Only 100 Days? Seems Like a Lifetime.

Allow me to add my name to the list of those who are responding to the 24-hour MSNBC Obamapalooza with a very clear "Who cares?".

What exactly has he accomplished? Well, let's recap. He's set a new standard for cronyism, pretty much putting any bozo who said anything nice about him in positions of authority. I mean - an anti-military communist journalist as a high-ranking Pentagon official? That really stretches the word hubris to the breaking point. We may have to expand the vocabulary to include words that adequately describe this sort of destructive arrogance. He's spent more on nothing than anyone thought was even possible. Answer to the banking crisis...borrow and print money. Answer for the credit mess...borrow and print money. Answer to the auto manufacturer crisis...borrow and print money. Oh, and lick the shoes of the unions who got us into this mess in the first place.

Oh, before I forget...what's your name? Yeah, you. The gender-bent Obama shill on MSNBC at 9:00 central in the evening. I guess someone needs to say this. You are not John Stewart. I know, I know. This is hard. Take a moment and let it sink in. Yeah. It's embarassing. I know. What's that? Oh, gosh. I really don't know what you should do now. I can't imagine you're any better at anything else than you are at making funny with the news. But don't worry. Obama the Merciful promises to reward the mediocre and the lousy with all the profits made by people that actually are good at something. Too bad he can't redistribute talent.

Here's to the next utterly forgettable 100 days, folks. Look at the bright side - there's only so much damage he can do. He's almost stolen all our money already. When it runs out, he's done. The time to go Galt approacheth.

Say What You Mean

We had some storms here the other day. A cold front pushed through the warm Gulf air, setting off an outbreak of tornadoes. We tuned in to our local weather stations, as always, glued to the weather men as they tracked the areas of greatest danger. Our tornado sirens went off several times. We readied ourselves to go to our interior room and brace for the worst. In the end, everything turned out okay.

The lesson? We've learned that we can trust the weather guys. They issue warnings when necessary, and we believe what they say. They put tremendous energy and thought into making their warnings appropriate - no crying "Wolf" but never missing a real danger - that's their goal.

So when our government's leaders - the President, the Secretary of State, the Chief of Staff - say that their policy is to "never let a good crisis go to waste", it is problematic. It makes me wonder if they are to be believed. Are they telling the truth? Or are they simply taking advantage of a crisis in order to further their goals?

Today everyone is flipping out about the new swine flu strain. Is it a true risk? The sad truth is that I have no idea. I have no idea because our government, having already declared the "Cry Wolf" policy to be in effect, has little or no credibility. What should we do? Should we be looking to them for information and leadership? Or are they simply abusing their power? Again.

Well done. You've managed to destroy any remnants of faith in your capacity to treat us with respect and dignity, and you've condemned yourselves with your own big, arrogant mouths. You've alienated all of us who think like me by labeling us as "extremists". I will be celebrating your first 100 days by continuing to ignore you.

Secession - the Last Refuge of the Disenfranchised

The world is not a black-and-white place. About the time you think you have a good rule of thumb about something, some pesky exception pops up to ruin the thing. This is true of many things in life, both large and small.

An obvious example is killing. We all know that it is illegal - not to mention immoral - to kill one of our fellow citizens for reasons of malicious self-interest. Then again, to kill someone in an act of asserting the ultimate self-interest - the preservation of our own life - is acceptable. It is so acceptable, in fact, that we even have a name for it - self-defense. Self defense is a universally recognized exception to the general rule that "you can't just go and kill somebody".

I find it oddly interesting, then, that people should be so outraged by the assertion that a collection of individuals, in the interest of promoting their ability to live freely, have the inalienable right to secede from the union of States. What could possibly be the source of the objection?

After Texas Governor Rick Perry hinted that Texas might begin to consider the ramifications of such a move, he was labeled an "extremist" (an Obama culture word that is destined to be the new word for "terrorist"), a "nut job"...I won't even mention the words used on the left-wing commie blogs - they're definitely not fit for my site. I admit that the notion of secession seems a bit old-fashioned. We generally associate the term with the effort of the southern States to separate from a nation they felt no longer served their best interests. I won't go into the history of that decision, but suffice it to say, I find ample evidence in the writings of that era (The Declaration of Independence, The U.S. Constitution, and The Federalist Papers, just to name a few) that they were asserting a right that was clearly understood to be theirs.

