These debt talks have only proven that we have very few politicians with the country's best interests in mind. Most are more concerned about what will be held against them in the next campaign cycle rather than how to reduce our enormous deficit.
Despite what republicans say, tax rates aren't particularly high for the richest in this country and as much as they would like (and as much as their donors would like) "trickle down" economics doesn't work. And the democrats need to accept that social security and medicare have not been managed well and need better rules and regulations if these programs are to exist into perpetuity. Moreover, republicans should realize that regardless of what delusions they harbor about social programs, cutting their funding en masse would leave millions of americans without healthcare and retirement money that they depend on. Leaving the 65 and over crowd high and dry probably won't play out favorably for anyone.
Most importantly, they all need to realize that playing this drawn out game of political chicken does have consequences. Foreign investors don't take kindly to lending money to those that don't make their payments on time. Jumpy investors pull their money out of the market. When the money dries up, businesses lay off workers to avoid having to close their doors altogether. And while all this plays out right in front of us, each and every politician in this drama is in a huddle with their advisors, trying to figure out how best to heap the blame on someone else.
Can we please stop acting like a bunch of babies? I don't care what tax pledge your party took or which election is coming up. Do what needs to be done and do it now.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Friday, May 20, 2011
Graduated 11:05 AM
On May 6th, 2011, I officially became a doctor. The word "overwhelming" comes to mind. For exactly 1 minute while I walked across that stage I experienced a broad range of emotion; nervousness, excitement, joy, relief, shock and fear. It was over. 4 years of nose to the grindstone hard work was over. But now I'm jumping out of the frying pan into the fire.
My future program director was sitting at the end of the processional as I walked off the stage. He stood up and shook my hand, we exchanged kind words and in that very moment the next step of actually having to apply what I know to the well being of others became apparent. In 3 weeks it will be my name on the bottom of prescriptions and on business cards in the wallets of patients. There will be late night pages, central lines to be placed, family meetings to be had. Clinics to wade through, presentations to give, fellowships to research.
I began this blog 4 years ago the night before I started medical school and in some respects I'm leaving exactly as I started; with the anxiety of what will come (though truthfully that's the only thing that remains the same). Here's to hoping my sanity remains intact all the way until 2014.
My future program director was sitting at the end of the processional as I walked off the stage. He stood up and shook my hand, we exchanged kind words and in that very moment the next step of actually having to apply what I know to the well being of others became apparent. In 3 weeks it will be my name on the bottom of prescriptions and on business cards in the wallets of patients. There will be late night pages, central lines to be placed, family meetings to be had. Clinics to wade through, presentations to give, fellowships to research.
I began this blog 4 years ago the night before I started medical school and in some respects I'm leaving exactly as I started; with the anxiety of what will come (though truthfully that's the only thing that remains the same). Here's to hoping my sanity remains intact all the way until 2014.
