Exceptional Romanians and Their Amazing Country

Voronet Monastery Photo: Wikipedia

These days Romania receives bad press and Romanians are preceded by an unfair and negative reputation across the European Union thanks to its large indigenous gypsy population that travels to Western Europe in search of jobs and lucrative activities and businesses, legal or illegal.

You can only punish a person or a nation so much before that punishment starts to invade who they are, so I decided to write a short article highlighting some of the famous people and facts that are seldom mentioned or known about Romania. Truenomads.com has more interesting trivia and links for the curious traveler in search of history.



Peles Castle Photo: Ileana Johnson 2012

I wrote about Peles Castle in my newest book, Communism 2.0. Peles Castle, the royal residence and now a museum, with its first corner stone erected in 1875, was the first European Castle to have self-generated electricity and heat in 1888 which are still operational today. But during Ceausescu’s brutal socialist/communist regime, the rural population survived by oil lamps.

The town of Timisoara was the first European city that used electricity in 1884 to illuminate its streets, second after New York City. In 1869 Timisoara was also the first European city to operate trams pulled by horses.

Brasov - Black Church

The largest gothic church located in Eastern Europe is The Black Church in Brasov. Built in 1380 and partially destroyed by a fire in 1689, hence its name, the Black Church has an organ with 4,000 pipes and a bell that weighs 6.3 tons.

The tallest wooden church in the world (78 meters) is located at Peri-Sapanta Monastery in Maramures. With its 7-meter cross weighing 455 kg, the church was built by Ion Macarie in 1766 for the Greco-Catholic community, to replace the previous stone church that stood there for 312 years.

The Unitarian Church was founded in Transylvania, in western part of Romania, the birthplace of Francisc David in 1510.

The Voronet Monastery in Moldova is known by its moniker, the Sistine Chapel of the East. The Biblical figures painted inside and out have a folkloric twist and date back from 1488. The famous blue color of Voronet and the greens are as vivid today as they were when painted during the reign of Petru Rares.



Babes Mountain - The Sphinx
Photo: Wikipedia

Bucegi Mountains - Babele Photo: Wikipedia

The beautiful Carpathian Mountains with rare and interesting rock formations such as Babele and active mud volcanos are home to the most virgin forests in Europe with over 400 unique animal species, including the Black Goat and sixty percent of the European brown bear population.

Scarisoara Glacier Photo: Wikipedia

Romania is home to the second largest subterranean glacier in the world. Situated in the Apuseni Mountains, not far from the town of Campeni, the Scarisoara Cave (Pestera Scarisoara) was first mentioned in 1863 by the Austrian geographer, Adolf Schmididi, who drew the first map of the cave. The largest such glacier is in Slovakia. The glacier, jutting from the icy waters of the cave, at the 1150 m altitude, is 3000 years old, with a total surface of 5500 square meters of ice, as thick as 37 m in some places and as thin as 26 m in others. It is a cave explorer’s dream.

The best preserved natural wonder in Romania is the Danube Delta where the River Danube flows into the Black Sea. The Danube, originating from the Black Forest Mountains in Bavaria, flows into the sea, forming the second largest delta in Europe and the best preserved with 3,540 square kilometers of unusual fauna, flora, rivers, canals, swamps, lakes, and arbors with islands of reed.

The oldest Homo sapiens fossils, carbon-dated to 37,800-42,000 years ago, have been unearthed in the south-western part of Romania. It is an archeologist’s dream, amateur or professional, to join the many on-going digs around the country, finding evidence of Romania’s early history, and its ties to the Roman Empire and to the fights with the indigenous Dacians.

The discovery in 1961 by archeologist Nicolae Vlassa of three clay tablets with unusual inscriptions that predated the Sumerian writings from 3300 BC, convinced some archeologists and historians that the Tartaria tablets, dated around 5500 BC, could place the written language away from Mesopotamia to the Danube River area in Romania.

