Ted West: The Naked Conservative

Kennedy Finally Redeems Himself

nobody@vox.com(TedWest) — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 12:19:58 -0700

They (and by "they" I don't mean Michelle Obama's "they" who are headed by "The Man")... they say God works in mysterious ways, and as evidence of that, we can now see why Ted Kennedy was left to carry on after abandoning Mary Jo Kopechne and subjecting her to a horrible death. These many years later, Kennedy has himself been stricken with a horrible fate, but because of it, he's single-handedly demonstrated what future evils come part and parcel with government run healthcare.

Writing in the New York Post today, Robert Goldberg details the consequences for the average American who might find himself with a life threatening medical condition in a post-competitive healthcare environment, and he notes that such dire situations are already the rule in countries such as Canada and Britain for the simple reason that care is coldly rationed and cost containment is a prime consideration. Right now, any American can, at least theoretically, get similar treatment to that which Kennedy is receiving, treatment that would likely be out of the question with a national system of "care."

Consider, too, the chemo drug Kennedy is receiving: Temodar, the first oral medicine for brain tumors in 25 years.

Temodar has been widely used in this country since the FDA approved it in 2000. But a British health-care rationing agency, the National Institute for Comparative Effectiveness, ruled that, while the drug helps people live longer, it wasn't worth the money - and denied coverage for it.

Barack Obama - and other Democrats - have been pushing a Senate bill to set up a similar US "review board" for Medicare and any future government health-care plan.

After denying this treatment completely for seven years, the NICE (did whoever named it intend the irony?) relented - partly. Even today, only a handful of Brits with brain tumors can get Temodar.

And if you want to pay for Temodar out of your own pocket, the British system forces you to pay for all of your cancer care - about $30,000 a month.

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Disease And High Seas - News Slight

nobody@vox.com(TedWest) — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 11:34:44 -0700

I came upon back to back stories just now that really lightened my mood, so I thought it appropriate to share them. The first one shows that Iran has a sense of humor, and coincidentally, I discovered the story moments after my local talk show host was musing about staging a "wet burka contest." Now this:

"VIENNA, Austria - Iran is threatening to sue countries that it says have damaged its reputation"

Is it just me or does the mere fact that Iran might even be considering such a thing lead you to imagine what the scene in court might look like?

Judge: I'll hear the plaintiff's opening statement

Lawyer for Iran: Your honor, we are suing Israel for damaging our reputation by issuing false and malicious statements regarding our stated intent to wipe it off the map, but were asking for a summary judgment because Iranian officials will not appearing. No disrespect intended, it's just that no self-respecting Iranian would appear in any venue, official or casual, that would allow Israelis in at the same time.

The second story I found to be equally delightful:

WELLINGTON (AFP) - The president of the low-lying Pacific atoll nation of Kiribati said Thursday his country may already be doomed because of climate change. President Anote Tong said communities had already been resettled and crops destroyed by seawater in some parts of the country, made up of 33 coral atolls straddling the equator.

"I am not a scientist but what I know is that things are happening we did not experience in the past," Tong said. "We may be beyond redemption, we may be at the point of no return where the emissions in the atmosphere will carry on to contribute to climate change to produce a sea-level change that in time our small low-lying islands will be submerged. Villages that have been there over the decades, maybe a century, and now they have to be relocated. Where they have been living over the past few decades is no longer there."

Under the worst-case scenario, Kiribati would be submerged by the end of this century (Clear the country, DIVE, DIVE!) and its people would have to be resettled in other countries, he said.

First of all, it may be a sign of trouble when air pollution particles are bigger in mass than your country. Second, this seems like a "tree falls in the forest" moment - I mean if a country disappears that no one knew existed in the first place, and its citizens end up in, say, America, will they be legally able to use a hyphen in describing themselves for minority grant purposes like Atlantis-Americans do?

Which reminds me of that old joke - what do you call someone from Kiribati...? Lucky!? <rimshot>

No? OK, how about this one:

The New Zealand navy's practice evacuation was aborted when radar revealed that the supposed GPS location for Kiribati was actually a blue whale.

Now this "57 States moment" from Paul Greenberg:

Barack Obama chose St. Paul, Minn., to stage his victory or at least near-victory rally Tuesday night. It was a good way to stick a thumb in John McCain's eye, since the Republicans have chosen to hold their national convention at the same arena.

Yet he overlooked the historical connotations of that site. Beautiful downtown St. Paul is where Walter Mondale delivered his concession speech after one of the most lopsided defeats in the history of American presidential elections — Ronald Reagan's 49-state sweep in 1984.

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Are You Like Me In Not Liking Obama?

nobody@vox.com(TedWest) — Wed, 07 May 2008 19:15:19 -0700

Just today, I had the unfortunate experience of seeing a clip of Barack Obama speaking. I know every news show, everyday, has some tape of The Undertaker, but I don't watch. I play a little game with myself seeing how fast I can change the channel. This time, I wasn't so fortunate.I was standing up and didn't have immediate access to the remote.

Barack Obama is truly the single worst candidate ever. I'm not kidding. I would rather have Dennis Kucinich - even with his UFO stories, he's more believable, less mysterious - and less dangerous.

The clip I saw also contained Mickey Obama. Do you get sick to your stomach just seeing her? She's the world's most bitter millionaire, so can you imagine what she'd be as a First... ? I can't even bring myself to write the word. Besides, I have another term for her.

In so many ways, America seems to have a death wish, and Barack Obama epitomizes it... embodies it. There's nothing he can do for this country, but there's plenty he can do to it, even if much of it is unintentional. But it's just what he'll do intentionally that's concerning enough. This is a very bad man.

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