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If we had single payer maybe Sarah Palin would still be taking her meds
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The press has been busy this weekend speculating about why Sarah Palin just resigned as governor of Alaska. Some have speculated that there is a crisis coming down the pike that she is resigning to avoid. Shannyn Moore was made famous by Palin's threats to sue her for saying that something was a rumor, an investigation of the building of the Wasilla Sports complex and her house, which many of us tried to blog about as early as two days after she was announced as John McCain's choice for Vice President. I'm waving my arms saying sue me Sarah I want to be famous too.
Then there is the Vanity Fair article about her husband's participation in the Alaska Independence Party, a party that has advocated secession from the United States. Heck on that alone I couldn't say much, my mother sang songs with titles like Joe Hill, Casey Jones Union Scab, Talking Union, and Solidarity as lullabyes to put me to sleep when I was a child, which means in some Republican circles I am a Bolshevik and a card carrying Socialist and it really wouldn't all matter except that Sarah was busy accusing Obama of palling around with terrorists because he sat on a Chicago board dealing with inner city education that had William Ayers on it. Unfortunately, for her she is not only palling around with terrorists many of us could say she is living with one.
But you know what, this is all a diversion. The main stream media wants us diverted from the truth because if we knew the truth we would demand change and we wouldn't take no for an answer. There isn't a major scandal. This isn't about her run for president in 2012. The speech was rambling and her behavior has been somewhat incoherent the last few weeks for one reason. What if it is that because we have a for profit system of health care, Sarah Palin is acting oddly because she can't afford her medication? ,
That isn't the only issue far more important than her resignation. The June unemployment figures suggest what I have repeatedly said. The economy is not in any real recovery. By the Governments own statistics we have a unemployment rate of 9.6 percent, which is the highest its been in 26 years.
These statistics leave out people who have stopped looking, and those who have part time work because that is all they can find. When you add them the rate is over 16 percent.
In addition , the total value of labor has been declining. Labor income is a measure of the product of labor, hours worked, and hourly wage. Lastly, the duration of unemployment now is at an all time high.
Still farther, the housing market is so weak that in terms of available housing, the number of homes is so great that you could essentially not build any homes for one year. Add to that that 50% of present home sales are distressed sales ( short sales, and foreclosed homes) , and it is clear that all statements about the recovery already beginning are at best premature.
Nouriel Roubini in his column on Global Econometer for July 2, 2009 says, that home prices have declined about 27%. He expects that prices will fall another 40 to 45%. This would mean, if he is right, that half of all home loans would be for more than the house is worth.
If you go back and read my entries on this column you will see I have been saying this all along. The bailout did little more than make losses by Wall Street socialized loss while they have always argued for privatized profit and all at Middle Class America's expense.
Then there is health care. Need I say more, as we pay more than any other country for our health care and get the 37th best results for all of that money. It has failed miserably yet we are told that the real solution is to let Big Insurance and Pharma screw us over some more. How stupid do you think we are?
Sarah Palin is a rank amateur whose trials and tribulations are meaningless unless the goal of the press is to divert us from the things we as a nation should be talking about. We watch the Wasilla soap opera and it diverts us from noticing how our standard of living has been reduced, and how we are sliding on down into third world status.
I don't think any scandal is coming down the pike. My theory is that in our privatized health care system where profits are more important than people, maybe she had to choose between being Governor and buying her medication. So lets stop talking profits and start talking about a government that still works for the benefit of all of us not just those wealthy enough to buy our Congress.
