The Age of Inhumanity

Historians will eventually affix a label to the time period we are living through (assuming, of course, that we do live through it); my predictive powers are considerably less than optimal, but I vote for “The Age of Inhumanity”–or maybe, “The Age of Assholery.”

My exhibits, from just the past couple of days:

Jimmy Kimmel recently delivered an emotional monologue about his newborn son, who’d been born with a heart condition. Ultimately, the story had a happy ending; surgery corrected the defect and they were able to take the baby home. Kimmel’s monologue included a “political” observation:

Before 2014, if you were born with congenital heart disease like my son was, there was a good chance you’d never be able to get health insurance because you had a pre-existing condition. You were born with a pre-existing condition. And if your parents didn’t have medical insurance, you might not live long enough to even get denied because of a pre-existing condition.

If your baby is going to die, and it doesn’t have to, it shouldn’t matter how much money you make. I think that’s something that, whether you’re a Republican or a Democrat or something else, we all agree on that, right?”

Well, no. Evidently not.

Former Rep. Joe Walsh (R-Ill.)–now a radio call-in show host– tweeted his reaction, writing: “Sorry Jimmy Kimmel: your sad story doesn’t obligate me or anybody else to pay for somebody else’s health care.”

I will note here that we shouldn’t be surprised by Walsh’s disinclination to pay insurance premiums that might benefit other people’s children, since he’d previously been sued by his ex-wife for failing to pay child support for his own. A real prince of a guy….

And then there was the funeral home in Mississippi that refused to honor its contractual obligation to provide services when they discovered that the deceased man had a husband.

For most of the 52 years he was in a relationship with Robert Huskey, Jack Zawadski doesn’t remember much in the way of anti-gay discrimination.

Not while they were trying to grow apples on a farm in Wisconsin. Not during the decades they spent as special education teachers. Not even when they moved to Mississippi 20 years ago to retire someplace warmer and more lush, or after they married in 2015, when the Supreme Court declared that gay couples have as much of a right as heterosexuals to marry.

Last month, at age 86, Huskey died after a long illness.

Zawadski, 82, said the funeral home that had been prearranged to pick up and cremate Huskey’s body refused at the last minute, telling the nursing home that they don’t “deal with their kind.”…

The couple’s nephew, John Gaspari, made the arrangements ahead of time with Picayune Funeral Home, the only funeral home in the county with an on-site crematory, according to the complaint. Zawadski had hoped to hold the funeral there so the couple’s local friends could pay their respects. On May 11, 2016, Gaspari contacted the funeral home to let them know Huskey had died.

But after filing the paperwork, including a document naming Zawadski as next of kin, Gaspari got a call from the nursing home. “The Nursing Home relayed to John that once it received the paperwork indicating that Bob’s spouse was male, PFH refused service because it did not ‘deal with their kind,’ ” the lawsuit stated.

Zawadski’s complaint says that the turmoil involved in finding alternative arrangements “permanently marred the memory of Bob’s otherwise peaceful passing,”

I wish I could say that these are isolated examples, but anyone who follows the news knows that they’re not.

What the hell is wrong with these people? What makes them so small and mean-spirited?

Whatever historians ultimately call it, we  live in an ugly time.

41 Comments

  1. And today, the Great Orange Pervert will sign and executive order his followers (and Prince’s, this one is all about Pence) believe will make this legal nation-wide. For all the whining about Obama, Trump is the one acting like he was elected king, signing dictates contrary to law and the Constitution, proclaiming throughout the land whatever absurd whim blew by in the breeze.

  2. The sad truth is that after the courts rule that the funeral home had a contractual obligation to provide services to this couple, the funeral home owners will scream persecution. They will argue that this is the perfect example of why a RFRA-style law is needed nation wide. The courts will most likely find for the plaintiffs based on the rule of law, but the religious right will see it as one more “attack” on Christianity.

