Tuesday, July 4, 2017

Utility versus the pirates

People who see business as opportunity to loot, and competition as about economic warfare, are pirates not legitimate businessmen. And when they get their hands on monopolies and vital goods, they call that "privatization" but it really is privateering; guaranteed fortunes for the few versus pain and suffering for the many. We need to eliminate piracy from our economy. That starts with identifying it for what it is.

Welcome to the Orange Duke's Court

Welcome to the orange Duke's court!

I know you've heard a few strange reports.
But we'll give you an excellent time.
& Congress certifies they are never a crime.
I guarantee you'll enjoy your stay
We might even give you back your chips at the end of the day.

The Walking Ghost

 

What use is it to be clever and gay?
The facade wears off at the end of the day.
Long nights leave dark circles under the eyes.
Rosy cheeks fade to inflamed red & gray.
Youth quickly fades away.
 

Saturday, July 1, 2017

Affordable health care requires it be Treated as a Utility

To reduce healthcare costs and improve service healthcare must be Treated as a Utility.  Trying to jam it into the "free market" paradigm guarantees market failure for those pieces of healthcare delivery that can be Treated as a market. And guarantees poor quality of life & death for the rest.

Wednesday, June 28, 2017

Controlled Opposition and Active Measures

Are We experiencing Controlled Opposition?

Say it Ain't So Louise!

What should be in The Second Bill of rights? Draft

In addition to FDR's six Amendment proposals we esperately need:

  1. An amendment to protect rights of Natural Born Persons against Artificial persons.
  2. Nationalizing the Voting System and protecting Voting Rights for everyone
  3. Direct Election of the President

We Democrats must make our charter more functional. A Second Bill of Rights is more important than ever!

Health Care is a Utility

Some Goods are Utilities

I was listening to Randi Rhodes and she started talking about health care as a Utility and it hit me,

yes it is!

Almost all the great fortunes in this country come from people creating, developing, buying or stealing control over, goods of such importance that they are utilities! Henry George was defining the criteria for a Utility. His ideas would have powerful effect on the laws of the United States for the next 50 years.

  • Healthcare is a public utility. Hospitals, clinics, Emergency response people, are all providing vital utility to us.
  • Likewise, Energy, power networks, communications networks, cable companies, satellite systems, etc.... are all utilities.
  • Our education system, colleges, high schools, libraries, etc... are all utilities too.

They are so important that they need to be regulated and ruled in the public interest. And for private persons to own and make vast unearned fortunes off of them is piracy. At the same time, those providing the Utility to people, are important, and should be provided for and sustained in gratitude.

This is a simple, but powerful concept. And of course the concept has been a target for privateering recently!

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/utility

This ought to be obvious. Windows is a Utility. So are the operating systems on your phone. And so are your phones and laptops. People should make a living from utilities. But not vast fortunes.