What the Southerners understood, and what we have forgotten, is a critical element of how our government is structured, and is deserving of our review - namely, that proper governmental power flows from the consent of those governed by that power. The very name of our country - The United States...- pays homage to the fact that we are to be a collection of self-governing powers who are united by common purpose.

A pro-government person might remark that we live in a democracy where the right to vote guarantees our freedom from tyranny, and makes the notion of secession silly and unnecessary. I would strongly disagree on all counts. Firstly, we do not live in a democracy. We live in a Constitutional Federal Republic. There is a difference. The same tedious form of government that many find irritating with its little quirks of houses, branches, electoral college, etc., is the same one that protects us from a very real threat which is being played out today - the tyranny of the majority.

Secondly, the right to vote simply gives more power to the majority. The original design of our government was to limit the powers of government so that the majority couldn't simply impose their will on less numerous members of society. This has broken down as government has become increasingly intrusive and powerful.

Just because a majority of people want something doesn't make it right. People want all sorts of things they don't have a right to. Lately, the vast majority of people want to steal money from the bank accounts of people that make more money than they do. It is a fact of life that there will always be people in a free society that make two or three times what you do. There won't be very many - and conversely, there will be vast numbers of people who want what they have. If the tyranny of the majority is allowed to play out, then the majority will simply take what they want by mob rule. It is absolutely no different than a group of vigilantes armed with torches and clubs attacking the biggest house in town and robbing and vandalizing it.

What we are now seeing is the result of this mob rule. Those who pay no taxes are being given money that belongs to someone else. The fact that this is facilitated by their representatives doesn't lend credibility to it. It is still wrong. This feeling of being unfairly punished by the mob is what leads to this secession talk. There are now so many people that feel that their government is of, by, and for someone else, that whole segments of the country find it politically acceptable to speak of secession openly. The response? To label them as "right wing extremists", to villify them as racists, to increase scrutiny on them as potential threats to the stability of our country. This has all happened before, sadly.

Why does a government that is supposed to be working for our benefit fear the notion of secession if it is not a tyrannical power? For the same reason criminals fear the right to bear arms - they fear the self-defense exception.

Government Healthcare: Let's Review.

Sometimes it's good to take a step back when considering a big decision. There are lots of things I would like. I'd love a bigger house, for instance. I imagine how nice it would be. I can see myself entertaining my family for holidays. I picture standing on a big balcony overlooking an enormous yard, walking around in spacious comfort...it would be great.

Then I have to get real. Sure, a mansion would be nice in a lot of ways. But they cost a lot of money, generally. And sadly, I don't have a lot of money. They require a lot of upkeep. More rooms to live in means more rooms to clean and fill with clutter. I look at my present, more modest house as a way of measuring my capacity to deal with a bigger one. I barely have time to keep my small yard from swallowing us up with weeds. I have a bad habit of cluttering things - the garage, the spare bedroom...you know. So when I look at my history, I realize that a big glorious house probably wouldn't be glorious for long with me living in it. To paraphrase a much more authoritative source, I haven't been faithful in a little, so I probably shouldn't be trusted with more.

So using that model as a backdrop, let's think for a moment about government health care. Government seems to be so incredibly eager to take on this monumental task, and I think it is wise for us (and them) to take a step back:

Medicare. The "safety net" that was instated to ensure that our elder citizens have access to rudimentary health care has now been expanded to the point that it requires three of us working people just to provide the benefit for one of the covered people. The enormous strain on the system has caused the benefits to become insufficient. Many, if not most elders have to take out additional private policies to cover costs not covered by Medicare. It's still not enough, though. Now doctors are faced with the fact that reimbursements for their services are likely to be cut up to 20% in the next few years. This, along with the endlessly changing and massively irritating logistical paperwork nightmare that dealing with the government entails will likely drive most of us out of the Medicare business. Not exactly a great success story by any measurement.