    The owners of the funeral home have called the lawsuit frivolous, proclaiming that they have never denied service based on someone’s sexual orientation. But they fail to offer any other explanation for their refusal to honor a pre-paid contract. If there is some other reason for this horrific treatment of a family member during a time of mourning, it would seem that they would be willing to offer up an alternative explanation. So far, crickets.

  3. The passage of straight, White, male privilege is a sad affair for many. This too shall pass, but not without damage.

  4. Sheila’s second option for naming the current age we are living through (or trying to live through) is most fitting; “Tell the truth and shame the Devil!” Today’s Devil using the name Trump. I MUST find a way to stop believing he cannot get any worse because he finds a way daily to get worse then the preceding day. I have developed health problems due to the anxiety and fear of this man and his demented control of the Republican party.

    His, and the entire GOP and all conservatives, denial of Climate Change and Global Warming (as the previous administration) ignores disasters such as Fukushima’s continuing effects due to normal tidal and weather patterns which have reached our own west coast. There is now a forest fire with smoke carrying the continuing nuclear waste of Fukushima to other parts of this declining world. No mention has been made of the North Korean ballistic missile testing destruction of all ocean life in the sea of Japan. We have our own “smaller disasters” with unending oil spills, drilling and fracking destroying the environment and the continuing abuses of Native Americans rights to protect their waterways and holy grounds…using military action. Climate Change and Global Warming; with the years of ignoring EPA protection will escalate due to Trump’s Executive Order repealing it. Sheila’s comment, “…assuming, of course, we do live through it) also fits here.

    Jimmy Kimmel’s comments regarding the life of his new born son with a birth defect (a pre-existing condition) and his ability to have life-saving surgery took me back to 1944 when my brother was born with a small tumor on his forehead and one on his chest. No laws, rules or regulations at that time to control an area lacking in knowledge of eventual results, allowed my parents to approve radiation treatments on my new born brother’s head and chest. This resulted in life-long physical, mental and emotions problems for him. Our health care system now provides SOME limitations and regulations regarding untested treatments…regarding pre-existing and newly developed health problems requiring lengthy and expensive treatments.

    Last Friday evening, I attended the wedding of my friends Carol and Leslie who have been together 20 years. Weathering the same ups and downs, wins and losses, while paying bills, cleaning house, mowing the law, arguing and making up – the same as all couples, married or unmarried, heterosexual or same-sex. The difference being; now they can and did legally marry. A beautiful ceremony, a special couple, supported by family members and many friends. Their newly acquired legal rights in this state can and will be ignored by those supporting Pence’s RFRA; never considering the fact that they are denying my Christian friends and others, their rights.

    Will we survive and if we do, what condition will this country be in to support our future survival?

  5. As the American population learns (at whatever level: intellectual, practical, gut, asshole) that political decisions and policy choices are not just points on a scoreboard but often are existential in their effect on their life, burdening it with crushing obligations or killing disregard, they are bound to react with increasing adrenaline-powered hostility. Perhaps we are in a necessary stage of citizen growth. If so, let’s hope we move on to the next stage of development.

  6. “What the hell is wrong with these people? What makes them so small and mean-spirited?”

    Why, the answer to those questions is that they are claiming to be Christians. This type of BS is causing good people to run far away from a very ugly organized religion that continues to pervert Jesus Christ’s teaching.

  7. Today the House will probably pass the American Health Care Act, the Obamacare repeal and replace bill they have been working on for a couple of months. With any luck, it won’t pass the Senate. I hold out little hope that McConnell will continue the practice of the filibuster in the Senate though, so we will need to have a few Republican Senators keep faith with the people they work for and vote against this preposterous give-away to the rich and the insurance companies.

    Meanwhile, just down the street from there, 45 will sign his Religious Freedom EO. If that goes over well with the base, we might even see a bill in Congress accomplishing the same thing for those parts of the country that don’t do business with the Government. I know the ACLU is preparing to go to court over the EO, but I think it might be more effective to get Muslims, Jews, Wiccans, and others to refuse service to certain Christian denominations. I do believe that what’s sauce for the goose should be sauce for the gander.

