HALF A MILLIONAIRE

For many, rain is boring and depressing, but I always enjoy it. When I was a kid, I liked to come outside in the morning after a long rainy night because I loved to be the first person to smell the fresh air. I listened to birds chirping in the trees. I looked for dedicated ants starting their day under fallen leaves on the ground. I felt at peace. I felt as though my garden was all that I needed because it was life. It was a world. Or, at least, it was my world.

On December 12, 2009, from Baghdad, according to Reuters, Statoil, a Norwegian company, in partnership with Lukoil, a Russian oil giant, won the bid for Iraq’s supergiant West Qurna Phase II oilfield (www.reuters.com). These nations did not support the war. Also, Chinese and French oil companies are working very hard to snap up their shares of the cake. They, too, opposed the war. Exxon Mobil, an American company, won a deal for the supergiant West Qurna Phase I. It shows that the U.S. is not the only nation benefiting from the Iraq war in terms of oil. It is a “free” market competition. What about the deaths of thousands innocent Iraqis? I just want to make it clear that I am not mentioning the deaths of soldiers in this article because they are considered combatants. However, just for one sentence, I respect all the soldiers because they are the ones who have the courage and honor (soldiers’ courage and honor, not defined by you and me, Monday quarterbacks) to do what they are told, knowing that there are people around the world who will mock them for being “stupid”.

Let us get back to the deaths of innocent Iraqis. I am saddened by their deaths, but I do not know what to do. I know that I cannot bring them back. I know that their blood will be in the gas tank of my car, but I do not know what to do. Russia, China, France and Norway will bring home some cash from Iraq which will be used hopefully to create jobs for Russian, Chinese, French and Norwegian peoples. So, when a Russian (Chinese, French, or Norwegian) worker brings home a paycheck after a hardworking day, he or she should be aware that there is some blood on it, too.

On the positive side, I know that the Iraqi people will have ”a new chance” to rebuild their lives, and I hope that their leaders will make the right decisions for them. For me, I will continue to enjoy my morning after a rainy night because I know that life is more fun after the rain. And, I choose to accept both death and life. And, I will dream for eternal peace. However, I will not hastily condemn a war.

During his tour of Europe, President Obama pledged to a large crowd in Prague that America would work together with Russia to reduce its nuclear arsenal, and the speech won him the Nobel Peace prize. The goal is to cut nuclear warheads to between 1,700 and 2,200 by 2012. On November 25, 2009, Iranian President Ahmadinejad, at the opposite end, vowed to enrich more uranium and continue to pursue his nuclear ambition. Why doesn’t Iran feel safe even though America is signaling to the world that she desires peace?

Let us look at the number one more time. By 2012, we will “only” have about 2,200 nuclear warheads (not including the unlisted or concealed weapons!). That is not a lot (!). In my opinion, the denuclearization plan between the U.S. and Russia is meaningless because it does not guarantee peace. Even if all nations agree to completely rid this world of nuclear weapons, America still has thousands of tanks, planes, submarines and other bombs. America is still in control. And, this is the reason why Iran and other weaker nations want to have nuclear weapons. They fully understand that they will never be able to match up directly with America. Therefore, they just want to have enough nuclear warheads to protect themselves. Let us use Iran as an example. Ahmadinejad knows that he is being cornered by the international community because Russia is no longer on his side. Tactically, Iran is surrounded by American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. He knows that if he makes one wrong move that gives the U.S. a reason to attack, the game will be over. He has to continue playing the “delay” card because he knows the U.N. is nothing but a theatrical show. He is also letting the U.S. know that “if you attack me, I will retaliate on your friend, Israel.” The questions are: Did President Obama really mean “peace” when he announced America’s nuclear reduction plan? Or, did he do it to gain Russia’s favor and to further isolate Iran?

In my honest opinion, it is hypocritical of us to try to convince others to stop pursuing nuclear capability when we, Americans, never stop developing new weaponry. On the contrary, I suggest that we should allow everyone to have nuclear weapons because when we all have them, we will never have the courage to use them on each other. Perhaps, we will appreciate each other more, and we will learn to live together. I know that it does not sound right, but I don’t think we have a choice because I know that we are selfish creatures. Although self-preservation is the force that pushes our species forward, but it can also destroy us when we are unable to celebrate our differences. In conclusion, with or without nuclear weapons, we can “never” rid this world of “wars” because we are depleting our planet’s natural resources. And, eventually and sadly, we will kill each other to survive. Homo sapiens, the ugliest living things ever walk the earth.