Medicaid. The joint Federal-State program to cover the medically indigent has forever been plagued by problems. It's not just that you get to multiply the problems of dealing with one government agency by 2. They've traditionally been slow to pay doctors, lousy in quality, and lax on regulations. Once again, not much in the way of inspiring confidence.

The V.A. system. Like socialized medicine? Why? Have you seen it in action? If not, try checking out a VA hospital. Every move is regulated - limited medicine choices, waiting lists...all the things that make it the opposite of what most of us have come to expect from our health care.

So which of these models makes government think that it is equipped to handle care for all of us? I suggest that they try to make even one of these things decent before expanding their failure to the masses. In the same way that I can't afford or even deal with the responsibility of having a bigger house, the government has shown conclusively that it is not ready for more right now.

Don't Be That Guy

I'm a doctor. That means different things to different people. A few view me with a kind of respect that is almost uncomfortable. Others view me with skepticism, even mistrust. Still others view me with a bit of disdain. Then there are those who are indifferent. The indifferent people form the vast majority of my patients and acquaintances. The indifferent have varying views on what my job and my life is about.

An increasing number of them think of me as a skilled laborer - like a mechanic or a cabinetmaker. This is really fine with me, because this is probably the closest to how I view myself. You see, I didn't grow up with a lot of money or anything. I was a pretty normal kid from a small town who found himself becoming a doctor because he had a talent for it. It wasn't my life's ambition like it is for a lot of people. It's just my job. It's how I pay my bills and how I hope to be able to save for my retirement and send my kid or kids to college someday.

I like my job. I get to meet a lot of people, and help them through difficult times. I take pride in being as good at it as I can possibly be. It's important to me. I try really hard to be timely, courteous, competent, and fair. I take pride in the results of my work. When I sew up a cut, or cast a broken arm, or help someone get their blood pressure down or diabetes under control, I view it with the same sense of satisfaction that a carpenter or brickmason might feel after finishing a demanding job. It's rewarding.

I tell you all this biographical information to get to a point, I promise. I had an interesting conversation with a colleague the other day. He invited me to do a little experiment. He suggested that I ask people what they think I make for performing my job. He promised I'd be surprised. I was. Guess what people think I, a lowly general practitioner, make in a year. One million dollars.

I guess it is that belief that leads people to be so indifferent to the economics of being a professional. I won't waste your time telling you that I don't make one million dollars each year. I don't, of course, but I won't go that route. Let me just put it this way. Imagine what you make in a year. Now divide that in half, because that is what the government takes from me each year - half. Got that new number in mind? Okay, now divide that half in half. That's what is left after I pay for licenses, fees, college and medical school loan payments and malpractice insurance just so I can do my job.

Could you live on 1/4 of your annual salary? Could you send your kid or kids to college? Could you take vacations? I'm just asking. If I actually made $1 million each year, that would leave me with a very respectable $250,000 each year. Sadly, I don't make anywhere near $1 million a year. I don't even make $250,000 a year. No, I am struggling, just like many of you. I live in a nice but modest 3 bedroom house and struggle to pay the mortgage just like you. We are waiting to have more children because we can't afford to right now - maybe just like you. I have too much credit card debt, just like you. I'm more like you than you probably realize.

I understand the way people feel about the fabulously wealthy. Sometimes I feel that way myself. I am sickened, just like you, by the greed of those at the top of big corporations who take bail-out money and go to an exclusive spa. That's why it is almost funny to me that my government puts me in the same category as those people. If Bill Gates is taxed at a 50% or 60% rate, he would be understandably upset. If that happens to us, we'll be devastated.

What upsets me the most, though, is that my own fellow citizens are okay with that. They are fine with taking from the "rich" and giving to others. It's all so anonymous. I'm sure most people would recoil in horror if they had to come and ask me personally for half of my paycheck. They would probably be offended if they were accused of stealing half of my paycheck. But know this. Just because someone in Washington steals it and gives it to you with your approval doesn't make it right. If you are in support of taking half of my paycheck by proxy then you aren't just a thief. You are a coward.

