瘋人瘋語

「我離港前到過一間精神科醫院。當時有位病人禮貌地問,一個以作為世上最悠久民主政體而自傲的國家,如何能夠將此地交給一個政治制度非常不同的國家,且既沒諮詢當地公民,又沒給予他們民主的前景,好讓他們捍衞自己的將來。一個隨行同事說,奇怪,香港提出最理智問題的人,竟在精神科醫院。」彭定康 金融時報

“During a visit to a mental hospital before I left Hong Kong, a patient politely asked me how a country that prided itself on being the oldest democracy in the world had come to be handing over his city to another country with a very different system of government, without either consulting the citizens or giving them the prospect of democracy to safeguard their future. Strange, said one of my aides, that the man with the sanest question in Hong Kong is in a mental hospital.”Chris Patten Financial Times

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Saturday, August 22, 2009

又嚟 JIB JAB 奧巴馬

又嚟 JIB JAB 奧巴馬


近日奧巴馬總算頭痕完,本來是仗義執言,為黑人有色人種出句聲,竟然畀白人執著口實,變成仗義失言。一連幾天,都要出來安撫劍橋市的警察,又要顧著黑人選票,傳媒沒有放過他,一直反覆討論再討論,興頭很高。


煩事皆因強出頭,奧巴馬多口的麻煩,勉勉強強,利用白宮啤酒會,剛剛擺平之後,又急忙接待來自中國的 黃歧山 和 戴秉國,並有引用孟子名言,逗中國人開心,又簽名送籃球,做騷做到足,希望中國繼續購買美國國債。


另一方面,奧巴馬又急急,開辟另一條戰線,涉及千萬兆金錢的醫療保健改革,推出來讓參眾兩院討論,每天奧巴馬頻頻撲撲,到全國各城市 Town Hall 做" 路演 Road Show ",推介他的改革計劃,企圖利用群眾壓力,影響代表的參眾兩院議員,投出 a "yea" instead of a "nay" 『神聖的一票』。


政治卡通,政治漫畫,都好有市場,中外報章的政治卡通,諷刺時弊,一幅漫畫,一條短片,笑而不謔,一針見血,勝過幾百字的沉悶文章,明報有“尊子”政治卡通或曰政治漫畫,可以解貽。


諷刺時弊的政治卡通和政治漫畫,看似很平常,但這祇是有新聞自由,呼吸自由空氣的人,才有得分享,否則祇會淪為獨裁專制政權的宣傳工具。


奧巴馬連日疲于奔命,應付失言引起茶杯裡的風波,表演中文去討好中國來的客人,不停“路演”去推銷新的醫療保健改革,不如睇返段 JIB JAB 卡通片,relax 返一吓,安慰一吓,放鬆一吓。美國的 JIB JAB,每天製作不少政治卡通,以下一則,應屬于擦鞋之作,是在一個聚餐晚會上播放,因為奧巴馬總統也有出席。


