Its The Elephant in the Room...

Well actually it is two (2) Elephants in the Room...

Or more to the point, it is two (2) Elephants, each in a different Room.

The Two Rooms represent the differing types of Health Care being promoted in America and the Elephants are .. well just stay tuned.

In the most recent Mid Term Elections, the Democrats did better than I had predicted for one reason...they focused on Health Care whereas Trump focused on the need for the Wall.  I thought Trump's issue would ...pardon the pun - Trump - Health Care but I was wrong and in that respect, learned a good lesson.

Next to food security, I now believe people generally are concerned about their health and the health care available to them.  The Dems will use this again in the coming General Election of 2020 and could well do it again successfully.

But permit me to digress a bit, first off I have to be totally honest with you... I do not understand how health care works in America. For instance, polling shows that up to 90% of Americans are happy with their health care.  How does that jibe with the horrors one hears all the time about how deficient their health care is e.g. disqualifying preconditions and so on.

These studies go on to say that but 10% of Americans find themselves shut out of health care.  So I am most simplistic, given that America spends more on health care than any other country on earth and given 90% like their care ...couldn't pocket change be used to incorporate the disenfranchised  10%?  In other words if the current system is viewed favourably by so many, why do both major parties argue for an entire revamp of the process?

But let's return to the two (2) Elephants in the room.

The Elephant of the Democrats they who want to mirror our Canadian model where Health Care is paid by the State, delivered by bureaucrats and drastically rationed.  It satisfies no one.  Just the other day I heard a radio announcer tell his audience that his daughter was born with spina bifada and in need of an MRI.  The wait list here in Canada was between 6 months and a year here in Canada.  Heaven help you if you want to get a new knee.  This same announcer the told of moving sshortly thereafter to the US - took his daughter to a Doctor who too suggested the need for a MRI and one was done at the time of their appointment.  If the Canadian system is adopted, those good outcomes will be relegated to history.  So the Dems are on the wrong track.

But so to are the Republicans since they are in the grip of a strong private health care companies, especially the Pharmaceuticals.  That's their Elephant and at one point with Debt and Deficits getting so high, less and less people will be able to afford proper care.  Permit me to give you an example.  Until recently we had a condo in Florida and while there the past November, I got to know a clerk in one of the stores we frequented.  One day she was not there and her replacement said she was off sick and he went on say 'if she takes off sick...she is really, really sick'.

Flash ahead to my next visit.  Female clerk is back and I inquired if she had recovered from whatever illness she had had.  Yes she told me "I had a temperature of 105 degrees Fahrenheit - (that is getting into fatal territory) and I stayed in my bath tub for several days until my temperature broke ..trying to keep cool."  I asked her why she had not just gone to the nearest Emergency but she said she could not afford it ...apparently her health policy had a $6,000 deductible and as clerk making 7 bucks an hour ...that was out of her range.

I was dumbfounded...and presumably because she had coverage... albeit sorely deficient, she probably does not count in the 10% of Americans without coverage.

So the Elephants in the Two Rooms are Public vs Private Health Care.

Whereas studies show that the best health care systems are in Europe where hybrid public and private systems are the norm. They are cheaper, better run and result in much improved outcomes.

America would save bundles of bucks, at the same time Health Care improved for all.

But it won't happen of course.  Republicans will continue to rely upon Big Private Health and Democrats on Big Public Service Unions and given the 50/50 split in America, no compromise will be possible.   Pity.

As I See It...

K.D. Bell


Humour Corner:  

There is a lesson to be learned from typing the wrong email address.

A Michigan couple decided to go to Florida to thaw out and planned to stay at the same hotel they stayed at 20 yrs ago where they honeymooned.  Because of schedule conflicts the husband flew down first.

He checked in and immediately went to the computer room to email his wife however left one letter out of her email address.  His email went somewhere in Houston where it reached a widow just returning home from her husband's funeral.   She read the email and then screamed and fainted.

Her son who was in the next room heard the commotion and came running to find his mother passed out on the floor.

He also saw the open computer screen which read as follows:

To: My Loving Wife    Subject: I have arrived      Date:  January 10, 2019

I know you're surprised to hear from me.  They have computers here now and you are allowed to send emails to your loved ones.  I've just arrived and have been checked in.