History shows that every empire has an end, and I believe that American domination on the international stage has been weakened by China. And, although the Asian giant is still about 100 years behind the U.S., it will catch up and eventually take the lead in the long run because:

1. The growing pain that China is currently bearing is exactly the same pain which the U.S. had to go through during its industrial revolution period. However, China saves a lot of time and money on scientific research, which the U.S. and other nations have done.  

2. China is America’s largest creditor. And, personally, I don’t believe in “good debt” because debt weakens our nation. Many argue that the debt is small compared to the national GDP and that America can still handle it. In my opinion, it is the most ridiculous and irresponsible excuse. When we are in debt, our voice is no longer the strongest, and it shows during President Obama’s tour of Asia.

3. America is not being led by strong leadership, and I am not just blaming it on President Obama. I am calling out everyone in Washington DC. Turn on the TV and we can see how they fight each other for political gain. They do not really care for the American people. Most of them care about personal legacy and their own pockets.  

4. Chinese leaders are tough-minded. They learn from the collapse of the Soviet Union, so they are slowly reforming their country. Of course, many in the Western world have been criticizing China’s human rights record for years, but the Chinese leaders never give in. They hear the complaints, and they solve the problems behind closed doors. They are not afraid of external influence because they know that the problems are theirs and that no one can tell them what to do. We all must remember that China is not the United States of America. It has thousands years of history. Its society is governed by a different set of values. We, Americans, should be more careful and sensitive when we attempt to introduce our democracy to others.

5. On the other hand, President Obama is trying really hard to please the world because he believes that America’s image has been destroyed by the previous administration. In my opinion, it is a waste of time. Why do we have to care so much about what others think of us? I believe that his first priority is to create jobs for Americans. Why did he have to tour Asia during this time? I listened to his speech in Tokyo, and, as always, it sounded really good. He told the world what he would do to fix America. However, the speech would have been more meaningful if he had actually succeeded in fixing America’s problems, in my opinion. If I were him, I would have stayed home and worked tirelessly to create jobs for Americans. And, I would have let the results speak for me.  

6. We, Americans, complain about everything because we never feel satisfied with what we have. We borrow money against our house to purchase things that we do not really need. Now, we want free healthcare when the national unemployment is over 10%. However, we must remember that nothing is “free” in life. How will we fund for universal healthcare? If we print more money, the value of the dollar will go down even more. If we finance the cost of healthcare by borrowing from China, how will we pay it back?

7. China has the largest labor force, and everyone wants to improve their livelihood. Therefore, they all are willing to work hard. Americans on the other hand always demand a higher standard of living, so the cost of doing business in America is higher. Thus, jobs will leave our shores. Bankers, engineers and doctors will do fine, but those without high education will struggle to find work. The gap between the rich and poor will widen. The poor can no longer afford the things that they used to. Frustration and anger will peak, and riots will break out.

Although the momentum is on China’s side, the Asian country will be facing many serious problems in the future that can potentially hurt it. For example, environmental pollution is slowly killing the Chinese people. After having tasted the fruit of their labor, they will begin to seek political freedom and democracy, which can lead to unrest. However, in my opinion, learning from the mistakes made by the Soviet Union and the U.S., the Chinese leaders are ready for these challenges. They will continue to rake in the money by doing business with the West, but at the same time they will keep a tight grip on their people. Regardless if we like it or not, it is their country, and they have the right to do whatever they want to do. Most importantly, we must remember to keep our mouth shut because China has a leash of debt around our neck.

The physician: I have spent twelve years in high school, four years for undergraduate study, four years in medical school and two years in residency, so I have the right to charge you whatever I want. My student loans total about $300,000, so I have the right to charge you whatever I want. This clinic costs me thousands to operate, so I have the right to charge you whatever I want. My malpractice insurance costs me about $100,000 per year, so I have the right to charge you whatever I want. If I make a mistake, you can take me to court. And, probably, you will be awarded millions. I did have passion when I was in school. But, in the real world, I must protect myself. And, I have the right to make a lot of money because I am a licensed professional. Not everyone can do what I do. You pay a high price to see me because I am one of the best. That is how capitalism works. You can seek another doctor if you want to save some money.

