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I have described the current health care reform process lead by the Obama administration as a “domestic Vietnam.” By comparing Vietnam to health care reform, it is not my intent to diminish the sacrifice thousands of Americans made by giving their lives in fighting the communists in Indochina . However, one of the most important lessons taken from Vietnam is — if the policy makers and decision makers do NOT listen to the grunts on the front line you will lose the war.

This is precisely what Obama, Pelosi, Reid and the Democrat majority in Congress are doing in 2010. They are DEAF to what the grunts are screaming. Grunts on the front line (patients, doctors, nurses and therapists) are screaming, “STOP empowering HMOs, insurance companies and FEDERAL government bureaucrats who have NO functional medical knowledge. Instead, Empower EVERY person and family by giving us back control of our health care lives. Let individuals decide with whom, when, where and how we use the health care system and put the finances back in our hands .”

Obama, Pelosi, Reid and the Democrat majority in Congress have ignored the grunts and have jammed down our collective throats a health care plan that EMPOWERS the government and ensures government control over every person, family and business. In Vietnam when the policy makers did not listen, we retreated to our helicopters and flew away. Unfortunately, in this “domestic Vietnam” we can not get in helicopters and fly away. EVERY American becomes a casualty.

One of the rallying cries of Obama, Pelosi, Reid and the Democrat majority was to point their fingers across the pond and sing the virtues of the British health care system. Take a look at what the VERY CONSERVATIVE New York Times published — Britain Plans to Decentralize Health Care:

Perhaps the only consistent thing about Britain’s socialized health care system is that it is in a perpetual state of flux, its structure constantly changing as governments search for the elusive formula that will deliver the best care for the cheapest price while costs and demand escalate.

Even as the new coalition government said it would make enormous cuts in the public sector, it initially promised to leave health care alone. But in one of its most surprising moves so far, it has done the opposite, proposing what would be the most radical reorganization of the National Health Service, as the system is called, since its inception in 1948.

Practical details of the plan are still sketchy. But its aim is clear: to shift control of England’s $160 billion annual health budget from a centralized bureaucracy to doctors at the local level. Under the plan, $100 billion to $125 billion a year would be meted out to general practitioners, who would use the money to buy services from hospitals and other health care providers.

The plan would also shrink the bureaucratic apparatus, in keeping with the government’s goal to effect $30 billion in “efficiency savings” in the health budget by 2014 and to reduce administrative costs by 45 percent. Tens of thousands of jobs would be lost because layers of bureaucracy would be abolished….

What a unique concept from the Brits regarding health care — EMPOWERMENT OF THE INDIVIDUAL NOT GOVERNMENT BUREAUCRATS!!!!!! This is a concept that I have been preaching for over 20 years. I am not a betting man, but I am willing to bet Obama, Pelosi, Reid and the Democrat majority will be DEAF to the Brits, just as they are deaf to the “grunts on the health care front” in the states.

The US economy has been devastated by misguided federal policy, while Germany’s industrial power has grown. Germans have not forgotten how “Made in Germany” has been a constant path to wealth for their economy & have reisted the Marxist destroyers who want the successful to support the world’s 3rd world FAILURES. Americans are seeing their country’s economy pillaged to give industry to Red China, chaotic Mexico & the 3rd World in general. You can’t employ a huge population without substantial manufacturing.

The cruel resulting impact on our unemployed citizens who want to work is one negative result, but the impact on national security is also critical. You can’t maintain an effective defense force if you can’t manufacture your own weapons. Think about WW II where 1 German Tiger tank had to face 20 US Shermans because of America’s industrial might. Today, a replay would have as many Tigers as Shermans which would mean a huge number of dead Americans.

The Malaysian business journal MYsinchew reports:

As German beast awakens, so will the grumbling

Germany’s economy is fast returning to health, but thanks mainly to exports, leaving Chancellor Angela Merkel open to a fresh barrage of criticism from other countries, economists say.

On Friday the closely watched Ifo survey of around 2,500 companies showed sentiment in Europe’s biggest economy surging at its strongest rate since the reunification of East and West Germany in 1990….

