Email From Obama Admin RE: Health Insurance Scare-Report

Just received the email below this morning, after the Senate Finance Committee passed Sen. Baucus’s health reform bill. Yesterday morning, health insurance lobbyists released a private analysis of the bill – issued by PriceWaterhouseCoopers – claiming the bill will increase health premiums at the individual level in a decade. Many experts, journalists, and pundits attacked this report, calling it “self-serving” and inaccurate. In this email, PriceWaterhouseCoopers (not named) allegedly confessed they were paid to analyze only a portion of the bill at the specific request of their client (in bold).

Eric –

Despite increasingly desperate attacks from the insurance lobby, the Senate Finance Committee took the historic step of voting reform legislation out of committee with bipartisan support. They’re the final committee to do so — and the negotiations over the final bill will now move to the full House and Senate.

Soon, every senator and representative must decide where they stand. Lobbyists will be racing to each office, trying every trick in the book to derail the President’s plan. In fact, just this week, the insurance lobby released a self-serving report falsely claiming that reform would increase costs. Journalists called it “deceptive” and said “something doesn’t smell right here.” A prominent M.I.T. economist described the study as “deeply flawed.”

It’s a blatant scare tactic designed to frighten voters and bully Congress — and it’s just the beginning. We need to speak out right away to show Congress that their constituents are watching closely, and we’re counting on them to say “no” to the lobbyists and “yes” to reform.

Send a message urging Congress to stand with voters, not D.C. lobbyists, and pass real reform.

It’s becoming clear that the insurance companies will do whatever it takes to stop progress: The New York Times is reporting that special interests are spending $1.4 million every day to kill reform — and even commissioned their own slanted analysis of the Finance Committee’s legislation in an effort to defeat it. But today, after widespread criticism, the company that produced the report issued a statement saying that it analyzed only part of the bill because that’s exactly what the insurance industry paid them to do!

And we just got word that insurance companies are spending $1 million on a misleading ad to scare seniors out of supporting reform. The ad falsely declares that reform will cause cuts in Medicare, even though reform is crucial to ensuring the long-term survival of the program and preserving the care that millions of seniors depend on.

Now that all five congressional committees have passed reform legislation, we’re sure to see attacks that are even more extreme. It’s up to us to make sure that ordinary Americans continue to be heard louder than the Washington lobbyists.

Please send a message to Congress today:

http://my.barackobama.com/Fight_Back

The next few weeks are absolutely crucial to our success — we’ll be organizing events, running ads, and doing everything possible to make sure Congress passes real reform. But right now, the most important thing we can do is make our voices heard immediately. Please speak out now.

Thanks,

Mitch

Mitch Stewart
Director
Organizing for America

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Are Pharma Firms Creating Pandemics?

It’s the typical conspiracy theorists’ favorite type of story – create an international scare via some form of terrorism in order to reap massive profits. With the current hullabaloo over swineflu, it makes some wonder whether the outbreak and/or the media-blitzing has somehow been created or supported by pharma firms.

The idea is similar to theories about defense contractors and arms dealers planning attacks (in any country) in order to increase profits via government defense contracts. Pharma firms could very easily hire external entities to cause an outbreak and create a scare on such a scale that international governments will look to invest money in multitudes of vaccines for the future. In all reality, it would be much easier than creating an armed-weapon attack.

Consider the details of the current swineflu scare. It started in the Mexican countryside and spread to one of the largest cities in the world. Immediately, our newsfeeds were cluttered with information regarding how many people have been infected, what Mexico City is doing to stop the spread, and how vulnerable the rest of the world is to the virus.

Confirmed cases are then reported in the U.S., Great Britain, and Spain. The WHO raises the level to 5. Every U.S. city discusses plans to battle the virus if it spreads. Swineflu continues to be plastered across every newschannel, yet only 109 people have been confirmed infectious in the U.S. and one 24-month old has died. This isn’t a deadly virus – this is a fly-on-the-wall compared to the seasonal flu, which kills approximately 36,000 people every year.

The symptoms are like a typical flu. One must have zero health care or otherwise a horrible immune system to die from swineflu. Seems like the perfect virus to strategically unleash on the masses in order to lift that P/E ratio, no? No human is immune to to it, yet very few will get so sick that death becomes imminent.

