The Need for a Trimmer, Smarter, and Less Expensive Military
by monican on 11/20/2008 10:00:36 AM
One of the things that I hope the new administration will examine closely is our unhealthily bloated military spending budget. And I am certainly no the only one thinks this is an important issue. To start, read The New York Times November 2, 2008 article “Pentagon expects Cuts in Military Spe... Continue »
Last-Minute Bush Administration Attack on Women’s Reproductive Rights
by monican on 11/18/2008 12:31:06 PM
In the November 17, 2008 issue of The New York Times, Robert Pear article, “Protests Over a Rule to Protect Health Providers” gives an account on another last-ditch effort by the Bush administration to to assuage the conservative agenda by undermining women’s reproductive rights. A... Continue »
Among 8 Industrialized Countries Chronically Ill Patients in the U.S. have the Most Negative Health Care Experience
by monican on 11/18/2008 10:10:19 AM
A study “In Chronic Condition: Experiences of Patients With Complex Health Care Needs, in Eight Countries, 2008,” supported by the Commonwealth Fund and published in the November 13 issue of the journal Health Affairs, concluded that “Chronically ill U.S. patients have the most ne... Continue »
Is a U.S. Automobile Industry Bailout Such a Good Idea?
by monican on 11/14/2008 10:12:06 AM
There are some good arguments against the proposed government bailout of the U.S. automobile industry. Maybe there are better uses for 50 billion dollars that would more directly help U.S. workers. Checkout these excerpts from recent articles. In The New York Times (November 14, 2008) Op-Ed column &... Continue »
Improving Education Needs to Be a High Priority for the Obama Administration
by monican on 11/13/2008 10:02:08 AM
In his November 12, 2008 The New York Times column “Obama and Our Schools” Nicholas D. Kristof makes a solid argument for the need to put a higher priority on education as a way to address poverty and improve our economy. Kristof says, President-elect Barack Obama and his aides are sendi... Continue »
Why Do the Chief Executives of America’s Top Companies Make 75% More Than Their European Counterparts?
by monican on 11/12/2008 5:14:07 PM
In these sober days of massive firings, falling stock markets, and other dire economic news, The Economist November 12, 2008 daily chart, “What the Boss Pockets” provides some numbers to think about. RUNNING a big company is a big job with a pay packet to match. But heading an American f... Continue »
How Sarah Palin’s Participation in the Republican Presidential Ticket Was Good for Feminism
by monican on 11/10/2008 10:05:55 AM
In the November 6, 2008 The Nation, Katha Pollitt “Sayonara, Sarah” persuasively (and, as usual, humorously) explained how Sarah Palin’s participation in the Republican presidential campaign was “a gift to feminism.” So the first way Palin was good for feminism is tha... Continue »
Study Shows That Nonviolent Resistance Works Better Than Armed Insurgency
by monican on 11/10/2008 9:43:16 AM
This is a slightly old, but still highly relevant piece. In the October 30, 2008 issue of The Progressive, Amitabh Pal’s article, “Nonviolence Is The Right Choice—It Works” reports the results of a study “Why Civil Resistance Works-The Strategic Logic of Nonviolent Conflict&#... Continue »
“End Civilian Deaths” Is Good Advice for Our President-Elect to Make Advances in Afghanistan
by monican on 11/6/2008 11:54:14 AM
The Washington Post (11/6/2008) brief article by Candeance Rondeaux, “End Civilian Deaths, Karzai Tells Obama” points to more tension in Afghanistan due to civilian deaths caused by U.S. led NATO airstrikes. Saying that we are really sorry after the fact is not enough. Paying relatives f... Continue »
What Will Happen When the U.S. Health Insurance Industry Dies? The Single-Payer Solution
by monican on 11/6/2008 10:25:05 AM
Posted at Medscape Business of Medicine, is Dr. John Geyman’s video commentary, “Beyond a Dying Private Health Insurance: A Hidden Solution in Plain View.” Geyman is Professor Emeritus of Family Medicine, University of Washington. Here are highlights from the transcript of this sho... Continue »
Bruce Springsteen’s “Working on a Dream” Song Dedicated to Barack Obama
by monican on 11/6/2008 10:06:59 AM
Here is a link to Bruce Springsteen singing his new song “Working on a Dream” that he dedicated to Barack Obama at a November 2, 2008 rally in Cleveland. Continue »
Highlights From President-Elect Barack Obama’s November 4, 2008 Speech
by monican on 11/5/2008 10:41:03 AM
Here are some of my favorite parts from President-Elect Barack Obama’s pointed and inspiring November 4th, 2008 speech. [...] What began twenty-one months ago in the depths of winter must not end on this autumn night. This victory alone is not the change we seek - it is only the chance for us ... Continue »
A Call for Individual Health Insurance Plans to Stop Gouging Women
by monican on 11/3/2008 11:13:43 AM
The “Gouging Women on Health Insurance” editorial in today’s (11/03/2008) The New York Times (NYT) rightly advocates eliminating gender-based individual health insurance premiums that are pricing many women out of needed benefits. This editorial is in response to the “Nowher... Continue »
Comparison of Obama and McCain’s Positions on Reproductive Freedom in the New England Journal of Medicine
by monican on 10/29/2008 6:21:05 PM
Here is a handy reference for those of us who are interested in the presidential candidate’s views on different aspects of reproductive freedom. This is from the perspective “Reproductive Freedom and the Next President” by Eli Y. Adashi and Darrell M. West (New England Journal of M... Continue »
What the Next President Should Know About the Negative Impact of No-Child-Left-Behind
by monican on 10/29/2008 9:45:12 AM
Education is one of the issues that has been relegated to the back burner during these difficult economic times and the upcoming election. “A Lesson for the Next President” by Demitrious Sinor (The Nation 10/21/2008) is a nice reminder for our future president about the deleterious impac... Continue »