Quote of the Day
The higher type of man clings to virtue,
the lower type of man clings to material comfort.
The higher type of man cherishes justice,
the lower type of man cherishes the hope of favors to be received.
Confucius
Did Social Conservative Issues Cost Romney the Election?
We know some groups voted overwhelmingly for Obama--although much has been made about Latinos, Mudlim-Americans and (of course) African-Americans, but ATHEISTS/SECULARISTS?
Polls in multiple swing states (Florida, Virginia, Iowa, New Hampshire, and Michigan}showed Romney at least significantly beating Obama among Christian groups, but in the 15% or so of agnostics and atheists, Obama routinely won over 70% of the vote,offsetting or negating Romney's advantage among Chrisian voters. (I would argue that Libertarians, who champion individual rights against majoritarian abuse, should have received more political support. In fact, Libertarian-revered Ayn Rand was a prominent atheist.)
This had more to do with being anti-Romney than pro-Obama, which is ironic because Romney has never been liked by evangelical voters and distanced himself from culture warrior issues during the general campaign, even calling for Akin of Missouri to withdraw after the abortion-rape kerfuffle.
But a secular coalition scorecard graded Romney an F on a plurality of items and an overall grade off F while giving Obama a C. (I think tho coalition has a particular dislike of Mormons.I would also score an F on this scorecard on certain items.) I would argue the coalition attempts to censor religious expression and an atheist could be pro-life and accept traditional definitions of marriage and the family as a result of social evolution for purposes of social stability and self-preservation.
Lessons learned: most of these issues should be contested at the local/state level, not the federal level. The GOP, if it is to survive, must be less judgmental in its rhetoric and more inclusive of people with alternative viewpoints on social issues. I would prefer a more positive, pro-liberty perspective, less emphasis on red meat politics,
The Need for a Free Market in Healthcare
We have all heard horror stories of (not necessarily for profit) hospitals charging as much for an aspirin as several bottles worth from your nearby drugstore. The July issue of the private newsletter The Apogee Advisory focused on "Why You Should Take Your 'Health' Into Your Own Hands". It starts with a good example: an insured teenager was treated for a food choking incident. The hospital billed for over $22K and settled for about $2900 from the insurance company and an $800 co-pay from the boy's parents. Wiggin elsewhere mentions that the actual hospital costs for a $100K procedure may be a tenth or less : there are more free market approaches (with flat pricing at modest markups of actual costs) not dealing with government patient cost shifting such as Dr. G. Keith Smith's (below) affiliated Surgery Center of Oklahoma.There are high quality foreign services that can save up to 80% (see here, for example); even with travel costs, you save considerably over most American hospitals. (A Wiggins co-author talks about having a similar ailment as an American had in visiting his Thai wife's family. The former had to make 2 trips to get treated--over $1200; the Thai patient $16 in one trip and less than half the time.)The website founder claims that some American doctors and surgeons are so tired of dealing with insurance companies and the government they are considering emigrating.
On the phony invoice problem, I've mentioned my own experience taking taken a series of blood tests to set dosage for my thyroid condition were billed out at $125 each but the insurance company paid about $25.
Why is this bogus billing happening? Smith explains: in many states with uncompensated care pools, hospitals (including "non-profit") can essentially get rebated for some proportion of the difference between what they collect and those bloated list prices. The insurance company also benefits from this phony list price scam; employer/insurer contracts often have an incentive based on how much they saved off those high list prices.
Just Remember:
Uncle Sam Plays Santa Claus 365 Days a Year
--He's Got Lots of Elves Working on K Street
Just a Casual Observation About My Passport Renewal
I suddenly realized one of the inserts in my passport envelope was written on one side in Spanish (apparently I still remember my 2 years of high school Spanish). Spanish is neither an official or de facto US language (I do agree it's the most popular second language and a primary one in about a tenth of American households). As a Franco-American whom grew up in an initially predominantly French speaking household, I naturally wonder why, if you're going to use a second language, why not French which has a long history of being a primary language of diplomacy since at least the fourteenth century?
The fact that John Kerry speaks French is a plus, in the sweepstakes to succeed Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State, whom reportedly will resign between terms.. I would prefer a non-interventionist like Ron Paul, But almost anyone would be better than Susan Rice, who was part of the Benghazi consulate attack cover-up.
Political Humor
She's a hard-working German woman paying all the bills. He's a Greek freeloading boyfriend. Could anything go wrong in this European union?
Musical Interlude: Christmas Retrospective
Bing Crosby, "Mele Kalikimaka"
