A small circle taking a nation hostage

Many think in the United States of America everything is possible. We should perhaps agree with them, when we see that such an incredible thing is possible, that a few people can take the whole country hostage.

There are Americans who shout “We need never put our hope in institutions, but in the God of Creation” and want to do like all those Eastern Muslims who shout “As God wants it”, ‘Inshala’.

God may want many things, and for sure His Plan shall come into being, whatever man tries to do against it. But willing that God takes care of everything and does everything for us is simply put. In the Garden of Eden men claimed it unjust of God that He was in charge of everything. So God gave the power to rule the earth to men.

God has also given human being brains which he should use. The Creator provided human being with the possibility to make things or invent things themselves. So they should do and they should make use of their brains for the advancement of humanity.

People may shout “We live in precarious times, keep your eyes on The Lord, and your faith In Him more than ever.” but that should not mean they have not to take up their own responsibility. Perhaps many of them are now in very good health and wealthy enough to pay a good insurance company, but I do wonder how they shall speak when they would have a serious accident or a serious illness.  I do know that many Americans would then consider that to be a penalty of God. But God does not punishes mankind that way. In the Garden of Eden God had already given the sentence for our sins … the penalty will be our death.

In the world of man impunity may exist but in the world of God any criminal record shall be taken under consideration and at the end of times the son of God, who is also son of man, shall be the judge to take the right decisions.

As long as that time of the End has not reached the world , all those living on the earth should try to make the best world for everybody to live in.  No matter if they may be rich, believer or non-believer, all should be able to live in good condition.

Because of the personal deficiencies we are prone to have illnesses and all sorts of discomforts.

Today in the United States there are people who call themselves Christian but who do not want to share the love of Christ Jesus with other people in their own country. Over-simplified they prefer to think of their own financial budget of which they do not want to share a penny for help to others.

Unmasked they dare to say it is inappropriate to provide a collective box to help those in medical need. If others are incurable that is their concern and should not be of the concern of the American who says to believe in Judeo-Christian values. It may be unfortunate for the other, but those who believe in Christ, according to them, should not be bothered by the problems they have.

Those with enough money to pay for their own health insurance seem to forget that one day perhaps they also may be unfortunate and will have to face health problems by which their insurance company will leave them in the cold.

“Obama care” is been highly controversial and the idea of every person in the community sharing the burden of the other is something which seem to take away each individual his own freedom. But they forget that by helping each-other out and taking care that every body can be able to get some good health care, the whole community shall be able to profit of a better healthier community.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), commonly called the Affordable Care Act (ACA) or Obamacare, should bring everybody’s mind more at rest and give them more trust in an unsure future.

President Obama and White House Staff react to the House of Representatives passing the bill for a democratic insurance for all inhabitants of the United States of America,  system on March 21, 2010.

On March 23, 2010 a United States federal statute signed into law by President Barack Obama something today some people still want to bring into debate even in such a way that they are prepared to take away the work and income of many American citizens. Without blush they dare to bring all the governments offices to a hold-back.

President Barack Obama’s signature on the health insurance reform bill at the White House, March 23, 2010. The President signed the bill with 22 different pens. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It seems ridiculous that people want to oppose a system that aims to increase the quality and affordability of health insurance, lower the uninsured rate by expanding public and private insurance coverage, and reduce the costs of healthcare for individuals and for the government.

All Americans and the country which has already an incredible debt would profit by it. But yes those with a lot of money would have to contribute to it too and would give some little bit of their many dollars to others they even do not know or do not want to know, like street ruffians, hookers, guttersnipes, gamins, gadabouts, all sorts of streetwalkers, but also hawkers, vendors, soapbox preachers, blacks, chinese a.o. immigrants.

Strange also that those who call them followers of Jesus (Christian) oppose a system where the law also requires insurance companies to cover all applicants within new minimum standards and offer the same rates regardless of pre-existing conditions or sex. We should expect believers in the Nazarene Jesus from the lineage of King David to be willing that there comes equality between all citizens and that all those in need would be able to have affordable support.