So don't be the person that hates "the rich". The one you are stealing from is me, my wife, and my son. When a politician tells you that you have a right to send your child to college for free, know that you are getting that because I am being deprived of sending my child to college at all. When you get your mortgage paid for, it is because I can no longer pay my mortgage.

Oh, sure. Some of the money paying for your new unearned wealth will be coming from the pockets of the people you hate at the top of those corporations - from people with names like Vanderbilt and Rockefeller. But the vast majority of the people who will be suffering to give you a quality of life you haven't earned are just like me. And surprisingly, just like you.

Thieves and Cowards

Congress has done it again. No, not anything all that earth-shaking. They just passed an Omnibus spending bill. No big deal. Well, except for the timing. This time, we're paying attention.

We in Alabama are paying attention to the fact that the bill contains $20 million for some sort of R&D park at the University of Alabama (Senator Richard Shelby's alma mater), several million more for some kind of silliness at Auburn University, $250,000 for "catfish research"...you get the idea.

The same government that warns that we're bankrupt - so bankrupt that they may just have to spend us into oblivion - still has money for pork, thankfully.

You know what would make me feel just a little bit better? Better about the fact that my own government is about to seize most of my assets so they can buy votes from lazy, unproductive people? Better about the fact that they are about to make doctors government employees and destroy my means of making a living? What would make me feel just a tiny bit better would be for just one of those lying thieves inside the beltway to just pay lip service to a crazy idea - that maybe, just maybe, we should cut a little bit of the ridiculous crap they are spending money on.

Take notice, Washington. I heard you loud and clear when you told me that my kid won't be able to go to college because you are going to tax the hell out of me to send the kids of inner-city crack mothers to Harvard. I heard you when you promised to "reform health care" (translation - ruin it). But now hear me. I am watching. Lots of us are. And we will not forget, Senator Shelby, how you stewarded our money during this "crisis". You may not believe this, but there really is someone with a brain on this end of the money cycle.

Stand by for hell, boys and girls. They may create it in Washington, but we must stand prepared to give a little of our own. Al Quaeda just moved to #2 on the list of biggest threats to Liberty. Congratulations, Washington. At least you are #1 at something.

What Did You Expect?

If it weren't so sad, it would be almost humorous. More and more I'm starting to see the voices of disappointment. People who were all to happy to jump on board the Obama bandwagon during the campaign are beginning to wake up with a sort of hangover. Waking up only now to the realization that the guy with socialist friends, socialist ideas, socialist plans is...*gasp*...a Socialist.

His solution to the loss of jobs? Raise taxes on the people that provide those jobs. What are they to do? Lay people off, of course. They'd be idiots not to. His so-called solution to job loss is to cause more job loss.

His solution to the drop in industrial productivity? Institute a "cap-and-trade" policy on carbon emissions so that industry can't compete as well in a global marketplace. Nice. Industry has no choice but to cut productivity even further. This means still more job loss, of course.

His solution to the health care crisis? Cut medicare reimbursements. What will this do? It will force vast numbers of physicians to stop accepting Medicare patients, because it costs more to see them than it is worth. What then? Force doctors to see them? Of course. This will, of course, hit primary care providers the hardest, as we operate on the thinnest margins. Faced with staying in a profession that enslaves them by forcing them to see people at a loss, even more of us will be forced to abandon our practices. When we close our doors, this will mean even more job loss.

Are you poor? Now you have a President who supports the same old tired enslaving welfare state that keeps you poor and destroys your hope of something better.

Are you "middle-class"? Now you have a President who will do everything in his power to make you stay where you are, or worse, whose policies will cause the loss of your job.

Are you a factory worker? Your industry will be hobbled by cap-and-trade. Hours will have to be cut. Jobs will have to be cut.

Are you an entrepeneur? A professional? Hang on. Obama promises to punish you for your hard work and productivity.

So what did you who supported him expect? He told you what he wanted to do. Now we will all have to deal with your decision. If I were you, I would probably think about removing those bumper stickers. More and more people will be looking for someone to blame for where we're going.

Don't say we didn't try to warn you.