US conservative uses gov health care

I got sort of interested in this Obamacare debate in the US after it was a key issue in the gov shutdown that was on the verge of sending the world economy into another GFC. Not something to be sneezed at. Since then I've come across some more of the weird rhetoric by the conservatives there being opposed to any gov involvement in healthcare.

Here's one: 

He might eventually sign up for health insurance on an exchange, or Medicare when he gets old enough. “I am not a martyr. I’ll have to deal with it and maybe I’ll be forced to get on the bandwagon and say fine,” he said. “But we have not addressed the problem. I honestly believe that socialized medicine will break this country,” he adds, referring to the bitter debates over Medicare in the 1960s. more 

"Break the country"? What? Um, how about stopping blowing countries up? Those bombs are expensive you know, not to mention people's lives.

Here's another from the same article:

“I don’t think that the government should be involved in health care or health insurance,” says Greg Collett, a 41-year-old software developer in Caldwell, Idaho, who would rather pay the fine for now -- $95 the first year -- than signup. more

It actually turns out that this bloke Collet is from the Tea Party (the  wacko wing nut version of GetUp here) who's one of those people proclaiming the end of civilisation as we know it if they get health money off the gov. But wait.......

His family is covered by gov health insurance. Dead set.

"I don’t think that the government should be involved in health care or health insurance," Greg Collett, 41, of Caldwell told NBC News earlier this month. 

Collett, a self-employed software developer by trade, went on to note that his ten children — two biological, eight adopted — are all recipients of health insurance through the government's Medicaid program, and acknowledged that "there are a lot of people out there that’ll cry foul" over the dissonance. more

Those nutty Republicans need to ditch their ideology and take a look at the cold hard facts. The US health system is fucked, has been for a long time. The US social security system is fucked and has been for a long time. Congress and gov, stop making stupid wars and look after your own people.

BTW Australia has had gov involvement in health care for zonks. More so in the early '80's when the Hawke Labor gov introduced Medicare. Strangely, the country isn't broke. In fact we have fuck all gov debt here. Look it up.

Drone Strike Warnings Ignored by US Media

Abby Martin makes a powerful point about the way that girl Malala (shoot in head by Taliban after pushing for education for women) has been used as a prop by the US media to further the terror storyline.

ACT to pass marriage equality

The ACT is all set to pass the first marriage equality law in Australian history on this coming Tuesday.

Australian advocates for same-sex marriage have congratulated the ACT Government for standing firm in the face of threats to intervene in its ability to govern itself. 

‘The ACT is just days away from making history and embracing a reform that has become an aspiration for all Australians that value fairness and equality,’ Australian Marriage Equality deputy director and ACT resident Ivan Hinton said. 

‘From 10am next Tuesday eyes from around the nation and the world will be watching as Canberra becomes the most inclusive place in Australia for same-sex couples. 

‘We know thousands of same-sex couples from across Australia have indicated their interest in marrying in the ACT and these weddings will begin soon after the bill passes, regardless of any Federal Government intervention. 

‘We hope that ACT Liberal MLA's who support the gay and lesbian community will join Labor and the Greens in voting to make history.’ - See more

So the stage will be set. 

Abbott and his morons have already said they'll challenge it in the High Court (can't have those poofs actually getting married darlings). We will have last centuries fossils holding out to the last, versus an unstoppable tide of progress. It's not going to make Abbott look good at all.

"Any given Tuesday" - gay youth homelessness

I don't know how any parent could ever do this to their own child, yet it happens..... The only thing "disgusting" (as the parents called him) was their own behaviour. 

Sydney bushfire pic

I just looked through about 60 photos of the New South Wales bush fires going bananas. This one was the best. I note how it was over where we were yesterday in eastern Sydney.

Cat concentration

Natasha (David's ten year old cat) continues to settle in and love her new house. Been here 4-5 months about. She's taken to liking sitting on the cat chair in the mornings and looking out the back door through the screen. It's like cat TV. In the morning birds are on the mulberry tree where she's looking. This is a look of cat concentration.

