AMERICANS HAVE NO MANNERS!!!

WHERE ARE YOUR MANNERS AMERICA???!!!.

I had a friend from law school who said something that made quite an impression on me and that was, “IF YOU LOSE YOUR MANNERS, WHAT DO YOU HAVE LEFT?”

I thought about that for a long time – still do – and he was right. What are you if you have lost all your manners. Well, America, we seem to have lost our manners. Congressmen are okay with yelling out at the President, showing disrespect. Talk show hosts incite seditious actions and rioting. Try holding a town meeting and see if anyone can speak without the ill mannered yelling and screaming. And, don’t get me started on sports figures or rap artists! Civil discourse has become a thing of the past. And where has it all gotten us? NOWHERE!!

We hate each other more. We are more divisive than I can remember. During the ‘60s (which I remember well), there was incredible separation among people, with families dividing over their support for the Vietnam War. It was not pleasant, but Congress and the media never acted out the way they do now. There was some level headedness and at least a semblance of respect being shown for the ‘loyal opposition.’ Yes, there was anger, but no one ever suggested that the Presidents were Socialists or Communists or Nazis. Yes, we did have some names for Johnson and Nixon, but it was never like this. There is something more evil lurking in the vocal expressions of Americans these days and especially in the media. I hold them responsible for their refusal to act like professionals or even to just have manners and promote some intelligent analysis or maybe just tell the truth.

Our country is again filled with hatred and the only voice of civility seems to be a President who is being pilloried because of his race and his promise of change. Do I agree with all Obama has offered – no, I can think for myself. But, apparently, many Americans cannot. I grieve for my country that has lost its ability for rational, critical thinking skills and its total lack of manners.

You can disagree. That is the greatness in our country. We are supposed to be able to disagree without fear of reprisals or stigma. But, not now, Right wing speakers are literally advocating death to ‘liberals’ and those who differ. This is not America. This is not Democracy. That is fascism. That is hatred and will ultimately destroy our great country. Of course, democracy was an experiment to begin with. It’s not very old and perhaps, man cannot repress his base urges and overcome his prehistoric testosterone levels and we will all ultimately revert back to cavemen – unable to communicate at all. But, that’s probably how the uncivil, ill-mannered want it. That way they get control and know how to manipulate the average American.

When did all this start? Who knows. Perhaps, it has been going on forever; it just wasn’t as public as it is now. With the internet and all is machinations, the enormous amount of media outlets that now exist and the lack of self censorship among everyone these days, it could be that there is now the opportunity for everyone to say whatever without fear of any reprisals. The outlets may not have existed before – but then again, there was some self discipline.

And, maybe, ultimately, that’s it – NO CONSEQUENCES. You can be a criminal and get publicity, along with appearances on Oprah and other talk shows; get a book published even if you can’t write, so the world can know about your troubled life and why you were a drug addict who acted like a criminal and they can all feel sorry for you. You can be an OJ and get away with murder. You can be Congressman and get millions of dollars from constituents for disrespecting or maligning a President. You can be a lying, pill-popping talk show host who bad mouths anyone he disagrees with and becomes a powerful driving force behind a political party. NO CONSEQUENCES. You can lie, cheat, steal, disrespect, even murder these days and what do you get – Rewarded for it.

With all these Americans spouting Christianity and equating it with being American, I would think they might just want to act more Christian instead of like spoiled, uneducated, self consumed and ill mannered children.

FIND YOUR MANNERS AMERICA. YOU DON’T HAVE TO AGREE WITH EACH OTHER, BUT HAVE THE DECENCY TO LISTEN. IF YOU CAN’T – WELL DO SOMETHING ELSE TO SATISFY YOUR UNBRIDLED AND OUT OF CONTROL ID.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN WITHOUT HEALTHCARE REFORM?

For those of you who are 'so afraid' that the government is going to tell you how to handle your healthcare - please read.

First off, if you happen to have insurance right now, insurance executives, CEOs, CPAs, attorneys, are guiding your healthcare. Yes, they are determining IF you get care, how much will be paid, if you are even entitled to get any care and if they can deny care because it doesn't meet their protocols or medical necessity criteria. Everytime they deny care or limit your care, the executives pocket a lot of money. The CEOs of all the major healthcare companies each pocketed anywhere from 13 million dollars to 26 million $$ last year. So much for a recession for them. How did they do that? Lots of ways, but the ones that hit you the most was by raising your premiums and denying care along with negotiating and paying incredibly low fees to hospitals and doctors.

You have large companies deciding your healthcare and continuously finding new ways to deny your care, as well as making it difficult and painful for doctors to deal with them. In fact, more and more providers (doctors, etc.) are now refusing to join insurance panels. That means you are on the line for the cost if you choose an out of network provider. Of course, you can decide on your doctor - you just have to pay through the nose. The insurance companies decide which doctors they will pay for. So you do not get to choose now.

As far as this stupid, stupid, stupid (can I say it again) death panel rumor, if there is any death panel, it would be the current state of insurance companies who can deny your care and hasten your death. There are plenty of cases where this is true. I bet you even know someone where that has happened.

As for a public policy, the doctors I have spoken to all take Medicare and say it is the best and easiest for them. There is NO governmental police force coming in and telling them how to handle their patients. The MDs are actually free to practice medicine. On the other hand, the insurance companies manage cases on a daily basis and doctors have to ask permission everytime they want anything done before it can be done. Okay, it's not government interference, it's corporate interference. And, remember, corporations do not care about you first and foremost. They care about their bottom line and how much they will pocket - even if it is at your expense.

If there is no public policy in the health reform act, this is what will happen:
1) Your insurance policies will increase - they already went up by 87% since 2000. They are already talking about taking 20%-40% of your paycheck in premiums.
2) Insurance companies will find more ways to restrict your care.
3) Parity laws take effect in 2010, so insurance is now making their medical necessity criteria more stringent in order to find ways to deny care for those seeking mental health treatment or substance abuse treatment.
4) Your rights for healthcare will be restricted and medications that are not generic will be more difficult to fill and more expensive.

If this is what you want, which amounts to actually NO competition in the marketplace, keep being shills for the insurance companies. They and the right wing media pundits who do not think are using you to inflate their pockets. I wish people would read this and understand what is really going on. Why would people march through the streets to deny their own healthcare? It is beyond me.

If you are so dead set against any kind of public policy and government 'interference', I suggest you pay for your own police force, your own fire department (remember, if you are late for your premium your house could burn down), your own garbage collection, street cleaning, roads, and any kind of legal recourse you might have against someone who wrongs you - afterall, the justice system is also a public 'interference'. Oh, and forget about your Medicare or Social Security as you age. Let your kids take care of you.