Political Privilege

This blog has explored why the American system is floundering, why the Obama Administration is pushing it down the slippery slope, and why Hillary will keep up the 'good work'. Culture and societies are destroyed by too much consumption and not enough production, a debased currency and endemic corruption. It was true of ancient Rome and Persia and the modern poster child is Greece. Is America also following that pattern? It may depend on who you speak with. 

Noted historian, Victor Davis Hanson, says that  two more fundamental causes for decline are even more frightening: an unwillingness to pay taxes and the end of the rule of law.

Al Sharpton is again prominently in the news, blaming various groups for the Baltimore unrest. But Sharpton currently owes the U.S. government more than $3 million in back taxes, according to reports. His excuses have ranged from insufficient funds to pay them to sloppy record-keeping and mysterious fires. 

Sharpton, a frequent White House guest, apparently assumes that his community-organizing provides him political exemption from federal tax law. He seems to be right, at least as long as the current administration is in power. 

The Clinton Foundation is expected to refile its tax returns for 2010, 2011 and 2012 after failing to separate government grants from donations. If an average citizen tried to amend his taxes for such huge sums and from that long ago, he would probably be under indictment. 

News reports of undocumented donations from foreign governments caught the foundation underreporting its income. The well-connected Clinton clan apparently assumed that their political status ensured them immunity.

Under the current system, the very wealthy have the pull and capital to navigate around the 3.7-million-word IRS tax code. Billionaire George Soros, a proponent of big government and higher taxes, reportedly could face a tax bill of approximately $7 billion after years of deferrals. (IBD)

The politicized taxation system in America means that if you're part of a corrupt system such as we found former IRS official Lois Learner to be, the Justice Department will overlook your crimes. Increasingly in the United States, the degree to which a law is enforced — or whether a person is indicted — depends on political considerations. 

There is no doubt but what former first lady, scorned wife, US senator, secretary of state and corrupt fundraiser, Hillary Clinton, will only expand the system of patronage and favoritism that already exists. Thus it should be no surprise that Wall Street, Big Hollywood and other heavy donors find Hillary an acceptable successor to Obama.

Surprising Findings re: Diabetes

In a study of nearly 26,000 beneficiaries of Tricare, the military health system, those taking statin drugs to control their cholesterol were 87 percent more likely to develop diabetes. The research confirms past findings on the link between the widely prescribed drugs and diabetes risk. But it is among the first to show the connection in a relatively healthy group of people. The study included only people who at baseline were free of heart disease, diabetes, and other severe chronic disease.

Ishak Mansi, Christopher R. Frei, Chen-Pin Wang, Eric M. Mortensen. Statins and New-Onset Diabetes Mellitus and Diabetic Complications: A Retrospective Cohort Study of US Healthy Adults. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 2015; DOI: 10.1007/s11606-015-3335-1

I find this interesting partly because I am a diagnosed diabetic.

Details

"In our study, statin use was associated with a significantly higher risk of new-onset diabetes, even in a very healthy population," says lead author Dr. Ishak Mansi. "The risk of diabetes with statins has been known, but up until now it was thought that this might be due to the fact that people who were prescribed statins had greater medical risks to begin with."

Mansi is a physician-researcher with the VA North Texas Health System and the University of Texas Southwestern in Dallas.

In the study, statin use was also associated with a "very high risk of diabetes complications," says Mansi. "This was never shown before." Among 3,351 pairs of similar patients--part of the overall study group--those patients on statins were 250 percent more likely than their non-statin-using counterparts to develop diabetes with complications.

Statin users were also 14 percent more likely to become overweight or obese after being on the drugs.

Mansi points out that other studies have arrived at a similar finding through different research methods.

The study also found that the higher the dose of any of the statins, the greater the risk of diabetes, diabetes complications, and obesity.

A key strength of Mansi's study was the use of a research method known as propensity score matching. Out of the total study population, the researchers chose 3,351 statin users and paired them with non-users who were very similar, at baseline, based on array of 42 health and demographic factors. The only substantial difference, from a research standpoint, was the use of statins. This helped the researchers isolate the effects of the drugs.

"No patient should stop taking their statins based on our study, since statin therapy is a cornerstone in treatment of cardiovascular diseases and has been clearly shown to lower mortality and disease progression," he says. "Rather, this study should alert researchers, [clinical] guideline writers, and policymakers that short-term clinical trials might not fully describe the risks and benefits of long-term statin use for primary prevention."

Overall, besides driving further research, Mansi says he hopes the results will help inform conversations between patients and providers about the risks and benefits of statins.

"I myself am a firm believer that these medications are very valuable for patients when there are clear and strict indications for them," he says. "But knowing the risks may motivate a patient to quit smoking, rather than swallow a tablet, or to lose weight and exercise. Ideally, it is better to make those lifestyle changes and avoid taking statins if possible."