Stephen Fry confronts Vitaly Milonov - anti-gay laws

Vitaly Milonov is the Russian lawmaker largely responsible for Russia's anti-gay laws. In this clip, Stephen Fry interviews him. I know it's a serious topic and all, but honestly this Milonov is a complete fuckin moron. It's actually hilarious seeing him trying to defend the medieval laws. He hasn't a clue. How the hell this nut bag ended up in the position he is perhaps suggests the old "jobs for the boys" thing. He can't of gotten there on his own merits surely.

But then again we have Tony Abbott :s

"Prayers for Bobby" - movie

I've never heard of this movie. Found out about it reading an article where Sigourney Weaver described homophobes as less evolved than apes. It had a link to info about the movie. Will have to see about watching it I think. Here's the trailer, followed by the synopsis.

Bobby Griffith (Ryan Kelly, Smallville) was his mother's favorite son, the perfect all-American boy growing up under deeply religious influences in Walnut Creek, California. Bobby was also gay. Struggling with a conflict no one knew of much less understood Bobby finally came out to his family. Despite the tentative support of his father, two sisters, and older brother, Bobby's mother, Mary (three time Academy Award nominee and Golden Globe winner Sigourney Weaver, Avatar, Working Girl), turned to the fundamentalist teachings of her church to rescue her son from what she felt was an irredeemable sin. As Mary came closer to the realization that Bobby could not be "healed," she rejected him, denying him a mother's unconditional love, and driving her favorite son to suicide. 

Anguished over Bobby's death, Mary finds little solace in her son's poignant diaries, revelations of a troubled boy fighting for the love of his mother and God. Finding it difficult to reconcile her feelings of guilt, her conflicted emotions over religious teachings, and her struggles with understanding her son's orientation, Mary finally, and unexpectedly, reaches out to the gay community as a source of inspiration and consolation. For Mary Griffith, it's the beginning of a long and emotional journey that extended beyond acceptance to her viable role a vocal advocate for gay and lesbian youth. In 1996, twelve years after Bobby's death, she was invited to address the Congress of the United States, establishing her as a major force in the fight for human rights. more

National day of climate action - GetUp

GetUp is planning a National day of climate action, Nov 17th, in response to Abbott's climate stupidity. You can donate to the cause if you so desire here. Looks like it's going to be big.

Bush fires

Was at a friends in Darlinghurst yesterday afternoon. They were watching a bit of telly about the bush fires in NSW, and we looked outside to see this. Sun being blocked out by smoke. Just with my camera phone. Gives an idea how fierce they must be as we're right in eastern Sydney.

HIV epidemic? - Eastern Europe and Russia

It is as I predicted; gays in Russia will go underground and have little access to HIV diagnosis or treatment. I predict an explosion of HIV in Russia in the wake of it's anti-gay laws and hatred of the LGBT, but no one will know. There'll be no statistics available as they've all gone underground and won't talk to people. Also, I predict that given the homophobia is Russia that it's highly likely that some guys who live straight lives will be also having unsafe sex with men; and there we have the crossover of HIV to the straight community. 

Now, The European AIDS Clinical Society has opened it's discourse in the 14th European AIDS conference, not with a namby pamby tip toeing around the issue like the IOC and Olympic athletes have, but with a full on lambasting of the Russian gov's new laws.

The bill also outlaws the “obtrusive spreading of information about non-traditional sexual relationships that may arouse interest in such relationships”.

Russian activists and non-governmental organisations have protested that the law could be used against any sort of HIV prevention activities targeting men who have sex with men.

“We are concerned that these provisions not only affect basic human rights, but also result in harmful public health policy since they add to the already-existing barriers related to HIV prevention, diagnosis, access and retention in care”, EACS stated. “The legal framework in States should do everything to reduce stigmatisation.”

.....................