Act I: Release among the Mexican countryside, where nobody can trace a pharma-hired agent’s tracks. Patient zero is a 5-year old boy who, no doubt, will spread the virus among his immunity-lacking 5-year old friends. The children carry it home to their parents. Families which do not have the money for health care.

Act II: Virus spreads to a large city, where potential for international infection becomes ten-fold. Push newschannels to support the fear. Put your pharma-paid doctors, analysts, and other professionals out in the public to create a global-scare that the human immune system lacks defenses against this virus – and this virus has killed and will kill again. Shut down subways. Shut down schools. Send potentially infected children home to once again spread to their families.

Act III: Increase the fear. Push governments to increase threat levels. Propagandize pieces of news and information to force the public to ask, “Why aren’t/weren’t we already prepared for this potential pandemic?” By achieving this, requests for an increase in vaccination funding are pushed from the public, to representatives, to the House – and government-contracted pharma funding levels are  increased.

And once again, we’re back to creating fear amongst the masses for a select few to reap profits. Sounds like a great drama/action flic, no? The above may sound far-fetched, but when considering the amount of money we pay defense contractors to hire proven international human rights-violating soldiers to kill and maim in the name of the U.S. (and reveive a paycheck from our tax dollars) it doesn’t seem too far-fetched to me. Not to mention a few experts have already stated they believe the swineflu strain to be lab-created.

For a further in-depth read, check out this article from Bill Sardi.

President Obama’s Response to the Nobel Peace Prize Award

Below is the email sent from Barack Obama to his supporters regarding the Nobel peace prize. While there is much debate over this award (which I completely understand and do not argue), I believe he sums up the ultimate goal of this decision nicely (in bold):

Eric –

This morning, Michelle and I awoke to some surprising and humbling news. At 6 a.m., we received word that I’d been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009.

To be honest, I do not feel that I deserve to be in the company of so many of the transformative figures who’ve been honored by this prize — men and women who’ve inspired me and inspired the entire world through their courageous pursuit of peace.

But I also know that throughout history the Nobel Peace Prize has not just been used to honor specific achievement; it’s also been used as a means to give momentum to a set of causes.

That is why I’ve said that I will accept this award as a call to action, a call for all nations and all peoples to confront the common challenges of the 21st century. These challenges won’t all be met during my presidency, or even my lifetime. But I know these challenges can be met so long as it’s recognized that they will not be met by one person or one nation alone.

This award — and the call to action that comes with it — does not belong simply to me or my administration; it belongs to all people around the world who have fought for justice and for peace. And most of all, it belongs to you, the men and women of America, who have dared to hope and have worked so hard to make our world a little better.

So today we humbly recommit to the important work that we’ve begun together. I’m grateful that you’ve stood with me thus far, and I’m honored to continue our vital work in the years to come.

Thank you,

President Barack Obama

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A Soldier of War is “Kidnapped” – BFD

Let’s be real – we’re at war in Afghanistan and, although the feds will deny it, secretly in Pakistan (we’ll leave the Iraqi invasion out of it for now as this was more of an imperialistic move whereas the 9/11 attackers at least came from the Afghan/Pakistan area). A U.S. soldier  - Pfc. Bowe Bergdahl – was recently kidnapped from his post by Taliban soldiers, and even though the family has requested everyone to remain silent, it has been plastered all over 24-hour newschannels (which is a whole separate issue itself). Is this supposed to surprise any of us? Are we supposed to be appalled that a soldier of an occupying army was actually attacked and taken prisoner? Ridiculous.

Bergdahl is a voluntary and trained soldier. He is now a POW. I don’t know what type of technicalities there are to being a POW (think: Bush administration’s use of “enemy combatant” to avoid Geneva Convention law), but that’s what he is. This isn’t an American citizen being kidnapped. It’s Bergdahl’s job, as a soldier, to fight for our country – whether that includes injury, imprisonment by the enemy, or death. This “kidnapping” – which it shouldn’t even be called due to the word’s connotation of a victim’s innocence – should not surprise anybody, nor should it be discussed to the nth degree by every analyst and political junkie on-air.

