Political Mind Games

Both Republicans and Democrats are guilty of playing political mind games, much to the detriment of Main Street USA.

It is the Democrats, however, who have taken the lead in their game of dividing America and pitting Wall Street against Main Street.

It seems a day doesn't go by when someone on Capitol Hill or at the White House blasts big business, most notably the financial and insurance industries.

Interesting that one rarely sees anything about the drug companies and their enormous profits and dangerous products.

Watching TV commercials for this drug or that drug it is amazing to this person why anyone would decide to take drugs that could potentially cause death or "suicidal thoughts or actions." Yet big PhRMA continues to roll out new drugs and rake in an estimated 17 or 18 percent net profit, far higher than most industries.

It could be, of course, that with the amount of money the drug companies put into play for political campaigns and lobbying is why they are not in the Democrat cross-hairs.

What is behind the blatant attempt to divide big business and rank and file American citizens and taxpayers?

Quite possibly more government takeovers and the erosion of our personal liberties.

The Federal Government has crossed too many lines and either trampled on or attempted to side-step the Bill of Rights, that powerful document that is supposed to ensure those actions cannot be done.

This has been accomplished, as one example, by massive earmarks and additional pork (read buying votes) to poorly crafted legislation in order to garner enough votes to ensure passage.

As noted in previous posts, the Congressional Special Interest Group is far worse than any other SIG in existence. And, under President Obama, who promised to eliminate earmarks during his reign, the health care reform act may have been the worst.

Recent polls point out that citizens are tired of political games with as many as two-thirds of those surveyed stating that new blood is needed in Washington DC.

America must get back to being America with free enterprise generating the economy, with the Federal Government doing what it is supposed to be doing, not running our lives and making decisions for us because they feel they know what is best for each and every person living here.

By all means, get rid of criminal elements in the private sector, but do so also in the public sector, as there are ample cases of crooked politicans and others who are paid through one or another government agency or taxpayer-funded institution. In other words get your own house in order.

Above all else, quit playing mind games and trying to destroy capitalism by making big business into the big bad wolf.

Over For Now.

Main Street One

And Yet Another "Syndrome" Is Created

It seems that as the world becomes more complex, in order to deal with the challenges of everyday life, labels must be created.

The latest is "Computer Stress Syndrome."

This is yet another syndrome to add to the, literally, hundreds that have been named to identify a disorder experienced by the average person.

It is probably also the first step required for pharmaceutical companies to create a new wonder drug to alleviate the pain, anxiety and frustration attached to it.

The first line in a story released Tuesday claimed, "Crashing machines, slow boot times, and agony dealing with technical support have Digital Age people suffering from Computer Stress Syndrome..."

As reported by Agence France-Presse (AFP), the "findings were based on a survey of more than 1,000 people in North America by a Customer Experience Board created by the Chief Marketing Officer Council to look into how to keep customers happy in the highly competitive communications sector."

On its website, the Customer Experience Board states, "Today’s digitally dependent consumers are increasingly overwhelmed and upset with technical glitches and problems in their daily lives. The source of their pain: frustrating, complex computers and devices, technical failures, viral infections, and long waits to resolve support issues that disrupt the flow of their work and personal lives."

They call their study "Combating Computer Stress Syndrome: Barriers and Best Practices in Tech Support."

Enter, from stage left, the doctor who seized the moment.

The AFP article states, "Murray Feingold, a US physician credited in the study with giving CSS its label."

Thank you, Feingold!

You came up with yet another syndrome and people around the planet will be able to think about you when they pop their little pill to make it all better, while drug companies make even more billions of dollars profit creating additional members of the Great Drug Society.

Yes, Virginia, there is a Great Drug Society-you are living in it now.

The Great Drug Society, led by the pharmaceutical industry (PhRMA), takes in close to One Trillion Dollars annually, worldwide and, at least in the United States, spends upwards of 40% of its budget on advertising and public relations campaigns designed to make people want drugs.

This Main Streeter does not subscribe to all of the various syndromes that have been created in order to add to PhRMA's profits. And, please keep in mind that the drug will not do anything to speed up tech support.

Speaking of support...when was the last time anyone was truly satisfied with a customer service call?

It is a sure bet that everyone enjoys listening to recorded voices advising which number button to push in order to reach the proper person for assistance and then being told that all representatives are busy but that you are a valued customer, so please wait and listen to this music. (These surely must be symptoms of Phone Button Syndrome and Phone Waiting Music Syndrome.)

On still a lighter note, the following video discusses "Hourglass Syndrome," which has, basically, the same "symptoms" as the aforementioned (though not the dreaded tech support issue).


Over For Now.

Main Street One