“Instead of trying to keep people alive using scientific evidence, the Russian government is using church morality. These laws keep people silent, and silence is still death”, he went on. more

The most effective thing against HIV is education; what's involved with safe sex, bla. How can people there get this information when it's illegal to disseminate it?

Not to be outdone, in the opening address of the conference, Professor Michel Kazatchkine warned that Eastern Europe is facing an epidemic of HIV (among other diseases):      

Professor Kazatchkine, the former Executive Director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, gave a keynote presentation on the need for action in Eastern Europe. 

“This is the region where the epidemic continues to grow,” he said. “The estimated number of people with HIV has grown by 140% in the past ten years, and it is the only region of the world where AIDS deaths continue to grow,” he went on to say. “Only 30% of people in need of treatment are accessing it,” he said, noting that coverage would be lower than 15% under new WHO guidelines recommending treatment for all people with CD4 cell counts below 500. 

HIV prevalence is as high as 70% among people who inject drugs in Azerbaijan and in six countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia more than 50% of people who inject drugs are estimated to be infected with HIV. “The prevalence of hepatitis C is even higher among people who inject drugs – between 60 and 80% in some countries – but access to treatment is basically zero,” Professor Kazatchkine told a press conference. 

Nevertheless, around 30% of HIV infections in the region are attributable to sex between men and women, chiefly between male drug users and women, while around 40% of infections in the region are described as `exposure route unknown`. This categorisation is likely to disclose high levels of unreported transmission between men. 

Why would men who have sex with men or people who inject drugs disclose how they had become infected with HIV in a region where both behaviours are highly stigmatised, if not criminalised, he asked. 

“The data we have is only as robust as the surveillance systems, and the social contexts that produce them,” he said. more

My visit to the dental hospital

Went on Tuesday for my appt at the dental hospital, which I'd been on the waiting list for at least 6 months I think. Went in early like the letter sent told me to, and before I even sat down I was called. Nearly fainted, commented "That was quick!". Went in and saw a different dentist this time, I assume one that deals with general appts. A nice older guy who seemed very helpful, and certainly was sympathetic to my whole story.

Have been having a bit of problems with my partial plate. In that because it was the cheapest option I could get it's had the odd bits around the edges break off. Evidently I'm not used to dentures (never had them before). So this bloke says he'll get another plate made up for me that's thicker and stronger, which will cost nothing. I say that the private denture guy recommended I get a metal plate instead, but as that was $2,000 I had no choice but to get the budget $1,000 one back then. Said it was just lucky that I had some money left over from my redundancy after the date Centrelink had calculated I'd have used it all up.

This dentist said he can get a metal one made up, but it would cost me $200. I just said to give the other free one a go. So he wanted to get an x-ray done of all my teeth first and make another appt. Other than that he reckoned the rest of my teeth are pretty good for my age, although the gum disease thing wasn't so much. I'm happy with them at my age, 51.

The x-ray dept was another counter on the same floor. I make another appt at the dental counter, then walked a few steps to the x-ray counter, give them the paperwork and waited only about ten minutes to be called in. This x-ray machine I've never seen anything like it. It looked brand new. You had to stand in the middle of it, the machine is adjusted to your height, your chin is placed on a holder thing and they position your head, and finally three things coming from the top move into your head to hold it in place. They tell you not to move, and this x-ray thing moves all around your head. It all looked very advanced, must say I was impressed.

They wanted me to take my earring out, but I can't; it needs reverse pliers like they have in piercing shops. It was only concerns over shadows in the x-ray so it wasn't a big deal. The first try I moved a bit and they had to do it again, the older lady there took over to make sure it went right this time. Second go was fine, and I left. My next appt is about 2 weeks away.

To summarise, it was all very professional and modern. The only issue that I found annoying was when the dentist was looking at his appt screen for the day on his computer screen next to the chair. It wasn't even half full. I couldn't help wondering why I was on a waiting list for six months and when I finally get in here the dentist I see isn't even fully booked for the day. There does seem to be a big problem with the waiting lists and getting those lists down. That's my only gripe, but it is a big one isn't it.

