The United (?) States of America

The year 1965 was an auspicious one in the USA. President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Medicare Bill as law of the land. For the first time the USA had a form of "socialized medicine" with our government as the single payer engaged in providing health care for seniors above the age of 65.

If you listened to the doomsday politicians then we were headed for communism and the end of democracy. After many years of effort by the Democratic Party since the Roosevelt era that brought Social Security, the next step to assure health care services for the retired older people of our country was taken. About 55 years had lapsed since Social Security had been signed into law. The voices opposed to both Social Security and Medicare are echoing today from the tongues of those who seem threatened by any Government social program for our citizens.

Seems to me many of us have forgotten or do not truly realize that our country fought together shoulder to shoulder to preserve life, liberty, and happiness about 25 years before Medicare was enacted. Blood was spilled by all who fought against the Nazi hordes that Hitler, Hiro Hito, and Mussolini led during World War II. Americans of all races, religions, ethnicity's, sexual preferences, genders, and skin colors became "almost ONE" and defeated the German/Japanese/Italian Nazi war machines. We and our allies finally prevailed and most of us who lived during that time shared a common bond as Americans, even overcoming some ingrained bigotry in the process. For many years after World War II ended in 1945 our country retained some semblance of bonding and gradually enacted laws that protected the voting rights of all citizens and secured health care for our seniors.

Today the same form of demagoguery that threatened the end of American liberties and rights under our Constitution are at it again. This time instead of Social Security and Medicare their voices rumble against Health Care Reform with vitriolic words used about 75 years ago against Social Security and about 45 years ago against Medicare. There are some differences today as members of Congress and the public who were born more recently than World War II, or the year of enactment of Medicare in 1965, have now embedded fear of social change in their hateful rhetoric by claiming that President Obama is Hitler-like and that death squads will get you if Health Care legislation is passed.

Can you imagine the hate that these utterings symbolize? What would the more than 400,000 US Military personnel who died during World War II think if they were able to raise their voices silenced to preserve our country from the wrath of Hitler and his allies? Hitler and the Nazis were responsible for the deaths of over 6 million human beings during and before World War II. How can anyone in their right mind compare President Obama to Adolph Hitler. Those comparing President Obama to Adolph Hitler must be deranged or as Congressman Barney Franks questioned someone who made such a comparison, " What planet do you live on?".

The death squads that Adolph Hitler used were real and used poison gas, medical experiments, and firing squads to liquidate their innocent victims. Why doesn't the Republican Party officially disavow the hateful dishonest statements that they use to attempt to discredit health care legislation and our President? Are they part of the problem? Have they lost whatever moral compass they had? Democrats and everyone of us are far from perfect, but such disgusting remarks about our President have only been forthcoming from Republican voices opposed to Health Care reform. Does the Republican Party favor hate and dishonesty over rational discussion?

From a Country of hope and solidarity during and after World War II we have morphed into a society divided by hatred and fear of change. We have lost whatever civility we possessed since our nation defeated the greatest threat to democracy and forgot what we once were. We are a broken Country shattered by hate and distrust of one another.

Those of us who are about 80 years old or older can look back at our personal experiences while our country passed through turbulent times. There were and always will be disagreements about social programs and virtually everything else. But when we resort to hateful and threatening actions against one another because of opinions and positions on social issues, we have certainly lost our way as a nation.

Perhaps we must all revisit USA history over the last 100 years, back to President Theodore Roosevelt at least, to renew what we stand for. If we lose our heritage as a country of vast cultural and ethnic difference bonded together by a stronger commonality we are destined to lose everything we once stood for.