But the surprisingly robust rebound is thanks in large part to Germany’s export prowess, something that has been a bone of contention between Berlin and its international partners, not least the United States and neighbour France….

German Chancellor Angela Merckel strengthened their economy with 80 billion euros (103 billion dollars) in government spending cuts. Meanwhile, the Obama administration continues to spend as if money grew on trees, a sure path to driving investment capital from our shores and increasing unemployment.

Steve Wynn is a multi-billionaire, hotelier and real estate investor in Las Vegas (he owns the Wynn Hotel and Encore Hotel), Asia and Macau. He’s been a guest from time to time on all the network financial news programs.

This is an interview that he did in May for CNBC. Because of the erratic and fiscally irresponsible behavior of the current administration, he is turning his investment focus to Asia, where he views the governments of China and Macau as more stable.

Deficit spending and reckless legislation will drive investors away from the United States, defeating chances for an economic recovery, according to Wynn. His remarks are brief and to the point, well worth taking the time to watch.

Steve Wynn Takes on Washington

The violence along our border continues while the Obama administration files lawsuits and plays political games. And now, in a truly frightening and unprecedented development, we learn from Diggers Realm that at least two ranches in Laredo, TX have been taken over by Los Zetas, a violent paramilitary Mexican drug gang. Reportedly the residents of these ranches were allowed to leave unharmed.

The bloodbath continues along our southern border and now word is coming in that Los Zetas, the highly trained killers formerly with the Gulf Cartel, have crossed into the United States and taken over at least two ranches in the Laredo, Texas area….

Anonymous sources in law enforcement in the Laredo area tonight have passed on word that US law enforcement agencies are in the area and are weighing their options regarding the ranches. The media has been silent on this incident and some law enforcement in the area say that they are furious that the media is not reporting the whole story of the continued violence along the border….

What will it take for our government to stop playing games and start fulfilling their responsibility to secure the border and protect our US citizens?

Related:

Washington DC Examiner — Los Zetas drug cartel seizes 2 U.S. ranches in Texas

Two sources inside the Laredo Police Department confirmed the incident is unfolding and they would continue to coordinate with U.S. Border Patrol today. “We consider this an act of war,” said one police officer on the ground near the scene. There is a news blackout of this incident at this time and the sources inside Laredo PD spoke on the condition of anonymity….

UPDATE, July 25, 2:56pm by Don Rowan: “I attended the DODIIS [DOD Intelligence Information System] Conference in Phoenix, AZ the 23rd-27th of May. During my stay there I had the chance to talk with some folks from the Fort Huachuca area [southern Arizona about 20 miles from the Mexican border] — and the stories they told about drug smugglers coming through the ranches along the border were terrible. Shot up things, killed livestock, killed watch dogs, etc. Border patrol either cannot or will not take charge — I am sure they cannot but then there are Federal drug enforcement personnel that tend to not want to get into shooting matches with the Mexican drug smugglers as they bring drugs across the border. So much for heros in DEA.”

UPDATE, July 25, 5:43pm: ALIPAC questions the veracity of the report.

The new term for illegal alien in politically stupid correct California is “displaced foreign traveler.” You can’t make this stuff up.

Bruce Ross, writing for the Redding, California Record Searchlight comments:

Is that what they’re calling them now?

In the Forest Service’s news release about the recent string of marijuana busts, I discovered a term of art I’d never encountered before:

“During the raid, a U.S. Forest Service K-9 team located Gauldry Almonte-Hernandez, a displaced foreign traveler from Michoacán Mexico, who had tried to flee the area and hide while officers were performing entry into the marijuana garden.”

“Displaced foreign traveler”? Makes it sound like he meant to go to Disneyland, got lost, and ended up at a pot plantation in the woods south of Hayfork.

These people are criminals. They have broken the law by entering our country illegally. If they have come here to facilitate the drug trade, they are doubly criminal.

They are not “undocumented workers.” They are not “dispaced foreign travelers.” They are criminals, illegal aliens, illegal immigrants. Until we call them what they are, we will not admit the problem and solve it.