The service was completely free.

National Broadband Network - will Abbott listen?

This is the latest in the NBN saga, to try and get Abbott and his fuckwits to FFS listen to reason:

Why is "Obamacare" some kind of Satan?

Normally the disaster that is the US system doesn't interest me so much, but on this occasion it's about the US gov shut down. This interests me because I don't want to see what's left of my superannuation dissolve into another GFC. The fact that the entire world is holding it's collective financial breath because of a few extremist right wing nuts in Congress is confusing to say the least. And yes Washington, the world is watching this debacle and wondering how the hell we got here. First the US gave us the GFC, and now this FFS.

But this one is just right over the top. This is what some Republican nutter is saying over there (Buchanan):

In a column fittingly titled “Republicans, Stand Up – Polls Be Damned!,” Pat Buchanan calls on Republicans in Congress not to give up on the push to derail Obamacare, even if it means the collapse of the Republican Party. If the GOP goes down, Buchanan writes, Republicans should bring America down with them as he urges the GOP to be like Samson, who killed himself along with countless Philistines in bringing down the temple. 

“Republicans should refuse to raise the white flag and insist on an honorable avenue of retreat,” Buchanan claims. “And if Harry Reid’s Senate demands the GOP end the sequester on federal spending, or be blamed for a debt default, the party should, Samson-like, bring down the roof of the temple on everybody’s head."

He urges Republicans to ignore three new polls showing the GOP approval rating tanking over its role in the government shutdown, because time will prove the Republicans were right about Obamacare all along. - See more

Which brings me back to the title; WTF is supposed to be so wrong with Obamacare? Why does this elected representative over there want to wreck the whole place rather than continue with Obamacare? 

Seriously, I know a little bit about the disastrous health care system in the US. Before Obamacare 45 million people without health insurance. The system the most expensive in the world per capita. Higher infant mortality than any other OECD countries, lower life expectancy, the list goes on and on. It could only get better from there.

This crap about "socialised medicine"? Well if that's the big fear, then all the US people have to fear is what every other industrialised country on earth has; universal health care. That means 100% of the population has access to health care. Here the rich are encouraged to have private health insurance by being taxed more on the Medicare levy if they don't. Us mere mortals without money to spend on health insurance have the very good public system. Yes it's expensive for the gov, but per capita it's far far cheaper than the behemoth blundering system in the US.

No mention of the $bazillions that truly sent the US broke and shut; you know, two Iraq wars, Afganistan, bla. How about looking after your own people before blowing up the rest of the world then?

So much for the US signing Arms Trade Treaty

Pfffft. I might have known..... Much hoopla over the US finally signing the UN inspired Arms Trade Treaty from Amnesty and all, about a year later after it torpedoed the bloody thing (pun intended) at the 11th hour. Here we all were actually thinking it may very well stop at least some of the US made weapons being exported to assholes, like the chemical mass murdering Syrian rebels. How silly we all were.

Nope, it's business as usual for the US weapons industry darlings. In fact the weapons industry is about to enter boom times. The Obama gov has hugely opened up weapons exports to the whole bloody world. Looks to me like it's going to be a lot worse than before they even signed the Arms Trade Treaty. 

The United States is loosening controls over military exports, in a shift that former U.S. officials and human rights advocates say could increase the flow of American-made military parts to the world’s conflicts and make it harder to enforce arms sanctions. 

Come tomorrow, thousands of parts of military aircraft, such as propeller blades, brake pads and tires will be able to be sent to almost any country in the world, with minimal oversight 2013 even to some countries subject to U.N. arms embargos. U.S. companies will also face fewer checks than in the past when selling some military aircraft to dozens of countries. 

Critics, including some who’ve worked on enforcing arms export laws, say the changes could undermine efforts to prevent arms smuggling to Iran and others. more

So WTF did they even bother to sign the treaty for? Talk about a law unto themselves.