perspectives

Social Security Disability Fraud?

Before we fall for anyone changing or replacing Social Security with some other politically-charged profiteering methodology, shouldn't we first ensure we have had a full accounting of it's present state. Shouldn't we at least be knowledgeable of what has caused the system to end up at the point of bankruptcy? You'll find some interesting reading in a Policy Analysis: Facilitating Fraud: How SSDI Gives Benefits to the Able Bodied by James M. Taylor on the CATO Institute site. It is an eye-opening expose that certainly heightens the suspicion that there are sweeping issues of poor management, administrative violations of federal regulations and public abuse and corruption of our own system. Social Security Disability (SSDI) was established as a source of income for persons who are so severely disabled that they cannot perform any meaningful work that exists in the national economy.

These facts taken from the report below certainly raise BIG questions:

• SSDI funds come directly from Social Security general revenues.

• The U.S. Bureau of the Census estimates that the nation’s overall population grew by just 7 percent between 1991 and 1998.

• SSA reports that it granted SSDI benefits to 47 percent more persons in 1998 than in 1991.

• More startling still, SSA paid out 77 percent more money to SSDI recipients in 1998 than in 1991. This certainly causes one to ask a few reflective questions:

DID WE MISS SOMETHING?

Was there an epidemic of severe disabilities going on between 1991-1998 that led to an increase of 47 percent more people being unable to work? 

Even if this were true, is it logical that 77 percent more SSDI dollars would be handed out over the same period?

In reflection, can we say we were secretly, even from ourselves, simultaneously suffering from spreading plagues and hyperinflation in our economy?

What's your take?

Debbe Kennedy

Visit the Global Dialogue Center

IRAQ BODY COUNT - Precision War

Total civilian deaths = 24,865 people dead --- The most powerful leaders in the world have neglected the decency to acknowledge these individuals.

Total civilian wounded = 42,500 people wounded --- The most powerful leaders in the world have neglected the decency to acknowledge these individuals.

Excerpt from writings of Desmond Tutu...

"All I know, God, is that it's all so horrendous,
The high-tech war with computers
That declare that we are so advanced,
and we can bomb with breathtaking
Precision and people die and
Building collapse, and blood flows, whether it
Is precision bombing or---

It is all the same, you are dead.
And in Paris, and New York, and Birmingham,
In Tel Aviv, in Baghdad, In riyadh
A mother waits anxiously for news
Of her son, of her daughter, of her husband.
A child waits...

How many deaths will it take before too many people have died?

Debbe Kennedy

http://www.globaldialoguecenter.com

An African Prayer Book by Desmond Tutu

Source: www.iraqbodycount.org

SHOOT TO KILL POLICY Mistakes

Apparently, most officials, politicians and commentators seem to support the “shoot to kill” policy based on reading articles around the world. I must admit that I was stunned to hear the basis for it and to learn that the Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair said, "Somebody else could be shot. But everything is done to make it right. This is a terrifying set of circumstances for individuals to make decisions."

I wonder if supporters would change their minds on such a policy if it was their young son that was gunned down?

How does a civilized society justify such a shoot to kill policy without first asking some deep, penetrating questions of themselves.

It seems the most powerful leaders in the world make a continual practice to move from AWARENESS to ACTION, never thinking through the effectiveness and implications of the decision they are about to make. Where is the "AFTER ACTION REVIEW" to determine how their previous and present actions and behavior might be contributing to perpetuating our terrorist state of the world. Where is the self-examination? Where is the immediate CALL for ACCOUNTABILITY for their ineffectiveness?

I certainly do not support terrorism, but obviously we have some serious issues that are not getting solved by the BUSH-BLAIR strategies. Shouldn't we be evaluating the ineffectiveness of their policies, practices and behavior? Why aren't we probing and forcing a review? Or do we just keep allowing the same behavior, judgment and actions to heighten and strengthen the hatred for our countries until it is too late to do anything? I believe they say doing the same thing over and over, expecting a different result is called insanity. WAR does not create PEACE.

It is not too surprising that two men with VISIONS of WAR are manifesting WAR and TERRORISM. Man has dominion over this world and right now, we are captive to their VISION of WAR. As a man thinketh, so he is. Our US self-proclaimed war president is producing just what he envisioned in his claim---WAR, TERRORISM, MORE WAR, THREATS OF WAR. VISION can be used for GOOD or for EVIL. PEACE or POWER. Right now, it is being used for destruction and the blood of our neighbors and service men and women are all over their hands as they point fingers at others.

Is this your vision?
Is this vision the one you want for your future and your children's future?

