My Views on the News Here are some of my views on things in the news today. Feel free to ignore or disagree. █ NSA Data Collection Although we already knew this before Snowden blew the whistle on it, the NSA has been collecting information on your phone calls and other forms of communication. (By the way, what did Snowden reveal that we didn’t already know?) They argue that the NSA data collection of phone calls is alright since your privacy has not been violated and since it has saved lives. The problem with that explanation is that the 4th Amendment doesn’t say that warrantless data collection is okay as long as your privacy is not being violated or as long as it is saving lives. It is only allowable under probable cause where there is a warrant. That requirement is not magically waived even if lives are saved. The Constitution can always be changed, but until it is, such data collection is a criminal activity. █ The Focus on the Middle Class Politicians on both sides of the aisle are saying we need to focus on the middle class and help them out. I understand the sentiment, but I believe it is invalid for the government to focus on specific classes of people for its programs (whether those classes are economic, racial, or social). If it is right for the middle class, it’s right for the lower class and the upper class. If it is wrong for the middle class, then it is wrong for the other classes too. Focus on ALL the people, not just specific classes of people. This focus on the middle class is most likely to be followed by a renewed argument that we need to tax the upper class even more … for the sake of the middle class. There should be one law for all that is applied equally regardless of class. █ Lower Tax Rates for Corporations Some are arguing for lowering the tax rate for corporations. I’m all in favor of that. But, from what I have read, the plans being considered would just lowing it for big businesses, while small businesses would end up with a higher tax rate than the big businesses. If that is true, I’m very much against it. I’m very opposed to the government picking winners and losers. █ VA Clinics Closing In the news tonight was an article about VA clinics being forced to close because of budget concerns. Over the decades (at least since Vietnam), I’ve heard very disparaging evaluations of the VA clinics and care for our noble, heroic servicemen. My question, though, is, “Why have any VA clinics at all?” Why not just give the vets who qualify for service related issues the equivalent of a health insurance policy for those issues. Let the vets find their own doctors and their own hospitals, and let the VA pay for it. I understand why the VA hospitals came into existence generations ago. It made good sense back then. But this dinosaur from previous ages does not adequately serve our vets, and there are better alternatives. Privatize the whole thing.
Posted on: Thu, 01 Aug 2013 00:02:58 +0000
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