  8. It is a very sad world today. And there are still people in it that think the way that funeral home does.
    There are also a lot of stuff going on with our government be it Democatuc or Republican that I really deplore.
    Like a child once said”why can’t we all just get along”. Maybe we all need a TIME OUT.

  9. Of course, there’s no decrying the disgustingly rude oral sex connotation by that Colbert individual on public television.
    But that’s acceptable because the target of the remarks was President Trump, right?

  10. Trump is already running for a second term. With that in mind, it is clear that his EOs and other “decisions” are only theatre to attract votes. He doesn’t have nay personal, ethical, moral beliefs; his only concern is attracting media attention to get him elected to a second term. He spews ignorance and contradictions, believing they are not to his detriment; but his falling poll numbers make it clear that he is barely to any support. I believe that if the current replacement health care bill passes, more of his supporters will realize that he doesn’t mind damaging them and turn away from this clown.

  11. Michael; Colbert’s comment was tasteless…pardon the pun.

    Personally, after the past 100 plus a few more days, I believe he owes Putin an apology.

  12. Members of the Tea Party have been very clever. For years, they’ve backed issues that have seemed both mean-spirited and selfish. Not only have they alienated most Democrats, they’ve done a hatchet job on many Republicans who do not agree with every nutty idea the Tea Partiers have hatched. (Senator Lugar of Indiana, a distinguished Republican, was one of their victims.)

    And yet it’s difficult to find anyone who will admit to being a member of the Tea Party. And that’s where they’ve been very clever. They tagged one of the most arrogant SOBs in the world to be their spokesman. The fake President Trump thrives on being stupid and on saying nothing nice about anybody but himself.

    The late night comedians are trying to come to the rescue. Hopefully, they’ll start dragging the Tea Party folks out into the open.

  13. What the hell is wrong with these people? What makes them so small and mean-spirited?

    They’re god’s chosen ones. Just ask them.

  14. We the people…

    There are very good leaders who fully grasp the “WE” concept. They understand diversity is a strength and unity is the goal. These are higher purposes. Love is the solution.

    Fear is what drives all other actions. We seem to be wandering in the desert where every man and woman is out for themselves only. No purpose, mission or goal. Just wandering…

    Sorry for the light brush of religious platitudes, but unless you fully grasp the WE versus I in psych or spiritual development, it doesn’t make much sense at all.

    When you look at the social engineering being done by our political, intelligence, and business apparatus, they’ve used divide and conquer for years. Now they want censor away alternative messages to ensure WE all receive the one message they send. We will unite under Authoritarian rule. Sorry again, for the Orwellian picture, but I’m just playing the tape forward.

    Fear is what drives us apart; love is the uniting energy force. As long as money is at the center of all decision-making, fear will rule us all.

    Individualism (I) versus Collectivism (WE).

    Our “leaders” tend to follow one or the other trains of thought. As Einstein pointed out in the 40’s, we are both. We are both an individual, but also connected to the greater We. We must satisfy both or there will be negative consequences.

  15. Michael: Did you know that “Public television” has a specific meaning, and is not used to refer to CBS? While no big fan of Colbert or Putin or Trump, I’ve not heard a more plausible explanation of why Trump seems like such a sycophant when speaking of the dictator he admires most (one among many). Rude and crude are not to my taste, but how do you say something adequate to express the revulsion many of us feel in Trump’s drift toward adoration of fascists? It’s important that we not brush these pro-despot comments off as if they were meaningless. If they aren’t dealt with up front, we risk normalizing this most abnormal of all presidents. For example, can you explain in “normal” terms (please exclude Trump’s personal business interests) why a president would invite a psychopathic serial killer like Duterte to the White House? It seems to some of us that Trump is expressing his own desire for an autocratic presidency when he looks for love in all the wrong places. Can you name a sane person who has said he would be “honored” to meet with Kim Jung-Un?