The patient: (silent)

The insurance company: If you read section IV, Part 3, Paragraph (i), Point (a), it tells you that your condition is not covered by your current plan because it is classified as a pre-existing disease, meaning you had had it for years before you bought our product. We understand that you possibly did not know about it. Or, perhaps, you did know about the disease but lied to us when you purchased our product. Honestly, had you told us about your condition, I am assuming that if you had known, we would not have sold our product to you in the first place anyway. Sorry, we are in this business to make a profit. 

The patient: That is ridiculous. I have been paying a very high premium. And, now, when I need it most, you deny to take care of me. Honest to God, I did not know anything about the condition. I am not a doctor, you know. But, the reason I buy insurance is to protect me in a situation like this one. Is there anything that I can do? Can I appeal?

The insurance company: We have to charge you a high premium to cover our costs. Again, we are a publicly traded company, so we must make a profit. Also, when you have time, take a look at your bill, last month you had a cataract surgery on your left eye, your doctor charged us ten thousands dollars. There are doctors out there who are very greedy and dishonest. They overcharged us. And, many of them even charge money for procedures that they do not perform. To answer your question, I do not know exactly how the appealing process works, but I will be glad to find out. Can I call you back in a few days?

The patient (confused and lost): Yes, please. Bye now.

President Obama: I am deeply sorry to hear your story. I know that many others are facing the same problem as you are. I want everyone to have health coverage because I believe that it is one of the fundamental rights promised to us and that is that we all have the right to pursue “happiness”. To be happy, we must feel secured about our job, our family, our retirement, our health, etc. My idea is to insert into our current healthcare system a public option that is more affordable and most importantly covers all members and their dependents without the pre-existing condition bull, please excuse my language. But, there are many cowboys and hotshots in Congress who oppose my plan because they think it will cost too much money to run. They are afraid that the government will fail because everything the government touches turns into cow dung. I just want to do it because we have been waiting for too long. So many have been suffering. Let us use tax payers’ money to take care of tax payers. I know the line will be long when you go to the hospital, but at least you know you will receive care. The doctors might not be the best and brightest, but they would be good enough to get the job done. I know that many will abuse the system to steal money from tax payers. But, hey, no system is perfect. I will fix it as I go. I hope I will be re-elected because there are so many things that I want to do for you. And, I need more than four years. And, I need your support to bring changes to America. I promise you that.

The patient (smiled and felt comforted): Thank you.

My personal opinion

I support the public option because my heart tells me that it is the right thing to do. I am willing to pay higher taxes to take care of my less fortunate neighbors. I am not trying to be a hero. Simply, I just believe that because life is short, we all need to be less greedy and more compassionate. However, I will not stop fighting to become wealthy because although money cannot buy happiness, it can buy me a lot of time. And, time is what I value the most.

On September 11, 2001, I woke up early to prepare for school. As I was eating breakfast, I heard the news of the attack on television. And, I could not believe it, so I alerted my roommates. For a moment, we thought that it was a documentary or a hypothetical scenario created by CNN. However, after we had noticed the word “live” on the screen, we knew that it was for real. Immediately, some of my friends, “Star Wars” enthusiasts, yelled ”the empire strikes back”. For the entire morning, we began to do what college students always love to do: We argued. We looked at the issue from all angles. We all agreed that it was wrong to kill innocent people (there was no debate about this among us). However, we believed that Osama bin Laden had his own reasons for doing what he did. Some believed that the terrorist leader was stupid because he would never win against the U.S. by employing terror tactics because the U.S. is the only nation on earth that did actually drop atomic bombs on its enemy. 

Why is Osama bin Laden so mad? And, what is he afraid of? He is mad because the U.S. is wealthier and more powerful. He is afraid that the American culture and Western ideology will destroy his. For example, women have become more independent and empowered in his society. Young people in his society eat McDonald’s and drink Coke. They like to watch movies produced by Hollywood. They love ipods and iphones. They have not questioned the islam faith, but he knows that they eventually will. He wants to stop the trend, but he does not know what to do because he knows he is weaker. He is desperate. He is like a poor person who constantly complains about how others are richer than he is but refuses to improve his situation by working harder. Perhaps, this poor person has tried to work harder, but he is unable to catch up with the rich because when he is one million dollar richer, they on the other hand have increased their wealth by one billion dollars. Therefore, he starts to play ”dirty”.

