Poker Perambulation

Yes, Mother.   OK, that a classic that even a properly shod modern mom might throw out there in frustration.  These days it has moved to political circles with a vengeance.

 We've gotten our share of “Because I told you” of late and not so.   It was there in the UIGEA silliness.  It is there in the sleet as folks go for pneumonia instead of lung cancer check outs. And for god sake, watch your weight – you obese slobs. 

Church and state are directing our lives as never before.  That second bit is in Salon.  Now Salon isn't your typical Bush loving pub.  When one of its columnist starts acting a bit like Fox news, that's news.  

Sweeping change happens.  There were things like the industrial revolution that created good and bad.  Today, everyone seems to be demanding sweeping change.  The new health package is an example of sweeping change.  A lot of it has viability.  The question is how to implement change.  We also have an economic crisis and have made expensive attempts at correcting this problem.  The two interrelate and are contrary to the other's goals. 

Government – well, mostly Senators – are supposed to be all about compromise.  That's fallen by the wayside of late.  So, it isn't a big surprise that legislation also seems devoid of compromise.  The only consensus seems to be to throw money at any and every problem.  That happened in the Bush era and has sped up since. 

There are a ton of quotable remarks about what has made America great.  The constructionists point to the constitution.  Wall Street points to itself.   MoveOn.org points at the liberal agenda. And every think tank thinks its got the real answer. 

When you combine all the desperate ideas, opportunity is the result and reason we like being around the place.  Today we are substituting security for that.  It is hard, sadly, that those two views crash into each other so dramatically.  Security has costs and costs detract from opportunity.

There are lots of things that are broke these days.  Whether it is business, cars, or one's kids, throwing money at the problem doesn't usually have good results.  That is especially true when we can't really define the problem.  When we find health care or cars are a problem, money alone isn't the solution.   Be nice if it was but too much money is what got us into the mess. We overspend on health care.   We overspent on homes.  So, we don't tighten the belt a bit but proceed to overspend on everything and anything.

Take a look at health care.  It has the same problem as the utilities put out there.  It is very regional.   Health is regulated by the insurance companies.  Mine is Blue Cross but that is Blue Cross of Indiana and not Blue Cross of Kentucky or Blue Cross of Illinois or well, ad infinitum. The costs and services will vary markedly.  This isn't about health; it is about actuarial tables. All that more money can do is spread that over the table in differing ways that we don't yet understand.

Parents have had similar ideas.  Throw money at the kid so he's not deprived like they/we were. Nice idea but when you need a bondsman the tendency is toward tough love.  And, that usually doesn't play well on the 6 o'clock. 

Societal woes seem to hang around.  Johnson's Great Society supposedly cured them when I was still a young man.  All that money didn't do squat.  All the sad folks people are bring to the table to point out the health or whatever problems are the ones that Johnson fixed back in Vietnam days.  Why are they still as abundant as ever? 

We keep making the same mistakes over and over.   On the good side, we're still around to screw things up.

ADDENDUM:
I was doing nicely at UB.  I was up almost 20%.  But, the bonus is harder to clear so I played higher and met variance.   Cards went cold and the role dropped.   It isn't serious yet.  But the profit turned into a bit of loss.  That's what I get for throwing money at a perceived problem.

One little blogging gripe.  Yeah, Mrs C, the new job's a time eating bitch.  But, we'd like a post!  You doin ok?  Keepin the lil fellas out of Ferrari dealerships?


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