Statistics have corrupted America

 Statistics, of and by themselves, are inconsequential.  To properly understand and use them, one needs to know who compiled them AND their (or their organization's) agenda...and there is always one.

America today is slowly but inexorably crumbling under what is euphemistically called "social" justice and "racism."  It is supported by those who use the concepts to attain and retain power over others...NOT to be either "social" or "just."  Funding anything or anyone because of so inconsequential a thing as "skin color" is not only silly...it is demeaning.  How dare anyone argue that skin color correlates to ability or value?  That is moronic. One might as well argue that hair color, foot size, or height is such an indicator.  

Those who disagree with me point to statistics to prove that discrimination exists with regard to skin color.  NEWS FLASH: we all, of all backgrounds and origin, discriminate every day.  We associate primarily with those who make us feel most comfortable and with whom we agree on most things.  Many of us have deep feelings and arguments ( I think of them as discussions) about the matters about which we disagree...but when that is done, we  USED TO REMAIN FRIENDS.  I still have acquaintances who feel the same way.  But many have faded away.

Why?  Because Social Media (a false term, as it is primarily an attack vehicle and NOT to better society or make people more sociable) has lured us into judging the value of a person by their position on just one thing.  We have forgotten how to appreciate and value the whole person as separate from his or her position on any one topic. How shallow and obtuse can you be to make such an error...or is it purposeful?  If you can shut down any but the opinions and beliefs you hold dear, and chose to do so...as the Political and Social Left is currently successfully (to a large extent) doing in America, how soundly based can those beliefs be?  If not tested, how can you be prepared what challenges may arise in the future.  Imagine if the concept of a flat world had been supported by refusing even the utterance of the idea of a world that was round?  What if the concept of using anything but horses for transportation had been suppressed?

The very power of the Left today would never have developed if the efforts now being made by them to control communication and people had been applied to THIER ideas and concepts.  Yet they feel no shame in working to eliminate discussion of challenges to their policies and beliefs.

If America had stayed true to the concept of America as "The Great Melting Pot" all would be well today.  Immegrents used to learn language, social skills, and behavior so they could become a part of America...not create a mini-version of the country they left. If America had remained focused(and would again focus) on PERFORMANCE and EXCELLENCE as well as HONESTY, all would still be well.  But we did not.

Why did so many immigrants come to America when they knew they would initially be looked at askance by citizens who distrusted their "difference," their allegiance,  their appearance and their language?  After all, THEY weren't brought here as slaves, were they?  Why did they come?

Arguably it was because they saw greater opportunity to EARN a better live in America than where they originated and wanted to BECOME AMERICANS.    They WANTED to ASSIMILATE, and become a part of America.  They wanted to value themselves the way Americans valued people.  That attitude has apparently vanished in today's America.  No wonder the Republic is under attack.

Statistics (were you wondering when the title of this piece was going to make sense) have been used to eliminate the concept of "The Melting Pot" and "assimilation" from becoming "an American."

Keeping statistics about employment, wealth, crime and anything else creates the assumption of causality between the categories used. That presumption is and should be considered false unless proven...and that has not been proven.  Why not proven?  Because they are tracking two SYMPTOMS, not causes.  Race doesn't cause crime.  Color of skin doesn't cause crime, or stupidity.  Neither does hair color or style, foot size, or nose shape...but if we started to track those with statistical precision, someone would argue causality so that they could get support for increased control, power or financial benefit.

Instead, most young people in America today have become hyphenated Americans instead of assimilating: they are AFRICAN Americans, IRISH Americans, HISPANIC Americans...  What nonsense.  My father came to America so that he could TAKE A CHANCE for success; no guarantees, no certainty.  He left the country of his birth because he wanted to have a better life.  We all have that opportunity.  If an American feels that he or she cannot succeed and achieve in America, they have the right to research and find such a country and move there to TRY to achieve their dream. Those who are descendants of African slaves could chose to emigrate to a country in Africa, become part of a visible majority and have no reason to suggest that skin color somehow inflicts a disadvantage...but few do that.  That suggests that they do have opportunity in America that is greater than anywhere else and can be achieved through effort and accomplishment.  And despite the race-baiter who claim to be "leaders," they have proven very capable of such success...in business, in law, in our Supreme Court and in political positions of power.  Any suggestion of lack of opportunity to TRY is demonstrably nonsense.

