When Did The Profit Motive Become The Only Reason To Do Anything?

I've removed the author from this piece because the source may turn some people away from reading it. Please read the following ... I will be glad to pass on the author and the original link.
Lance
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How about this for a New Rule: Not everything in America has to make a profit. It used to be that there were some services and institutions so vital to our nation that they were exempt from market pressures. Some things we just didn't do for money. The United States always defined capitalism, but it didn't used to define us. But now it's becoming all that we are.

Did you know, for example, that there was a time when being called a "war profiteer" was a bad thing? But now our war zones are dominated by private contractors and mercenaries who work for corporations. There are more private contractors in Iraq than American troops, and we pay them generous salaries to do jobs the troops used to do for themselves ­-- like laundry. War is not supposed to turn a profit, but our wars have become boondoggles for weapons manufacturers and connected civilian contractors.

Prisons used to be a non-profit business, too. And for good reason --­ who the hell wants to own a prison? By definition you're going to have trouble with the tenants. But now prisons are big business. A company called the Corrections Corporation of America is on the New York Stock Exchange, which is convenient since that's where all the real crime is happening anyway. The CCA and similar corporations actually lobby Congress for stiffer sentencing laws so they can lock more people up and make more money. That's why America has the world;s largest prison population ­-- because actually rehabilitating people would have a negative impact on the bottom line.

Television news is another area that used to be roped off from the profit motive. When Walter Cronkite died, it was odd to see news anchor after news anchor talking about how much better the news coverage was back in Cronkite's day. I thought, "Gee, if only you were in a position to do something about it."

But maybe they aren't. Because unlike in Cronkite's day, today's news has to make a profit like all the other divisions in a media conglomerate. That's why it wasn't surprising to see the CBS Evening News broadcast live from the Staples Center for two nights this month, just in case Michael Jackson came back to life and sold Iran nuclear weapons. In Uncle Walter's time, the news division was a loss leader. Making money was the job of The Beverly Hillbillies. And now that we have reporters moving to Alaska to hang out with the Palin family, the news is The Beverly Hillbillies.

And finally, there's health care. It wasn't that long ago that when a kid broke his leg playing stickball, his parents took him to the local Catholic hospital, the nun put a thermometer in his mouth, the doctor slapped some plaster on his ankle and you were done. The bill was $1.50, plus you got to keep the thermometer.

If conservatives get to call universal health care "socialized medicine," I get to call private health care "soulless vampires making money off human pain." The problem with President Obama's health care plan isn't socialism, it's capitalism.

And if medicine is for profit, and war, and the news, and the penal system, my question is: what's wrong with firemen? Why don't they charge? They must be commies. Oh my God! That explains the red trucks!

But like everything else that's good and noble in life, some Wall Street wizard decided that hospitals could be big business, so now they're run by some bean counters in a corporate plaza in Charlotte. In the U.S. today, three giant for-profit conglomerates own close to 600 hospitals and other health care facilities. They're not hospitals anymore; they're Jiffy Lubes with bedpans. America's largest hospital chain, HCA, was founded by the family of Bill Frist, who perfectly represents the Republican attitude toward health care: it's not a right, it's a racket. The more people who get sick and need medicine, the higher their profit margins. Which is why they're always pushing the Jell-O.

Because medicine is now for-profit we have things like "recision," where insurance companies hire people to figure out ways to deny you coverage when you get sick, even though you've been paying into your plan for years.

When did the profit motive become the only reason to do anything? When did that become the new patriotism? Ask not what you could do for your country, ask what's in it for Blue Cross/Blue Shield.

What Do Sen. John Ensign, Gov. Mark Sanders, Rep. David Pickering Have in Common With STEVE LARGENT?

Answer: the "C" Street House, in Washington D.C.

So what?! You might ask.

Well, check this out: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22425001/vp/31952963#31952963

Another part of the answer above is referred to as "The Family".

If the above got your attention then, get ready! Hold on to your U.S. Constitution and your understanding of THE UNITED STATES of AMERICA ... 'cause these boys are SERIOUS: http://bit.ly/MXsPo . (Watch that video!)

You know, you keep hearing the "Conservative", "Christian" pundits and politicians always SCREAMING that "THEY" (Obama and "The Democrats") want to control you ... be involved in EVERY aspect of your lives!!! Run!! Scream!! Hide!!! Obama's gonna git ya!!

When the REAL TRUTH is "God's Chosen" (you know, those very same "Conservatives" and "Christians") have direct and immediate plans on CONTROLLING THE WORLD via their "RECLAIM the 7 MOUNTAINS OF CULTURE" campaign.

This is scary stuff folks!!

Fascism anyone? (see below)

Fascism .... Do You REALLY Know What It Means?

FASCISM: we hear that word thrown around casually these days by our "Conservative" media and "pundits" like virtually anyone on FOX "News" and people like Limbaugh, Hannity, OReilly and the like when they criticize "The Democrats" and President Obama .... about EVERY thing.

You will also hear and see that word thrown around by elected, so-called, "Republicans".

They use this word with its 'everyday' superficial meaning: "oppressive, dictatorial control"... as exhibited by "Nazi Germany" prior to and during World War II. You know, by goose-stepping, gun-weilding, non-thinking, SS soldiers.

BUT, WHAT DOES THAT WORD REALLY mean? Check it out. Go to http://answers.com/ . Enter the word and start reading. You might have to search a bit ... till you reach the sub-topic "Holocost: Fascism" ... go to paragraph 4.

You will find that part of the ideology of fascism incorporates CORPORATISM .... YES! ... CORPORATIONS as one of two tools to "help maintain unity of the nation" .... "in a corporative state political, social and economic power is held by a group of corporations" ... "corporations plan the economy and settles differences between social classes".

YIKES! Do you recognize any of THAT going on in America RIGHT NOW?

In future postings I will refer you back to this.


(Did you know that a corporation is now deemed a "Person"? With all the rights .... AND MORE ... of a person like you? This gets really creepy and SCARY. If you want more information on this subject listen to Thom Hartmann M-F 9AM-12N pacific time online at http://www.thomhartmann.com/ or, if you are LUCKY enough, on your local Progressive radio station.)

Does Torture Work? Should We Just "Move On" and Not Look Back?

If one listens to the intentionally misleading drivel in most of our media (FOX!!) one gets the idea that "enhanced interrogation" can be excused. This is especially true when one listens to EITHER of the Cheneys ... NEITHER of which have EVER been in combat or experienced, FIRST HAND, its impact.

If you have any questions about "enhanced interrogation" (torture) I invite you to read just 2 of the 10 the letters found at the link below:

I would suggest
---1) Sister Ortiz, herself a torture victim, and
---2) Mathew Alexander, former Senior U.S. Interrogator in Iraq, or
---3) Malcolm Nance, U.S. Counter-Terror Intelligence Specialist & combat veteran in Iraq.

Just read 2 letters and make up your own mind. (Just 'click' and read ... you are not sending anything at that point ... just reading.)

http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/c.jhKPIXPCIoE/b.5273371/k.673C/10_Against_Torture/siteapps/advocacy/ActionItem.aspx?ICID=T0907A01&tr=y&auid=5071351

CIA Analyst Michael Schuerer...June 30, 2009

Normally, this "Worst Person in the World" piece would have found itself on my -FOX blog simply because it came in an "interview" with Glen Beck but the INSANE nature of the "former" CIA "analyst" Michael Schuerer's DESIRES leads one to wonder how many other analysts of Schuerer's ilk were employed during our last 3 "Republican" Presidents. (And, most of them are likely STILL there!)

After hearing of this man's wishes, we now have more insight into how Iraq occurred ..

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