之前的一段片,被“你喉”刪掉,現在已換過另一段相同片段, 片長 2:08,完畢後,是一段 JIB JAB 自家賣E-card的告白。

【明報專訊】美國政治短片網站,推出奧巴馬總統的動畫短片,奧巴馬化身為超級英雄,解決金融海嘯、中東及海盜等問題。 一身紅色緊身衣的奧巴馬在動畫中出現,他首先向人民「大洒金錢」,用美元拯救人民於水火,更降服了股市圖表化身的紅色巨龍,令股市表現回復平穩。奧巴馬亦令中東出現和解的希望,他亦打擊了恐怖分子。 動畫短片中更有奧巴馬真人現身,引用了奧巴馬的片斷,他接獲求助後,變身超級英雄,對付海盜。奧巴馬更衝上大空,對付外來的機械人。 該套動畫在一個聚餐晚會上播放,奧巴馬總統亦有出席,他看動畫時,難掩心中的高興。 動畫祇有少少諷刺他的政府狂印銀紙,債臺高築,但奧巴馬卻能把向下的紅箭嘴化成的巨口打敗,乘著綠箭嘴飛馳,拯救了美國。最後尾,超人奧巴馬,把美國國旗扶返正,讓美國星條國旗,屹立在華盛頓國會大樓的圓頂上,隨風飄揚。 國旗代表著主權,在香港的金紫荊廣場,若天色晴朗,每天都有升旗禮舉行,于七一和十一,就算落狗屎,都舉行升旗禮,奏起國歌,眾高官就口掰掰,唔識都作狀似在唱歌。美國人也尊重國旗,JIB JAB 卡通結尾,讓奧巴馬扶正國旗,對美國人的 patriotism 愛國熱情,有著正面形象,擊起愛國心。 後記: 看了幾天有關 Health Care Reform 的新聞,發覺最爭議性的議題是: " Public Insurance Option ",簡單來說,奧巴馬給予國民有多一個選擇。現時美國國民,無論是私人或是任職機構,要向商營的醫療保險公司購買保險,應該注意到,這些公司當然是 profit seeking,以謀取利潤為最終目的,令到四千七萬 47 million 美國人,因負擔不起保費,買不到保險,沒有得到保障。 改革建議推出,除了可以向商營保險公司購買醫療保險之外,國民可選擇公營的 Public Insurance Option,既然是公營的,那麼就不會是 profit seeking,沒有需要尋求盈利目的,理論上保金供款可以較低,讓現時未能負擔高昂醫療保險費的國民,得到醫療保障,也讓現今購買了醫療保險的國民,多一個選擇,云云。 奧巴馬是想利用競爭,來加強效益,利用競爭,來減少浪費,利用競爭,來消除粗疏,利用競爭,來減低成本。這就成為話柄,說 奧巴馬握殺私營的醫療保險業,令成千上萬依賴這個行業的美國人利益受損,甚至可能冇工開,這牽涉千絲萬縷、千億萬兆的金錢利益。 若 public insurance option 做得好的話,當然更多美國人會轉承保公司,出現政府和民間私營事業競爭,那就會損害了私營民營生意,成為口實,被反對黨口誅筆伐。若 public insurance option 做得不好的話,咁豈不是多此一舉,並且會做成浪費,也讓反對黨口誅筆伐。 究竟,奧巴馬今次大鑼大鼓,推行醫療保健改革,據 CNN 報導:The Obama administration is looking hard at pushing through a health care reform bill without Republican backing, top Democrats close to the White House told CNN. 奧巴馬一意孤行,以自己的民望推行改革,夾上次大選中民意基礎,進行一次豪賭,連已經去世的媽媽,死于癌病的母親,都攞出來當是實例,企圖感動國民。 是與非、成與敗、得與失、功與過,可能即時見到,也可能要後幾任後的總統,要十多年之後,才浮現出來,故唯有遙祝美國友人,一句:『好運』。 在香港的醫療預算,年年劇增,特區政府負擔沉重,將會推行醫療融資計劃,而推行『強積金』,成績強差人意,前車之鑒,香港人和特區政府就有關醫療預算和融資,應何去何從呢? 後後記: 這場美國的舉國爭論,連其北方近鄰加拿大,也被牽涉在內。 有位女士 Shona Holmes,來自安大略省、京士頓市 Watertown,為反對派製作了一段短片,把加拿大也拉埋落水,連累加拿大官員出來解畫。 《CNN》For Shona Holmes, simple pleasures such as playing with her dog or walking in her plush garden are a gift. After suffering from crushing headaches and vision problems, she was diagnosed with a brain tumor four years ago. She was told if it wasn't removed, she could go blind or even die. "They said to me that you had a brain tumor and it was pressing on your optic chasm and that it needed to come out immediately," Holmes said. Holmes is Canadian, but the "they" she refers to are doctors at the Mayo Clinic in the United States, where she turned after specialists in her own government-run health care system would not see her fast enough. "My family doctor at that time tried to get me in to see an endocrinologist and a neurologist," Holmes recalled. "It was going to be four months for one specialist and six months for the other." Even with the warning from U.S. doctors in hand, Holmes said she still couldn't get in to see Canadian specialists. Because the government system is the only health care option for Canadians, she says she had no choice but to have the surgery in the U.S. Her treatment at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona cost $100,000, and she and her husband put a second mortgage on their home and borrowed from family and friends to pay for it. When she recounts that part of her painful story, she weeps. "That's the stuff that I find so tragic -- having dinner with my friends and I know how much money I owe them," Holmes says, tears streaming down her face. With the health care reform debate raging in the U.S., Republicans in Washington are seizing on Holmes' story and other accounts from Canada to warn against government involvement in the health care system. 後後後記: 《New York Times Aug.26th 2009》BOSTON — The push for swiftly naming an interim successor to Senator Edward M. Kennedy intensified Wednesday in the wake of his death, with Gov. Deval Patrick coming out strongly in favor of the idea and other top state lawmakers indicating they were reluctant to leave the seat vacant for months. Mr. Kennedy, concerned about the loss of a Democratic vote during the fevered effort to pass a national health care overhaul — his most cherished legislative goal — had asked state leaders in a letter last week to make such a change possible. Wednesday, Democrats in Washington stepped up pressure on the governor to see Mr. Kennedy’s wish fulfilled, and state legislative leaders said they would immerse themselves in the issue after a mourning period for Mr. Kennedy. Under current law, a special election could not take place until at least 145 days after a Senate seat opens, in this case, mid-January. Mr. Kennedy’s proposal would let Mr. Patrick, a Democrat, appoint a temporary replacement sooner. The governor said he would sign a change in the law if the legislature approved it. He said it was important for Massachusetts to have two voices in the Senate as Congress prepares to vote on overhauling the health care system — contentious legislation whose passage may well require every Democratic vote. “It’s a particularly timely request at a time when there are such profoundly important issues pending in the Congress,” Mr. Patrick told reporters outside the State House, adding that he had spoken with Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the majority leader, earlier in the day about the importance of filling Mr. Kennedy’s seat. “I’m looking at the issues that are in front of the country right now and how important they are to all of us.” Republicans have attacked Mr. Kennedy’s proposal as flagrantly partisan, and indeed, the state’s Democrats