Now What?

Like most Americans I am completely baffled as to what awaits our nation now that healthcare legislation has been passed. I am not someone who supports bureaucracies, whether they be in the form of governments, corporations, or even religions. Bureaucracies are bloated institutions that inevitably collapse under their own weight. Bureaucrats exist only to obfuscate their group's responsibility to the public. So, not surprisingly, my initial reaction to a universal healthcare bill was one of skepticism, regardless of its contents.

Yet, there is no denying that healthcare needs fixing.

Healthcare costs are outrageous. Providers increasingly demand higher deductibles from their members while simultaneously reducing the number of tests they will approve. Republicans are either clueless or lying when they imply that many Americans who are without health insurance can afford to pay for it, but choose not to. That may hold true for the country club cronies of Republicans, but everyone I know who is without coverage lacks it because of financial shortage. They have had to make the choice between paying their mortgage/rent or paying a monthly premium for health coverage.

For the past 20-30 years Americans have urged that something be done about healthcare costs. Is this healthcare legislation the "something" that is needed? Maybe, but there are some concerns I have about it. Below are a few examples:

• House Ways and Means Republicans "estimate the IRS will need nearly 17,000 new employees to meet its new responsibilities under health reform." 17,000? For what? Is this Pres Obama's idea of job creation? What is in this legislation that requires the IRS to become an even greater behemoth? And for those who argue that the 17,000 estimate is an exaggeration, why were the Democrats virtually silent in responding to it?
• Democrat Rep John Dingell was quoted during a radio interview yesterday stating, "It takes a long time to do the necessary administrative steps that have to be taken to put the legislation together to control the people." Control the people? What does that mean? For those of us who believe that Democrats like Pres Obama and Nancy Pelosi increase government entitlement programs for the purpose of deepening the American public's dependence on government, this is a Freudian slip.
• The nation's economy is already in shambles with unemployment hovering around 10%. (And if you add those who are underemployed, those whose unemployment benefits have expired, and those who have given up looking for work, the number is closer to 22%) If companies are forced to provide health insurance for their workers or pay fines, what are the chances of these companies hiring new employees anytime soon? If anything, these new regulations may cause unemployment to rise. Can our economy continue to withstand high, and maybe even higher, unemployment?

So I say again. Now what?

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Sinking Ship?

You have to wonder whether the adage about rats leaving a sinking ship applies to Connecticut Senator Christopher Dodd and North Dakota Senator Byron Dorgan. Both have announced that they will not seek re-election. Have these men just had enough of Washington or do they see the writing on the wall with respect to the damage President Obama is doing to the Democratic Party?

Many Americans have expressed their displeasure with the universal healthcare bill and with the secretive process with which it was drafted. According to The Washington Times, “in at least seven states -- Connecticut, Nevada, Ohio, Arkansas, Pennsylvania, North Dakota and Colorado -- the Democratic candidate for Senate trails the Republican in the most recent polls. In those states, Mr. Obama's popularity has dropped below the percentage of votes he drew in 2008, and opposition to the health-care-reform bill is deep and wide.”

The President has earned a reputation as someone who cannot be trusted, someone who speaks with a forked tongue. House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi said as much Tuesday when grilled by reporters about the healthcare reform bill’s closed-door negotiations. When reminded by the media that candidate Obama said all negotiations should be open to C-Span, Pelosi replied, ““There are a number of things he was for on the campaign trail.” Ouch. In other words, even our President’s own party doesn’t know which way he is blowing daily.

Congressional Democrats fear that the President views them as nothing more than vassals, subject to his whims and fancies. And they recognize that come November it will be they who must face the voters’ wrath. Don’t be surprised if there are others in the Democratic Party who choose to follow Dodd and Dorgan and ride off into the sunset when their terms expire.
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Need a PR Specialist? Perhaps my 13 years of PR experience can satisfy those needs. Contact Donald Tremblay (The Rain Maker) at 718-664-3405 or at dtremblay@earthlink.net. For more info about me visit my LinkedIn Profile.

