I think most people would agree that Obama’s preacher showed considerable more anger against whites than we show against blacks, but I’m sure someone could show me examples to the contrary. In any event, this is a fresh, promising approach that tries to put the antagonisms behind us, and I think that is healthy indeed.

The problem was, in the end, what are we supposed to come together for? Why the same old bromides of kill the war (and most likely many of our Iraqi friends in the process), get national health care and of course protect the teachers’ union view of the educational universe.

Being for the war, against national healthcare(1), and against the teachers’ unions(2), I can’t say I have a lot to talk about with Mr Obama.

From page 1-5 (in the New York TImes version) I was all for him and then he ruined it all in pages 6-7.

Nice try, though.

D

(1) I think the medical establishment is one of the most wasteful institutions anywhere, even if I am not sure why or how. $3,000 for a day in a hospital where nothing was accomplished? Nine hour waits in emergency rooms for the requisite five minutes with a doctor? Thousands of dollars billed for service that would be completely unacceptable in a cheap auto repair shop charging 1% of the rates? I have names for that and none of them are good.

National health care would preserve and protect this kind of institutional poor performance. Our only hope is to be required to pay for our own health care. Then the hospitals would go broke and hopefully whatever replaced them would do a better job at a more fair cost. The clinics appearing in CVS and Wal*Mart stores seem like a good start.

(2) As far as I can tell, educational budgets have been rising, with results surprisingly similar to hospitals. More money goes in, but teachers aren’t paid significantly better, the physical plant of schools continues to deteriorate, and the quality of education is still horrible. Just like hospitals, it seems like the money is dropping into a sinkhole and we’re getting nothing in return.

This seems to be a common refrain of public/charitable institutions. Compare with LAZIK surgery, which is as far as I know entirely private and the cost has halved in a few years while other medical costs have doubled and tripled. What’s with that?