[P1] One last time (was self-quotes)

[Harry D. Corsover]

One last stab . . .

----- On 1/5/03 2:54 PM MDT (-0600), Eric B. Richardson 
<lbyron at comcast.net> wrote, in part:

>Finally, I would wager that most of the non-voters are just plain 
>apathetic, and that is probably a sign of satisfaction, that they see 
>the situation as largely satisfactory, and unlikely to change much no 
>matter for whom they vote.

I think you'd lose that wager, Eric. I know of no logical or statistical 
reason to think that most non-voters are either apathetic or satisfied. 
In fact, a good case can be made for the opposite. Most of the non-voters 
I know (a number that's alarming to me personally) are quite 
dissatisfied, but have given up on the system working in any meaningful 
way. They see the situation as largely unsatisfactory, and unlikely to 
change much no matter for whom they vote.

> *If* they were really unhappy, you can bet 
>that most of them would get out to vote, and make their voices heard 
>before the election.

You could bet that <g>, but I wouldn't. Your premise requires a belief 
that one's vote or voice will make a difference.

To try to bring this even close to on-topic, take the masses using 
Windows. Large number of them dislike Windows, dislike and distrust 
Microsoft. Some have even fought hard to get the Mac OS accepted at or 
integrated into their workplace. Many have given up in the face of 
repeated defeat. Neither apathy nor satisfaction must be a part of that 
equation.
>
>Creating misery and fear is one way of changing the government 
>through the vote.

By this logic, if I were walking past your house and saw flames and 
smoke, my yelling 'FIRE!' would be "creating fear and misery." 
Interesting.

> Supporting the national mood is another way of 
>keeping the status quo. It is one of the reasons the media supported 
>and didn't question the inflated economic statistics of the closing 
>Clinton months, and now ignores the good economic news now,

Good economic news? Get real. One of the things I do for a living is 
recruit for sales/marketing teams. In almost three years, I've not seen 
so many people unemployed or unemployed for as long as I have seen 
lately. And speaking of "the media" as if it is some homogeneous entity 
is, I think disingenuous. 

> instead 
>reporting the Democrat claims of doom and gloom. By nearly every 
>economic standard, it is improving and last year was pretty good. 

We clearly read different economists' opinions. Just off the top of my 
head: uneployment is up, and people have run out of unemployment 
compensation while the Bush administration twiddles its thumbs, focusing 
on how to benefit the richest of the rich. Many people's retirement funds 
or accounts have been decimated (or worse). Health care is out of reach 
for over 51 million people, and over half of employers (particularly 
small and medium-business) can't afford to offer health care insurance. 
Over 76 million people are underinsured, and premiums and co-pays are 
rising drastically (while some insurance and "managed care" companies 
increase their profits, and pay their top executives big bonuses).

This administration's response to the growing crisis in health care? 
Accept whatever the insurance industry asks for. Remove important privacy 
protections enacted by the Clinton Administration (which effectively 
allow the insurance industry to use your private medical information for 
marketing purposes, without your permission or specific knowledge); but 
the already low reimbursement to health professionals in the Medicare 
program (effectively forcing more doctors out of that system); and 
despite Medicare's overhead being a small fraction of that of the 
for-profit insurance companies, favor "privatizing" of more health care 
and of prescription benefits (thus ensuring more profits for big business 
at the expense of the average consumer).

>Excepting the overvaluation of the stock market, which Greenspan 
>warned  you all about in 1996, but Gore and Clinton pooh-poohed

What -- are you implying that a large cadre of Republicans warned us or 
were willing to take any steps to reel this in? Are you implying that 
there is a fast, direct relationship between an administration's fiscal 
policies (especially with the opposition in charge of Congress) and the 
economy of the country?

>; and 
>slept at the guard tower, or worse bribed or blackmailed or pressured 
>the guards at the gates while the robbers at WorldCom, Enron and 
>Global Crossing absconded with your monies.

Have you considered a career writing fiction? I don't recall an 
administration more in bed with big business, especially big oil, than 
the current one.

>
>Creating fear and misery is a major play in the terrorist guidebook too.

As is grandiosity.

Best Regards,

Harry Corsover

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