One

Over the past few years, but particularly since our global economic depression, we have heard increased warnings about secret plans to create a New World Order—a term often considered code for One World Government. Even international government officials have referenced it during interviews, such as British Prime Minister Gordon Brown declaring on Jan 25, 2009, that the financial recession should be welcomed as the "difficult birth-pangs of a new global order". Two months ago Lord Christopher Monckton, former science advisor to British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, was quoted criticizing the Copenhagen Treaty: “I read that treaty. And what it says is this: that a world government is going to be created. The word ‘government’ actually appears as the first of three purposes of the new entity.” He then added, “They are about to impose a communist world government on the world. You have a president who has very strong sympathies with that point of view. He’s going to sign it.” Speculation about creating a One-World Currency, the naming of Barack Obama as the first U.S. President to chair the U.N Security Council, and the continued subordination of American troops to United Nations commanders has enflamed Americans’ concerns about a New World Order. But despite all the discussions and arguments, there is one important element of New World Order theory that most people are unaware of: the creation of One World Religion.

The New Age movement has been among the strongest supporters of a New World Order. Constance Cumbey reports the following in her bestseller, The Hidden Dangers of the Rainbow: The New Age Movement and Our Coming Age of Barbarism: “Another thing I noticed was that the New Age books containing this exotic new theology had a vocabulary very similar to the books calling for the New World Order.” (p 28) Central to New Age belief is the idea that Man is God and that we can save ourselves. It is a modern form of Gnosticism. Man has no need to worship gods because we have access to the “Christ consciousness”. This esoteric teaching argues that Christ is not a person, but an office. In other words, Jesus was not the Christ. He was merely someone who had the Christ consciousness descend upon him. And just as Jesus received this office, so can anyone else provided he/she becomes enlightened. Enter Maitreya.

New Agers believe that shortly the world will be introduced to the Maitreya, who according to Cumbey is supposed to be “the fifth reincarnation of Buddha”. (p 19) Maitreya is the ultimate teacher, above all others including Jesus, Moses, Mohamed, etc . . ., and he is to free the divinity within Man and carry us from the Age of Pisces into the Age of Aquarius, which many believe has already begun or will begin in 2012.

What does all this have to do with current events?

Last week a spiral of lights appeared over Norway on the eve of Pres Obama’s arrival in Oslo to accept his Nobel Peace Prize. At first the Russians denied knowing anything about the cause of the lights, but then confessed that it was an intercontinental missile test that went awry.

A missile test?

Regardless of whether the Russians are telling the truth, when I first saw the photos and realized where it happened and when, I was reminded of the following words from Cumbey’s book: “I have learned that the [New Age] Movement has devoted a great deal of research and attention to the use of holographic images.” (p 24) Cumbey even quotes New Age guru David Spangler as saying that “laser beam projectors had been installed for use on top of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine Episcopal, in New York City. “ (p 24) Keep in mind that Cumbey’s book was written in 1983. Consider how technology has advanced in the past 26 years and what science is now capable of.

Why does it matter?

Share International is a group that defines itself as a “worldwide network of individuals and groups whose purpose is to make known the fact that Maitreya ― the World Teacher for the coming age ― and his group, the Masters of Wisdom, are now among us, emerging into the public arena ― gradually, so as not to infringe human free will.” Not long ago they posted the following on their website: “In the very near future a large, bright 'star' will appear in the sky visible to all throughout the world”. Now the spiral of lights has been added to the site as proof of their prophecy.

If there is a connection between the New Age movement and the New World Order, and I believe there is, we will begin to see increased celestial phenomena as part of a heightened PR and marketing effort on the part of those pushing the One World Government/One World Religion agenda. Smoke-and-mirrors will become common. Don’t be fooled.

