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Quick quiz: What do these enterprises have in common? Farm and construction machinery, Tupperware, the railroads, Hershey sweets, Yum food brands and Yahoo? Answer: They're all more profitable than the health insurance industry. In the health care debate, Democrats and their allies have gone after insurance companies as rapacious profiteers making "immoral" and "obscene" returns while "the bodies pile up."
Ledgers tell a different reality. Health insurance profit margins typically run about 6 percent, give or take a point or two. That's anemic compared with other forms of insurance and a broad array of industries, even some beleaguered ones.
Profits barely exceeded 2 percent of revenues in the latest annual measure. This partly explains why the credit ratings of some of the largest insurers were downgraded to negative from stable heading into this year, as investors were warned of a stagnant if not shrinking market for private plans.
Insurers are an expedient target for leaders who want a government-run plan in the marketplace. Such a public option would force private insurers to trim profits and restrain premiums to compete, the argument goes. This would "keep insurance companies honest," says President Barack Obama. read more
In light of the present financial crisis, it's interesting to read what Thomas Jefferson said in 1802:
Banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies.
If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around the banks will deprive the people of all property until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered.
Doesn't this sound eerily familiar to what is happening in America today?
"Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it."
"Comrades, you remember the ancient tale of the capture of Troy. Troy was inaccessible to the armies attacking her, thanks to her impregnable walls. And the attacking army, after suffering many sacrifices, was unable to achieve victory until, with the aid of the famous Trojan horse, it managed to penetrate to the very heart of the enemy’s camp."
Alinsky's teachings influenced Barack Obama in his early career as a community organizer on the far South Side of Chicago.[8][9] Working for Gerald Kellman's Developing Communities Project, Obama learned and taught Alinsky's methods for community organizing.[8] Several prominent national leaders have been influenced by Alinsky's teachings,[8] including Ed Chambers,[6]Tom Gaudette, Michael Gecan, Wade Rathke,[10][11], Patrick Crowley [12], and Barack Obama
The President doesn't have that kind of control of the economy. The congress can have some influence through spending but that is negligible. Government programs can only spend money and at this point all the money is borrowed or just simply printed. This all causes inflation. Inflation is the last thing needed at this time.
If anything the Government if anything is the caused the problem buy letting people bet on Mortgages (derivatives) and making the banks loan money to people that couldn't afford it. I know I am one of them. I paid 500$ down on my house and I got a 6.25 fixed rate. I knew I was skating on thin ice but I also knew I would never be able to get a deal like that again and it would not last. 6 years later I know I was right now. I almost lost my house last year when I lost my job.
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