I've seen that everything has been prepared your arrival tomorrow and am looking forward to seeing you then.  I hope your your journey is as uneventful as mine was.

P.S.  Sure is freaking hot down here !!!

Trump Ends Government Shutdown and

Update:  It was announced earlier today that President Trump will not shut down government again but rather will Call for a National Emergency  and order the completion of  the Wall himself.  Heard that outcome before?  Oh yea, see my recent Blog below. But  I can tell you that I could not find many (anyone?) who believed with me.

Before finishing here I must apologize for being silent of late...I have volunteered for a number of non-profit projects and it has taken up most (e.g all) of my time.

It was not a hard prediction for me to make...it simply made sense and no matter what you think of Trump - he does not like his numbers to fall and a further shutdown would have done that.  That is not to say his calling for a National Emergency may too turn out to be unpopular on both sides of  Congress but dear reader ...he is on the side of the angels. Without proper defensible borders a nation does not qualify for independent status...it is but a failed State.

So what's next...as I say below it will now become a battle between the Executive and the liberal Judiciary. Nothing will get settled until it reaches the Supreme Court and even then the odds are but 50/50.  And a favourable outcome for Trump will depend on whether or not this gets concluded in his favour in time to get the Wall built.
                                                                ----------------


He won't make that mistake ever again...i.e. once burnt...twice shy.

Indeed, there is a greater chance the Dems will use the 3 week hiatus as an opportunity to compromise with the President but that too almost amounts to wishful thinking.

Rather, before the 3 weeks is up, Trump will use his power under the Constitution to Call the Need for A Border Wall a Military Emergency and will call upon the Armed Forces to pay for and build it.

(As an aside, Sheer and / or Bernier  here in Canada would be smart to do the same using the Peace, Order and Good Government provision available to them under the British North America Act to see the desperately needed oil and gas pipelines built on an emergency footing too).

I have for sometime believed this was Trump's only viable option and in late December finally got around to firing off a note to him recommending the same.  (Below is the answer I received).

And this was before he, or anyone for that matter, had publicly suggested that this avenue might be open to him.  I am not vain enough to think that my missive had anything whatsoever to do with his ultimate decision but at least I know that I was on the same wave length.  Some of you no doubt may find that to be a scary thought on my part.

                Trump's Reply:

THE  WHITE  HOUSE   January 2, 2019

Instead of setting politics aside and putting the safety of our country first, Democrats in Congress have continued to obstruct. In doing so, they have refused to come together with Republicans to pass commonsense legislation that provides adequate funding to secure America's borders and prevent a partial government shut down. As I have said throughout this process, I remain committed to finding an agreement that reopens our Government and ensures that our Nation's borders are safe and secure. I urge Congress to rejoin me in Washington to immediately pass appropriations legislation that properly addresses the critical issues affecting our Nation's security and prosperity. Thank you for your email. Sincerely, DONALD J. TRUMP, PRESIDENT

I know when it comes to the Wall there are many detractors but tend to think that much of it has to do with 50% of America viscerally hating Trump.  It seems simplistic to me but still valid... a country that cannot control its own borders is not worthy of its Nation State Status.  And this pertains as well here in Canada where Canadian Customs and Immigration states for the period January 2017 to March 2018  25, 645 refugees entered Canada illegally and the flood continues.

The problem Trump will have once he makes his military necessity pitch is that the issue will then quickly go before the Courts ad tedium.  Once the matter finally gets before their Supreme Court - the Trump position stands a good chance but how long will that take and more to the point will it be adjudicated in sufficient time before the next election?

If not, then it is assured the Wall will only get built if Trump is elected to a second term.

And that leads me to Government by the Judiciary which appears to afflict Western Nations in this new Millennia.   Its another impairment to Democracy's underlying principle of majority rule. Our Courts have stridently moved from interpreting laws...their legitimate role, to making laws and our politicians being the quick studies they are realize that if the Courts deal with the hard issues of Society it spares them the grief.

The trouble with this of course is that Society cannot hold a handful of independent judges accountable.