Think back long before you were born and seek knowledge about how our country overcame overwhelming differences and even shed blood together to protect each others liberties and our collective freedom. Perhaps we will regain our bearings and move together regardless of when we were born or the socio-economic status we claim. We must if we are to remain "The United States of America"

The Hippocratic Path to Health Care Reform

The roots of modern medicine reach into Greek History when Hippocrates lived and practiced the first systematic art of Medicine. He lived from about 460 B.C to 377 B.C. and is recognized as the "Father of Modern Medicine". Today we might consider Hippocrates' many contributions as coincidental and irrelevant to the practice of medicine. However, aside from establishing the foundation for the practice of medicine over 2,000 years ago, Hippocrates proscribed an Oath referred to as the "Hippocratic Oath" that was intended to be the code of medical ethics at the time. A literal translation available of the Oath is presented below. Clearly, the Oath proscribed by Hippocrates is written during the era of Grecian Gods. Nonetheless, the essential importance of the Oath applies then as now to the purpose of Medical arts and the ethical rules for medical practitioners today as well as then. Here is the Hippocratic Oath translated from the original Greek version as cited in the link above.

I swear by Apollo Physician, and by Asclepius, and by Hygeia, and by Panaceia and by all gods and godesses, making them witnesses, to fulfil, according to my ability and judgement.

To regard my teacher in this art equal to my parents; and to share my livelihood in common with him, and, if he is in need, to make a contribution; and to judge his progeny equal to my brothers of the male line; and to teach this art if they require to learn, without fee or covenant;

To make a contribution of instruction, and lecture, and all the other learning, to my sons, and to those of my teacher, and to pupils who have signed the covenant and sworn to obey the physician’s law, but to none other.

I will use dietary regimes to help the sick according to my ability and judgement and to refrain from harm and injustice.

I will not give to anyone a deadly drug though asked, nor will I suggest a plan of such a kind. Similarly I will not give a woman a destructive pessary.

But in a pure and holy way I will guard my life and my art.

But I will not cut, not even sufferers from stone, but I will give place to workmen who engage in this practice.

Into whatsoever houses I enter, I will go in to help the sick, being without all intentional injustice and corruption, and all the rest and especially without "works of Aphrodite" upon the bodies both of women and men, both of free and slaves.

Whatsoever in the course of attending the sick I see or hear (or even when not attending the sick), concerning the life of men, which ought never be published outside, I will keep silent, considering such things as unutterable.

Now if I fulfil this oath and do not violate it, may I reap, in my life and art, glory among all men for all time; but if I transgress and swear falsely, the opposite of these things. literal translation of the Greek Oath is:


The Hippocratic Oath was the heritage and ethical foundation of all medical doctors in the world until the last century. Different cultures and religious beliefs shaped the exact wording but the most basic feature is virtually identical to the original word by Hippocrates: "Into whatsoever houses I enter, I will go in to help the sick, being without all intentional injustice and corruption, and all the rest and especially without "works of Aphrodite" upon the bodies both of women and men, both of free and slaves." Help for the sick without regard to social or economic status was and still should be the hallmark of medical care. One might take issue with my interpretation of the original wording above, "upon the bodies of of women and men, both of free and slaves" could be meant as help for the sick regardless of social or economic status.How else could it possibly be interpreted?

The original Hippocratic Oath has been rewritten to eliminate reference to Greek Gods and other salient points. An example of a typical revised form used in the USA is as follows:

"I do solemnly swear by whatever I hold most sacred, that I will be loyal to the profession of medicine and just and generous to its members.

That I will do no harm.

That into whatsoever home I shall enter it shall be for the good of the sick and the well to the utmost of my powers and that I will hold myself aloof from wrong and from corruption and from the tempting of others to vice.

That I will exercise my Art solely for the cure of my patients and the prevention of disease and will give no drugs and perform no operation for a criminal purpose and far less suggest such a thing.

That whatsoever I shall see or hear of the lives of men which is not fitting to be spoken, I will keep inviolably secret.

These things I do promise and in proportion as I am faithful to this oath, may happiness and good repute be ever mine, the opposite if I shall be forsworn."

