Jobs, war, meds and more

A recent article in the Fort Worth Star Telegram explained why being out of work now is tougher than it was in the early 1980s. While unemployment benefits are better in 2009, the chances of returning to work are worse, according to the article.

In another article in the Star Telegram, there are predictions that unemployment will remain high for several more years. Here's that story: http://www.star-telegram.com/461/story/1750451.html

So the stimulus money that was suppose to cap unemployment at around 8 percent hasn't worked. The wars that we were suppose to end and stop paying for once we got rid of President Bush are still raging on and may escalate in Afghanistan.

And all I hear President Obama and other Washington politicians talking about is health insurance.

I have lost a lot of faith in Obama. Smart guy who seems to be losing perspective rapidly. He's becoming a one-trick pony, which is not what we need right now. Personally, I don't want to see him on anymore golf courses or dates with Michelle on Broadway until he starts making progress to ease the unemployment problem and ends wars in two countries. If Bush was pulling this crap, everyone, including the media, would be screaming.

While medical insurance might eventually be reformed, is actual health care going to be improved? Are doctors going to start learning how to not shuttle patients through like they're on an assembly line? Are medical people going listen to patients and stop making diagnoses that are, in a word, wrong?

Mainstream doctors are far too quick to hand out antibiotics (which are actually far more dangerous than advertised) to the sick and Prozac to the emotionally troubled. My cat's vet spends more time with him than my doctors do with me, and offers more alternatives.

Many more folks might soon have insurance, but what kind of service and care are going to await all these new patients?

Pet peeve of the day. It would be a relief if media people stopped using the meaningless phrase, "on the ground." This started at the beginning of the Iraq war, when it was somewhat relevant in a military sense, but has now worked its way into almost every talking-head conversation that takes place about politics, Wall Street, real estate, sports, poker, baking...you name it. It's become filler. Needless drama. We don't need to hear that political advisers are "on the ground" in Iowa or students are "on the ground" at recess. Where else would they be?