I would like to share a childhood story with you because my older sister always reminds me of it whenever we talk about our past. When we were young, we were playmates. We collected things that were valuable to us. For example, we had rubber bands, marbles, pretty rocks and thrown-away lotto tickets. We especially loved the lotto tickets because they had beautiful pictures on them. We used them as our “money”. One day, we were playing cards, and I lost all of mine to my sister in one hand. Without hesitation, I grabbed her treasure box and threw it down the sewage moat. I was desperate, so I played “dirty”. Personally, I do not remember the story, but my sister does. I defend myself by telling my sister that my inability to recall the story shows that I did not mean to hurt her. My anger did it.

Osama bin Laden took down the Twin Tower and killed thousands of innocent people. He did terrorize the free world for awhile, but now what? The U.S. is still standing. When one building goes down, we build hundreds more. The loss of lives is irreplaceable, but it brings us closer to each other. We are more united than before. The American culture lives on. Life will go on. However, Osama is nowhere to be found. Many claim that he is still alive. But, who cares? Death and disease will get him. Undoubtedly, his ”anger outburst” will die with him, too. I condemn terrorism because I believe that it is an act of weakness and desperation. If a nation wants to compete with the U.S., then it needs to improve itself and stop blaming the U.S. for its condition. I have great respect for Japan and Germany because they have pulled themselves out of a deep hole after World War II. Similarly, China, India and Brazil are becoming stronger and stronger everyday because they have been playing within the international rules.

In conclusion, Osama lost the game because his life is finite. His short-lived “outburst” (I refuse to use the word “movement”) is not effective and a waste of his life. In the history of mankind, he will always be a terrorist and nothing more.

The mother: I would like to thank you for meeting with me.

The president: I am here to answer your questions.

The mother: I lost my son in the Iraq war. I just want to ask you this question: Why did you send him to war?

The president: On September 11, 2001, more than two thousand innocent Americans, 2976 to be exact, were killed. It was one of the saddest days of my life. They died on my watch. And, I promised myself that I would do whatever it takes to prevent it from happening again. I had to smoke the terrorists out of their holes.

The mother: I just don’t understand. Thousands died. And, you wanted thousands more to die by going to war. I lost my loving son. We could have just ignored the terrorists. We could have found a more peaceful solution.

The president: I did not “want” anyone to die. But, I was fully aware of the fact that war would bring destruction and casualties. And as an elected leader, I had to make the difficult decision and live with the consequences. That is why I am talking to you.

The mother: But, the evidence shows that Iraq was not a threat to our country. Saddam Hussein had no WMDs. Many believe that you went to war for oil. There was no honor in the war. My son lost his life for nothing.

The president: I knew soldiers were dying. I knew innocent people were dying. I knew about these losses. But, I believed and still do now that I did the right thing because they are now on the run. They have to hide in the mountains and live in caves. Eventually, they and their violent ideology will die. At the time, I had to make my decision based on the intelligence presented to me. Congress and I, we as a nation, declared war on them. I know that each soldier has a mother. I feel your pain everyday. I feel the pain of the other mothers as well. Our young men and women make the decision to join the military to protect our nation. I never wish for them to die. But, I was their leader and I had to do what I believed to be the right thing. They understood that. I understand that my explanation will never bring back our sons and daughters. Sometimes, I just want to feel that pain in silence because I myself is a father. My wife understands what I am talking about.

The mother: I must hear it from you. Did we go to Iraq for oil?

The president: We fought two wars because we wanted to eliminate the terrorist network or disrupt it. We also wanted to strengthen our position in the region because we knew that our nation’s security depends on it. I am not just talking about oil. It includes intelligence network and building stronger ally relationships. Our men and women understood the strategic importance of the wars. Our brave men and women understood what they were sacrificing for. The other two thousand plus innocent Americans did not know that they would be killed on 9/11. These innocent Americans have families, too. More than that, they belong to our American family. I will never let it happen again.

The mother: Why can’t we just improve our defense here at home? We did not have to spend so much money and lose more lives to have security. 

