Just because you're paranoid...

Over 60 years after George Orwell wrote the book "1984", the US government is working diligently on the sequel. He's a brief list of how:

1. The IRS might possibly be the most powerful organization on the planet. After all, it was the Treasury that took down the likes of Al Capone, not the police. And they have been targeting groups that opposed President Obama's reelection or his current policies. Any group that has the words "patriot", "tea party," or similar words were pressured, harassed or audited. Any group that specified it wanted to educate people "about the Constitution or the Bill of Rights" were targeted as well. As if that weren't enough, we've just recently learned that the IRS spent $50,000,000.00 on "employee conferences" since 2010.

2. The Obama administration has been spying on the media. Initially the AP discovered that some of their reporters were targeted. Then it came to light that they had been spying on Fox News reporter James Rosen. The Administration even spied on James Rosen's parents'! Also on the Fed's list was Sharyl Attkisson, a reporter for CBS.(The Dept of Justice has denied that it spied on Ms Attkisson). The government had been monitoring their movements, tapping their phones, and prying through their personal emails.

3. The National Secrecy Security Agency (NSA) has been accessing millions of Verizon customer phone records. They've been getting the "metadata," and deny they've listened directly to actual conversations. Yah, right.

4. The NSA has also been covertly accessing the servers of many internet giants, in something called "Project PRISM". It has accessed information such as search history, the content of emails, file transfers and live chats. Best I can tell, all the involved internet companies (Google, Facebook, Apple, Microsoft, etc) have denied cooperating with the NSA.

5. Let's not even discuss Benghazi.

Problem with pain pills

There has been much in the media lately about the prescription drug problem we face in America. "Something must be done," the masses cry. So, in typical bureaucratic fashion, the FDA convened a panel. These esteemed experts have decided that if they classify hydrocodone as a Schedule II narcotic, less people will become addicted or abuse the drugs.

The sad truth is that won't do a thing to stem the tide that is narcotic abuse. Most people who abuse narcotics are obtaining them illegally, either on the streets or in their mothers medicine cabinet. What it will do is make it more difficult, and more expensive, for legitimate patients to obtain the pain medication they need. Fewer doctors will be willing to prescribe them, and the patient will be required to pay for a office visit each month to get their meds.

I agree there is a problem. I don't think new laws and regulations will help. What people need can't be provided by the Looters in government.