Among famous inventors and Romanians of note stands Henri Coanda. The Bucharest-born inventor presented at the International Aeronautical Exposition in Paris in October 1910 at Champs-Elysee a red airplane without a propeller marked “COANDA-1910.” The single-seat plane was different because it was propelled by a piston-motor with 4-cylinders cooled by water, producing 50 HP at 1,000 RPMs, and then transferred to a compressor at 4,000 RPMs. While trying to test the motor, Coanda actually took off in his propeller-less unusual airplane that was shooting flames. Since he had not flown such a contraption before, Coanda made a forced landing. His extraordinary flight occurred 30 years before Heinkel, Campini, and Whittle and was the precursor of the famous Concorde.

Petrache Poenaru from Benesti, Romania, obtained in May 1827 the French patent for “plume portable sans fin, qui s’alimente elle-même avec de l’encre,” the portable pen without end which supplies itself with ink, the first fountain pen in the world. The remarkable inventor was Tudor Vladimirescu’s secretary during the Revolution of 1821. He escaped by fleeing to Paris where he received in 1826 a scholarship to complete his engineering studies at the famous Ecole Polytechnique.

Professor Nicolae Paulescu discovered insulin in 1921, the hormone that regulates metabolic lipids, minerals, proteins, and named it “pancreina.”  He published his research and findings in a Belgian journal under the title, “Recherches sur le rôle du pancréas dans l’assimilation nutritive.” In 1916, during final research stages, the Germans occupied Bucharest and delayed his announcement of the final results.  However, two enterprising Canadians, Frederick Banting and Charles Best, using Paulescu’s 30 years of research and published papers, isolated insulin and used it to treat a patient 8 months earlier. For this reason, they received the 1922 Nobel Prize in Medicine. Millions suffering of diabetes are saved by Paulescu’s research.

Ioan Cantacuzino is said to have developed the “Cantacuzino Method” of the anti-cholera vaccination. He was also instrumental in treating typhus and tuberculosis effectively, developing the notion of contact immunity.

The Romanian inventor Traian Vuia was the first to build and fly on March 18, 1906 an “automobile-plane with fixed wings” that was totally self-propelled.

A Romanian doctor, Ana Aslan, specializing in gerontology, prepared a product in 1952 at her clinic in Bucharest, which she named Gerovital or Vitamin H3, patented in over 30 countries, to treat dystrophic ailments in the elderly. Among her more famous patients are Tito, Pinochet, Charles de Gaulle, Claudia Cardinale, Charlie Chaplin, royalty, bankers, famous businessmen, and even President John F. Kennedy.

Renowned for its gymnastics school made famous by Coach Bella Caroly, one of his pupils, Nadia Comanici, was the first gymnast to receive a perfect score of 10 in the Olympics in Montreal, Canada in 1976.

The huge Parliament building, a painful reminder of Ceausescu’s communist destructive megalomania, is second largest in the world after the Pentagon building. Many beautiful and important historical and religious landmarks had been destroyed to make room for this opulence.

So many exceptional young Romanians have left their home country and still do today, trying to find themselves, their art, talent, education, freedom, and economic opportunity. Some make it, some remain in anonymity.

Mihai Eminescu
Photo: Wikipedia

Most memorable are the famous sculptor Constantin Brancusi who, in his old age, wanted to leave his entire life’s work to his compatriots in Romania but was refused; the celebrated composer, violinist, pianist, and conductor George Enescu, one of the greatest composers of the 20^th century;, and the legendary Romantic poet, novelist, and journalist Mihai Eminescu who wrote about valiant Romanian fighters and its tumultuous history; and the comedic and witty playwright Ion Luca Caragiale whose short stories, poems, political commentaries and plays rejoiced in painting the foibles of humanity; and the playwright Eugen Ionescu, who wrote mostly in French, a prominent figure of the French Avant-garde theatre.