Our Soundbite Culture

President Obama is under fire again, only this time the salvos are coming from his supporters. Last night liberal democrats and anti-war activists howled betrayal as the president announced his plans to send 30,000 more U.S. troops to Afghanistan before bringing American forces home in the summer of 2011. “This isn’t what we voted for,” yelled many former Obama flag waivers. Filmmaker Michael Moore blasted the president for turning the youth who voted for him into "disillusioned cynics" once they realize that "all politicians are alike." Moore also criticized Obama for destroying “the hopes and dreams so many millions have placed in you." But Moore was hardly alone in his anger. Paul Kawika Martin, political director for the grassroots organization Peace Action, warned, “We’re going to spank him [Pres. Obama] for sending more troops”.

But were liberal democrats and anti-war activists truly hoodwinked by our president? Or did they only hear what they wanted to hear?

The soundbite. The short, catchy phrase that stays implanted in the public’s memory. “Yes, we can” is an example. So is, “Read my lips. No new taxes.” Detractors complain that soundbites are style without substance. And they are right. But what these critics fail to understand is that most people in our society only listen to information packaged in soundbite amounts. Some people lack the patience to listen longer. Others lack time or have little interest in the subject matter. Whatever the reason for its prevalence, I think it is our reliance on soundbites that is responsible for the president’s current PR mess.

• “My 16-month timeline, if you examine everything that I’ve said, was always premised on making sure that our troops were safe. I said that based on the information that we had received from our commanders that one to two brigades a month could be pulled out safely, from a logistical perspective. My guiding approach continues to be that we’ve got to make sure that our troops are safe and that Iraq is stable. I’m going to continue to gather information to find out whether those conditions still hold.”

President Obama said those words on July 3, 2008, four months prior to the presidential election. He promises in the above statement to bring the troops home if elected; HOWEVER, he hedges on that promise by adding the disclaimer that his proposed timeline is “premised on making sure that our troops are safe” and that “Iraq is stable”. Anti-war activists eagerly embraced the 16-month timeline but ignored the caveat that followed it, which changed everything. Obama knew exactly what he was saying. By promising troop withdrawals he pacified those who want an end to the war. By adding the disclaimer he covered his tracks in anticipation that troop withdrawals would be delayed.

Unfortunately for our attorney-trained president, neither he nor his inner circle understands that semantics may work in a court of law, but they don’t necessarily work in the court of public opinion. The moment candidate Obama uttered the soundbite “troop withdrawal,” the American public heard nothing else he said, especially those Americans who voted for him in large measure because of their opposition to the war.

Our president is learning the hard way that polit-speak is acceptable when it comes to certain political issues.

War is not one of them.

Are The French Fortune Tellers?

Maybe it’s because they’re French. Maybe it’s because they come from an intellectual tradition preoccupied with misery. After all, Victor Hugo wrote Les Miserables; Jean-Paul Sartre wrote Being and Nothingness and Nausea; and let’s not forget Albert Camus’ masterpiece The Plague. Hope doesn’t exactly spring eternal within the borders of our European ally. Could it be this mindset that is responsible for Societe Generale‘s recent actions? Or is the French bank two steps ahead of the rest of the world with respect to the economic fate that awaits us all?

According to the London daily The Telegraph, Societe Generale “has advised clients to be ready for a possible ‘global economic collapse’ over the next two years.” In its report (Worst-Case Debt Scenario) the French bank warns its clients that “as yet, nobody can say with any certainty whether we have in fact escaped the prospect of a global economic collapse.” When one of Europe’s most powerful banks institutes contingency plans to help its clients survive losses from a worldwide economic devastation, it is time to recognize that our financial health is in even worse condition than we thought.

President Obama and Congress are desperately trying to convince Americans that things are slowly improving. They cite recent gains in the stock market and four consecutive months of increased U.S. Industrial Production. But those positive indicators are overwhelmed by the bleaker and more numerous negative indicators, such as a 10.2% unemployment rate and the possibility of a second round of home foreclosures. With its “things are getting better” PR campaign already taking a beating, the last thing the federal government needs is the release of a report like the one produced by Societe Generale.

