Grateful

Walking with my dog,

Thoughts racing thru my mind,

How lucky to have friends,

Friends who are my children.

Not sure what others think,

Who may have even more friends.

But my friends are really my family,

I love my wife, children, and spouses.

Maybe I’m deprived,

Such a small set of friends.

But no group is like my friends,

Who never leave me wanting,

Filling me with ideas and laughter.

And to think that my friends

Extended themselves with more,

Grandchildren that light up our lives,

Making us more than we are.

Whatever the future brings,

Nothing robs the present,

Moments bringing tears of joy,

Grateful for my children.

Health Care Bill

The debate within my head regarding the benefit/loss of passing a weakened health care bill has been somewhat validated by the opinions today of Krugman and Brooks.

Krugman, somewhat amazingly given his many prior columns, thinks that even a poor bill is worth passing. He is convinced that the biggest hurdle is getting any bill passed that addresses discrimination of access to health care because of pre-existing conditions and the lack of access to health care for 45 million people. Based on history, he thinks that the defects/omissions in the bill will be rectified over time.

Brooks has been somewhat consistently wavering. Today, he summarizes the plusses and minuses of the Senate bill in its current form and comes down on the side that it should not be passed because actual reform of the health care system is not adequately addressed and he thinks that these omissions will not be addressed in the future.

I share both views! What a mess!

Health Care Costs

Atul Gawande is a Boston surgeon who has made a name for himself by his analysis and writing on the subject of health care reform. A prior major article in the New Yorker which captured the horrendous situation generated by the fee-for-service method of payment was a "must read" in the White House. Now, he is addressing the issue of the reform of health care COSTS!

Admittedly, I have been disappointed that the bills under discussion now have not adequately addressed the reforms that would bring costs under control. His current article allays my disappointment. He confronts the issue by articulating the impossibility of legislatively carving a solution to the problems associated with the high costs of health care. Based on the history of how the government's Department of Agriculture addressed the problems in farming during the early decades of the 20th century, he speculates that the current legislation enabling and supporting all sorts of pilot initiatives follows the successful experience of the revolution in farming. We can anticipate that these pilot initiatives will enable change, albeit less rapidly than many want, but at a rate that it reasonable and rational, i.e., there is no fast solution to the myriad of problems generating the high costs.

"The Death of a Pope" by Piers Paul Reed

Since I read so much, there is seldom a need for me to write about a particular book. However, "The Death of a Pope" is different.

My background as a priest and a person interested in religion/theology makes this book most intriguing. It is a thriller-type novel that involves current conflicts within the Roman Church, including a deep resentment that previous popes have so stacked the hierarchy with very conservative bishops that there is virtually no hope for a more liberal pope who would modify the many areas of conflict, e.g., birth control, use of condoms, acceptance of divorced people within the communion, women priests, etc.

The reference to these controversial issues within the context of international issues made this novel worth reading and is recommended for anyone with an interest in these issues.

Thanksgiving -- 2009

Days pass ever so quickly,
Memories fade with ease,
Knowing the days of the past
Far exceed those ahead.

Wishing at times to hold on,
But seeing the inevitable,
Focus only on holy moments
Filled with the joy of family.

Each day recalls the cells
Of joy and laughter
Flowing from the faces
Flowering into wonder.

Thanks to you,
I treasure each day,
Never deserving rewards,
You've become my Thanksgiving!

What We Don't Know re: Afghanistan

The decision by the President to send 30,000 more troops was ill-advised. There is no way that this will ultimately make a real difference. The problems are too huge. Even trying to dismantle Al Qaeda is unlikely since they are surviving quite well in many nations. Pakistan remains a problem in trying to address the problem. In addition, the Taliban knows that they will be there long after the United States leaves, whenever that is.

In addition, we read about the corruption in Afghanistan without addressing our own levels of corruption (cf. Zbigniew Brzesinski). Who are we to level such charges against Afghanistan as though we were pure?

And then, we complain about the level of incompetence in the Afghanistan government. Michael Shank returned from Afghanistan to report the disconnect between our government's reported assessment of the situation and what are the actual causes, particularly those caused by our government.

Loss of the Middle Class

I have been concerned for some years with the phenomenon of the loss of the middle class. I was struck by Kevin Phillips' concern that every major power lost its power when it lost the middle class. He cited Holland and England as class examples. The middle class is required to maintain the purchasing power of the nation that enables it to be strong. As in the case of Holland and England, the United States started to buy from other nations since they were "cheaper". But, in the process, the loss of manufacturing jobs resulted in the erosion of the middle class and the resulting decline in wealth and power.

Elizabeth Warren has been harking on the same subject for some time. She points often that the middle class has lost much in the last 30 years and the expenses of ordinary living (housing, health care, education) have increased dramatically while their incomes (including how a second income) is insufficient to keep up. The problem is huge and significant to the point that unless something is done, the United States will suffer major erosion in its claim to international power (worth something only because of the alternative!).

Elizabeth Warren's latest entry is worthy of consideration because of its detail of how the erosion has trended negatively over these last 30 years.s