If I ruled America

I used to look at America as a "land of opportunity," as cliche as that sounds. My parents escaped communism in Poland in the 1980s and made a new life for themselves here.

My parents started their own businesses and raised three children. My mother's dream was to put her three children through college (which came true). The rest was up to us.

Fast forward to today and I don't see American as a land of opportunity anymore. Graduating from college doesn't guarantee anything. There are plenty of talented, skilled, and educated people out there living off of unemployment or working a mindless job in an unrelated field.

Oh the irony. My parents now fear for our futures in America.

My brother and I are looking to buy land in Poland to develop at a future time since land (for the moment) is cheap and it'll be a place for us to have just in case shit really hits the fan in the good ol' US of A. And if that doesn't work out, my aunt  (when she dies) is leaving her apartment us since she has no kids.

The older I get, the more I learn how fucked up this world is. Everything is revolved around money. Capitalism doesn't value people, it values money. And it doesn't matter what happens, people will put money above all else.

Money controls things that it shouldn't control: elections, who can get married, education, etc.

If I was dictator, I would change the following things about America.

1. The use of all fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas.)
2. Get rid of the Federal Reserve.
3. Take away personhood from all for-profit corporations (corporations are not people, fuckheads. I still can't believe the Supreme Court passed this shit.)
4. Special-interests, lobbyists, and for-profit corporations control government would be illegal.
5. National internet infrastructure would be available (and free) for all Americans.
6. Eliminate for-profit corporations from all aspects of health care.
7. Let anybody get married to anybody else(sexual orientation is nobody’s business). No benefits of citizenship or law should be related to whether a person is married or not.
8. All religious institutions should be taxed.
9. All elections would be publicly funded (no contributions allowed). And election campaigns would only last a few months.
10. Voting would be mandatory.

Oh it's all just a dream! None of this will ever happen.

Not until we have another American revolution. Which I believe will happen.

I just hope its within my lifetime. I want to be a part of it.

America has the best medical insurance! Trust me, I know!

I like to consider myself as a pretty intelligent person, but there are certain things that I have a hard some fully understanding. Math and taxes are two such things. And health insurance is another.

I'm a bit of hypochondriac, but I hate going to see a health professional. It's not so much the gynecologist sticking things in my vagina or a male doctor putting his cold stethoscope on my bare chest that bothers me. It's the before and after I cannot stand, and I thus try to avoid going to the doctor's at all times.

Before you even see the health professional, you have to sign in, wait, fill out some paperwork, wait, read through shitty, outdated magazines about pregnant women or babies, wait, be subjected to the unpleasant smell of the sterile air and old people, and then wait some more.

I went to U.S. Health Works off of Soledad Canyon Road early last year because I felt the oncomings of strep throat. I waited in the waiting room for 3 fucking hours. How long did I see the doctor for? A whole 10 minutes. That's bullshit. And all he did was take a swab of my tonsils for a test that takes 4 minutes. Why can't I do this at home? If I can administer a pregnancy test, I should be able to administer one of these puppies on my throat. I wouldn't even have to pull down my pants or pee all over myself.

The kicker to this situation was that the doctor misdiagnosed me. He said that I didn't have strep but I had tonsilitus. He put me on some antibiotics and as soon as I was done with them, I got strep throat. Awesome.

Anyway.

After you leave the health institution with your prescription and a better attitude since you now know you're not dying, the bill comes in the mail and you instantly have the desire to strangle someone and/or blow something up.

At least that's what happened to be at the end of last year.

I went to get my annual vagina check-up last year around July. This was the first time I would have my vagina looked at without my UCI insurance. Since I moved back home to Castiac, I decided to "ThinkSCV" and look into a place close by instead of going where my mom goes out in Verdugo Hills.

I found Valencia Gynocology Associates located on Smith Drive across from Valencia High School. They take the insurance I get through work. Sweet deal.

I made an appointment, the doctor did her thang, and I was out, happy as a clam. I requested to do the slew of STD testing as well, cause I'm safe like that. Some STD tests require blood, so she had me go next door to get my blood drawn. Because it was a long wait and I had to go to work, they told me that I could come back whenever to get my blood drain. Sweet! So I left.

I didn't come back until November to get my blood drawn. They took my blood, I told them it was for STD tests and a pregnancy test (why not?) and that I had come earlier in the year for a pap-smear.

A couple weeks go by and I get a bill in the mail from Providence St. Joseph's Medical Center.

Hmm. I've never been a patient there.

I open it up. It says I owe them $430.

WHAT THE FUCK? For what?

Of course I don't understand the codes and whatnot on the bill so I start calling up my insurance, Valencia Gynocology, and this hospital. I tell them that this is absolutely ridiculous cause I went in for an annual check up and that this was all PREVENTATIVE CARE. I didn't need to go in. I wasn't sick. I went to make sure I was good (which I am. Holla). How can they charge me $430 for having a cold metal rod shoved up my pussy and taking my blood?

Apparently they messed up on the coding and they should have sent it under another name suggesting this was preventative. *WHEW* So Valencia Gynecology re-sent the hospital a fresh bill with the right codes.

I get a letter in the mail 2 weeks ago from my insurance. Now I owe $769.35.

How can this be possible? I do not understand. And this boils my blood almost as much as Sarah Palin.

I'm now calling each ass-raping company involved (Valencia Gyno, my shitty insurance company, and the hospital I've never stepped foot into) and requesting EVERY PIECE OF DOCUMENTATION they have under my name.


I refuse to pay that much money for preventative care. It is beyond ridiculous.

The absolutely worse part about this? I was (and still am) a student as College of the Canyons and have health insurance there. I could have gotten everything done FOR FREE.

Sometimes, I can be so fucking stupid. Serves me right, I guess. Now I get to struggle and fight this. Yay.

So, thank you, America, for your current health care system. It sure is one of the best in the world.