"FUCK THE BEASTS AND THE CHILDREN!" WE MUST PROTECT THE TOBACCO INDUSTRY. ~our government

Well, I did it again and I'm beginning to suspect I've completely lost my learning curve. That's because, when I awoke this morning, I committed the same error I made yesterday morning and the morning before that. I turned the computer on. Even worse, I then read the following damn headline on its opening screen.

"Child Health Insurance Bill Faces Veto"

The AP story told how Bush advisers will recommend to the president that he veto a bill by the senate that would give a substantial boost towards helping children of lower income families with the costs of their health care insurance.

And how would it be financed? "The legislation calls for a 61-cent increase in the federal excise tax on a pack of cigarettes. The revenue would be used to subsidize health insurance for children and some adults with incomes too high to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to afford insurance on their own."

But here's the real kicker: The richest damn nation on Earth can't afford it (even though the smoker's of America are going to pay for it)! Why? Well, the program will cost $35 billion over five years. Let me repeat that:

"The program extending health insurance to more children will cost $35 billion over five years!"

Remember -- the United States spends $36 billion losing two wars in Iraq and Afghanistan every three fucking weeks!!

As white house spokesman Tony Fratto says, "Tax increases are neither necessary nor advisable to appropriately fund the Children's Health Insurance Program." In that the tax increases Fratto is talking about is on cigarette smokers, it's easy to conclude that the Bush administration is more concerned about the health of the tobacco industry than our nation's kids.

Keep in mind, I'm less than 37 hours outside a movie screen upon which I viewed Michael Moore's "Sicko." It's obvious when it comes to children, our country values killing them over in Afghanistan and Iraq far more than insuring our own here with basic health care.

And I'm wondering how many more years the American people are going to continue being a nation of victims and not victors over "our" government?