A Constant Drip of Right Wing Propaganda

As I was waiting in the long line at TNT this morning, I decided to hear what right-wing radio was upset about this morning. I found 740 AM KTRH out of Houston, which was hosted by a local racist named Michael Berry. This guy started several sentences by saying “this may sound racist” as if that was supposed to give him cover.

The subject was about another James O’Keefe sting, where he found black government health care navigators helping black people fraud the government. This was a case about the navigator advising the applicant not to go back and file a tax return for some janitorial work he did as an independent contractor. The listeners would never investigate this Michael O’Keefe hoax because it fits a narrative they want to hear. For example, the applicant probably didn’t make enough to file a tax return and even if he did, he probably would be 140% below the poverty level. Mr. Berry enhanced the story by saying that ACA will be the biggest welfare fraud ever perpetrated by man. He said the leader, President Obama, greatest claim to fame was his work as a community organizer, which gave him the contacts and experience to pull off this fraud. There you go a perfect trifecta; the listeners can get angry at black navigators and the applicants, and they found another reason to hate the president.

A poster asked the other day why someone was a bigot or a racist for not liking the president’s policies. You can go a step further and not like the president without being a bigot or a racist. People know where that line is, and they know when they have crossed it. Many like to go to the water’s edge, but no one wants to be called a racist. Michael Berry uses best his black voice to pretend that he was an applicant seeking welfare; as part of his monologue. I know it when I see it.

Yesterday, Chris Matthews made a good point by saying that Democrats need to even the playing field. The media is covering the disastrous ACA rollout, as well they should, but part of the story should be about GOP obstruction and their refusal to take part in extending Medicaid. The Democrats should always own up to mistakes, but they should also ask their opponent “what’s your plan for reducing high cost of health care.” This should be done at the local, state and national level.

It’s a good thing I don’t listen to talk radio daily because an aspirin a day wouldn’t be enough to keep me alive…. I’m on my way to a full recovery from rotator cuff surgery. Yesterday was my last day of therapy and today my doctor told me to ease into my normal activities; except for riding my bicycle; another month of recuperating before I can do that.

Nanny State or Good Governance?

I’m a bit surprised there hasn’t been much of an uproar about the recent decision by the FDA to target trans fats in the food chain. I would guess it’s because the government agency hasn’t said what it’s going to do about it. Did you really think it was a coincidence that McDonalds and other fast food started producing healthy menus? It wouldn’t surprise me if the fast food chemists are cooking up another unhealthy genetic substitute to take its place.

I did hear Sean Hannity blaming liberals, the president, the first lady and big government about the possibility of the FDA cracking down on trans fats but that’s all part of his daily monologue.

I love my trans fats but I know I’m not supposed to have them and a lazy person like myself will benefit if the FDA takes them off the shelf. I know the sermon “ you don’t need government, you should be able to do that for yourself.” We’ve had this argument with the tobacco companies, big tobacco lost and we are better off for it.

What’s the FDA supposed to do? Does the agency look at the data from their medical research and settle for another label attached to the food (which nobody reads), pat themselves on the back and say, “we’ve done our job?” if that’s the case then we should abolish that agency because the fast food chemists can do that. They know exactly what goes into their products and the long lasting damage it will do.

You can make that two-way argument about jobs. You can say the extra regulations will cost jobs or you can say the eating unhealthy foods will lead to absenteeism and an early grave. I haven’t even mentioned the higher cost of health care for the company.

When the mayor of New York issued the ban of the 32oz soda, it was more about the message than anything else. That was considered an overreach and for good reason. New York was also the one of the first large cities to ban smoking in public places. At first the citizens balked and cautioned the lawmakers about the loss of tourism revenue but they learned to love the law.

There are some people starting to complain about paying for items in their health care policy that they will never use. That happens all the time in our everyday life when childless couples complain about paying for school taxes etc. The complainers equate this a nanny state “one size fits all” formula.  If you buy a new car you might be paying extra for the extra child belt, and several safety devices you will never use but are required to have. When the seat belt law was being discussed the car manufacturers squawked and complained bitterly about going bankrupt if the law was passed. Today, we are glad seat beats are standard equiptment.