are in the awkward position of being asked to reverse their own 2004 vote to keep vacant Senate seats empty until a special election. Until that year, Massachusetts law had called for the governor to appoint a temporary replacement if a Senate seat became vacant. But when Senator John Kerry, a Democrat, was running for president in 2004, the Democratically-controlled State Legislature wanted to deny the Republican governor at the time, Mitt Romney, the power to name a successor if Mr. Kerry won. The resulting law requires a special election 145 to 160 days after the vacancy occurs. While state legislative leaders stopped short of endorsing Mr. Kennedy’s proposal, they said they were worried that leaving the seat empty for five months could hurt the state. “I think that has to be a concern,” Robert A. DeLeo, the speaker of the House of Representatives, said in a news conference here. Mr. DeLeo and Therese Murray, the president of the State Senate, said a hearing on changing the law, originally planned for October, would now probably take place next month. In the letter discussing his successor, Mr. Kennedy said any temporary appointee should offer an “explicit, personal commitment” not to run for the seat in the special election. Several supporters of the plan said Wednesday they thought such a guarantee would make it more palatable to Democratic legislators who were worried about backlash. “I think a lot of people when they first heard about this were afraid it would be a handoff” to whomever Mr. Patrick appointed as a temporary replacement, said Representative Michael Moran, co-chairman of the legislature’s elections rules committee, which would shepherd through any change in the succession law. Mr. Moran said he favored the change and hoped Democratic lawmakers who initially expressed opposition would, too. “Ted Kennedy was one of the most impressive senators we’ve ever had,” he said, “and to have him write a letter just prior to his death saying this is something Massachusetts needs — how do you not take that seriously and give your position another look?” One question, Mr. Moran and other lawmakers said, is whether it would be constitutional to prohibit a temporary successor from running in the special election. As of Wednesday, only six lawmakers had signed a letter in which State Senator Michael O’Leary, whose district includes Mr. Kennedy’s hometown, Hyannis Port, called for the change. Mr. O’Leary acknowledged Wednesday that many of his colleagues were skeptical. The legislature is not set to return until after Labor Day, and lawmakers said they would delay discussing the proposal until after Mr. Kennedy’s funeral on Saturday. “I think after the senator’s services are over that probably the conversation will become louder,” Ms. Murray said. “I’m reserving my judgment in deference to the family, who really doesn’t want this in the paper right now. Our king is dead and nobody really wants to be discussing this right now.” Philip W. Johnston, former head of the Massachusetts Democratic Party, who remains involved in state politics said, “I have a pretty strong feeling that they will do it.” Mr. Johnston added, “The Republicans will say, ‘Isn’t this terrible,’ but the Democrats have nothing to apologize for as long as the temporary appointee is not a candidate for the permanent seat.” Several people, inside the family and beyond, have been discussed as possible candidates for Mr. Kennedy’s seat. His wife, confidante and policy adviser, Victoria Reggie Kennedy, has been the subject of speculation as a possible successor, but friends have said she is not interested. Other relatives seen as possible heirs include former Representative Joseph P. Kennedy II, Mr. Kennedy’s nephew, who has expressed reluctance to return to politics but who has $2 million in leftover campaign money and has not ruled out a run. Since leaving Congress in 1999, Joseph Kennedy has run the Citizens Energy Corporation, a nonprofit organization he founded years earlier to provide affordable heating oil to low-income families. While considered charismatic and a powerful speaker, he has faced criticism for accepting donated oil from the Venezuelan government. His reputation also suffered when his former wife published a book in 1997 saying he had verbally bullied her in his effort to get an annulment. But many Democrats say he would be a formidable contender. Outside the family, a number of Massachusetts Democrats are considered possible successors, including United States Representatives Stephen F. Lynch and Michael E. Capuano; state Attorney General Martha Coakley; and former Representative Martin Meehan, who retired in 2007 to become chancellor of the University of Massachusetts, Lowell, but who has about $4.8 million in campaign cash. “Much depends on whether a Kennedy will run,” Mr. Johnston said. “I don’t think there will be any discussion until after the funeral, but at that point everyone will make some decisions as to what will happen.” 愛德華甘迺迪的去世,令他的參議員議席繼承人,將會成為焦點,因為民主黨極需要這一票,投向奧巴馬的醫療保健改革方案。 伸延閱覽: 奧巴馬化身超級英雄 明報 Obama political cartoons 谷歌搜尋 Health Care reform in America CNN How to find a town hall meeting CNN Health care fact checks CNN Shona Holmes talked about Canada's government health care system CNN Successor of Kennedy's senate seat 谷歌新聞搜尋 我的舊文: 一年一度 Jib Jab 仗義執言 仗義失言(二)