Now back to the Wall, Trump campaigned on it and indeed it was one of his major..if not his main election promise and he was elected President based upon his platform.  Add to this the fact that as President, he is now the Commandeer in Chief of America's Armed Forces and protecting its borders is a prime function of this role.

So we have the Dems pushing him into taking this stand and now the Courts taking up their fight where they left off.  All the while the Media cheers both on. 

And don't even get me started on the drubbing Capitalism is taking.

I HAVE YET TO WRITE AN ENDING HERE BUT AM GOING TO PUBLISH THIS NOW AND GET BACK TO IT...k

Or Rather I have decided to let you do the ending.  If you have any thoughts in that regard, please let me know.  In the meantime I am going on to my next Blog which will be about an Elephant....in fact, two Elephants...so stay tuned.   Please don't forget to read 'Humour For This Day'...directly below. 


And now Humour for this Day:    I just paid for my 12 month gym membership and my bank called to see if my credit card had been stolen. 

HE MAKES JOE CLARK SOUND LIKE WINSTON CHURCHILL

He who marshaled up the English Language and sent it off to War.

I am speaking of course of Canada's Conservative Party Leader, Andrew Sheer.

In this morning's National Post, esteemed writer Conrad Black writes 'Sheer has a real chance of taking Trudeau down'.

I must respectively differ; he may have a 'chance' given He and his Party are Trudeau's only opposition but to describe it as being a "real chance" is stretching it.

Permit me to count the ways working against him:

First, as the title of this Blog suggests, Sheer is lacking when it comes to Charisma.  That should come a no surprise to anyone since when was the last time a Speaker of any Parliament went on to successfully lead a Political Party?  Ladies and Gentlemen, they are Speakers for a reason and that is for their blandness...i.e. they do not pose a threat to anyone. 

Second, and even more importantly, Sheer and the Conservatives have adopted Liberal Lite and in some cases entire Liberal (meaning left wing) policies.  He who supports the objectives of the Paris Accord.  Need I say more?

Third and also of great importance is the fact that the NDP is as flat a you know what on a paper plate.  It is a truism in Canadian Federal Politics that if the NDP is not vibrant enough to split the left of centre vote, the Conservatives are doomed to failure 10 times out of 10.  Unless of course the Dippers jettison Singh, which is most unlikely due to the rapid count-down to Election Day,.

And there is more.

And that is the current mood in this country as well as in other nations.  Simply stated, the silent majority has had enough of being told what to do by their Political Elites and that unfortunately includes all of Canada's major parties.  Yellow Vests anyone?  And this leads me to Mad Max and his campaign to provide a home to us social conservatives ...read... libertarians.  Bernier's new party will do damage to Sheer and company.  Not enough to derail them but added to the 3 paragraphs above he will likely represent the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back.  For instance, the last poll I saw from the Burnaby By-election showed Bernier's Party at 9% - not exactly chump change when every percentage counts.

So you be the Judge.

BTW, do you think you will be voting Tory and more to the point, will you be voting Tory come Election Day?

As I See It...

K.D. Bell Esq.

AND ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST

Today's victim of the Mueller Inquiry is Trump confidante Roger Stone...not to worry I've never heard of him either.

His offence?   Are you sitting down?   Lying to Congress.

I call this the Martha Stewart Crime and we all know what an evil person she was and presumably still is.

But it is the far reaching implications of this that should be of concern to all of us and that is why I hope you are sitting down. 

Since if lying to Congress or to the general Public for that matter is a crime, then all of our politicians have broken the law continuously so I guess they too should all be behind bars.

And long time readers of this Blog will know my definition of a lying politician...if you see their lips move you know they are lying.

In their defence though the whole political system is built on that premise.

• You are racist; no you are.
• You want to wreck the economy; no you do.
• They are legal refugees; no they are illegal refugees.
• We need the wall to keep bad people out; the wall will only keep women and children out.
• With Global Warming the Earth will be uninhabitable with x years;  no it won't it is all a hoax.

And so on and so on.

And all of these positions are taken not on the basis of what any particular politician personally believes to be the truth but rather on the basis of what his or her Party states to be the truth.

