Jefferon's prediction, 1802

this pretty much says it all


'I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around the banks will deprive the people of all property until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered.'

Thomas Jefferson 1802

The history of the Machine, Puck Cartoon

Puck, one of the greatest political cartoonist of all time sums up Boss Croker in tNew York, credited by some as the origin of the concept of machine politics -
from Wikipedia - we have the current debate on "the Machine" and its meaning


A political machine (or simply machine) is a disciplined political organization in which an authoritative boss or small group commands the support of a corps of supporters (usually campaign workers), who receive rewards for their efforts. Although these elements are common to most political parties and organizations, they are essential to political machines, which rely on hierarchy and rewards for political power. Machines sometimes have a political boss, often rely on patronage, the spoils system, "behind-the-scenes" control, and longstanding political ties within the structure of a representative democracy. Machines typically are organized on a permanent basis instead of for a single election or event. The term may have a pejorative sense referring to corrupt political machines.[1]

Although the term "political machine" dates back to the 19th century in the United States, where such organizations have existed in some municipalities and states since the 18th century, similar machines have been described in Latin America, where the system has been called (under the name clientelism or political clientelism), especially in rural areas, and also in some African states and other emerging democracies, like postcommunist Eastern European countries. Japan's Liberal Democratic Party is often cited as another political machine, maintaining power in suburban and rural areas through its control of farm bureaus and road construction agencies.[2] In Japan, the word jiban (literally "base" or "foundation") is the word used for political machine,[3] In the ancient Roman Republic, a similar patronage system existed.

What would honest Abe say?

How are we doing?
I wonder what he would think if he were here with us today?

Now set forever in Marble, in the Rotunda of the US Capital, you can almost see Abe coming back to life

Hand-tinted photograph © by Bennett Hall

Health Care or Health Care Insurance?

People need HEALTH CARE

People do NOT need HEALTH CARE INSURANCE ( except as mandated by the City of SF, state of MASS and soon Planet Obama)

If you watch the messaging of the Pols, what I so often hear sounds like they are all working for the INSURANCE industry - that it is all about protecting their system of distributing the dollars by pooled risk management, to enable MD's to spend millions saving one child.

As is oft pointed out -this system is failing.

SO - what if you eliminate the paperwork, the adjusters, the brokers, the executives, the bean counters- and merely focus on HEALTH CARE - and send the others home to join the unemployed?

this would reduce the cost of HC by 30% and make doctors happy once again, as they could SURPRISE be doctors, and heal the sick vs the 3:1 Staff to MD ratio now common.

Add to this mix - a change in qualifying that allows millions to spent on exotic diseases. Maybe, if your number does come up - it could be OK to let go of life so that others can live - as unfair as this may sound - but the MD's Oath of doing everything to "Save a life", or as you hear that cadence of "We lost the patient", forgets completely that death is an inseparable part of the life journey.

And, those 8 octuplets on the public dime......PLEEEEZE, I should not get started on that one.