Copyright: Ileana Johnson 2015

My National Blogtalk Radio segment with Silvio Canto, February 27, 2015

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/cantotalk/2015/02/27/communism-20-a-new-book-by-ileana-johnson-economist-and-author

First Day at CPAC 2015

Photo: Fairfax Free Citizen

The biggest conservative conference in the country featured on the first day many prominent figures and politicians who form the conservative movement in our country and influence such policies.

Dr. Ben Carson, the first speaker of the day, emphasized the need to reach minority voters, to return control of education to the local level by abolishing the federal Common Core standards, and the need to eliminate welfare dependency. “I’m not interested in getting rid of the safety net. I’m interested in getting rid of the dependency.”

Charlie Kirk, Sen. Sasse (NE) and Mia Love (UT-4) discussed ways in which the American dream can be reclaimed by millennials who are looking forward to their future.

Phyllis Schlaffly of the Eagle Forum and Emmett McGroarty of the American Principles Project looked at the many ways that the rotten Common Core destroys the American education system, the American dream, and alters the fundamental make-up and ideals of our nation.

Sen. John Barrasso (WY), Rep. Marsha Blackburn (TN-7) and Jim Capretta of Ethics and Public Policy Center offered a concrete conservative replacement to Obamacare.

Sen. Joni Ernst (IA) and LTC Oliver North, USMC (Ret.) of the Freedom Alliance gave speeches in support of our veterans, forgotten and ignored by this administration.

A debate on Obama’s initiative to reduce intellectual property rights highlighted Adam Mossoff of George Mason University and a panel that looked at “patent trolls” who file blanket lawsuits to target small businesses.

Departing from the usual CPAC speeches, Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey was interviewed on stage by conservative talk-show host Laura Ingraham who asked him pointed questions.

In response to Laura’s question that he signed New Jersey early onto Common Core and to Race to the Top grants, Christie avoided a direct answer by emphasizing that local control, parents, teachers, and others at the state level should set education standards.

As a pro-life advocate, Christie vetoed Planned Parenthood even though he is not a social conservative. He has a passion in fighting for the people, speaking his mind, and often tells people “to sit down and shut up.” “There is so much ridiculous stuff coming out of the White House,” he said. He wants to reform education and to save the pension system by being fiscally responsible but the teachers’ union is fighting him.

He avoided the question on illegal immigration by declaring that we must create opportunities for unemployed Americans like the people in Detroit, however, “folks want to come here” and we have “misdirected priorities.”

Carly Fiorina, former CEO of Hewlett Packard, and Chairman of the American Conservative Union Foundation, made pointed remarks about Hillary Clinton’s job performance as Secretary of State. She joked about her own unmarketable Stanford degree in Medieval History and Philosophy and how that “degree has come in handy recently since the President is talking about the Crusades.” She continued, “Yes, Mr. President, ISIS wants to drive the whole world back to the Middle Ages, but the rest of us moved on about 800 years ago.”

Addressing the Democrat-invented war on women and the faux inequality cries coming from well-paid liberal academia and from millionaires in Hollywood, Fiorina explained, and “I know that it is only in this country that a young woman can go from secretary to CEO.”

“Life has potential,” she said, and you have the right and opportunity in this country to fulfill your potential. But you need a real education to fulfill that potential, not just a handout and social justice indoctrination.

She advocated ending this administration’s destruction of small businesses that create half of the new jobs in this country; we need more small businesses, not large crony capitalism.  We have to retrain America as more and more workers lose their jobs.

She criticized the lack of leadership in this country giving as example Secretary Clinton’s response to the Benghazi fiasco, who said, “What difference does it make?” Fiorina continued, “Flying is an activity, not an accomplishment. Mrs. Clinton, please, name an accomplishment! I have met Vladimir Putin and I know that his ambitions will not be deterred by a gimmicky red reset button.” Referring to Hillary Clinton, Fiorina concludes, “She does not know what leadership means.” Our country is “without equivocation the greatest nation that the world has ever known” and it needs a leader.