Their VISION of WAR appears to be spreading too. I was alarmed to see a headline the other day on a Brazilian NEWS site that read: Brazilian Military Getting Ready for Vietnam-style US Invasion

What if BUSH and BLAIR asked just a couple of key questions, like:

1. What is it that drives people to such desperate acts as terrorism? Is there anything we might have done (e.g., like killing 25,000 civilians in Iraq, destroying their cities, forcing our culture on others in occupation and more) that has led them to this?

2. BUSH keeps saying it is because the extremists think we are "infidels". Shouldn't we be asking HOW DID WE LEAVE THIS IMPRESSION WITH THEM?

Perhaps if these questions were answered, it would provide a new basis for decision-making. I wish.

What do you think?

Debbe Kennedy

READ a great commentary on the SHOOT-TO-KILL POLICY at JMCMASTER.

Visit the Global Dialogue Center
Visit John Perkins at the Global Dialogue Center

BUSH - ROVE "Standards of Conduct"

It has been appalling to read the accounts of one of the most powerful leaders in the world and his staff as they dance around the significant breech of leadership conduct regarding  the leak of identity of covert CIA agent Valerie Plame. It is difficult to fathom that there is not more public outrage.

Interestingly, our own government runs by a different set of leadership standards than one would expect. Most great companies have values and standards of conduct and leaders are expected to set the example. If you violate the rules, you are OUT. In my tenure at IBM as a leader in my former career, I saw numbers senior executives marched to the door for violations of leadership conduct far less grievous than what has been admitted already in this Karl Rove case.

Without even knowing all of the facts, both George Bush and Karl Rove would be fired for such negligence in the way they have responded as leaders, just knowing about this situation and participating in it. Karl Rove should have bolted into action the minute he heard about this situation, if his testimony is correct that he heard it from another journalist he can't recall ---instead he participated in it further with Robert Novak.

Upon hearing that a CIA operative had been exposed, shouldn't he have briefed his boss and taken appropriate action at that time?

When Bush heard about the violation long ago, shouldn't he have called Rove in immediately, confronted him and fired him then for shirking his leadership responsibilities?

Instead, the violators are left to squander taxpayer dollars on a big investigation, when the truth is all that is needed.

Isn't Karl Rove at a level of leadership that one would expect his conduct to be above reproach?

Wouldn't one expect that any answers regarding whether he did something or didn't, could be answered by him directly without an investigation?

Once again, the Bush administration proves it operates outside the laws of this country. Its lies and half-truths are disgusting.

QUESTION:
Why do we, not as Republicans or Democrats, but as citizens, accept such a low level of integrity from our elected leaders??

I welcome your thoughts.

Debbe Kennedy

www.globaldialoguecenter.com

Visit: John Perkins at the Global Dialogue Center

Bush cares deeply about human rights???

The tragedy today in London is heavy on all our hearts.

It is interesting that the most powerful leaders in the world are unable to stop after years of terrorists attacks to pause for a moment of self-examination. To continue to do the same behavior and get the same result is called in some circles "insanity." One would think that as senior leaders often do, when people are unhappy, that the most powerful leaders in world would make some attempt to work to understand what is behind the issues and often that means an examination of behaviors and actions on the part of the leader.

What continues to baffle me is that these powerful leaders of the most powerful countries in the world, do not ask themselves one of the most basic leadership questions:

• What it is that they might be doing that is contributing to such acts of desperation as terrorism?
• Why are people from all over the world demonstrating?
• What behavior and actions are leading to such discontent.

Interestingly, none of them seem not to be the least bit interested in asking the question or discovering the answer. A quote from a classic Harvard Business Review article stays with me:

"I had to change to realize my dream. Understanding that things weren't working was the easy part. The hard part was understanding I was the problem."
--- Ralph Stayer

Bush's self-righteous tone today was hard to listen to today also. The empty words suggesting his "deep care for human rights" coming from the self-proclaimed "war president," who wears the blood of what 10,000, 100,000 "collateral deaths" in Iraq on his hands---killings he hasn't even the decency to acknowledge:

"The contrast couldn't be clearer between the intentions and the hearts of those of us who care deeply about human rights and human liberty, and those who kill, those who have got such evil in their hearts that they will take the lives of innocent folks," Mr. Bush said. "The war on terror goes on."
--- George Bush

As citizens of this world, we also have to take responsibility for voting in these leaders. How did we put our lives, our trust and our vote on men who cannot say they made a mistake and who are obviously not big enough to say they are sorry to anyone for anything???

"How wonderful if politicians could bring themselves to admit they are only fallible human creatures and not God and thus by definition can make mistakes. Unfortunately, they seem to think that such an admission is a sign of weakness. Weak and insecure people hardly ever say "sorry."
--- Desmond TuTu - TuTu Tell's Blair: Apologize for "immoral war"

What are your thoughts?

Debbe Kennedy
President, CEO and Founder
Global Dialogue Center