Aside from commentary associated with Grecian Gods the most conspicuous omission in the modern Oath pertains to any reference to economic or social status,as described previously. Why should such an omission exist other than by deliberate or unconscious consent of the medical profession. If deliberate, why? If not, then the time has come to re-insert relevant words into the modern version.

The omission of any reference to providing health services to people regardless of their economic or social status is in my opinion a reality based upon the transition of medical practice from healing and wellness to materialism and profit making. The US medical system has become in large measure a profit center run by insurance companies and medicine-related corporations to earn money. Selective service or declining services to the sick and poor provides a sure way to increase profits.

Hippocrates could never provide the type of medical services he advocated today in the USA. He would we welcome in most advanced countries in the world that provide single-payer health care for all their citizens.

Our country is now embroiled in virtual combat that relishes lies and distortion to prevent any type of health care program for all citizens regardless of ability to pay. Can we all revisit Hippocrates and the original Hippocratic oath to regain our footing and move on to health care parity for all of our citizens. We must all join the Hippocratic path to health care reform to legitimately refer to ourselves as a civilized country.

Where Were You on August 6, 1945?

How many of you were born in 1945? What about August 6, 1945? If so you share your birthday with the 65th anniversary of the explosion of the first Atom Bomb over the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Three days later a second, larger atom bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. The two bombs killed over 400,000 humans (mostly civilians)and destroyed both cities, causing years of cancer causing radioactive fallout and radiation. Soon thereafter the Japanese surrendered to the US and WWII ended.

Today the nuclear powers of the world including USA, England, France, Russia, China, Pakistan, India, and probably Israel (although they have not verified) possess a total of over 10,000 atom and hydrogen bombs that could destroy all or most life on Earth many times over. The two bombs that destroyed two of Japan's large cities were equal to the bomb power that could drop from 4,000 B-29 bombers, dropping all their bombs simutaneously. Today the nuclear armed countries of the world are able to launch nuclear bombs that are more than 1,000,000 times more powerful than either one dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. And, they can be launched by long range missiles that are virtually impossible to intercept.

The world nuclear powers still accumulate and upgrade nuclear weapons to use in the event of war and to supposedly deter a nuclear war. We have been the only world power to use nuclear weapons in war up to now. But as proliferation continues and both N. Korea and Iran are likely involved in developing nuclear bombs the world becomes more, not less likely, to face a future nuclear war. Such a war could unleash thousands of nuclear bombs using long-range missile and destroy every large city and most population centers on Earth within one day.Such a catastrophe would make Earth virtually uninhabitable for centuries due to persistent and deadly radioactivity.

Those of you who were born on August 6, 1945 may not be aware of the bombs that announced the destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki three days later. However, we must all be aware of the potential that the nuclear powers of the world have to destroy Earth and its inhabitants. If you believe that all life is sacred and humankind is worthy of continuing life in Earth you and all others alive today must demand the cessation of nuclear bomb development and production and the destruction of all existing nuclear weapons. Absolutely nothing else is more critical for the survival of the human species and all life on Earth.

Take a few moments to write your elected representatives in Congress and the Administration to end nuclear proliferation and the ongoing development of more destructive nuclear weapons. All existing nuclear weapons must be destroyed by all countries that possess them. The notion of a nuclear deterrent is a false dream. We have already proven that deception by what we did in Hiroshima and Nagasaki about 64 years ago. Stop the pipe dream and take action now.

Bullets Don't Kill if You Duck

You have undoubtedly been told by some of your associates and friends that "Guns don't kill, people do". Do guns aimed at people propel the bullets by man power? Do bullets shot from guns enter a body by human power? Do bullets entering a body kill by the force of human power? Of course not. Bullets won't kill if you duck. Guns don't kill. The power of bullets is generated by man power. The problem is not restricting the use of guns. The solution to murders is the elimination of humans not guns. There we finally have it right. Next time you see a bullet coming your way duck! Unless that is you are already dead and it that case the bullet can't hurt you.