Reckless Endangerment

That's the book by Gretchen Morgenson and Joshua Rosner. Buy it. Right now. Read it. Schlub will wait...

Okay. Slap the appropriate cover page on this book, and use it to generate indictments. There's a handy list of malefactors in the back. These people need to go to jail. Right, Barney Frank?

Root of all Evil

Government is out of control. Health care is out of control. Schlub admits this may be the linking of disparate topics, but no, not really, and not for the reasons you think.

In 1913, the US amended the Constitution to collect income taxes. In 1965, the US instituted Medicare. How do they relate?

It’s where the money is.

Both changed government and medicine from service organizations to profit centers. Before the income tax, most persons sought government office from a sense of obligation. Yes, yes, often it was noblesse oblige, but, still, they gave up jobs or positions and spent a few years in the swamps of DC Serving the People. And yes, yes, there were notorious exceptions. But for most, it wasn’t a career; for most, it was an annoying but obligatory interruption of their career, to be endured and then forgotten.

Same with doctors. Up to 1965, they made house calls and took bags of potatoes in exchange for treatment. It was a priesthood, a life dedicated to healing.

But, throw in gobs of money, and now, government and medicine are places to get rich.

Off of you.

Where do these people come from?

Some dude on the Chris Plante Show the other morning was bewailing the narrow vision of the Founders: they had no idea this would be a country of 300 million, and their quaint notions of individual liberty, while fine for an agrarian society of a few hundred thousand, doesn’t cut the mustard today.

Uh, wrong.

Concepts of individual worth are universal and eternal. You matter. The state does not. The state can be organized in any configuration necessary for proper management, ideally for maximum efficiency and economy. You, though, are organized around your own existence, and that carries a ton more weight than any deft or elegant governmental structure. When that is ignored, you get monarchy and oligarchy and the accompanying oppression and abuse. But when the individual is paramount, you get freedom and prosperity.

No matter how many people are involved.

And then some guy on Fox News was shaking his head sadly over the coming rise of health care costs. “How are we going to pay for this?” he wailed. “We’re just not able to give people the best treatments possible through their last days.”

‘Give’ people?

Pardon me, your premise is showing. You don’t “give” people their health care. We sort of get it for ourselves. Maybe that should be your first operating principle, that of personal responsibility. Here’s a thought- if you and the rest of the statists would butt the hell out of health care, the prices would fall so far all of us could afford it.

Idiots.

Remagen Bridge

Schlub has been vacillating on this whole budget deal. People I respect like it; people I respect don’t. The most annoying aspect: Baracula gets to push the issue past 2012. Most gratifying: Baracula’s sheep clothing slipped and the raving Marxist underneath came snarling out.

A lot of my fellow Tea’ers are screaming betrayal because the debt limit was raised. I share your pain. But consider this, fellow patriots: we are standing at Remagen Bridge. The way to Berlin lies open. We’re looking at each other thinking this is some kind of trick; why did they leave a bridge intact for our use? The Germans on the other side are saying we better not cross. So, what, we go, “Okay, sorry to bother you.” ?

No. We cross the friggin’ bridge, beat the crap out of the remnant, destroy the MarxoDemocrats once and for all, and raise the Stars and Stripes over the capitol.

And, this time, there’s no friggin’ Russians in the way.

Republican Campaign Ad- 2012

The Navy Seals got Osama. Obama just watched.

He also watched as:

a. You lost your job

b. You lost your company

c. Your taxes, gas, insurance, healthcare, food and debt skyrocketed

While:

a. Your dreams

b. Your life’s work

c. and your children’s future, collapsed.

But, give him credit where due…

At least he wasn’t out golfing. This time.

Dear President Hopeychange

I know it has been quite the while since I’ve penned you, and I really have no excuse to offer, except that I’ve been busy. You can understand that; in between golf outings and secret meetings with the Vanguard of the Proletariat, you’ve hardly had a moment to yourself, either. Usurping the Constitution and destroying the American way of life takes a lot of time, doesn’t it? And I’m sure you and Soros and Ayers simply didn’t expect this level of resistance. Well, it’s like I keep sayin’. This ain’t Russia, and we aren’t kulaks.

But, you’ll be very happy to know that what has been consuming my time has been the preparation, and payment of, taxes. I knew that’d get a smile from you. My accountant, Ming the Merciless, is an exacting taskmaster. Great guy, knows your tax code better than you know what’s in your health plan. Indeed, if you had engaged the services of Ming, you probably could have saved yourself an additional 100,000 off your tax bill. That’s over and above the 100,000 those eeeevil Bush tax cuts saved you. All legal, too.

I’m puzzled, though, by the deductions you took. Weren’t you just all over college campuses telling how the rich need to kick in, that we all gotta sacrifice, rich people more so, it’s only fair, yadda yadda. Well, dude, why didn’t you? I mean, the 400,000 you paid the IRS is pretty much what your yearly salary as President is, give or take, and I and the rest of the peasants paid for that, so, essentially, it zeroed out. Looks pretty much like you didn’t pay one dime of taxes on your actual income, you know, the money from your books that George Soros and SEIU make their employees buy. That was, what, 1.2 mil ? Well, let’s be walking the walk, shall we? Now you may not consider yourself rich because you live in subsidized housing, take subsidized transportation, and have your meals out of the Kitchen, but, believe me, 1.2 mil with no expenses is living large.

So, to lead by example, to show your fellow Richie Rich’s how it’s to be done, I’m thinking you need to write another check for $1,160,000.00. That will leave you with an average US salary of about 40,000. And, to be REALLY fair, out of that you should pay rent, utilities, HBO, the kids private school, your food, gas, insurance, dentist, shoes, Michele’s clothes, the whole shebang.

That’s when you’ll discover what the rest of us have long known; trying to get by on what Uncle Sugar leaves you is tough. And then you’ll get somewhat incensed when you realize all the taxes you shelled out went for bailouts of UAW thugs and Goldman Sachs directors. And here you can’t even take the kids to Disneyland!

Well, I mean, the hypothetical you, the one who actually tried to live within his means.

Instead of ours.

Your friend,

Schlub

Earn it

The other day, a Falls Church, VA teacher called up the radio and went on this tirade that he and his fellow hard-working, suffering educators had done enough already. Why, they hadn’t had a pay raise in three years, had endured freezes and partial layoffs. Now it was time for others to step up, pay higher taxes. He was only making $75,000 a year, while Wall Street tycoons made fortunes. It just wasn't fair. 

Only $75,000 a year, huh, bub? I’m taking it you want to make a little more, say, $100,000? $125,000? Maybe command a Wall Street salary, $200,000?

Okay, then here’s the deal: you will now work all year round. No summers off. You will get one day off for Christmas and New Year’s. We’ll throw in Thanksgiving Day and Federal holidays, but no more Spring break. You will work a 9-10 hour day, and not just sitting around giggling with your fellow teachers, no. Not only will you teach your own class, but you’ll also manage at least two more after- school classes for the kids not doing so well. You will, also, pay for your own medical and retirement. You will get one week’s vacation a year.

And every child who goes through your class WILL score 2100 on the SATs and graduate with a 3.75 average, or you WILL be fired.

You want Wall Street pay? Then you’re gonna get Wall Street results. ‘Kay?