Would Americans who don't want government coming between them and their health care prefer Halliburton play the role of the decider? One way or the other, we would all do well to pay close attention to what's going on in California right now. If the Golden State's reputation as a 'trend setter' holds true for health care, those in need of affordable health insurance could find themselves up against private contractors like Halliburton.
The town hall meetings being held across the country by Democrats to revive Obama's gasping healthcare plan have opened a door that Americans from all corners of the political spectrum hoped would stay closed. This time around, the right may have gotten more than they bargained for.
From the farthest corners of the Far Right to the most radical niches of the Progressive Left, these days it seems as if just about everyone is upset with President Barack Obama. Polls taken this summer show that the public "is losing trust" in the president, while Obama's personal approval rating has fallen below 60 percent.
The days when the US could kill, drill and consume its way out of crisis may have ended. That new reality is made clear by the current conflict between Russia and Georgia, which is looking more and more like one between Russia and the US. The exact moment in history marking the last gasp of the American Empire will likely be debated by historians for years. But there is little doubt that August 7, 2008 will be viewed as a turning point in that history. Georgia's invasion of South Ossetia, followed by Russia's predictable response, may have faded from the US media spotlight, but it is on the front pages of much of the international press - and for good reason.
"See, this war is different from all the ones that our fathers and grandfathers fought. Those wars were for something. This war is for nothing," accused rapist and mass murderer, Private Steven Green said in an interview with Stars and Stripes reporter Andrew Tilghman in February, 2006. "I came over here because I wanted to kill people."
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