We have a case right now here in Canada that aptly describes the situation within which we find ourselves.   Our Ambassador for China held a closed door meeting this week with Chinese Reporters in Toronto where he provided his unequivocal opinion that Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou has a strong case to avoid extradition to the United States.  (China as many of you know is holding 3 Canadians hostage, one on death row, until this matter is resolved...in their favour.) 

So was he telling the truth or was he merely parroting his masters in Ottawa's Liberal Government?  In any case, within a day or so he was back-tracking; said he had 'misspoke' during his 40 minute dissertation to the Chinese media.  So was he telling the truth then?

Who cares, save for China and the United States and save for our relationships with them both.  But for you and me what is important here to realize is that you really cannot believe any of what is being said by our politicians or quasi-politicians. 

Sad but true.

So let's return to Meuller and Roger Stone saga and his charge of lying to Congress.

It goes back a long way now but when the Mueller Inquiry was formed, it was to find proof, if it even existed, of Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election.  In that regard, it was much like the Ken Starr inquiry into Bill Clinton in the 1990s and whether or not he was involved criminally in the Whitewater Scandal.  Starr like Mueller looked at everything under the sun and  but finally was forced to come to the conclusion that Clinton was innocent.  

As I have said from the beginning of this charade, Mueller Inquiry will have to come to a similar conclusion in the case of Trump.

Now I promised more humour so sadly this is the best I can do here.

There is ample proof of Russian meddling in the 2016 Election and that relates to Hillary and the Democratic Party paying the Russians for dirt on Trump.  But has dear Hillary been charged.  Are you kidding.

And speaking of interfering in Elections,  the Democratic Campaign actively worked to discredit the candidacy of Hillary opponent Bernie the Professor Sanders who mysteriously went on to support the dear lady in the coming Election.

So who you gonna trust...if you still believe in politicians you have my condolences. 

As I See It....

K.D. Bell  Esq.

I'm Back...The Real Me

K.D. Bell Esq.

I know, I promised you no more but alas that was not to be.  There is just too damn much happening and mostly not for the good.

I have made another pledge which I am just as likely not to live up to and that concerns my plan to  keep my blogs on the light and humourous side as much as possible.

We'll See.

You know as well as I do what the world is facing in this new year but just for the record...


Here in Canada we face a General Election in October where the hapless Justin Trudeau is looking for a second mandate.  Heaven Help Us.

The end of May will see Albertans go to the polls with nothing less than their future in Canada on the line.

Quebec with its quasi separatist government seems to daily make unreasonable requests of Ottawa and to their surprise and delight, the Federal Leadership including all 3 major party leaders lend them their sympathetic ears.  Unbelievable.  Mad Max anyone?


Our Neighbour to the South too is suffering serious convulsions...

Its fearless leader, the one and only Donald Trump, is facing Impeachment.

Its government is partially shutdown and its trading partners shutout.  Soon that $5 to $10 shirt made in China will cost $40 to $50 due to a protected (read inefficient) domestic textile industry.

And it still cannot control its borders from illegal entry.  Banana Republic anyone.


Further South we find our 3 rd member of NAFTA...Mexico...

And boy do they have their troubles beginning with the alleged bribe of $100 Million Dollars from Drug King El Chapo to Mexico's most recent President, Enrique Pena Nieto.  Whether this turns out to be true or not - the truth of the matter is, bribery is a way of life in this sun-drenched nation.

Mexico is in a constant state of civil war with its Drug Cartels and civil rest is rampant.

And like their neighbour to the north, they too cannot control their own borders.

To call Mexico a nation is becoming a bit of a stretch.


Dare I go on?

Britain is going down the drain thanks to Brexit.  For certain it will no longer be the financial centre of the E.U.  It is easy to look back and say what should have been done but I am going to do that anyway...When Ian Campbell implemented his referendum he should have called for a 60% minimum vote in favour of leaving rather than, as he did, a simple majority.  The vote was 51.9 % in favour of leaving ensuring his country was virtually split down the middle.

France is up to its Gaullist Neck in yellow vests and the movement appears to be gaining traction. It is also spreading like wildfire to other parts of the world including here in Canada.

