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OK, Will Seaman your skepticism is well taken.  But just as one cannot be half pregnant, a half ass commitment to a perpetual civil war serves no good interests.

I was proud of Sec. of Defense Gate's initial cold feet on this and was dismayed when the hawks got the helm in the Obama Administration and push came to shove.

The non-supportive position of Turkey along with the cooler heads of NATO and the jump back of the Arab Leauge to the expanded attack beyond ofensive airforce, airport and air defense systems to include neutralizing Gaddafi's front lines all make the status quo a no win situation that will stalemate if something more robust is not employed.

The long knives are already out in the Gaddafi held areas and the beautiful revolutionaries are being imprisoned, tortured and killed by the thousands.  On the other hand, no amount of troopless shock and awe short of a lucky direct hit on Gaddafi himself will bring Kaddafi to sue for peace or cease his repression.

In short there is nothing easy about the choices available.  My hope is the US will find a proxy in Egypt, perhaps to drive tanks to the edge of Tripoli and bring Kaddafi to heal.  The thought of US troops in harms way and the collateral damage to civilians are sickening and it is hoped that a formula can be found diplomatically to wind this down and forestall the misery of open war and repression.  Good luck, Barack.

posted 2 years, 2 months ago
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I am glad I am not President Obama.  The United States is on the horns of a dilemma.  I am intuitively supportive of the revolution and deposing Kaddafi.  On the other hand the United States having a leadership role in this effort could be counter-productive and lead to more support for Kaddafi and separate jihadists in the Arab Street.  I would have preferred a deeper involvement of NATO and the Arab Leauge with the UNited States taking a back seat.

But now that we led the attack extant we are faced with open war with a modern day machiavellian, Kaddafi.  This brings to the fore the Machiavelli maxem, when you strike a prince you better kill him.

Having waded in so deeply my next hope is that NATO, Egypt and our allies in the Middle East will take a more active roll in the combat.  Thus, very reluctantly and conditional on a wider and more committed coalition, I concede that we have no choice but to put the peddal to the metal and take him out.

posted 2 years, 2 months ago
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Single payer health care can lead to the elimination of mere negligence medical malpractice. I'm a former Personal Injury Atty. Creation of universal health care will eliminate most compensatory damages- the rest (pain, earnings) can be obtained by a work comp type syste. End the drain by the greed players (Insurance, Big Pharma and Profit Hospitals & Clinics) and you can save nearly half your health care dollar.

Gross Negligence (e.g., oops, wrong leg) and intentional torts (drunk surgeon etc) can still be handled by a regular system- but would shield entities unless they engaged in cover-ups and assessory behavior.

And yes, there will still be enough money in the system for health care professionals to earn six figure incomes.

posted 4 years, 8 months ago
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Single payer health care can lead to the elimination of mere negligence medical malpractice. I'm a former Personal Injury Atty, creation of universal health care will eliminate need compensatory damages- the rest can be obtained by a work comp type system) and the drain by the greed players (Insurance, Big Pharma and Profit Hospitals & Clinics) and you can save nearly half your health care dollar.

Gross Negligence (e.g., oops, wrong leg) and intentional torts (drunk surgeon etc) can still be handled by a regular system- but would shield entities unless they engaged in cover-ups and assessory behavior.

posted 4 years, 8 months ago
view in context