Paul's Passing Thoughts

“You must all know half a dozen people at least who are no use in this world, who are more trouble than they are worth. Just put them there and say Sir, or Madam, now will you be kind enough to justify your existence? If you can’t justify your existence, if you’re not pulling your weight in the social boat, if you’re not producing as much as you consume or perhaps a little more, then, clearly, we cannot use the organizations of our society for the purpose of keeping you alive, because your life does not benefit us and it can’t be of very much use to yourself.”

~ George Bernard Shaw

It’s a “republic if you can keep it” said Benjamin Franklin. One of the difficulties in keeping a successful republic like America is humanity’s tendency towards complacency. Humanity always learns the hard way. America was born out of 10,000 years + of human misery. America is a first, and took a long time because humanity must always learn its lessons in the school of hard knocks. Even after the Holocaust, much of Israel is liberal and left-leaning in politics. This is a reality that I have totally lost patience with. I do not get all fuzzy inside when I hear testimonies from people who voted for Barak Obama, but “learned my lesson.” I doubt it. If you ever voted for Obama, you are incredibly un-self-aware.

Neither am I impressed with the Blexit movement. What the hell? It took 70 years since LBJ’s Great Society to figure that out and now you want a prize? I’m not impressed. Um, like, Abraham Lincoln was a Republican; so, when did 2+2 start equaling 4 in your mind? Ok, I will admit the movement is a good thing for the most part, but at least show some shame for how long it took to figure it out.

Does all of this seem harsh to you? Well, what’s harsh is genocide, geronticide, crippicide, and all of the other cides that fill the mass graves of human history, and there is no excuse for the complacency and ignorance that paves the roads that lead there. Obama, and more recently presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg, have suggested that healthcare should be withheld from the elderly because society cannot afford it. In regard to the Affordable Care Act, which didn’t end up being affordable, Sarah Palin warned that death panels would be a part of it and she was mocked accordingly. Of course, she was right. Regarding those whose healthcare premiums doubled, and by golly have learned their lesson about lying Democrats, again, I doubt it. However, those who are on their death bed hours away from passing and say they have seen the light, I do believe them because it’s too late. After all, having no hope because of ignorance is the ultimate realty check and a worthy truth serum.

Like I said, it took at least 10,000 years of misery to make America, but behold the present political climate. Have you not heard? Yes indeed, America sucks. We have a socialist hero named Bernie Sanders who can save us from an evil capitalist economy. When he was announced that way at a political rally yesterday, 20,000 people cheered. Count em’, 20,000. That would be the same capitalist economy that funded World War II and the ability to stop Hitler’s vision for the world. Folks, this is an ignorance that cannot be fixed. In last night’s Democrat debate, though Bloomberg was savaged, there was one criticism auspiciously missing even by 78 year old socialist Bernie Sanders: Bloomberg’s assertion that the elderly should be denied healthcare so the same money can be better spent on young people.

Please be sure of this: if these people obtain power, there will be an exception to old people not receiving healthcare; an old congressman or senator. That’s the way socialism works and the way it has always worked. Sanders knew Mike wasn’t talking about him, so no offense was taken. By the way, in regard to the above citation by George Bernard Shaw, he lived to be 94 years old.

I have a job that is the best job in the world. I am a nurse aide. You see, this is America, which is a country designed to enable individuals to pursue life, liberty, and happiness. It doesn’t put a time limit on that. If you are a 95 year old American, and you want to continue in your right to pursue what makes you happy, that’s your right because you live in America, and especially if you have paid your dues for making America work. America is indebted to you with interest. I once shared an elevator ride with the daughter of a man I cared for and she introduced me to her dad’s girlfriend who was on the elevator with us. The dad and girlfriend both were in their 90s. I commented, “Well, as long as you are still here you might as well keep living.” If you are an American, that’s your right.

In addition, if you think the only issue with socialists is your age, you make your ignorance even more prevalent. There is one difference between America and all other countries. You see, “socialism” is a soft term for “collectivism.” For the first time in human history, a country was founded on individualism and not collectivism. This pertains to the worth of an individual, and the question of life value. Collectivism judges the value of an individual based on their ability to contribute to “the group.” Words not only mean things, but how words are defined by those who want to rule your life is also important. Socialists define “the group” this way: “the state.”

Hence, this is what totally drives free health care paid for by the state and any other single-payer system; more money is available to the state because it’s not paying for private care taking care of those who cannot contribute to the state. Socialism baits people for support with free stuff in order to gain control of them. If you cannot contribute to the state for any reason, they are not going to pay for your care; why would they? Enter someone else I once cared for; a young man who made a bad decison and ended up as an invalid. Suffice to say that he had a very low “quality of life.” But yet, he wanted to continue to persue life because he was afraid to die.

In America, that’s his right…period.

Now this brings us to another element of the discussion. “Quality of life.” That’s a slippery slope…always. It’s subjective and a perspective that varies greatly from person to person. Wanting free healthcare in exchange for the state having the final word on defining quality of life might be the epitome of ignorance and complete unawarness of how the world works. Quality of life as judged by the state will depend on one’s abilty to contribute to the state. As a nurse aide, I suit up to defend a person’s right to live and help them do so. We stand as an advocate between the resident and that slippery slope. It’s not a nurse aide’s job to judge quality of life; we care for those alive to the best of our ability however we find them and make the situation the best it can possibly be.

In contrast to serving life, I could muse about being a state executioner.  First, for a representative republic. In many cases, the condemned would be regretful they didn’t listen to momma. This is such a pure and beautiful moment because you know the condemned really mean it, after all, there is no more hope. I could assure them they wouldn’t have listened to momma before this good day when complete understanding has shone through the clouds of lazy thinking.

As an executioner for a socialist state, I could preach altruism to the condemned. I could encourage all of them they are martyrs for the greater cause of a successful state. I would also be much busier because the condemned are not only criminals, but the physically disabled, mentally disabled, and those who dare think for themselves. The complete giving of self for the betterment of the group is the climax of virtue. Of course, capitalism enables the funding of selfishness that can only be cured by statist wisdom.

Some would be perplexed and distraught, not knowing that socialism always equals collectivism and collectivism always equals altruism. But hopelessness always makes the metaphysical math easier to understand.

paul