The president: I love peace. But, sometimes, war is necessary because our current enemy is just pure evil. Their objective is to terrorize free societies by killing innocent people. They hate freedom and democracy. They will not stop attacking us until we bring destruction on them. History will judge me. People will judge me. I am aware that many Americans disagree with me now. But, I am also sure that there are a few who agree with and understand my action. I am ready to be judged by God, and my loving wife will be there to support me. And, honestly, she is the only one that I need. I am at peace with my conscience. I am sorry I have to stop here. I just want you to know that I feel the sorrow and loss that you and many Americans have to endure. I am not going to say, “I am sorry”, to you and others because it is not enough. But, I want to tell the American people that I am taking full responsibility for the consequences of my decision. History and God will judge me.

As usual, President Obama’s healthcare speech sounded very good tonight. I felt very emotional when he talked about Senator Ted Kennedy’s lifelong dream, universal healthcare for all Americans. In my heart, I was yelling: “yes, let’s do it.” However, my head disagreed because I was skeptical about his plan. Simply, I do not think we can afford it.

Some argue that if France, Norway, Canada and many other socialist nations are able to provide universal healthcare to their citizens, then we should be able to do the same. For me, I believe that it is easy said than done. For example, to cover healthcare cost, in Norway, the income tax rate is aboout 48 percent. There is also something called “tax on net wealth”, which means that the government can tax its rich citizens one additional time for having accumulated wealth, because it wants to narrow the gap between the rich and the poor. When they are sick, they just go to a hospital and a doctor will treat them. Similarly, Canadians are very proud of their healthcare system because it covers everyone. In my opinion, the U.S. cannot afford universal healthcare (although I wish that we can) because we have a larger population (300 million) compared to Canada (33 million) and Norway (4.6 million).

Universal healthcare is nice, but it is not free. How do we finance the program? We can cut other programs to free up some money. We can apply for an interest-only loan with the China bank. We can just print more money, disregarding inflation. We can raise taxes on everyone because taxing just the rich will not generate enough money to support the program.  

In his speech, President Obama did not specifically point out what he would do to gather up enough money to fulfill his promise. I felt as though he just wanted us to trust him. I felt as though he just wanted us to do it, and we would deal with the financial consequences later when they arrive. As an American, he has it in his blood like all of us, the risk-taking spirit. We financed our houses with interest only loans and we successfully brought down our economy. Although we do not know exactly what the universal healthcare plan will bring down next, we are Americans and therefore we are not afraid to dream the American dream.

Personally, I am torn by the issue. Sometimes, I just want to follow my heart and prepare for the next economic crisis; if the dream becomes a reality, I will be happy and scared at the same time. obviously, I do not want to wish that universal healthcare will always be a dream because I know many Americans need it. All I can do is to hope that they will do the right thing because it is out of my hands.

Last Tuesday, a retired man in South Carolina won a $260 million Powerball Jackpot. If he takes the prize in one lump sum, he would pocket about $88 million. Luck was on this man’s side because his chance of winning was 1 in 195 million. If one drives 15,000 miles a year for 50 years on American roads, one’s odd of dying in a car accident is about 1 in 100. In the U.S., the odd of being struck by lightning is about 1 in 600,000.

For me, I have never caught a fish before in my life. On the other hand, my wife has won the slot machine jackpot twice in Las Vegas. Because she believes that luck is always on her side, she likes to play Megamillions. She argues that the reason why I will never win a lottery is because I never buy the ticket. Therefore, my chance of winning is zero. Although her chance of winning is small, it is still greater than zero. Like all loving husbands, I skillfully avoid the argument–which I know I will lose regardless of what I say–by replying, “I believe I will never win a jackpot because I used all of my luck on you.”

I am not against playing the lottery. If one participates for fun once in awhile, it is alright to spend a few bucks to buy some hope. However, I am interested in pointing out that hope sometimes is a very dangerous concept. To me, hope is like a poison that can kill a man if he indulges himself in it.

In The Shawshank Redemption, one of my favorite movies, Andy Dufresne warns his fellow prisonmate that “hope is a very dangerous thing, my friend.” Wrongfully accused for killing his wife, Andy has always dreamed of freedom. However, he does not just hope for it to come. Instead, he takes matters into his own hands and plans his escape. And, he succeeds.