  16. I have hope that the Picayune funeral director might someday realize that “their kind” actually experience the same hopes, dreams, and emotions that “his kind” have, especially at the end of life. Strip away the societal labels, gay or straight, all couples in committed partnerships share common feelings and personal emotions.

    In 2014 the Florida Sun-Sentinel published an outstanding feature story “In Sickness and In Health” that charted the final journey of Chris and Richard. If you have a bit of spare time, I encourage all to read the article and view the pics.

    http://interactive.sun-sentinel.com/lgbt-dying-couple/index.html

  17. I tend to agree with Peggy, this discrimination is not limited to “Christians against”, if enacted into law it works for all. It will be interesting to observe how those who wish to limit others in their moral and faith choices and instinct, feel when their own limitations are placed as restrictions upon them. This will call for compassion from all the rest of us as they are confronting their own limitationsite due to ignorance or not knowing. “Turnaround is fair play”.

    Instead of taking a hard hearted stance against those who are so fearful of Otherness, many who label themselves “true Christians”; my faith belief calls for compassion and loving kindness. This act of heart is so different from what so many are currently manifesting in our world……why would I want to model their actions even if I don’the agree with them?

  18. Terry Munson; thank you for your finely written comments, direct and to the point due to your understanding of the current lack of presidential leadership and the fear and disgust it has instilled in much of this nation. Colbert’s comment, and my response, may be “gutter language” but that is the primary language spoken and understood by Trump and his White Nationalist appointees.

    Michael; remember “Grab their pussies..” is not exactly Sunday School talk and, in response to virtually millions of complaints, he referred to it as “locker room talk”. By some high school boys maybe; he was a 59 year old, multi-millionaire businessman, husband and father when he relayed this suggestion to one of President Bush’s cousins. I have watched and read about Trump for more than 30 years and that particular comment was an open admission on his part for his lifestyle. It has also been reported as his behind-the-scenes attitude and insults to and about women on his TV program.

  19. To simplify things down to the absolute basics culture is what society collectively believes is best for us and those we care about and it could be, again in the simplest possible terms, boiled down to collaboration vs competition.

    The world had been trending unevenly but relentlessly towards collaboration, what we normally call progress, until, roughly, our lives.

    Then progress was halted by fake news. Technology to entertain us became pervasive and was taken over by commercial forces who became expert at teaching entitlement. We are entitled to fancy cars and McMansions and latest fashion and to live in the greatest country and be forever attractive and poised.

    It was a short leap for that ability to infect journalism for commercial reasons. It was good business.

    That is the proximate cause of the current slow motion wreck unfolding in DC. Minds have been imprisoned by the notion that our group, however we define that to be, is entitled to power and news is whatever makes that reality.

    The upcoming wreck is unavoidable now, but will that wake us up to the reality that driving government intoxicated on entitlement can be a fatal mistake.? Will we learn or will progress due?

    While the wreck seems absolutely certain to me the aftermath is not.

  20. ” I know the ACLU is preparing to go to court over the EO, but I think it might be more effective to get Muslims, Jews, Wiccans, and others to refuse service to certain Christian denominations. I do believe that what’s sauce for the goose should be sauce for the gander.”

    Peggy; I doubt your copied and pasted comments above would be an option for the religions you named and for true Christians as it would be against their beliefs to treat anyone in that manner. It is the lack of true “Christianity” in Pence’s RFRA law, and now Trump’s EO, that is so offensive. Their lack of awareness that they will be denying services and goods to those following their religious beliefs who happen to be a different race, nationality or sexual orientation. Pence is especially shameful to be espousing “Christianity” in his actions against all women and entire groups of people he disapproves of. Well; I disapprove of Pence and if there were a way to vote him out of office I would…not based on any religious belief but based on belief in the civil and human rights of all others.