13 comments:

新鮮人 said...

那段卡通片己經被删了!

老實講,
自己都未搞掂,
有幾多香港人好似你咁好心機咁仔細睇美國的改革內容吖!

exile from hk said...

I'm a die hard Obama health care reform supporter. I went to Town hall meetings. I wrote to our senators. I still believe that he can reform our stupid health care system. It's now or never. If you live here, you will understand how bad it is. Hong Kong may be heavily burdened by the cost of national health care system but at least no one has to worry about not getting the care they need. May be rich people in HK should pay more taxes. Hey I'm just saying, don't shoot me! There are lots of ways to cut cost in the U.S. You can't believe the abuses in our current system. Public option is important. To quote Obama's speech, public option will keep the insurance companies honest.

the inner space said...

新鮮兄:已經換了“短片”的連結,可以看到了。

香港正面對醫療融資的重大危機,兄臺不覺危急,祇是曾政府顧意推遲,不把它在經濟低迷時,放入日程表,提出公開咨詢,其實愈遲解決,就愈踩愈深,既得益團體社群,阻力也愈大。

香港的議員,沒有創新的質素,祇是 copycat,左抄抄,右抄抄,最後攪出個大頭佛,類似美國的體制,那就“該煨”囉。

the inner space said...

Exile, welcome in again! So did you happen to meet with President Obama at one of Town Hall road shows? i.e. somewhere in Southern California.

The US health care system has too many problems and it was compounded by some medical lawyers who sue for medical malpractice on 不成功不收費 basis, 其實是集體分贓。

I heard about many from my US colleagues at the snakeden,talking about how worst the health care system in the states. IT was an opening/ a deep hole for all greedy people to earn their living there.

I heard one comment was that: surgeon(s) open up your body just to ensure there is nothing wrong. By opening one's body it triggered the body to react, and thus starting to create problems. That was the beginning that money started to plumb into the pockets of all the interested parties.

Need not to mention unnecessary prescription drugs, excessive surgical operations,prolonged hospitalization etc etc.