We have too many failing high schools in this country, Fiorina said, and the President is trying to distract us by offering two years of community college classes free.

Sen. Ted Cruz (TX) rocked the house with his proposal to bring back a Reagan Coalition, to promote life, marriage, economic growth, to fight ISIS, and a nuclear Iran. Sean Hannity asked him several questions. “America is in jeopardy and we are gathered here to fight for freedom in our country.” We must reignite America and reassemble the Reagan coalition, he said.

Cruz pointedly remarked that Washington wants Obamacare but people want freedom, the people don’t want amnesty pushed by Washington, they want the rule of law. “If you like your Internet, you can keep your Internet.” Unfortunately Net Neutrality was approved today and the Internet will be treated as a utility. Cruz followed with, “Hillary Clinton embodies the corruption in Washington.” We need to run a populist campaign, he said, and bring power back to the American people, away from Washington.

The panel on immigration asked the question if “Conservatives can reach a consensus?” I was speechless since the American people do not want illegal immigration and certainly do not want a consensus -- they want the law enforced and want legal immigrants that are actually assimilating and contributing to the wellbeing of our exceptional nation.

The discussion centered again on the legal immigration system being broken, the old tired rhetoric from Washington. When asked what specific part was broken and why the borders are not enforced, panel members were unable to give a credible response.

Panel members Alfonso Aguilar with the American Principles Project and Mario Lopez with the Hispanic Leadership Fund voiced the opinion that these “folks,” referring to illegal aliens, come here for work and we therefore need to bring back a guest worker program similar to the Braceros in the 1960s that was successful but it was pulled by the Mexican government.

Some of the audience members disagreed that illegals come here just to work, they receive full welfare benefits, giving examples of the $4.1 billion given to ITIN tax filers in earned income tax credit for children who were not even living in the United States and the 2011-2013 retroactive earned income tax credit that will be given to illegal aliens who are going to be amnestied.  Representative Jeff Duncan (SC-3) disagreed with the other two panelists on some issues.

The panel “Climate: What Tom Steyer Won’t Tell You,” focused on the climate change hoax and the millions of jobs lost due to green energy legislation, regulations, and subsidies to solar, wind, and biofuel power, and the billions lost in grants and loans to failed renewables companies. Representative Bill Flores (TX-17) focused on six points of the climate change agenda:

1.      It kills jobs.

2.      It costs trillions of dollars.

3.      It is based on junk science.

4.      It uses fantasy technology.

5.      It manipulates the cost/benefit data.

6.      It fails the smell test.

Myron Ebell of the Competitive Enterprise Institute presented charts of actual temperature data and CO2 data that have been manipulated to fit the climate change agenda and their outlandish claims. Andrew Langer of the Institute for Liberty presented more factual information on the true cost of the faux global warming. Gary Broadband of the Murray Energy Corporation, a mining company in Ohio that employs 7,500 people, presented sobering data on the number of coal mines that have been closed or are in the process of closing due to the EPA excessive and stringent regulations, leaving thousands of miners without jobs and contributing to a shortage of electricity and higher utility prices.

When Gov. Scott Walker took the stage, the room went wild. He was heckled again by a lone person unhappy with his reforms that put Wisconsin on the path to financial recovery, solvency, tax reductions, and accountability from unions. Unintimidated, Walker said, “those voices can’t drown out the voices of hard-working taxpayers.”

The most salient point of the day was Walker’s statement that, what made America exceptional throughout history, were Americans who had cared more about the future of their children and grandchildren than they cared about their political careers and re-elections. Today we have Washington, up the Potomac River, he mused, “68 square miles surrounded by reality.”

We should not measure success by how many people are dependent on government, he said. We celebrate our independence from government, not dependence on government; that is why we have 4^th of July.

“We must have a President that understands that radical Islamic terrorism is a threat to our lives. We must take a fight to them, not wait until they bring the fight to America. We need a leader who will stand with Israel” and a leader who will show our allies respect.

