We were hoping to stay at a National Forest campground that had been very high on our list for some years. It doesn't have hookups for power or water, so we were going to depend on our on-board water tank and our 2000-watt Honda generator. We actually love those kinds of campgrounds because they are generally a lot less crowded. However, all National Park and National Forest campgrounds are locked up tight because of our crazed right wing office holders in the House of Representatives. Maybe they'll relent in time for me to book campsites, but I rather doubt it. The neo-Fascist group we now have to deal with in Congress are a virulently hateful and destructive bunch of scum.
We might still go somewhere. We're not sure.
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| Pisgah National Forest. Can't go camping there. |
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| Waterfall in a National Forest. I could possible hike in, but Carole can't go because she doesn't hike. |
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| In Pisgah National Forest. Nope. Can't go there. |
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| Can't go here. National Forest site. |
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| This is in a state park. We could go there, but we visited it recently. |
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| Definitely can't go here, because it's administered by the National Forest. |
What!? Why?
ReplyDeleteCurrently, the Republicans have a majority in our House of Representatives. Technically, the House controls the purse strings of the US National Treasure. Thus, they have the power to almost completely shut down the government if they feel like being assholes. I don't think you have a party like the Republicans in any great deal of power in Australia. Imagine if you had actual, bald-faced Fascists in control of a portion of your nation--this is what's going on in the USA.
ReplyDeleteWe recently had a watered-down version of a National Healthcare begin initiation. A mild version of what every civilized nation has had for decades. The Republicans, being pro-corporate tools of the insurance industry, has been doing the bidding of their corporate masters by trying to shut it down before it can be implemented. When they couldn't do that, they in essence held a gun to the head of the entire nation:
"Shut down the Health Care Act or we'll kill the US economy." They have basically pulled the trigger.
There has never been a more vicious, filthy, stinking, worthless lot in national office in the history of our nation. They have shut down dozens of government agencies, including the National Park Service and the National Forest Service. All access to our Parks and Forests is essentially halted. Thus, we can't go camping.
Of course this is just the tip of the iceberg. All sorts of other serious things have been shut down. Scientific research in all manner of studies. Our National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is shut down. Children going without food. Without education. Without health care.
Any decent nation would drag those crazy bastards into the street and hang them all by the necks until dead.
That's criminal.I just can't imagine that happening here, but never say never.
ReplyDeleteFrom an outsider's perspective, the American health system leaves a lot to be desired. We have a Medicare system here where everyone is covered. We also have voluntary private health insurance, which means we can elect to go to a private hospital (no waiting lists). But if you have a car accident or heart attack, you going to end up in a public hospital anyway, with no out-of-pocket expenses.
Something that I've noticed that is quite different between our two countries is that here we can go to any doctor or specialist that we want to and Medicare will pay 85% of the scheduled fee. We recently watched the the documentary about the man with the huge testicles and were dismayed that because he didn't live in the same state as the only specialist who could treat on, he wasn't entitled to any help. Sad.
It's worse than criminal. It's treasonous.
ReplyDeleteThe US health care system is the worst in the free world. You can go broke here for getting sick. They can send debt-collectors after you to take everything you own...to remove you from your home and to send you into the streets.
We need Medicare for everyone, but the insurance companies and the AMA (American Medical Association--what amounts to a union for doctors) are part of the corporate hogs who control our government and won't allow it.
The AMA has always supported the Affordable Care Act. http://www.medicarenewsgroup.com/news/medicare-faqs/individual-faq?faqId=d7a04b02-28b7-47dd-a838-88561f629624
ReplyDeleteInsurance companies are also in favor of the new health care law because it forces everyone to have health insurance, and they are going to make even greater profits. In fact the Obamacare was mostly written by insurance company lobbyists.
The Affordable Care Act consists mostly of conservative right wing ideas. The only reason republicans are against it now is because democrats are for it.
Tea Baggers are not pro-business puppets. They are anti-corporate anarchists.
Luckily for us, there still is a pro-business fascist wing of the republican party because it looks like Boehner is going to raise the debt limit, regardless of the government shutdown.
Not raising the debt limit would cause an immediate worldwide depression that might last for decades.
Re: AMA. All right! Excellent.
ReplyDeleteThe RepubliKKKans did this before, and I knew they were going to do it again. Last time out it cost them seats in the House, but not enough to get their racist, neo-Fascist asses out of power. I hope--despite their gerrymandering of districts--that the American people can get these filthy, stinking, worthless bastards completely out of our hair.
_"You can go broke here for getting sick._
ReplyDeleteSome of the stories we hear are shocking. People out on the streets because they can't pay their exorbitant medical bills. Sometimes I see a comment online where an American is saying, "Please help. I can't afford to go to the doctor. What should I do?" Or they're not taking the meds they should be simply because they can't afford them. Says a lot for the "Christian" values the US holds so dear.
I believe Canada is the opposite to the US and they don't even have a private healthcare system.
The stories you hear are true. And you've probably only heard the least horrible ones.
ReplyDeleteInsurance companies rule the roost when it comes to health care. It's hideous. The neo-Fascist Republicans like to talk about so-called "death panels" when it comes to the Affordable Health Care Act. But we really DO have death panels...run by the greedy insurance companies who won't pay for needed health care because they just don't want to honor their policies.
That's what happens when we privatize services -- profit and more profit becomes the motive.
ReplyDeleteYes. This is why we need to keep the insurance industry OUT of the health care business.
ReplyDelete