Germany has a lame-duck leader in the person of Angela Merkel.  She lost her voodoo when she allowed 1 to 2 million unscreened refugees into her country.   Right Wing Parties there are thriving for the first time since dear Adolf slithered across the land.

And these three are the best of a bad group ....the rest of the E.U. are mostly basket-cases.

And then you have the outliers, the perpetual trouble-makers:  Russia, China, North Korea, Iran, Saudia Arabia, Syria....the list goes on and on.

And that does not even bring into the equation ISIS and their Ilk which ravage the land with death and destruction.  Trump proclaimed recently they were beat...don't for a minute believe it.

All the while much of the world - the  Middle Easterns, the Africans and the South Americans criticize our way of life in the West while scheming on how to sneak in and enjoy our decadence.

2018 was an interesting year ....2019 is going to be even more so.

Now my first attempt at humour...what did the little fish say when he swam head first into a cement wall?        Ans:  Dam

Maybe I should stick to the serious?

As I see it......K.D. Bell

A STREET WITH TWO NAMES...

OR MORE ACCURATELY...TWO SPELLINGS.

TODAY MARKS MY FINAL BLOG AND WITH IT, I RETURN TO MY HOME TOWN WHERE I GREW UP IN THE 50s and 60s..Brighton, then a village of some 1,500 souls.

The street I grew up on, along with my lifetime good buddy Johnny, ran East and West approx. 200 yards north and parallel with King's Highway 2, then Canada's only National Road System.

It was not a big street in the scheme of things, our house was situated in its eastern portion while Johnny's home rested in the western part.

My side was named Sanford, while his ...Sandford.

Agreed, not a big difference in the scheme of things but different nonetheless.

Not that it mattered all that much since in those days, everyone knew everyone else ...including our Post Office folks, so even if our street had no name, the mail would have reached us on time and at pennies per first class stamp.

But the name difference did cause Johnny and me numerous problems especially when we often ended up in the wrong end of the street confusing the name Sanford with the name Sandford or vice a versa.

Okay, I exaggerate a little.

So enough about our street.  Let's return to our home town.

Brighton, in those days, was set in a much simpler time and as I have mentioned before, the change within which we find ourselves today, had its beginnings back then.  It is amazing how many other writers hone in on this same theme.

That is not to say the 1950s and early 1960s were Utopia...they were not.  For instance, women for the most part were confined to the home, which was wrong.  But at the same time, their children benefited greatly from their presence.

The bottom-line though ...it was not right, nor fair, to place that burden solely on the household's wife and mother.

I am not going to review the many other societal changes that have occurred since those days and if you are unaware of those, I suggest you read my earlier blogs.

But I will tell you about my first encounter with our new age. It happened in our grade 8 class.  Each morning we opened with the Lord's Prayer and with the signing of God Save the Queen.  This one particular morning one of our classmates, Joey, refused to stand for the Queen.  I was shocked.

But as the 60s rolled into the 70s and so on, there would be many such shocks.

To my 122,623 reads, I leave you with my sincere thanks.

As I Saw It...

'K.D. Bell'

Finally, The Tide Might Just Might Be Turning Against Canada's Enviros

As In The Power Of These So-Called Environmentalists To Block Pipeline Construction In Canada. 

I was beginning to think that I would never see the day when the whining of the anti-pipeline lobby would begin to fall out of favour with the regular folks, as well as with the elites, but with Kinder Morgan's halt to its Trans Mountain Pipeline (TMP) Project this past week, it now appears that the Canadian Public has finally had enough.  Thank Heavens.

I will not bore you with the background but as citizens wherever you may live, you are well aware of their predictions of doom and ability to, in many cases, paralyze growth especially in left leaning countries like our own Canada.

In fact, it has been over a decade since our last pipeline was constructed and today we see existing lines maxed out. Our Trains ...one of the worst possible ways to transport oil and gas, have been dragooned into use while our agricultural products, especially grain, remain in their bins.  It is costing our Prairie Provinces in the Billions of Dollars.