As for America, if we stopped keeping statistics on Race, skin color, age and country of origin, like the Irish, Germans and those from the far East and worked at "assimilation" we would in a remarkably short time again become a nation of Americans who respected and valued each other as individuals in total, not just one belief or skin color or political ideology.

Stop allowing profiteers in ALL walks of life from using statistics to lie to us about our motives and beliefs. Stop schools from indoctrinating and get back educating and being able to be challenged and respond intelligently, not dismissing and censoring.

Start once again promoting excellence (in ALL things) and achievement as the basis for gaining education, wealth, acceptance.  Equality of OPPORTUNITY, NOT RESULTS is the goal.  Consequences of failure cannot and will never be avoided...only occasionally delayed.  

If we all wake up to these truths (not "woke"...whatever that dog whistle term really means), the Republic can not only survive, but thrive and move forward.  I pray that will happen. 

Is it about Health Insurance...or Health Care?

Even as "Obamacare" is imploding from costs that are not covered, young people who are not signing up, and premiums that are sky-rocketing, the Media, Ideological Right and Ideological Left point fingers at each other, and talk past each other.  And it is so obvious that one cannot escape the strong suspicion, if not certainty, that they are doing it on purpose to mislead the vast majority of the public.

First, a review of the facts shows that Obamacare has apparently increased the number that is covered by healthcare of some kind.

The difficulty with this claim arises when we ask ourselves if it is insurance, regardless of scope, that we want to extend to people...or is it increased paid-for actual medical coverage that all of us see as the goal.

Healthcare Insurance comes in various forms...at least it used come in many forms.  You could chose to select catastrophic insurance plans, where the costs were low because you had no benefit until medical costs exceeded a selected limit...often more than $5,000 for an illness...because you budgeted for normal and ordinary Doctor's visits and accidents.

Then there were the normal, what I used to think of as the Blue Cross/Blue Shield, plans.  These covered normal costs of doctors and hospitals in a variety of ways.  You could chose a network of doctors and hospitals, out of network providers and select any number of co-pay limits and/or drug coverage.

The point of these offerings was to enable any person or family unit to balance cost of premiums against their medical coverage preferences.  Those who had the choice of insurance provided by their employers usually benefited from the employer's negotiating good premium terms, and often had portions of those premiums actually paid by the employer.  But if you left that job, every person had the option of continuing that coverage, albeit at a higher rate.  But you wanted to continue coverage so that you didn't trigger a non-covered period (usually a year or 18 months) for any discovered pre-existing condition.

The motivation for getting, paying for, and continuing Medical Insurance coverage was to protect against preexisting conditions which might or might not develop.  It wasn't enough to have just any policy; you needed to have coverage that was useful.

Obamacare was and remains the equivalent of a con, because it claims to offer a benefit that turns out to be non-existent; the premiums are increasingly exorbitant while the deductibles are so high as to turn the policies into catastrophic only coverage that isn't what most purchasers had before and expected to continue under the promises made by President Obama regarding Obamacare.

And now the Congress is repeating the same mistake.  The only motivation that will cause younger people (and families) to chose to purchase Medical-care Insurance is the fear of discovery of preexisting conditions.  Obamacare proved that a financial penalty wasn't enough if there were no prohibition of coverage due to preexisting conditions.  Besides, without that exception of coverage, what you are trying to provide is NOT insurance at all, but socialized medical coverage.  Without making citizens responsible for the consequences of their planning and their actions, you are socializing the medical costs of everyone.  And that is exorbitantly expensive.

If the government wants to provide ability and incentive for all citizens to have USEFUL medical coverage, provide a limited period (perhaps 18 months) for everyone to select, sign up for, and begin to pay for medical coverage of their choice with coverage for preexisting conditions.  But upon expiration of that period, reinstate the preexisting condition exclusion.

Additionally, for the poor (and there needs to be a certain definition of what that is) set up a means for catastrophic coverage costs to be reimbursed to the purchaser by the government, with the government also picking up any intervening hospital and practitioners' costs upon their supplying factual and audited data.

The key, though, is to mandate that the people themselves have to be responsible for selecting, and processing the necessary applications for coverage and, where appropriate, reimbursement.  If that is done, truly everyone will have the opportunity to access meaningful medical insurance coverage.  But it is opportunity that needs to be provided...not a guarantee.