YES, someone has to fix it,but but but Can President Obama get it done within his 4 yr term ? because of that, he might be kicked out of the office or even being assassinated B4 his 4 yr term ending.

exile from hk said...

No such luck to meet Pres. Obama unfortunately. There are town hall meetings every where in the U.S. Some of them require tickets, some are first come first serve. I am kind of curious about what your U.S co-workers do about their health care? Do they have those gold plated expat. health insurance or do they use HK health care? What do HK people think about subsidizing expats' health care. Hey if they keep permitting those republican nutjobs to carry guns to town hall meetings, I guess the secret service should be extra careful. I STILL believe something will be done. If he can't do it, no one will. Baby boomers are aging. They have to reform Medicare anyway (health care for senior over 65), this is the time. I got a feeling that everyone will lose a little bit, so that we will have a fairer and more sustainable health care system.

When I lived in HK, I never got sick. So I don't really know how it works. But I remember reading something like HK$100 for emergency room fee, come on, that's cheap. We all have to agree with one thing though - that health care is a right not a privilege. Do we want to live in a city where only rich people can afford to get sick, sigh....

the inner space said...

Exile, thank you for yours further comments.

Yes, indeed those expat. from the states are living in diamond towers. The whole compensation package does include private medical care health care (save for emergency room services I guessed).

As for the local employees we also enjoying some medical insurance coverage, we can get reimbursement for our out-patient medical, surgical,and hospitalization expenses.

Need not to say NEVER EVER comparable to those of the expat. but at least we need not rely purely on HK's public health system.

What I heard about from them may not be their personal experience. However, they are very much concerned about Obama's health care reform, becoz they have relatives and friends still living in the states.

HK's public medical and health care is purely funded by tax payers,and that has become a burden, with many and countless abusements at the generousity of our govt.

HK$100 for emergency room fee was to deter some people going to emergency room for minor sicknesses like catching a cold, light coughing, or normal flu etc. instead of visiting their family doctors.

There were also some China Mothers ==> pregnanted female mainlanders, who travelled to HK just
prior to their "expecting period", and gave birth to their babies in our public hospitals.

HK government is studying for ways to fund our public health system, i.e. not purely rely from tax money. That touches the " 既得利益 " of various interested parties.

(without proof reading)

Haricot 微豆 said...

While the Canadian health care sys is far from perfect, my experience with it has been positive. Whenever there is an emergency, I never have to worry abt the financial side of things before checking my loved ones into the emergency room.

Just like many non-profit organizations in Canada, it is not the thickness of the patient's wallet that is driving the priority of a hospital, but rather the urgency of the patient's situation. So, when Ms. Holmes felt she was not on top of the priority list in Canada, she chose to spend money in the US and that was her choice.

As I said, there is no perfect system.

Haricot 微豆 said...

(cont'd)

But I definitely would say to Ms Holmes that SHE DOES NOT REPRESENT MY VIEW of the Canadian health care system.

ps: BTW, the video on Obama the superhero was funny. Thanks !!!

the inner space said...

Hari big brother, I heard that in ontario health care is no more "FREE" as compared wtih the past, a health care tax is levied from tax-payers since the liberals came on stage.

Indeed, JIB JAB is quite humourous!

the inner space said...

另 Hari 兄
香港暫時沒有另外抽保健稅,祇是抽一般入息稅,再經由政府的“筆郅”,撥款給醫療保健單位。但醫療保健筆郅年年擴大,已到了非談及融資方案不可,然而今屆曾政府,為避免發生爭議,令民望下滑,採取鴕鳥政策。

Haricot 微豆 said...

There is nothing "free". Govts collect taxes one way or another to pay for medical services and other public good.

It is my understanding that the health tax collected by the Ontario govt is still relatively small compared to the transfer of funds from the federal govt to the province.

the inner space said...

hari 兄:香港引入強積金已經成為詬病再加上醫療融資供款,打工仔拿回家的所餘無幾矣!又話引入 sales tax 消費稅添!

the inner space said...

Exile from Hong Kong, I heard on CNN that President Obama is going to DROP Public Insurance Option in the whole package of Health Care Reform.

Without such option, HOW can the REFORM make it's presence? Was it a defeat ?