Gov. Bobby Jindal was received with tremendous enthusiasm and applause. He focused his speech on the need to fight terrorism. He said, ISIS fighters must be “hunted down and killed.” He criticized the administration severely for failing to recognize the enemy and address the Islamist problem. He said, “We don’t need a war on international poverty, we need a war on the evil radical Islamic terrorism.”

Former Gov. Sarah Palin (AK) and Nigel Farage, leader of the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) concluded the lineup of speakers for day one at CPAC 2015.

Copyright: Ileana Johnson 2015

 

 

 

 

 

CPAC 2015

The American Conservative Union will hold its annual conference, CPAC 2015, on February 25-28, at Gaylord Hotel in National Harbor, Maryland.

“Founded in 1964, the American Conservative Union (ACU) is the oldest and largest grassroots conservative organization in the nation. For more than forty years, ACU has served as an umbrella organization harnessing the collective strength of conservative organizations fighting for Americans who are concerned with liberty, personal responsibility, traditional values, and strong national defense. As America's premier conservative voice, ACU is the leading entity in providing conservative positions on issues to Congress, the Executive Branch, State Legislatures, the media, political candidates, and the public.”

The ACU Foundation, which was established in 1973, has a primary mission to inform, inspire, motivate, and reach out to those who are conservatives, especially young Americans. It is refreshing to see large groups of Americans break out into sessions of interest and workshops. Educating voters and office-holders, the conference strives to offer solutions to current problems that face the nation.

From thoughtful discussions, workshops, and panel questions and answer sessions emerge solutions that would work best for our country when and if they are applied.

Speakers include conservative media personalities such as Laura Ingraham, conservative members of State legislatures, current governors like Scott Walker, former governors such as Jeb Bush, Sen. Marco Rubio, Rep. Diane Black, Sen. Ben Sasse, and other leaders who influence conservative thought and key policy issues. Potential presidential candidates for 2016 and their platforms will be evaluated and vetted by the public and a straw poll will take place. Dr. Ben Carson will help launch the ACU Activism Boot Camp.

ACU’s Chairman Schlapp said, “Republican presidential nomination starts here.” ACU Foundation’s Chairman, Carly Fiorina, stated that she supports candidates focused on job creation and economic growth policy. “Grassroots individual empowerment” is an important goal to pursue.
http://conservative.org/acu_personnel/carly-fiorina/#sthash.omzqAWhy.dpuf

ACU describes on its website their mission:

“We aim to elevate policy discussion and inform Americans on issues across the spectrum, with the annual Conservative Action Political Action Conference, policy roundtable events across the country and our annual ratings of Congress and state legislatures. Our inaugural Center for Criminal Justice Reform will be joined by several more centers in the coming year, ranging from the humanities to defense policy.” http://conservative.org/#sthash.rvkTha6p.dpuf

The Reagan Dinner this year will open with Janine Stange who is known for singing our National Anthem in all 50 states.

Participants from the media include Mark Levin, Sean Hannity, Phil Robertson, Dana Loesch, Laura Ingraham, and Donald Trump.

Other speakers include Nigel Farage, a member of the European Parliament for the South East region of the UK and leader of the UK Independence Party (UKIP).

Former and current politicians, former Ambassador John Bolton, former Governor of Florida Jeb Bush, Governor Bobbi Jindal of Louisiana, former Governor of Alaska Sarah Palin, Sen. Rand Paul, Governor Mike Pence, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, NRA’s Wayne LaPierre, Heritage Foundation’s President Jim DeMint, Rep. Mia Love, Rep. Marsha Blackburn, Rick Santorum, Sen. Joni Ernst, and Governor Rick Perry round the speakers roster.

The topics of discussion will include immigration, porous and insecure borders, amnesty, cyber security, Internet, national debt, elections, unemployment, national security, and the global threat of jihad.