  21. Well, Kimmel’s child fits perfectly with the Bible Thumping concept of: Original Sin. You, a loved one or friend gets seriously ill, and “God Moves in Mysterious Ways.” There is always an excuse for God when the most wretched display of inhumanity emerges. These excuses for God have been perpetuated by religious extremists for thousands of years for wars, plagues, earthquakes, etc.

    The Religious extremists must remove science and logic from the equation of man’s inhumanity to man.

    Walsh ran against Tammi Duckworth in Illinois: At a July 2012 campaign event, Walsh accused his opponent of politicizing both her military service as a helicopter pilot and her Iraq War injuries which cost her both legs and the partial use of one arm. He said, “My God, that’s all she talks about. Our true heroes, the men and women who served us, it’s the last thing in the world they talk about.” Walsh later suggested that she was, in fact, a “true hero,” but that she should not talk about her service so frequently, and that her service should not command votes.
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Walsh_(Illinois_politician)
    =============================================================
    Walsh would know nothing about military service having never been in the military.

  22. Agitprop. This is irresponsible on your part for propagating such nonsense.

    Here is a quote from the co-owner of the funeral home:”Mrs Brewer said that her mortuary had handled the funerals of “well over a dozen” gay people since she and her husband opened it in 2006.”

    I guess they won’t be using the “religious” defense,eh?

    Sandy makes an uneducated assumption by this response:” The passage of straight, White, male privilege is a sad affair for many.”

    What if the funeral home owners are black? Sandy should also add the qualifier WEALTHY to her list.

    The source seems to be the person at the nursing home. It seems the readers and the proprietor of this blog have blindly assumed the nursing home has credibility. I’ve lived in a nursing home,unfortunately there’s a lot of folks working at such facilities that have no business working at one.

    Speaking of cruelty,the faux expression of sympathy rings hollow with this reader. One name: Berta Cáceres.

    Of course,her life means nothing to the readers of this blog. I wonder why?

  23. Oh,The ACA is proof Republican plans do not work.

    Kimmel’s words bring to force why this country needs Universal Healthcare. Like most other countries….Of course it’s taboo to mention of such.

    Of course we know why “that can/will never happen” in the US of A…….Insurance lobbyists, et al.

    It’s no accident why Universal Healthcare isn’t among the bucket list of legislation for Democrats..

    Just ask Max Baucus.

  24. William @ 12:12, you bring up an interesting point. Max Baucus a Democrat Senator made sure Single Payer never received a seat at the table.

    There is this: Ex-President Obama will receive a $400,000 check from Wall Street — the same amount as his yearly salary during his time in the White House — when he delivers a speech in September at a health care conference run by Cantor Fitzgerald, a trading and investment firm. Some how I have the feeling Single Payer for all will not be a positive talking point.

    Now as soon as as this speaking fee was criticized, the Corporate-Establishment Democrats, reacted like the Star Trek’s Enterprise under attack: Shields up, arm the Photon Torpedoes, lock on phasers. Excuse #1, They all do it, meaning it’s OK to cash in and take the fabulous amounts of speaking fees Wall Street will pay.

    Wasserman Schultz, the Ex-DNC chair said: “With all due respect to anyone who chooses to comment publicly on what Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, or anyone earns as a member of the private sector, it’s just MYOB,” she said, invoking the acronym for mind your own business.
    Side Bar: Schultz was reacting to negative comments from Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. Translation, it is OK to take Wall Street cash, let’s not follow the money.

    Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s (D-Calif.) refuses to get behind a Medicare-for-All healthcare system. And it just so happens that she has accepted massive contributions from healthcare lobbyists also opposed to such a program, a deep dive into her campaign financing has revealed. Feinstein attended “a fundraising event at the Washington, D.C., office of Avenue Solutions, a lobbying firm that represents major health insurers, pharmaceutical companies and the primary trade association for doctors.”

