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On the up side of this disaster

by Herb Ruhs, MD

Mar. 21, 2008
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It is time for us to stop using the euphemisms of our enemies to describe what it going on.

It was never "Deregulation." It was governmental corruption designed to give players in the financial markets a license to
Vision is important. No vision, no future.

Realism is also important. No realism, no survival.
steal. "Deregulation" was a code word meant to signal that the treasury was unlocked and available for looting.

The looting began with the now forgotten Savings and Loan debacle and has proceeded, through one scam after another to today's corporate bankruptcy, banking, home mortgage scams and includes these phony wars that are purpose designed for war profiteering. Reagan, and every person holding the same office (I resist calling them Presidents as they gained the office as a result of corrupt practices), have been nothing more than enablers of massive financial crimes and the general looting of the country.

It will take some time for people to assess the damage and begin to figure out how this happened. At some point we the people need to take responsibility for our credulity and willingness to be taken advantage of by this slick and massive confidence game. Once we have figured out our part in our victimization, it will be time to start cleaning up our act and take measures against the criminals.

Nothing clarifies the political mind like poverty and repression. On the up side, at the end of this process we will have grown up as a country and been forced to begin to think like adults, rather than spoiled children who are unaware that their birthright is being stolen in front of their eyes.

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And we need to stop calling the crimes in Iraq a "war". They are not part of a war in any conventional sense. They are a profit center for globalized capitalism.

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Re Ah, capitalism

Well, the proposed system wouldn't work for the commentator, but, surprise, surprise it would work for a lot of physicians who, believe it or not, value not being under the thumb of corporate medicine and enjoying the opportunity to practice excellent medicine in the context of a system that values what they do and in which they can CARE about the health CARE that they provide and CARE about the people that they are CARING for.

This demonic capitalist system is the enemy of all human values which it ridicules in the maniacal pursuit of profit. Consequently, people's expression of the values that they actually CARE about tend to get very distorted when they try to think about values. The problem with the proposed system of providing health care is not that it would not work. It would work because everyone would like it. I could explain in further detail why it would work, but not here and not now because, in the face of indoctrinated reflexive objections like the commentator's with the impossible user name, what is needed is therapy not reasoned argument.

The problem with it, or any other workable system, is that people who are dependent for their status and wealth on the status quo would do everything possible, including any degree of violence, to prevent it from working.

Our current system, as I have said before, does not work because it is sick. It is sick with greed and heartlessness. No one likes it, not even those defending it. No one wants to present themselves for care to someone they can not trust to be CARING. I am always amused to hear from people who are totally cynical about physicians (a deliberate effort of the propaganda system by the way) saying that THEIR physician is not like that, and is, in fact, a saint. The current system of health care is in rapid decline and will fail completely. If we are wise enough in the mean time to have nurtured some small efforts at a functional system there will be a model available from which to build something new.

Vision is important. No vision, no future. Realism is also important. No realism, no survival.

Dementors of doom be damned. Visionaries have always been the creators of realistic hope for a better future.

Be my guest and make all the stupid criticisms you want. Make my day. Reflexive cynical indoctrinated criticism makes a fool of the speaker and clears the way for positive visions of change.

Herb Ruhs, MD  unknownnews@inbox.com





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