 

 

Death Panels and the Progressive War on Menopausal Women

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projected that ten years after Obamacare will be fully implemented, more than 30 million Americans will still be without health insurance. Not to worry, there won’t be enough doctors to deliver proper care or much care at all if you do have insurance. And the dreaded Death Panel that Sarah Palin was disparaged over will also be in full operation.

The Independent Panel Advisory Board (IPAB) is Obamacare’s 15-member board of unelected, unaccountable to the public bureaucrats whose function is to make cuts in order to keep Medicare spending within certain parameters. These limits, starting in 2018, will consist of the rate of economic growth per capita plus one percentage point.

Since economic growth has been very sluggish due to a relatively deep recession, and the size of the economy has been shrinking, with higher unemployment and more discouraged workers than actually reported, Medicare spending will likely be lower, denying patients their much needed care. Additionally, Medicare is being stripped of $719 billion over a ten-year period in order to fund Obamacare.

These faceless omnipotent IPAB bureaucrats appointed by the President with the approval of the Senate will have unaccountable reign over your health. If your medical care or tests are denied, nobody will know if it is because there is no effective treatment for your illness or because one of those 15 people have decided that your life is not worth saving.

Ferrara wrote that “Obamacare requires IPAB to produce proposals to slow the growth in national health expenditures and non-federal health care programs. He continued, “This is a clear mandate to reduce both government and private sector health care spending.” If medical spending is limited even in the private sector, that is a deliberate form of health care rationing. http://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2015/01/how_the_obamacare_death_panel_defies_the_constitution.html

Doctors will be overridden in their medical decisions by people with no medical training and patients may or may not get their needed tests or operations. Whether doctors will be at peace or in agreement with violating their Hippocratic Oath remains to be seen.

Many doctors will have been driven out of business by the low reimbursement rates from Medicaid and Medicare, will have retired, or will have switched to a different field entirely. Hospitals will also have been driven out of business by the massive debt amassed from servicing non-paying illegal aliens, impossible Obamacare mandates, and by low reimbursement rates from Medicare/Medicaid. Many private insurers will have been bankrupted by the financial expenditures to satisfy the health services mandates of Obamacare.

How many people will then pursue arduous medical school training, invest in human capital, invest in new developments in health care, new drugs, and new life-saving procedures if the return on investment is so low and medical care becomes severely rationed? As it is, there is a shortage of qualified medical personnel, but an augmented supply of millions of patients who are demanding care. What good is it if you have health insurance but cannot find a doctor who will accept you as a new patient, accept your insurance, or who is qualified to treat you?

Many Americans have been receiving letters informing them that doctors they’ve been using for years are no longer in the Obamacare approved exchanges and they must find new doctors. Other Americans enrolled in exchanges have had their plans switched two to three times due to the failure of the non-profit insurers to stay afloat in the face of an onslaught of claims eating away at their revenues and reserves, even with billions in federal grant money. Twenty-five of the 26 non-profit co-ops operating under Obamacare have registered losses so far.

If you are unable to receive the same timely and quality medical care that Americans have been accustomed to, if you are told that you can no longer buy the medicines or tests you need, receive proper cancer treatment to save your life, or see the doctors you’ve known for years and trusted, it is Obamacare mandates and its faceless agents reshaping how long you can live and what quality of life you are going to have.

As Dr. Donna Hurlock, a Board Certified Gynecologist, said, there is a “Medicare war against menopausal women” with its new “anti-estrogen policy that it’s hurting menopausal women.” This new policy is based on a 2002 National Institutes of Health study, Women’s Health Initiative, that claimed that estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) “poses excessive risks to menopausal women.” https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/whi/estro_pro.htm

