Be Afraid... Be Very Afraid...

Being fearful seems to be the main message that American Media is spewing forth these days, isn't it? This enlightenment came to me (completely unbidden) when I was channel surfing the other day, just too see what was on. Mind you, I have about half a dozen channels that I routinely check on, and most of the time, our mighty tv just plays whatever music we happen to be in the mood for, at that moment. So, as I was listlessly hopping up and down thru the programs (or the Channel Channel as we call it), I started to notice some rather disturbing trends. I wondered what a foreign tourist traveling across the land would make of all this?

Namely that it would appear to her, or his, uneducated eye that we Americans spend a disproportionate amount of time, and money, on medicine, or medical procedures, and on lawyers to bring forth compensation from those very same medical companies that were formally saving our lives, and now had either killed us outright, or were causing us to suffer a horrible life. It's also highly suspect, to me at least, that the pharmaceutical corporations are the ones that set the "National Standards" by which the entire medical field has sworn allegiance!  And if said corporation isn't pocketing a few trillion in profit, why then they can simply change the National Standards to be a bit more strict, an "update" for the health of our mighty nation. Yeah... right... In a mere stroke of a pen, potentially millions of Americans who otherwise were just fine, thank you for asking, can now be included as having some disease that (oh thank gawd) this particular company just happens to have drugs for?! And have you noticed that nobody seems to be talking about actually *curing* a disease anymore? Oh no, why that will not do, no sir! No, there's no money in curing a disease, instead we need to be able to manage it. Just ask the Insurance Cartel that runs many billions of dollars of profit each and every year, while  giving less and less coverage at the same time.

Well supposing that your health is good, and you're not dead, then you should worry about your home. In fact, you probably should have a little camera in every corner of every room, so that your entire life at home can be monitored by someone. Hmmm... sounds like a professional voyeur to me? And of course, you can get that same type of "secure feeling" when you drop off the kid at Daycare, or the dog at Doggy Daycare! Ummm... ok... didn't we used to call this Big Brotherism? I mean, do I really need to be on camera for all of my waking, and sleeping moments? Maybe they can put a camera in my toilet, and then I won't need to go see a Proctologist?

Well then, if we continue on our magical mystery tour of tv, hopefully we can run across some idiots blathering on about the Economy, Politics, Religion, and/or how all three need to be fixed in some manner. It still amazes me that we supposedly live in The Information Age, and yet every two bit politician, or televangelist believes that the louder they yell, the "righter" they are? Speaking of Politics, which I am dread to do, neither party in this country that I dearly love, are showing any signs of intelligent life! The Republicans seem to have adopted their mascot, the Elephant, as a way of life. They continually blow and snort, and make it a point to trample any idea that is not from their own particular herd. Meanwhile, the Democrats appear to be acting much like their mascot, the Donkey! They dig in their heels at the thought of actually getting anything accomplished. Then they loudly bray and whine about how the elephant isn't being fair?! I can personally assure you that the infantile way that this Congress has been posturing and behaving, is NOT what I voted for! It's as if they all have been watching way too much tv drama, and never realized that there are millions of men, women and children that need for them to do a job! Is Congress afraid of working together and getting it right? Does whatever issues really have to be skewered and pillared and set into Old Testament overtones? How about we move ahead with the issues we all agree upon, and then agree to calmly, rationally, discuss the rest? 

Let's see then, you're not dead, not suffering, and not been home invaded by a squadron of terror mongering thieves, or run over by an enraged elephant nor kicked in the solar plexus by a donkey? What else can we be afraid of? Not sure? Don't worry, they'll tell you....