Fools, Liars and Thieves

1. Fools. This prize goes to Jimmy Carter. The 12/09/09 USA Today had an article about the four Presidents who have received the Nobel Peace Prize: Obama, Carter, Wilson and Teddy Roosevelt. The paper gave a quote by each of the four about war and peace.

Carter: "War may sometimes be a necessary evil. But no matter how necessary, it is always an evil, never a good. We will not learn how to live together in peace by killing each other's children." Carter has no moral compass. War is always an evil. Really? The Allies in WWII had to fight the truly evil Nazi regime; it was the only way to defeat them. But if the Allies engaged in the evil activity of war, doesn't that make them evil? So following Carter's logic (or lack thereof), are the Allies and Nazis equally evil for engaging in war? This is not unlike the liberal writer of the letter to the editor expressing how the use of bullets would upset her, so she would presumably let herself and her family be killed rather than use a gun in self defense. Because guns and bullets - and war - are all evil! As for me, when guns are used to protect the innocent and kill the bad guys - I'm all for them. Same for war.

Contrast T.R.'s comment: "Peace is generally good in itself, but it is never the highest good unless it comes as the handmaid of righteousness; and it becomes a very evil thing if it serves merely as a mask for cowardice and sloth, or as an instrument to further the ends of despotism or anarchy." So while Carter foolishly declares all war "evil," Roosevelt understood that peace itself could be evil if it was imposed to further evil ends. Roosevelt clearly understood the nuances - even peace is not always a "good." And undoubtedly, he would not have called all war "evil." Because war with righteousness, just like peace with righteousness, can not ever be evil.

In the 12/04/09 Jewish Press, Professor Paul Eidelberg coincidentally discusses this very issue, albeit in reference to the Middle East. "Politicians and pundits fail to see that to seek peace with tyrants is to arm the wicked and disarm the virtuous (as Churchill warned in 'The Gathering Storm')...But 'Woe unto them,' warns Isaiah, 'that call evil good and good evil.' Seeking peace with evil men is tantamount to calling evil good." Needless to say, Professor Eidelberg is referring to today's left-leaning, politically correct politicians and pundits. He would not have had to worry about Teddy Roosevelt.

2. Liars. This prize goes to Senate Moronic (sorry, Majority) Leader Harry Reid. As discussed by Michelle Malkin in the 12/10/09 Investor's Business Daily, Reid was accusing Republicans of standing in the way of Obama's healthcare plan. He compared today's Republicans to others who have stood in the way of history: "When this country belatedly recognized the wrongs of slavery, there were those who dug in their heels and said 'Slow down. It's too early. Things aren't bad enough.' When women spoke up for the right to speak up, they wanted to vote, some insisted 'Slow down...' When this body was on the verge of guaranteeing equal civil rights to everyone regardless of the color of their skin, some senators resorted to the same filibuster threats that we hear today."

So you see, Reid suggested that Republicans are always on the wrong side of history. Or, maybe Reid is a liar. Or, maybe it's just that he has as much knowledge of history as the period at the end of this sentence. But it was the Republican Abraham Lincoln that freed the slaves. It was the democratic south that strongly fought against civil rights for blacks. That was in Reid's lifetime. So not likely he forgot, especially something that historic. George Wallace - democrat. Lester Maddox - democrat. And as Michelle Malkin points out: "It was then Democrat Strom Thurmond who led the civil rights filibuster that Reid tried to lay on the Republicans. And it's the Democratic Party, not the GOP, that boasts ex-Klansman Sen. Robert Byrd among its leaders." And it was the "progressive's" pushing women's right to vote.

So what's the message here? The democrats, as usual, get to engage in unlimited amounts of demagoguery and name calling based on outright lies, without ever being called on it by the mainstream media. With the Far Left in charge of the House, Senate, White House and the Fourth Estate, we have no checks and no balances. Nothing to stop or even slowdown the onslaught of government tyranny - except the American people.

3. Thieves. The last prize goes to: the Feds. According to the 12/11-13/09 USA Today, "Federal employees making salaries of $100,000 or more jumped from 14% to 19% of civil servants during the recession's first 18 months - and that's before overtime pay and bonuses are counted." And let's not forget all the paid holidays, great benefits and virtually lifetime job guarantees! The article goes on: "Federal workers are enjoying an extraordinary boom time - in pay and hiring - during a recession that has cost 7.3 million jobs in the private sector." So we can clearly see that Congress takes care of their own. And anyone still have any doubt about whether they think they work for us or we work for them?

Now, one might think that if Congress had normal, rational people they might understand the fact that the average American doesn't get this. When 7.3 million have lost their livelihoods - their ability to support their families, this kind of salary inflation might appear, shall we say, somewhat unseemly? But apparently not. So who still believes that a government willing to stick it in your face with these unconscionable taxpayer-funded salary grabs is looking out for you? But one thing is for certain: there will be lots of new government jobs in all the new bureaucracies about to be created - and at least 19% of them will apparently pay $100,000 or more!

Honorable mention for the "thief" prize goes to: Medicare. As discussed previously, workers comp cases require a Medicare Set Aside Trust in the lump sum settlement documents in certain cases. The purpose is to set aside some of the settlement money to cover future medical expenses so that Medicare does not have to pay for work related injuries. So Medicare actually approves the amount to be set aside in a separate account. Once that money is used up then (what they say is that) Medicare will cover the industrial injury thereafter. It turns out to be a big lie!

It is up to the individual to keep an accounting and to make sure that the money is used only to pay medical bills related to the injury, and only for treatment that Medicare would otherwise cover, and only at the Medicare rate. This writer had an opportunity to speak with an attorney intimately familiar with the process and who has important contacts at Medicare. He asked one of his contacts: How do you expect the average person to follow all the rules and pay properly and keep an accurate accounting? The reply: WE DON'T! AND WE DON'T CARE! They have no expectation that people will be able to follow all their technical rules. They even expect that many people will improperly use the money for personal items, and not for medical bills.

So then what gives? It's simple. A beautiful scam really. Medicare, knowing that people will make mistakes, will simply deny future Medicare coverage for any body part involved in the industrial injury - FOR LIFE! No matter at all to them that many of these people have paid into Medicare over a lifetime. No matter that they are told that after the "trust account" money is used up, Medicare will cover them. The Government looking out for you!