Dr. Hurlock said that eighty years of estrogen use support the opposite conclusion that women on ERT live longer and better functional lives than women that elect not to replace hormones. Post-menopausal women that do replace their hormones “end up consuming fewer medicines than their peers because they don’t develop the many health problems that result from estrogen deficiency, such as sleep problems, high cholesterol, bone loss, memory issues, dizziness, vaginal dryness, etc.” http://fairfaxfreecitizen.com/2015/02/23/medicares-war-against-menopausal-women/?utm_source=Fairfax+Free+Citizen+Digest&utm_campaign=d97702cff7-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_69cf25d58d-d97702cff7-201781813

Medicare’s new policy as of January 1, 2015 is to deny payment for ERT and to substitute hormone replacement therapy (HRT) with “alternative” drugs such as anti-depressants, neurologic drugs, bone density drugs, and vaginal estrogen creams. Each of these “alternative” drugs have a long list of side-effects, potentially more dangerous and more expensive than hormone replacement therapy (HRT), decreasing the woman’s quality of life. To make matters worse, any HRT that includes testosterone has now been labeled a controlled substance and pharmacists must handle it accordingly. Such prescriptions expire every six months, necessitating repeat visits to the doctor.

Dr. Hurlock explained that many insurers are no longer “covering” her patients’ payments for HRT because “a group of ‘experts’ has decided that HRT becomes dangerous as soon as a woman celebrates her 65^th birthday, despite the plentiful literature to the contrary.” In her opinion, these experts are “clearly not making recommendations in the best interest of the patients based on the entire HRT literature.”

When the individuals, who wrote, publicized, lied about, voted on, and passed Obamacare as a tax, will be long gone from public life and forgotten, millions of Americans are going to suffer needlessly and potentially experience a shorter lifespan.

Liberals have created a faux “war on women.” There is a war, but it is a “war on your health,” a “war on middle aged women,” and a “war on the elderly,” all having a common denominator, rationing of care in order to reduce Medicare spending and to stretch the same health dollars to millions more, some of whom have broken into our country illegally. It is a war promoted by the progressive agenda that wants to fundamentally transform our country. They have succeeded beyond anybody’s dreams, with little resistance.

Copyright: Ileana Johnson 2015

 

 

Behavior as a Communist School Subject

My second grade class

I found a photograph of my second grade classroom with students in dark uniforms, mostly devoid of smiles, with sad and serious faces.  It is a depressing moment in time that speaks volumes of the strict disciplinarian code enforced in communist schools.

Children had to stand when called upon to speak, or when asked a question. If they took notes, hands were busy writing. When asked to pay attention to the teacher, they had to keep their hands behind their backs in a very uncomfortable, back-numbing position, leaning against the wooden bench behind. If anybody entered the classroom, the entire student body had to stand and greet them according to rank. The word ‘comrade’ teacher or professor, followed by name, was required to be used at all times.

Modesty and protection of the honor of the classroom, of the school, of the communist party had to be a very important goal of learning. Nobody was allowed to use hateful and insulting language, to exhibit nationalism, superstition, religiousness, or mysticism. If anybody failed in the subject of school discipline, the entire student body was to rebuke that student and take a stance against the offender. Parents were called at school, reprimanded, and embarrassed in front of all the other parents present as inadequate members of the socialist society.

A student’s duty was to come prepared to school every day to answer any questions on that day’s subjects. They were to present, when asked, their Student I.D. Book which contained their entire school history, grades on various subjects, tests, and whether they passed a subject, failed a subject, and what grade they received. This Student I.D. Book (“Carnet de Elev” in Romanian), the size of a passport, had to be presented upon request to any teacher, professor, teacher of behavior (“diriginte”), school director, parent, guardian, and after each notation made inside by school officials. The Student I.D. Book had to be kept clean.

Students had to enter the school quietly, in single file, wearing their uniforms, their matriculation numbers on their sleeves, on hats, and on their chests, hair combed, braided, tied with a white ribbon, wearing black or brown shoes, and white knee highs or heavy-gauge cotton panty hose. No stockings, makeup, shaving, or jewelry were allowed. Each pupil had to occupy their seat immediately and remain seated in silence until the teacher arrived.