Instead of allowing a simple yes or no vote on a bill that funds the government for a few more weeks, the government that these Republicans were elected to serve was forced to close down.

And as a result, starting the 1st of October 2013, Americans across the country won’t be allowed to show up for work.

The Tea Party shows clearly who is the Big Boss in the Republican Party, where many crawl on the floor afraid to loose ground to stand on. They are feasible pushed to do a crusade against the president’s signature law.

United States Capitol (Photo credit: Jack in DC)

Tourists did find out that America also can be paralysed by just a few people. Europeans who bought before hand tickets for Yellowstone and the Statue of Liberty or other national monuments found them closed. On Flemish television we could hear the debate of the tea Party man in Brussels who could not give any reasonable answer to the professor of American business. On the news also interviews with people who were affected as well as “they must be crazy” conversations with persons on the street. But those in charge kept receiving their seat-money, while the lower public servants could whistle but not find a pay-check. The office holders were discharged of their duties to get Obama on his knees.

Piers Morgan said:

“Of course there are problems with ObamaCare, however, the idea that a small group of Republicans have decided to simply shut down the government over this is a shameful dereliction of duty.”

This ‘shutdown’ you may not call “slimdown” as Fox News did. It is not smart and it is not reducing the costs of the country. Instead it is bringing the whole country in more financial problems which can go further than its borders and influence the global market.

Why are the Republicans, after all the time they got before the law was passed,  “sabotaging” and trying to “nullify” this democratically passed law?

America’s problem is perhaps that Republicans control the House while Democrats can’t continue borrowing or paying for government operations without Republican support. With her action yesterday the Republicans proofed that they are more interested in their own position in the House than in the position of the United States. Do people still have to question who is the anti-government party?

Pew Research has found disapproval of the health-care law at an all-time high in its polling. CNN’s latest survey has disapproval at 57 percent and approval at 38. Health care, a core Democratic strength for decades, is becoming a liability. A New York Times poll found that more people disapprove of President Barack Obama on health care than approve by a 54-to-40 margin. Trust for Republicans and Democrats on health care is about even, according to the Pew poll.

The Republicans naturally do hope that people will get even more aversion of this law and system which for many Americans smells like a ‘to avoid socialism’. Any form of social reform they would loath and dread.

Opponents of Obamacare know there’s a bill sitting in the House that funds the government for a few more weeks. It doesn’t demand the repeal or delay of the health care law, or deny women access to birth control, or include any other failed, partisan proposals. It funds the government. That’s it. And if Republican leadership allowed a simple yes or no vote on this bill — like the Senate has — it would get enough support from members of both parties to pass.

But the government that these Republicans were elected to fund closed down and did not want to think how much it could hurt the economy.

Yes it is possible in a country, that calls itself democratic and free, that a group of people can take the country hostage. It are not the trade unions where so many Americans are afraid off. No labor union which took care that Americans across the country aren’t allowed to show up for work. It is no industrial action that paralyses the country and takes care that pay-checks are delayed. It are folks, who receive a high wage to present the people, who do not care that they receive their wages but many others will have to cut back on groceries or maybe even not pay a few bills. Those in charge shall still be able to do their shopping and be pleased there would be lesser customers, so they will have the kingdom for themselves.

Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument, New Mexico, United States of America. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

For those serving the country now, and fighting for America a solution could be found, but what about the veterans who do not get services to rely on? Veterans’ compensation, pension, education and other benefits shutdown. And all those elderly who count for a meal could do with some fasting, according more draconian Christian rules while their benefits will be at risk.

For the big earners the costs of $10 billion for one week shut down is a prize to neglect for their demands. And they themselves should not worry like the hundreds of thousands of workers furloughed with pay.

