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Rumor has it that President Obama is going to announce how many troops he will be sending to Afghanistan. Didn't the tragedy at Ft. Hood make clear how worn out our military is and bring to the forefront the human tragedy of repeated deployments? Didn't Viet Nam teach us anything?
Nicholas Kristof has written an excellent op-ed piece in today's NYT. I have posted the link and I urge everyone to read it. If you are opposed to sending more troops to Afghanistan (as I am) and you are for sensible health care reform (as you know I am) you will see how they are tied together. Kristof makes a good case fiscally and logically for spending our dwindling dollars on health care instead of on a war that can never be won. Here is a quote from that article and following is a link:
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"Doesn’t it seem odd to hear hawks say that health reform is fiscally irresponsible, while in the next breath they cheer a larger deployment of troops in Afghanistan? Meanwhile, lack of health insurance kills about 45,000 Americans a year, according to a Harvard study released in September. So which is the greater danger to our homeland security, the Taliban or our dysfunctional insurance system?"
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I read that Ben Nelson, Dem. of Nebraska is now taking over where Olympia Snow left off. He is threatening to join the Republicans in a Filibuster to stop the health care reform bill from coming up for a vote unless it includes that terrible Stupak amendment in the House bill (no federal money for abortions) and that the Public Option be removed. It's no coincidence that Nebraska is the Insurance Capital of the World or that Nelson has received 2 million from the insurance and health care industries.
Why, oh why, are such ideological stupid men constantly elected to Congress? For example there's that 'Mr.Tan Man', John Boehner quoting form the Bill of Rights while holding up his copy of the Constitution and proudly proclaiming that's where his quote can be found. I think it should be mandatory that anyone elected to public office be required to take a course in Civics. But I digress.
If a family is deep in debt they have to spend their dwindling dollars wisely. I fail to see why a government is any different. I am liberal, but I am also pragmatic. Our dollars must now be spent on putting our citizens to work and balancing our budget. We cannot afford the mounting costs of war while our own country is falling apart. Part of balancing the nation's budget is controlling the escalating cost of health care. Reform is vital and for a nincompoop like Bill Nelson to halt that reform is unconscionable.
