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The Other Ron Paul

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It feels as though an elephant is standing on your chest. You can hardly feel your left arm and sweat is pouring from your forehead.

You know that this is a heart attack and you need to get help quickly. You stumble to the phone and dial "944". That's right, you dial "944" because the emergency response system has been contracted out to private corporations and, after studying all of the competitors' literature, you decided that the "944" corporation would give you the most at the lowest cost. Now you need them!

The phone rings once...twice...three.. "Hello, what is the emergency please?" a voice sporting a very thick oriental accent responds.

"I-I-I'm having...(you're weak and it's difficult for you to speak)...a"

Suddenly the oriental woman interrupts and again asks, "What is the emergency please?"

In a way you're relieved that you understood her the first time because you would never have understood what she said this time around. It's not surprising, either, as the woman who answered the phone is sitting in a large, run down room in Vietnam. She has a computer screen in front of her and loaded into the computer is global positioning software so she can see where you're located if you get to the point of telling her where you're located.

"I'm having a heart attack! I need help, please!"

The woman responds, "Where are you located, please" with an accent so thick that, this time, you don't understand her. The voice doesn't sound panicked, as one would think appropriate for someone in her position. However, it not only doesn't sound panicked, it almost sounds indifferent.

You give her your address which is followed for what seems like a life time of silence. In reality, the woman is trying to locate you on the computer database so that she can contact your local emergency services.

"Hello?" you say desperately.

The woman attempts to repeat your address back to you, but it doesn't sound like your address. You don't exactly know what it does sound like. You don't understand her at all.

We could continue this story. Under the best case scenario, the woman in Vietnam who works for the company that the "944" corporation contracts the dispatching service out to contacts your local emergency services and they make it to your house while you're still alive. Of course, you may pass one, two or even three hospitals on the way to the hospital service which you purchased.

Under the worse scenario...well, we won't even think about it.

You didn't realize that this was going to be how the "944" corporation was going to be able to offer you the same service for less when you signed up with them. You didn't know that they would hire someone in Vietnam to answer incoming emergency phone calls and you didn't know that person would earn the equivalent of $1.00/hour.

To say that this is how Ron Paul would like to see things would be stretching the point. He probably wouldn't really like to see things this way.

However, as a Republican who is actually a practicing Libertarian, Paul does not think that it's the government's job to do business. Consequently, he believes that anything that can possibly be privatized should be privatized. As a libertarian, Paul doesn't believe it's the government's job to regulate how private business does business. Like all libertarians or Libertarians, Paul doesn't believe that government should do anything other than provide a basic police force to stop Americans from hurting Americans and a basic military to stop foreigners from hurting Americans and that's even questionable. Has The Regime proven that the military can actually be privatized? Can you say Blackwater?

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Michael Bonanno is an associate editor for OpEdNews.

He is also a published poet, essayist and musician who lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Bonanno is a political progressive, not a Democratic Party apologist. He believes it's (more...)
 

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You are wrong. Here's why. by Son of Publius on Sunday, May 20, 2007 at 1:45:08 AM
to foofighter by Pat Herrick on Monday, May 21, 2007 at 1:46:35 PM
Have We Met? by Michael Bonanno on Sunday, May 20, 2007 at 2:58:45 AM
Heh by gg on Sunday, May 20, 2007 at 1:59:25 PM
Sick to death hearing about "Ron Paul" by John R Moffett on Sunday, May 20, 2007 at 5:59:58 AM
I think by Mark Sashine on Sunday, May 20, 2007 at 9:12:12 AM
Re: I think by gg on Sunday, May 20, 2007 at 2:12:33 PM
Respectfully by Mark Sashine on Monday, May 21, 2007 at 8:46:30 AM
You're deflecting. by Son of Publius on Sunday, May 20, 2007 at 8:28:59 PM
Can We Debate Like Progressives? by Michael Bonanno on Sunday, May 20, 2007 at 9:41:49 PM
Just maybe... by Susan Nelsen on Monday, May 21, 2007 at 1:19:41 AM
foofighter by John R Moffett on Monday, May 21, 2007 at 5:11:17 AM
Agreed by J. Edward Tremlett on Monday, May 21, 2007 at 11:12:14 AM
Not Quite... by John Proodian on Monday, May 21, 2007 at 11:04:03 PM