Hodgepodge

Well this will be a real mixture of topics:

Many states are scaling back Medicaid, with terrible effect for REAL people. The cutbacks are spreading as the economy worsens. If your state hasn't already been hit, it is likely to be hit soon.

I saw a television interview recently (about two weeks ago) with a lady who heads an organization about worldwide child poverty. She mentioned what I consider to be a startling statistic; that is, of all the developed countries of the world, the United States has the HIGHEST rate of child poverty!!! With the economy in tatters, the situation can only grow worse. So much for "compassionate conservatism!" Without FUNDAMENTAL economic reform, I can't imagine that things will get much better.

I saw, on CNN, I believe, and interview with George W. Bush. He was asked about the economy, and he said something to the effect "We have abandoned our free market principles to save the free market system!" If the situation were not so serious, it would be funny. Talk about trying to have it both ways! Don't be surprised! Just like with Iraq, Bush told us that we had to invade quickly because of "weapons of mass destruction," and Americans, including Randy, went along (a small number of Americans held out, and THEY WERE RIGHT!), but when we didn't find weapons of mass destruction, Bush changed the reason for our invading to "freeing Iraqis from Saddam," and then to "spreading democracy to the Middle East." Nonetheless, we were "treated" to "Mission Accomplished," followed not long thereafter with Bush's comment about an Iraqi insurgency, "Bring it on!" So, with the economy, he and his bunch pushed this free market crap to the point that it has virtually destroyed us, and it might well do so yet, but whatever the outcome, the country will be feeling the effects of George W. Bush and his philosophy for many, many years to come as we try to recover from his nonsense.

Well, many Republicans (and a few Democrats) in Congress got something right. A few months ago, when the Bush Administration and Ben Bernanke, the Bush-appointed Chairman of the Federal Reserve, told the country that Congress had to pass legislation providing 700 billion dollars IMMEDIATELY to buy up bad assets from banks, in order to save the banking system and to save the country from "The Great Depression, Part Two," a fair number of Republicans and a few Democrats questioned such a move. They were called obstructionists by some, but it turns out, THEY WERE RIGHT!!! After some cajoling by members of both parties, and some "deals" thrown in (aka "bribes;" hey, you've got to call them what they were!), enough of these reluctant folks switched their votes, allowing the measure to pass. I was WRONG,*** as I took the administration and Bernanke at their word; something I seriously regret. Let's see...how's that saying go? "Fool me once (Iraq), shame on you (Bush); fool me twice, shame on me!!!" Shame! Shame! Randy. I'm not alone, as many Democrats and some Republicans in both houses of Congress were taken in by the administration malarkey.

Let's see, I just complimented some Republicans, and, no, I haven't been drinking, but now I have to bash many of these same folks. To hear them tell it, the problem with the American auto industry is that American workers make too much money!!! Not only that, they want American workers to make only as much as workers for foreign owned companies in the U.S.!!! So much for the flag waving!!! The egg is dripping from their faces, however, as some of these folks gave interviews during this whole ordeal about the auto industry, saying that American owned companies needed to pattern themselves after the foreign owned companies, because they "make money." Hmm, then came Toyota's (a Japanese owned company) statement that they have seen auto sales and profits plummet; likewise Honda, another Japanese owned auto company. Now, I don't have anything against Toyota or Honda, but the Republicans can't have it both ways! Further, I found it deeply disturbing that I heard recent comments by some Republicans and pro-business people, who, when questioned about their feelings against the American auto industry, said that "we have profitable American auto companies; they're called Toyota and Honda!" If you're a younger person, hold on, because these same people may ask you to go fight in a war....for THIS country! I guarantee you, they'll be waving the flag then, and spouting all kinds of patriotic slogans! BEWARE!!! They'll want you to work for foreign wages and benefits, but they'll want you to fight like an American!!!

***I'm not afraid to admit mistakes, as I won't turn into a pumpkin. POOF! Hey, why am I turning orange?

Word History:
Bright-adjective-This word goes way back to Indo European "bhereg," which meant "gleam," and even meant "white." The Old Germanic offshoot was "berkhtaz," and a form of the word was used in many Germanic dialects of old: Old High German had "beraht," Old Norse had "bjartr," Gothic had "bairhts," Old Saxon had "beraht." In Old English it was "beorht," (meaning "bright, splendid") and then "bryht," as the "r" sound swapped places with the vowel sound (what linguists call "metathesis"), and obviously the vowel sound firmed into a "y" or long "i" sound. During the 1700s, the word also came to be applied to intelligence. Interestingly, as far as I can find, the word has died out in all of the other Germanic languages, remaining only in English.