We can not imagine that with a trillion deficit in the pocket Washington still manages to manufacture crises and not blushing and working hard for the need of creating jobs and building a strong middle class. Any sensible person would think taking the economy over the cliff just to score political points isn’t fair to the millions of Americans who show up every day to work and do their jobs. But in Washington there are people who do not mind trying to work against everything the democratic chosen president of their country is trying to establish. Do they not think it is more than high time for Congress to do its job?

About insurance and health security the republicans at least managed now to stop work to protect consumers, ranging from child product safety to financial security to the safety of hazardous waste facilities. The EPA halted also non-essential inspections of chemical facilities and drinking water systems.

 

What is probably very important to make sure in a while enough people shall be able to look for an other pasture, is that the NASA Mission Control will continue supporting astronauts serving on the Space Station. Also air traffic controllers, prison guards and border patrol agents will remain on the job, because otherwise there would be enough people to go in or out the wrong way.

Away from America we may think there is good teamwork going on in the United States, those gathered in the tearoom, looking with the major stick under their arm, laughing they succeeded to bring so many services in their country to a stop.

They may be pleased with their histrionics, but those who believe in solidarity should hold their neck stiff and convince the many non-believers of the good reason why everybody should contribute to a system to help everybody in the country.

This kind of up-to-the-final-hour brinksmanship we have seen the last few days is beyond irresponsible.
For those who quickly forget, it is not the first time the Republicans are holding up such a circus. Unfortunately, we’ve watched them run this play before, and we know what it looks like. Two years ago, these Republicans held the economy hostage, and as a result the American credit rating was downgraded, the stock market plummeted 17 percent, consumer confidence dropped like a rock, and businesses stopped hiring. But in the Canvas news studio (VRT 2) the American republican went over it like a ‘faits divers’.

Reasonable Congressional Republicans have to stand up to a few extreme members of their party for the good of the country and the American economy which is recovering but still not doing well.

Today, there is record demand for American products abroad, and their tech companies are booming. After the big crash in the housing market we can see in the United States that  banks and houseowners feel more at ease by the bettering situation. Sales of existing homes are up by double digits and new foreclosures are down to the lowest levels since the start of 2006.

Instead of giving the Americans something to be proud of, the five years since the financial crisis began having pushed the economy forward, those in charge are now prepared to saddle the country with an other deficit and lots of people in big problems. Over the past 42 months, businesses have added 7.5 million jobs. American manufacturing is growing again, and the auto industry is back.

The American government has reformed Wall Street so that no company is ever again too big to fail and created the toughest consumer financial protections that nation has ever seen. They have cut their deficit by more than half, made the tax code more progressive, and reformed their health care system.

Obama said:

As I’ve said repeatedly, I am prepared to work with Democrats and Republicans to do the things we need to do to grow the economy and create jobs, and get our fiscal house in order over the long run.  Although I should add this shutdown isn’t about deficits, or spending, or budgets.  After all, our deficits are falling at the fastest pace in 50 years.  We’ve cut them in half since I took office.  In fact, many of the demands the Republicans are now making would actually raise our deficits.

No, this shutdown is not about deficits, it’s not about budgets.  This shutdown is about rolling back our efforts to provide health insurance to folks who don’t have it.  It’s all about rolling back the Affordable Care Act.  This, more than anything else, seems to be what the Republican Party stands for these days.  I know it’s strange that one party would make keeping people uninsured the centrepiece of their agenda, but that apparently is what it is.

And now the Tea Party is living it up and having their laughs. For how long?

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A note:

Perhaps one good thing is that the KKK Rally at Gettysburg has been canceled because of Government Shutdown.
On Sept. 26, officials at Gettysburg National Military Park granted a special-use permit for a rally to a Maryland-based KKK group. According to NBC 10 Philadelphia, the event was canceled when park officials rescinded all permits for special events because of the shutdown, which began 12 a.m. ET on Tuesday.

Please do also find to read:

1. We are ourselve responsible
2. Bad things no punishment from God
3. Self inflicted misery #8 Pruning to strengthen us
4. God does not change
5. Called Christian
6. Christianity is a love affair

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