    According to reporter Andrew Perez, “Feinstein supporters at the event were expected to kick in $1,000 to $5,000 for her re-election bid.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2017/05/02/feinstein-hosts-industry-fundraiser-days-after-dissing-single-payer

    John Conyers has authored HR 676 – Expanded & Improved Medicare for All Act. HR 676 now has 108 Co-Sponsors. Significantly, the names Nancy Pelosi or Debbie Wasserman Schultz are not listed among the co-sponsors. Pelosi’s career top industry is Health Professionals at $1,323,046, Insurance $542,565, Hospitals/Nursing Homes $372,124, Pharmaceuticals/Health Products $362,070. Tim Ryan who challenged Pelosi for House Leadership and lost is a co-sponsor of HR 676.

  25. The horrendous proposed health bill just passed in the House by a margin of 4 votes: 217-213

    This is a vote by Rs to kill their fellow citizens.

  26. Rosemary, yes I was aware of their speaking fees. That is why I mentioned “they all do it” excuse. At least from what I found only Ex-President Carter did not follow the yellow brick road to big bucks speaking fees.

    Full time minimum wage workers in Indiana earn a total of $290.00 per week and approximately $15,080.00 per year (based on a 8 hour days and a 260-day work year) before taxes.

    The political aristocracy here in the USA, with few exceptions, is well padded from any of the problems we proles have on main street.

  27. Louie,I know you’re aware of this but it bears repeating; The proles are not considered the “real” constituents of our political class. The constituents are those who can afford to attend those $2,500+ dinners and fundraisers.

    It doesn’t matter if one is a Democrat or Republican. Both organizations are filled with grifters and opportunists. Government is the place for millionaires to become multimillionaires to the detriment of the people in the country.

    The Democrats had 8 freakin’ years to fine-tune and refine the ACA. What did they do? Nothing. Just more back-slapping,self congratulatory posturing and glad-handedness. This is a Democrat Party failure. Then again,knowing the venality of the political class from both aisles, I wouldn’t be surprised if this allows the Democrats to become the good-cop and capitulate even moreso to Republican policies. After all,it took a Democrat President to pass a Republican plan; Heritage/Romney/ObamaCare/ACA. As long as it doesn’t kill any members of the political class….then all is well. Much like our wars across the globe.

    The public is left arguing over crumbs and semantics. Most political blogging is nothing more than flogging pedestrian sports team canards and rhetoric.

  28. “The proles are not considered the “real” constituents of our political class.”

    William; are you writing your own dictionary as some red states are rewriting history books? In all three of my dictionaries “constituent” is defined as “one who elects another to represent him in a public office”. Your Republicansism is showing, as usual; pandering to those you referred to who can afford to attend those $2,500 per plate dinners and fund raisers are among the 1%. It took the “proles” as you call them to cast enough votes to put Trump where he is, without those “constituents” he would not be there.

    I don’t mind in the least being referred to as a “prole” but I do resent my status as a “constituent” being ignored as a vital part of America. I first acted on my Constitutional right as a “constituent” to vote in 1958, have acted on that right in every election since.

    The ACA has actually trickled down through six presidencies; only partially enacted in October 2013 by President Obama as red states were allowed to create their own state health care systems. In this seventh administration, with only a titular head, it is being arbitrarily repealed and replaced by Republicans who do not even know what the replacement bill contains. Stupidity reigns; unless you have a valid argument against my using the term “stupidity”, it is only semantics. Insert your own terminology.

  29. William keeps raising the point of are our country and government beyond fixing? It sounds like he believes the take over of the donor class and the replacement of democracy with oligarchy are fait accompli.

    That’s certainly possible in which case any effort to restore Constitutional order will simply fail.

    My perspective then is should we act as if failure is a given or as if success is a possibility?

    I have tried to live my life as a problem solver rather than as a problem victim so I personally have no intention of giving up.

    America is worth the effort to save even if it’s only a possibility.

