Obama's Health Reform Latest

The New York Times: Reports on the problems for Obama plan to reform the Health service in the USA, the NYT writes the following, " Democrats in Congress have grown increasingly nervous about the cost of health-care reform, estimated at $1 trillion over ten years. " Its not the reforming that is the problem, it can be argued that the Health System in the USA needs reform due to costs and the increase over the years, also the need to cover those that can not afford health insurance, that is a morale question, no the question is how to pay for the reform. The Liberal Leadership in the Congress want to tax the rich, in a good economic climate that can be argued is a morale choice, that those that are rich should pay for those that are not well off, but this is not a good economic climate, also the Congressional Budget Office has stated that even with the reform the costs will go up. Thus you have an election promise for health care reform when you are faced with an economy in the toilet, two wars, Afghanistan and Iraq and the threat of a war with Iran by the end of the year. Thus what do you do, you need health reform but you need it in stages, thus it can be argued that the Obama White House should do health reform in stages. Thus on the morale side, cover those that can not afford heath insurance first, thus you need to means test individuals, those earning less that ten thousand dollars a year should get free health care, then when the economy has gotten back on its feet you deal with the middle group, if they want help the government should help, then we come to the Uber rich, they should pay all their own costs and pay a surcharge on profits, but only when the economy is great, the boom years. Also these reforms should be revisable in bad years. That's my answer to the health care problem in the USA.

President Khatami - Referendum Call

The New York Times: Reports on the latest split within the political elite of Iran, the NYT writes the following on the opinion of ex President Khatami, " called Sunday for a referendum on the legitimacy of the government in the wake of last month’s disputed presidential election.." What is interesting as stated by the NYT is there are splits within the ruling conservative block, President Ahmadinejad in forming his new government is placing individuals in his cabinet that don't have the support of the Clerics. That is the point of the election result, the Clerics are no longer the power in Iran, its a totalitarian regime of Ahmadinejad, the Clerics are like the old Prussian Elite in Pre - Nazi Germany who thought they could control Hitler, they didn't understand that once he was in power they has lost power. The Clerics are now there by the grace of Ahmadinejad, he has the backing of the security structure, the Clerics might find that they will be sharing a jail cell with the reformers if they try push President Ahmadinejad out of power. In a odd way the reformers might be the last chance for the clerics to keep power, the leaders of the reformers such as Khatami want to keep the system, Ahmadinejad wants the power and does not want to share, thus the Clerics might be the final victims of the Islamic Republic Iran.

Soldier Kidnapped by Taliban - Private Bowe Bergdahl

Daily Mail: Reports on the latest news of the kidnapped GI in Afghanistan, Private Bowe Bergdahl. The West Wing of the White House has to make sure that the keep the President as far away as possible from this incident, the President can not allow himself to get to engaged in to the fate of this one soldier, lets recall that hostages in Iran bought down the Carter Presidency and led to the election of Ronald Reagan. Reagan in turn allowed himself to get involved in the hostages held in Lebanon, thus the Iran - Contra scandal. The Obama West Wing should allow the Defence Department under Secretary Gates to take the political heat for this incident. Obama in this case should only be informed of major developments, he should not be in the loop for ever turn of the story. That the best advice the Obama White House is going to get from this blogger.

Death in Afghanistan

MOD: Reports that another Soldier has died in combat, the Soldier was from the " The 2nd Battalion the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers " Thus the UK has now lost 155 soldiers in combat and 31 due to accidents, illness or other incidents. In total the UK has lost 186 of its Armed Forces Personnel in Afghanistan. The MOD has also named the soldier that was killed on 16/7/09, the soldier was " Rifleman Aminiasi Toge, of 2nd Battalion The Rifles ". This month has been quite bloody for the UK Army, it has lost seventeen of its soldiers, the longer we are in Afghanistan the more deaths this blog will report. What is so hard to see is our brave soldiers doing the best job they can but not having the right kit, e.g Helicopters and land transport that can not be damaged by IED's, but also the Army's request for more troops has not been approved by the Brown Government. It has been argued by this blog and others that PM Gordon Brown wants to fight the War in Afghanistan on the cheap, thus his recent argument that Afghanistan itself supply more troops, good idea but have they been trained to the right standard. PM Gordon Brown has shown himself not to be a War Leader, he no David Lloyd George or Winston Churchill. If we are staying in Afghanistan the Armed Forces need the supplies they want, if Afghanistan matters that much to the security of the UK the Brown Government will have to dig deep in to its pockets to supply the Armed Forces.