Health Care Isn't Really That Complicated

Countries all around the world have more effective, more efficient, and much CHEAPER, health care than we do.

England, France, Japan, Switzerland, Sweden, Finland, Canada, Germany, Australia, for example.

If we weren't so stuck in our arrogance, our mythical American exceptionalism, our so-called "leaders" kowtowing to insurance companies and Big Pharma, and, most of all, our ridiculous fear of anything labelled "socialism", we could have a perfectly functioning national health care system that covers every U. S. citizen from cradle to grave.

Just by simply copying anyone of the aforementioned countries' systems. It ain't that hard.

But half of our elected officials (hint: they all have R's by their names) just don't give a damn about the majority of our citizens. Because they only care about the people who have money to contribute to their re-election campaigns. And those people only care about keeping their own taxes low.

So we, the richest country in the world, have to stumble along, seemingly forever, with a very expensive piecemeal system that is totally inadequate for the vast majority of our citizens.

USA! USA! USA!

A New Name

There's a line in a Woody Allen movie (can't remember which), spoken by Max Von Sydow, that I've always cherished:

As I recall, Von Sydow's character says, "If Christ ever came back, he probably couldn't stop vomiting."

That about sums up my feelings for all the "good Christians" who voted for Trump.

Those poor fundamentalist knuckleheads who feel like they're being persecuted. Boo hoo.

It's one thing to believe in fairy tales. It's another thing to insist that everyone else believe with you. And it's still another to use your "faith" to spread hatred, bigotry, bile, and overwhelming stupidity.

Even though most of what you "know" about him was cobbled together many years, in some cases centuries, after the fact, and has no connection whatsoever to whatever life he might have led, poor old Jesus still deserves better than this.

So, do your boy Jesus a favor and change your name from Christians to something else, OK?

Yet Another Fable, Part 1

And so the Master Negotiator, the winner, the sporter of superior genes, the self-proclaimed multi-billionaire, found himself in a pickle.

After so many bankruptcies--none of which were his fault, of course--no major American bank would loan him a penny!

Now, you might think that a truly master negotiator would be able to work something out with Chase, or B of A, or Wells Fargo, or Citi, or somebody...

But the banks had all been burned by one or more of his bankruptcies, and so they told the Master Negotiator, the winner, the self-proclaimed multi-billionaire, "NO!"

Of course, he could've used some of his own multi-billions, couldn't he?

Hmmmm? Couldn't he? Does Warren Buffet have to borrow money? Does Bill Gates?

But the first rule of grifters everywhere is "never use your own money". (That is, if you have any money of your own.)

And so the Master Negotiator turned elsewhere...

Lo and behold, some nice Russian "businessmen" (hahaha) had some money, lots of money, and they were more than happy to help the Master Negotiator out!

Naturally, there were "terms" attached to these loans. When you borrow money there are always terms. And, depending on the lender, the larger the amount borrowed, the more onerous the terms may be.

But the Master Negotiator had never had to suffer the consequences of any of his many failures, and so, why not take the Russians' money?

Why not indeed?

What Kathy Griffin Should Say:

So I did something that I thought was funny, and it turns out that to many people it wasn't. Welcome to my entire career.

So it offended a lot of you. Oops. That happens in comedy sometimes. Get over it.

To put this all into perspective, Google all the things Donald Trump's asshole buddy (and White House guest) Ted Nugent said about President Obama and Hillary Clinton.

I may be a c-list comedian, struggling to be a mini-Joan Rivers, (who, by the way, said some truly awful things about Michelle Obama), but at least I never committed treason.

And as far as damaging little Barron Trump, wait until he's old enough to realize who his father is, all the awful things his father has said and done, just exactly what family he's a member of, and what the Trump name means to a majority of Americans and people around the world, and then talk to me about "damaging" poor little Barron with a distasteful sight gag.

It's The Hypocrisy, Stupid (Continued)

Remember when deficits were an awful, awful, indeed the most awful, thing?

And then, suddenly, they weren't!

And then, sure enough, suddenly, they were again.

But now...well, you get the idea.

Remember how certain people screamed that Obama shouldn't do anything in Syria without Congressional approval? Uh huh.

Remember how "scandalous" it was when Obama wore a (gasp) tan suit?

Or when Mrs. Obama touched the Queen of England?

Oh, and the birth certificate!!! What about the birth certificate?!

These were all big deals, you might even say yooge deals, for the Loudmouth Right Wing Asshole Club. The Limbaughs and Hannitys and O'Reillys brayed and brayed, their beady little eyes gleaming, their devoted listeners sucking up every lie like mother's milk.

But now we have a so called President up to his many chins in treasonous activities. A Mob friendly, pathological liar in a baggy suit, clown makeup, and a  fright wig. A White House full of Nazis and Russian fellow travelers, a Cabinet made up of crooks and incompetents, and nary a peep from those Republican "patriots" who regularly wet themselves over Obama's perceived transgressions.

If it weren't for their fealty to complete hypocrisy, the GOP wouldn't have any moral code at all.