Putin on the Jews
A little piece of journalism surfaced recently on the internet related to some of the sideline issues of recent announcement by Premier Putin to return to the post of the President of the Russian Federation.
I though it warranted a reaction.
A Little bit on Fox News and Healthcare
I won’t claim to be a major supporter of Fox News. I haven’t seen a program run by them in years. The only time I am exposed to them is when John Stewart ridicules them on Daily Show (I don’t watch it either, but friends’ post YouTube links). However I believe it was the TV show “30 Rock” that quipped it best.
When a character portraying a news anchor was asked about impartial objectivity on a news piece she responded that in the age of fast news, it was replaced by personal satisfaction.
Long gone are the days when Walter Cronkite could be the Voice of the Nation. Modern news is slanted, and at least Fox is unapologetic about their slant. They pay lip service to objectivity, but don’t advertise it. They promise you up to date information (and deliver). It’s up to the savvy consumer to see through the spin. Don’t like it? Go watch PBS.
Now healthcare. There are three constitutional rights. Life, Liberty and Pursuit of Happiness. Everything else is a freedom, granted and taken away by Vox Populi. I don’t like the modern healthcare system. I believe that tightfisted insurance companies and greedy doctors have been abusing the public far too long. But to think that a solution would be a new source of money for them to draw on, would be a tremendous folly. There should have been a price and regulations, or at least an accountability reform. When No Fault laws were struck down in NYC- that was a correct measure. When California offered a voluntary public fund program for small business to consolidate their insurance spending – that was a correct program. In the current law, the idea that consumers can now shop for insurance across state lines – that is a correct program. The idea that you should tax top 1% of your population with the EXPRESS PURPOSE of providing hand outs to the bottom 10% is appalling. I take advantage of plenty social service systems. I also pay for them out of my taxes. As a result I don’t mind that others utilize them – the service is there already. But you start denying me the service in order to provide additional comfort to those who don’t even pay for it, and I will have a problem with it.
Today an era has ended…and its not the first time this year!
How do you even begin a Tumblr post? Considering that in your own opening statement you promise certain gravitas to your Tumblr experience. Years of frivolous memes on LJ has thoroughly ruined my already mediocre writing abilities. And yet I must try.
It is not difficult for an immigrant kid to be serious about life. There are plenty obstacles to overcome, tons of problems to solve and a heap of trouble that follows you wherever you go. However 200+ years of immigrant experience amply demonstrates that vast majority “makes it” and produces American offspring that can thrive in this always vibrant nation. Actually so profoundly successfull is the record of imigration, that sometimes I feel like I am nearly predestined to succeed. The very inertia of the ever striving forward masses, pulls me along. Caught in this mighty current, all you can do is stay afloat. And you learn to love it.
Being an immigrant is fun. Once you overcome the immediate obstacles (language) you find yourself with an amazing ability to partake in any culture, any institution.
With so many avenues open to you, you can often loose track of reality. Being an imigrant grants you an excuse to constantly explore new things.
It appears that writing about immigration, at least for me, is jotting down rapidly a lot of cliches. Before my stream of consciousness derailed me, I was trying to point out that despite seriousness of immigrant experience, I find it difficult to be serious. The feeling of inevitable success translated into a very jovial view of the world. I can chose on a whim what cultural dogma to subscribe to. The same situations gain myriad of interpretations, ranging from somber to hilarious all withing the same set of circumstances.
I will have a really tough time filling out this Tubmblr.
You see, as the topic might suggest, I originally was just planning to comment on the fact that Edward Kennedy died today, the last Kennedy in high office. I was going to relate it to the string of other celebrity deaths this year, both in USA and in former SU.
Welcome to my Tumblr. Grab a seat…I’ll try to make it an interesting ride.
