OMIP and Blue Cross Insurance Outrage

Received our insurance premium in the mail today. Blue Cross/OMIP made the "very difficult decision" and raised premiums. Ours is up a whopping 20%.

Very difficult, my ass. Since when in the fuck has our government and corporate sleeze balls ever had difficulty in demanding more of our money?

Of course this warranted a call to OMIP. And of course I spoke to a lowly customer service representative, underpaid and overworked, having absolutely no power for the capitalistic greedy bastard of a company she works for. I began my conversation by saying my issue was not with her but with her company, so I asked her to please keep that in mind once I began my rant. I also told her she was free to record the conversation and play it for the filthy rich executives who use the people to lavish in their mansions and vacation homes, who profit from people's fear, and who are under the ungodly illusion that they must make outrageous salaries and bonuses in order to be "competitive".

I didn't hold back. I began by saying this increase was outrageous, unacceptable and that I would not stand for it. I asked what I could do to challenge it (I was given a website to contact the Board. I don't have much faith in that, but I will be writing them nonetheless.) I raged about corporate greed. I raged about the criminality of health insurance today. I raged about my meager income and how it sure as hell won't be going up 20% to pay for their outrageous premium increase. (Need I remind her of the criminality of the ongoing increase in gas? Need I remind her of the outrageous increases in our energy and water bills this past year? No, but I did.) I pleaded with her to think about what I was saying. I pleaded with her to think about speaking out, join in with others so that we may take back this country by overthrowing corporate bastards such as her employer--to overthrow all organizations and individuals who suck off the poor so that they may surround themselves in wealth. I asked her to imagine what it would feel like to know that instead of making 400% more, her superiors would instead only make 40% more. Imagine what you could do with that extra cash, I said.

Enough is enough. Right?! If you don't think so, if you don't think the time for change is now, today, yesterday, then go the hell back to sleep. When you hear the marching in the streets and the chanting of the people saying "ENOUGH", peacefully yet strongly quietly presenting our agenda to those in charge, maybe then you will decide to open your eyes and join in.

I'm pretty sure about this: If EVERY PERSON who received the same letter as I did in the mail today were to call and e-mail on an on-going basis, WE COULD PUT A STOP TO THIS. If you are such a person, I urge you, I am pleading with you, to call. E-mail. Tell them how you feel about this. Tell them how this will effect your life. Tell them this increase IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. Speak out. Together, there's nothing we cannot achieve. NOTHING.

I believe in the human heart. I believe our compassion is stronger than greed, although given the current state of human existance, that doesn't seem to be the case. However, throughout history, we see that all systems run on greed eventually collapse. It is compassion that sustains. Getting through the greed and reaching into the hearts of those who have turned their backs on compassion is needed. How do we do this? I have this silly ideal, or perhaps it isn't so silly, that looking into the eyes of one who is suffering, of one who is showing you their pain, is impossible to ignore. Do it long enough, we began to feel empathy. Maybe what we need is a new Television Station that is dedicated solely to sharing the pleas, the pain, the suffering of the people. 24/7. REAL reality television. No make-up. No scripts. No music. Corporate execs and government leaders are required to watch the channel 2 hours everyday. Have it running around the clock in Corporate Boardrooms, the House, Senate and the Oval Office.

In the meantime, I urge those of you who are suffering unnecessarily, who are aware you are a slave to the system, to begin calling and writing the Big Wigs. Tell them your story. Tell it over and over again. Don't stop telling it until real change happens. Then continue telling it just to make sure these people who have sold their soul to greed actually get it.