That is the problem with public relations: it is only as good as the subject it is promoting. If that subject is without substance it will collapse eventually like a house of cards . . . sort of like what the French believe is the destiny awaiting the global economic community.

Welcome to the Land of Oz

Perhaps www.recovery.org exists in a parallel universe, one where jobs can be created in districts that don’t exist. How else can federal stimulus money be credited with increasing jobs in phantom locales? Then again all things are possible in the Land of Oz—otherwise known as Washington, D.C.

An ABC News exclusive has exposed data errors on www.recovery.gov, a website created by the Obama administration to “foster greater accountability and transparency in the use of money spent through the stimulus program”. According to the site Puerto Rico’s 99th congressional district logged an increase of 291 jobs after receiving a whopping $47.7 million in federal stimulus money. Arizona’s 15th congressional district reports 30 jobs saved or created thanks to an infusion of $761,420 in federal money. Similar job growth has been reported in various Oklahoma and Iowa districts. The problem is that many of these districts, including the two just mentioned, don’t exist. So where are the hundreds of millions of dollars that are said to have been spent in these districts?

The Recovery Board was created to keep tabs on the federal stimulus money. The Board’s communication director claims that the mistakes on www.recovery.org are nothing more than accounting errors caused by recipients who don’t know their congressional districts. Ok, that’s possible. I confess that when I vote I have to be reminded by election workers of what district I reside in. So maybe the federal money has been spent legitimately and maybe those created/saved jobs are not figments of the imagination. In that case once the accounting discrepancies are resolved, the data will line up properly. Sounds reasonable.

However, considering the track record of Congress and the Obama administration’s convoluted explanations of where the stimulus was being spent, would anyone be surprised if much of the recovery.org data was merely smoke-and-mirrors? Would anybody be shocked to discover that the money allocated to these “districts” is in actuality unaccounted for? And how will an American populace that is confronting a 10.2% unemployment rate respond when it discovers that the federal government is boasting about creating/saving jobs that may not even exist?

“Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain”.

Is Our President Oblivious?

Is our president oblivious or does he simply not care about the impact his gestures have on the American public? One thing is certain: whatever his motivation, President Obama’s actions often leave observers scratching their heads in disbelief.

Seven months ago the president created an uproar by bowing to the Saudi king. Bowing to a foreign leader would bring grief to any U.S. president, but what made this especially upsetting is Obama’s ties to Islam. (A similar reaction would be elicited were a Roman Catholic American president to kiss the papal ring). Yet, despite the fury his bow generated, President Obama did it again. This time he chose to bow to Japanese Emperor Akihito. Why?

The president has spent the past several months apologizing for America’s past indiscretions, legitimate and imagined. Maybe his bows are a show of humility to those he believes we have wronged. Perhaps the bows are nothing more than signs of respect. After all there is no reason to assume that our president has evil intentions. Yet, one wonders how he can be so mindful of showing respect to the world community, but act so callously to Americans?

Case in point: Last week 14 people were murdered at Fort Hood allegedly by Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan. The president first addressed the massacre while attending a Tribal Nations Conference in Oklahoma. Instead of opening the Ft Hood tragedy press conference by offering his condolences to the victims, the president first thanked Kevin Calvey and the Department of Interior, and then gave “a shout out” to a Congressional Medal of Honor winner. It wasn’t until two minutes into the press conference that the president even mentioned the bloodbath. Stunning, truly stunning.

Aren’t any of those high-powered administration publicists warning him that he is alienating the American people? Or have they warned him and been summarily ignored? One cannot blame Americans for wondering whether their president lacks empathy for the very people who elected him. People criticized President Clinton for not making a decision without first polling the public. I’m sure those same people would rather have a president who cares too much about their opinions than one who doesn’t seem to care at all.