An Open Letter To My Readers

To Whom It May Concern:
From this day forward, Wednesday, September 17, 2008, I will no longer have the debate about universal healthcare. I just won't. Now, I know up to this point I have taken the argument on full force, armed with facts and statistics. But, after this day, a day in which the motherfucking federal government is doling out 85 million motherfucking dollars over to AIG, the largest private insurance provider in the nation, I just won't do it again. My heart, my poor, overstressed heart cannot take the conversation. So, if you want to debate it with me, when you get to the part of your argument where you roll out the potential cost to tax payers, I will just say three things: A I G. I will not mule over how your taxes will be raised so that we are all guaranteed healthcare that won't wipe out our life's savings. I will tell you that your taxes will, in fact, at some point be higher because you and me, the American taxpayers, are bailing out a company ran by some of the most educated folks in the USA because they made risky and greedy investments, lusting after huge profits.
When the Bush folks stormed Washington with a GOP majority in the Congress, I listened to their argument that deregulating the markets was the most American option on the table because, according to their expert opinions, the free markets always take care of things. They told me that they didn't need to regulate it because if someone practiced poor business, they would run flat out of cash. Now that has happened, but these companies aren't suffering the wrath of the free market gods. Oh hell no, they are getting YOUR get out of jail free care. Well, look around you. Each month's foreclosure numbers beat out the month before and each month's jobless claims come in crashing the last month's records. Is the government "bailing out" individuals who overextended themselves in the home mortgage? Why, hell no they aren't. If anyone even considered it, the country would collectively crinkle their noses and insist that welfare is not deserving of the greedy and/or lazy. But, group a whole bunch of upper crust assholes together and call them a corporation and Washington goes ape shit crazy at notion of them losing their shit. I've learned this week if the helping hand is extended to families, those folks not privy to highly padded no bid contracts, it is deemed "welfare." "Bail outs" are for companies. And to make the whole deal even more damned irritating for me is that these AIG folks won't have to pay any of the money back. That's right. Even though YOUR tax dollars are going to fund their poor practices, their future profits will remain private. Ain't that some shit?
This is called socialized capitalism. The government is paying the overhead for private business.
So, as I said at the start, from this day forward, I will no longer debate universal healthcare. I just won't.
I Love You,
Shonda

Oh, and AIG, if you are reading this, I DO EXPECT a thank you card. Assholes.