A few years ago, in the middle of a snow storm, a man and his family were trapped in their minivan because he had taken a wrong turn into the wilderness. After having saved his wife and two kids, the rescuers found his body a few miles away in a creek. There was a big debate about whether it was a good idea or not that he left his family behind in the minivan to seek help. I truly believe in my heart that he did it out of love. He could not sit and hope for the rescuers to come. What if they would never come? He did not want see his children die because of his mistake. He sacrificed himself to give his family some hope. Even at this very moment while I am writing this article, I am feeling a chill running up my spine as I think about his lonely death. I know for sure his last thought was to wish that someone would save his family.

In 2008, President Obama won the election by employing the concept of hope. He knew that poor and middle class Americans were thirsty for change, so he gave them hope. Like hungry fish looking for food in the morning, they all took the bait. They voted for him because they hoped that he would save them. They voted for him because they hoped that he would give them a better life. They put too much hope in a man who did not think twice before he made his promises. In 2009, many are still hoping that one day he will fulfill his promises.

Hope is beautiful, but it becomes dangerous when one only hopes and does not want to take action. Everyone can hope or dream, but only a few can deliver. If one wants to become a millionaire, one must work for it. Personally, I believe that it is easier to make a million dollars by investing than by winning a lottery. And, the fastest way to be poor is to sit and wait for a politician to fulfill his promises. Finally, I am not telling you to stop hoping. However, I hope that you all approach life in a way that you will rarely have to rely on hope.

The poor cannot afford health insurance. The rich are afraid that the government will take their money to pay for the poor. Ruthlessly, insurance companies seek new ways to deny claims because they want to make a profit. Healthcare providers charge high fees to cover their malpractice insurance. How do we solve the healthcare problem?

We can make health insurance more affordable by introducing new competition to the industry. To compete with the powerful insurance companies, the government must become a player. Of course, we do not want the government to control how we take care of our health, but we do need it to step in because we must think for our poor fellow Americans. We must create a law to force the insurance companies to cover everyone, regardless of pre-existing conditions, but we must choose our method carefully because we do not want to kill the industry with governmental overregulation. We have to hold everyone accountable by creating a functional managed care system that will provide checks and balances. We must utilize technology to make our healthcare system more efficient because it will lower costs. We must focus more on preventing diseases, in lieu of just treating them. In short, we must be proactive when it comes to reforming our healthcare system.

Personally, I do believe that we all must have a choice when we take care of our health. However, the current healthcare system eliminates that choice for the poor because they can no longer afford health insurance. And, I know that many are ready to point out the reasons why they are poor in the first place. Please hold your thoughts. I used to be poor. For more than a decade, I lived without health insurance. I told my roommates that “if I fall sick, do not call 911 or take me to the hospital because my family will not be able to pay the bill”. When one knows that one has no options, one must adopt the “I have nothing to lose” approach. Because I used to be one of them, I must advocate for healthcare reform. For those who are afraid that the government will take away your money to help the poor, I would like to offer an alternative view.

Poverty will never disappear in our society because our free market economy is based on competition. And, competition produces losers and winners. However, our society shall not lose compassion because it defines our American culture. Life is a circle. The rich shall help the poor. And, when the poor become rich, they shall help the other poor. And, unfortunately, there will always be poor people in this world. Therefore, the rich must be willing to take on the responsibility of pulling the imperfect circle of life.

Honestly, I am not afraid that the government will take away my money to improve social structures and our standards of living. However, sometimes, I am doubtful that it is capable of doing as good a job as we expect it to do. I know for sure that the healthcare reform will not be perfect for everyone, but I also know that it will improve the lives of many Americans. When everyone is healthy, everyone will be happy. When everyone is happy and healthy, productivity will increase. And, America will be prosperous, again. We all will be better off.

We all can dream and hope. Therefore, I hope that the Obama administration and current Congress know what they are doing. I hope that they will not bury our nation in debt. I hope that their healthcare reform will not put us in a worse situation than the one that we are in now. I hope that these patriots do care for the American people as they say they do. 

Just having the audacity to hope sometimes is not enough because one must face reality. For me, I will continue to pursue my goal of accumulating $500,000 because I know that in reality I am the one who will help me and my family.