  30. It amazes me that so many so called “Christians” support their bigotry by quoting the Bible. They seem to forget that the Bible has been used to justify slavery and to deny women the right to vote. They also seem to forget that Jesus would heal anyone Roman, Gentile, Jew, leper, women. He even affirmed Samaritans! I think they forgot something. You know the commandment ” Love one another as I have loved you.” And the commandment to love our neighbor does not say “Love your neighbor if…” The command asks us to practice unconditional acceptance. So I guess if I want to follow the teachings of Jesus I will have to pray for all these people who are so mean spirited. God help them. Since I am a lesbian, they won’t listen to me. I rather doubt they are REALLY listening to God.

  31. JoAnn:

    I’m not a Republican. Never have been.

    I’m not the one that considers you derisively as a prole in the literal sense.

    I’m not the one ignoring your efforts as a constituent.

    Pete:”William keeps raising the point of are our country and government beyond fixing? It sounds like he believes the take over of the donor class and the replacement of democracy with oligarchy are fait accompli. ”

    Yep,the donor class has won. Each one of us helped in the effort. You applauded it. Is it beyond fixing? Will not happen in our lifetime simply because genuine change will need genuine contemplative reflection of ourselves. Too many are obsessed with “team” membership. This blog is a perfect example of that. Climate change will never be addressed by either party,to do so would put a large amount of burden upon business and commerce. In America commerce always wins. Plus,the businessman and/or woman is god in America! Celebs rule the day.

    The PTB won long ago. It doesn’t matter if there’s a D or an R in the WH and doesn’t matter what party is the majority. The agenda of the PTB shall always go forward and continue. Most Americans are against the continued occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq…..Yet we are still there and will be there permanently at the request of the “donor” class. Americans cannot have nice things such as universal healthcare because the monies from lobbyists are much more important to the politicians of both sides of the aisle than the lives of people.

    Just ask the family of Berta Cáceres.

  32. I don’t know how Members of Congress who voted for the replacement for Obamacare can sleep at night. Many of them claim to be Christians. BUT they have cut government cost and insurance coverage by cutting care and passing costs along to the sickest – if they can get care at all. According to AARP, those with pre-existing conditions – half the population – would experience premium costs of $25,000 annually and then a likely lifetime cap on benefits. If benefits are capped at say $75,000, one hospital stay for heart surgery could exceed that cap.

    Americans pay 3 times as much for health insurance per capita as citizens of other developed nations pay to their government for national health insurance. Yet Americans have lower life expectancies. When will we ever learn?

    So much for being our brother’s keeper.

  33. Robin; I am straight and I listened to you and agree. Trump wants to do away with the Constitution; guess Pence has forgotten to explain that part in the Bible to him which says, “Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s and unto the Lord that which is the Lord’s.” Or he has no idea what it means; and he was elected to be America’s religious leader…and hopefully to guide Trump in the right direction.

  34. Man, I want what William is smoking because that reality of his is entertaining! Wow.

  35. AgingLGrl:”Man, I want what William is smoking because that reality of his is entertaining! Wow.”

    I knew an anglophile such as yourself would have no comment wrt Berta Cáceres.

    Would you like to elaborate as to why the US doesn’t have universal healthcare?

    Does the government work for JoAnn or Erik Prince?

    I guess you believe the donor class doesn’t have much clout?

    According to you,we have left Afghanistan and Iraq.

    Perhaps it might be a good idea for you to spend some time in contemplative reflection?

    I doubt it would do any good for a foolish and arrogant anglophile such as yourself.

  36. William: Ha ha ha…what a card you are. Really? Anglophile? ha ha ha. That’s really a good one. Sorry, I’m not going to respond to your rant and making assumptions about me.

    I don’t know how you people sleep at night.

  37. Well I, for one, am sick and tired of my tax dollars going to pay for all these long, lightly-used roads in rural areas where Trump voters live. How about we raise taxes on small communities so these freeloaders can start paying their fair share?

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