Democracy Now – USA 2010

Healthcare reform exploded and stands to become law, a new reality as of last weekend. The fact is there is no national consensus on whether it is a boon or bust is best summarized by a White House, now hell bent on selling the American people on its disputed overall benefits at a 930 billion dollar cost over 10 years.

The bad news is that it passed and higher taxes begin soonest; the good news is that most key provisions kick in in 2014 so there is time to reform the reform healthcare – it is no accident there is a midterm and presidential election before the crazy bill is fully implemented. This wide gap between passage and implementation was a sign of the insecurity of the law makers who passed it.

Presidential Obama and his Democratic Party will rise and fall on how America perceives his controversial work. There were casualties on both sides of the aisle in the battle over the bill. For example, Mighty Mite Dennis Kucinich, about the only progressive liberal that over the years "hewed to line and let the chips fall where they may" folded on his core value, the public option; this came after an airplane ride on Airforce One with Obama. The Republican House minority leader, Man-Tan Boehner, is a politician with a reported scratch golf handicap, who lately always finds himself in a political sand trap. Boehner was last seen muttering SHAME ON YOU DEMOCRATS, while he was trying to figure out how to commit Hara Kiri with his putter.

Democracy was also at work in foreign affairs as Hillary predictably reversed her rebuke of the Israeli warlord Netanyahu; she did whimper that the Israeli polices did not further peace in the area. Of course, she repeated the act of faith that the US will protect Israel security.

This of course made no impact on Netanyahu who confirmed his intention to expand Israeli hegemony by building more Jewish housing in Palestinian areas. The Obama administration not only appears weak, but feeble, as it continues to pour military aid into Israel and provide political cover for Netanyahu's egregious policies.

The American Israel Political Action Committee is now having its annual convention in Washington DC; Netanyahu plans to attend. Hillary has already attended and gave a speech to a luke warm audience. It was a mistake for her to attend. She should have sent a low-ranking Arab-American from the STATE... that is, if they have not been all run off. Netanyahu is to meet with Obama. Another error. Instead, he and Emanuel should meet with each other outside a White House gate. Netanyahu reportedly called Emanuel and Axelrod self-loathing Jews. So let this Kosher cat fight take place outside the Oval Office.

In Iraq, Democracy is playing out much to the consternation of the US. After spending over 700 billion and having over 4000 US troops killed in action, the Iraqi abandoned a US puppet Maliki for another yet to be determined leader in a recent election. Surprised? At least General Odierno was not as he makes plans to keep troops in Iraq for an extended period; SAVEUS PETRAEUS.

Democracy in Afghanistan appears to get more elusive each day of our occupation. US Marines are now occupying Marjah set among the poppy-fields and they are uncertain what to do with the crop; if they destroy it, they enrage a population as it is a king cash crop. Use of poppy seeds for cakes, rolls and with buttered egg noodles is part of Central and Eastern European cuisine. To convert the Afghans to that diet is as difficult as making them develop the taste for democracy.

Last week General McCrystal, our supreme commander In Afghanistan, acknowledged that US Special Forces in theater were not under his command. He now has taken steps to bring them under his command structure, mainly because the special forces have been inflicting too many civilian casualties. This lack of unity of command was a stunning admission; they must have stopped teaching principles of war at West Point. The lack of unity of command was the main reason for the command confusion in the Vietnamese War... slow learners?

The ragged health care reform was achieved in a democratic fashion. Its result, however, has achieved a strong step toward Social Democracy. The bill fuses private enterprise, i.e., private health insurance and big pharma, with mandated government and public participation. These links will remain as they have with the no-bid defense contractors with the Department of Defense and STATE. It is is another nail in the coffin of the competitive free enterprise system.

The healthcare industry stock prices have continued to soar as the rich government subsidy has become a reality. There still is no safe-guard to control the costs of health insurance even after the passage of the bill.

With Democratic Socialism comes the limits on free choice. These new laws are now ratcheted in forward position that usually precludes retreat. All this is done in the name of common good; the issue always remains who gets to define common good?

USA, India and Israel, all stridently proclaiming democracies, are busy occupying other peoples countries or land. That is more of democracy now – March 2010. Colonel Robert E Bartos USA Ret