicaid), and it isn’t affecting pricing in some way, you are kidding yourself

2009 08 12 Politics and Religion Comments (0) Permalink

Media Spin

The story is that Treasury Secretary Geithner said that unemployment programs will be expanded and Obama will not rule out raising taxes on the middle class to bring the “unmaintainable” deficit levels down.

FOX News: Obama Officials Don’t Dismiss Possibility of New Taxes

ABC News: Geithner Won’t Rule Out New Taxes for Middle Class

CNN: Geithner: Economy healing, but deficit must go down

These are all three the same story about the same statements made by the same person. If I were to read only the ABC version, the headline is dramatic, but the story fails to mention tax increases at all. The FOX version starts out dramatically predicting the Obama will have to break yet another campaign promise by raising taxes, and the CNN version glosses over the whole thing.

This is why in order to be an informed public, we must use the various news sources we have to get the real story (or as much of it as possible). Each outlet has its own agenda and reports in a way to enhance or subdue the facts to make it leave the impression they want it to leave.

I see a lot of references about how stupid and uninformed idiots who read FOX news are, and I agree. The same applies to those who read only CNN or only ABC, or only Aj-Jazeera, or any other single news source.

The Internet gives us the ability to inform ourselves about the truth of things. It is up to us to put forth the effort to actually do that.

2009 08 03 Politics and Religion
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Steve Poltz in Las Cruces

2009 07 21 Music and Arts Comments (0) Permalink

My Path From Religion … It wasn’t because of billboard or bus


Atheist

I have been asked a few times to explain why I am Atheist. Ignoring the fact that if I ask a religious person justify their beliefs I would get yelled at about freedom of religion and the mythical Christian Nation … I usually just say “I was raised Catholic with parochial school and nuns and everything.” and it is enough. But sometimes people need more. Usually it is new non-believers or quite religious people or more and more often, just another atheist looking for a friendly person.


I cannot point to any event in my life that really made me sit up and say “Oh my nothing. I am an Atheist.” I can’t even say, with any certainty, when I went from just your everyday, run of the mill agnostic to straight up Atheist. I do remember for a while saying I was “Strong Agnostic/Weak Atheist” but mainly to avoid the look of disgust that usually accompanies the realization that I do not harbor the same belief that the religious believer does. I looked into other faith systems. Buddhist, neo-pagan, even read about Mormonism, Scientology and Jehovah’s Witness. Of those Buddhist seemed to jive with my personal beliefs the best, and they all have a history that can be bizarre, hostile and just flat odd. The SciFi geek in me likes both Scientology and Mormonism, about as much as I like The Force, but apparently “Jedi” is only a religion in Australia and New Zealand. Now, to me, believing that “god” is from another planet and put us here, makes more sense than God is an omnipotent, omniscient being that has no body or earthly being.  One is a (maybe someday) provable point and the other cannot be proven, and that’s they way it was designed.

As I have continued the exploration of religions I found more and more hypocrisies and events and actions that seemed to be greed driven, not through divinity. Why “No meat on Friday” … Catholics controlled the fishing industry, and livestock was becoming more available to everyone and fishing saw a decline … Pope declares “No meat on Friday … but fish is OK.” As it was written so shall it be done. The reasoning for Holidays unraveled … Easter … the first Sunday, following the first full moon, following the Vernal Equinox. Ya, that sounds just a tiny bit pagan to me. “In everything, do unto others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets.” See The Westboro Baptist Church .. aka God Hates Fags.

I am not a Militant Atheist. I am fond of saying that I am an Apatheist.

… an apatheist is someone who considers the question of the existence of gods as neither meaningful nor relevant to his or her life; nor to human affairs.

That suits me fine. I don’t believe in a god or gods. I don’t care if you do.What I do care about is how you (and I) behave towards other people. I believe in The Ethics of Reciprocity.

“Treat not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful.” Buddhism

“What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor. This is the whole Torah; all the rest is commentary.” Judaism

“Not one of you truly believes until you wish for others what you wish for yourself.” The Prophet Muhammad

“We affirm and promote respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a a.” Unitarian Principle

As for why do Atheists want to have bus signs, billboards and be allowed to place adverts … well, we are humans. Humans have always wanted to belong. Be it a tribe or a church. As more and more people are becoming weary of Churches and organized religion, we want to know that we have a common thread with others. We want to be able to go out and not get the stink eye because we aren’t religious. We want everyone to know that we don’t believe in god, that doesn’t mean we have no moral compass. There were laws long before Moses, and there will be laws long after the Vatican is gone. Most importantly many of us want the feeling of community that churches once gave us. Why can’t Atheists have a Mothers Day Pancaked Breakfast, or sponsor a Fourth of July Pig Roast. Right now, if it is attempted … we get shouted down by religious hypocrites that think that only “God fearing Christians” can be good, “Honor your Mother and Father” or be citizen’s of the USA … oh, and we are going to use the event to recruit lost souls to our evil ways. Apparently the only thing keeping some people from going on a murder spree is the fear of eternal punishment. That, too me, seems … ridiculous.

I leave with these parting words …

Don’t be dick. Peace.

2009 06 28 Politics and Religion Comments (0) Permalink