As a result of the Trans Mountain stoppage, two of our Provinces are now in a vicious battle of wills...Alberta which wants to transport its oil and gas to the Pacific via British Columbia and B.C. which wants Alberta's oil and gas kept in the ground..forever. As of this writing the Province of Saskatchewan has joined the fray on the side of Alberta.

Alberta and Saskatchewan are so incensed that they are threatening to cut-off existing oil and gas shipments to BC needed by that Province for domestic use.  If that were to happen, the latter's gas prices at the pumps double.  A similar threat is being made to central Canada which too will result in steep increases at the pump and with respect to home heating costs.

But on the positive side, this feud has resulted in the Canadian Public finally coming to its senses on the need to find reliable ways (aka pipelines) to effectively get the major product of Western Canada to market.  The lack of pipeline capacity has resulted in a 50% drop in investment in the oil sands and their oil being sold at a discount. The reason for this is that 99% of our oil and gas is exported to the United States and as that country moves closer to self-sufficiency they can and do depress greatly the price they are willing to a foreign country like ours. 

And let's not pretend that this is the result of the current progressive Liberal Government we have in Ottawa since its predecessor, the pro-business Conservative Governments under Stephen Harper too was rendered helpless in the face of the vocal Enviros who were often funded by outsiders such as the Saudis and the Soros Open Society Foundations.  

With Public Support turning, our Federal Government is finally getting the courage to get actively involved in seeing the Trans Mountain Route built to conclusion. In the face of this, British Columbia and the Enviros wrongly claim that the Feds do not have the constitutional power to force the TMP through... but of course it does...The British North America Act of 1867, Canada's Constitution, makes that abundantly clear.

Despite this, there are still many citizens out there who believe the dispute should be left at the Provincial Level but that would only ensure nothing would change and of course that would be the ideal outcome for them. One of those is a reader of mine ...Gerry.  Here is what he recently wrote:

It feels like most Canadians would love to see BC and Alberta come up with their own solution to this environmental degradation that will occur to one province while another profits financially. We know from past experiences that if an accident can, then it will happen like the Exxon Valdez crashing  or pipelines leaking and they will in the volatile Canadian Rockies.  Can we as Canadians live with that? Can the people of B.C. or Alberta live with that?  This is why the Federal Government should not get involved.

If the Federal Government does involve itself in favour of cross-provincial energy transmission, it will be one of the first times ever.  Its usual position is to stay neutral and to keep its head buried in the sand ...so to speak.

The worst example of this occurred in the late 1940s when Newfoundland tried to run hydro electric power from its Churchill Falls Generating Station to the United States.  To do that, the power lines first had to cross Quebec.  Quebec's reaction was to say we'd gladly help out but want to be compensated for doing so.  

Compensated!!!

The contract runs until 2041 and by its terms Quebec pays Newfoundland $2 per Unit and resells it for $85 per Unit... a pretty good return in anybody's books. 

Before signing this entirely one ended agreement, Newfoundland appealed to the Federal Government to intervene and force a decent, fair agreement.  The Feds refused even though it was generally accepted that they had all the jurisdiction needed to do so.

To add insult to injury, the profits Quebec receives from its hydro electric sales are not even counted when determining how much Quebec is entitled to under the national financial redistribution program for have-not provinces.

And to add even more insult, Quebec has been receiving consistently $10 Billion Dollars per year under that program while the Province of Alberta has been paying out that exact same sum.  To date Alberta's payments exceed $100 Billion.

 So no wonder why readers such as Gerry think the Federal Government should stay neutral...this has always been their mode of operation. 

And one last example involving Quebec and Ontario.  This past year, the West tried to run a new pipeline through those two provinces to refineries in New Brunswick.  It was called the Eastern Pipeline and the above two Provinces scuddled the initiative. How Quebec had the nerve to do so given the annual largess it receives from Alberta...but it did.

The purpose of this pipeline was two-fold, first, to sell Western Canadian oil to the folks in Eastern Canada and to replace the current oil and gas coming into Eastern Canada from Saudia Arabia. 

And, guess what... Canada's Federal Government stayed mute.

Let's hope that this time, with the TMP, things will be different.

But as I often say, the Proof Is In The Pudding.  

As I see it...

'K.D. Galagher'