Iran is in the midst of a revolution – both on the streets and within the political border of it’s own regime. Darfur still exists and the African Union has declined to support International Criminal Court charges against Sudanese President Omar el-Bashir for crimes against humanity. Kim Jong-il is still threatening the world like the loud-mouthed short kid with Napoleon syndrome on the playground. The President of Honduras tried to extend his presidential term, presumably without going through the necessary channels to amend their constitution, and the military nixed that idea fairly quickly – shipping him out of the country in his pajamas. Russia is still helping Iran build nuclear reactors, and is potentially still engaged in political dissident oppression as the human rights leader Natalya Estemirova was recently kidnapped and murdered.

And then there’s the obvious American hypocrisy: kidnapping and extradition of “enemby combatants” by coalition forces across the Middle East, Africa, and Europe. For those who don’t know, the U.S. and its allies kidnap citizens of other countries at will, throw them on a plane to another country, interrogate, imprison, and/or torture them for information. And we’re concerned that one of our voluntary soldiers is beind held hostage?

Let’s cut to the chase. Bergdahl is now a POW and this news coverage about him is utterly asinine – not to mention his family doesn’t even want this reality-tv-esque drama chit-chat that American minds are so warped by. There’s plenty going on in this world to hold full debates and discussions among the best talking-heads and analysts out there. If I want Real World drama I’ll watch the tomfoolery that has become MTV – give me real news.

What Will Sarah Palin Do?

I believe Sarah Palin – after giving her notice as Alaska’s governor – will do at least one of 3 things:

1. Finish a book, go on tour, make millions privately, and continue raising money for a 2012 Presidential bid.
2. Lay low for awhile, re-strategize, and come back in time for 2012 Presidential campaigning.
3. My initial thought was an attempt – or even an invitation – to take over the RNC chair position from Michael Steele. This may have a harsh effect on a run for President, but I don’t believe it would kill the possibility by any means. However, I now think this is the least likely option.

Of course, there’s a 4th option that she will drop out of politics altogether (and, more likely than not, still write a book and make millions in the private sector). Based on her dodgy responses to journalists and her abnormal press conference speech, I highly doubt she is leaving politics – and I certainly believe a 2012 Presidential run is in her plans. I don’t think, however, quitting her job as a state governor will have any positive effect on a Presidential campaign – you don’t quit a post to which your constituents voted you.

I, as well as everybody else, also question her motives. I don’t believe she’s stepping down simply because ethics complaints against her are costing Alaska money. Unless she has some strategy with a slogan, “I did what’s right for my state,” there’s something else going on here. Was she pressured to step down? Blackmailed even? Maybe someday we’ll know for sure, but until then I won’t believe her reasons for leaving the governorship.

Iranian Protests on Twitter

I’ve been using Twitter for a couple months now. For some, it takes awhile to understand the true value of the Twitter concept (took me some time). But in those same couple months, I’ve experienced two large-scale protests that have been managed primarily via Twitter – the G20 protests and the Iranian election protests. I have also read an article on the use of Twitter during election protests in Moldova, but didn’t experience it among my followers.

To say the least, I am amazed at how fundamental Twitter has become in regards to giving a voice to the people. In 140 characters, protesters are able to amass, manage, move, and fire-up an enormous amount of people. While I’m sure Twitter has been used in other circumstances (prior to my own Twitter-start-date) for similar events, I believe the G20 and Iranian protests have shown the full-scale ability of Twitter to be used by the people.

However, the current Iranian protests are going above and beyond the amassing of protesters. As the Iranian government has shut down cell phone and internet services, people around the globe are creating proxies in order to give the Iranian people internet access. A college-friend of mine has been actively setting up proxies today, and his servers are reportedly being “attacked” by the Iranian government.

Global supporters of the Iranian protesters have changed their Twitter photos to green and have been inundating the Twitter organization to postpone a maintenance update scheduled for tonight which will bring down the Twitter site for 90 minutes. As Iranian police and Bhaaji militiamen attack anybody with a camera or cell phone in the street, Iranian citizens are tweeting videos and photos while trying to avoid the oppressors. The viral dispersion of this media is uncannily fast – which becomes the true beauty of Twitter.

As a government tries to squash it’s own people – now using lethal weapons – Twitter has become the venue between protesters and the rest of the world. Let’s just hope that the network provider making upgrades tonight isn’t in cahoots with the Ahmadinejad regime.