Outside and inside the classroom bad and insulting language was forbidden as it was considered hate speech. Students were encouraged to be honest, fair, and courageous in public, in line with the communist party platform. They were to obey traffic signs, respect the elderly, those younger, the handicapped, and lend a hand when asked.

Students were not allowed to attend shows, marches, and public rallies that were not age-appropriate or sanctioned by the school or by the communist party. To ask or answer questions, each student had to raise a hand first; they could not speak unless told to do so.

They were expected to help with domestic chores and care for younger brothers and sisters. A school inspector or teacher would occasionally visit each student’s home to check on their behavior and the family’s habits.

Nobody was allowed to leave the classroom without the teacher’s approval, not even for a bathroom break. During a 4-6 hour school day, two breaks were given, a 10-minute break and a 20-minute break, and no lunch was provided. No students were ever bussed, everyone walked to school alone or in a group of other students.

If too many unexcused absences were recorded, a student was made to repeat the school year. If a student failed a class, he/she also had to repeat the year. If anybody in high school became pregnant, which was quite rare and morally frowned upon, the girl and the father were expelled and forced to finish their education during night school, separate from the more rigorous day schools. There was no daycare provided for out-of-wedlock student moms.

My Student I.D. Book had been lost long time ago, having left it behind when I came to the United States. But I still have my diplomas with the picture of a little girl with pig tails tied with white bows, innocently smiling. It was a time when we believed that everyone on the planet lived the same way we did.

Copyright: Ileana Johnson 2015

Note

Fortunately, Andreea Lupsor, a young Romanian writer for Historia.ro, found a high school Student I.D. Book from “Liceul Mihai Viteazu” stamped with the school year 1964-1965.

 

Middle Class Fleecing with Obamacare

It is becoming increasingly difficult for Virginians to find doctors and secure appointments in a timely manner thanks to Obamacare. After a fierce battle, the bills meant to create state exchanges and to expand Medicaid have died in the House and in the Senate. However, Democrat Governor McAuliffe added Medicaid expansion to his budget amendment. The House removed that language from the budget.

As millions of Americans, who previously had insurance and doctors they were satisfied with and wanted to keep, are suddenly left without insurance, millions others keep losing their new coverage under the much touted Affordable Care Act.

Many Americans became part-time employees without insurance, forcing them to choose plans under the state exchanges. Employers, who could not afford the mandated procedures of the Affordable Care Act, dropped the insurance coverage plans they had previously offered their employees at affordable rates, and reduced employment hours.  

With the new exchange plans, bronze, silver, gold, and platinum, people cannot afford to see a doctor when their new plans have such huge deductibles. For most people, it is impossible to meet deductibles in a year and they must pay out of pocket. For them, medical care has now become a very expensive service.  

While Obamacare has helped a statistically insignificant percent of Americans, it has devastated the health care of millions who were previously affording their healthcare premiums, had good coverage, low deductibles and co-pays, and their doctors were available within their residential area or a short travel distance.

Suddenly, millions have found themselves paying double or triple premiums, with deductibles going up from $500 to $5,000 and decreased coverage, with the exception of maternity care for all and contraception. There is something seriously wrong when the monthly health care premium becomes larger than mortgage and utilities combined. How fair is it for the bulk of middle-class Americans to pay health care premiums for illegal aliens and welfare recipients while having to let go of their own health insurance because it has skyrocketed? This is not providing health care for 20 percent of previously uninsured Americans; it is socialist redistribution of wealth.

It is laudable to offer insurance to people previously uninsurable, but forcing other working Americans to pay for it and punishing them through IRS fines is wrong and it is a form of stealing. The law has been written by liberals for liberals, to benefit their Democrat voting constituents to the detriment of everyone else. The concept that everyone should be insured is sound but not through Obamacare.

Medical care is not a right, in spite of what liberals claim, it is a service just like any other service you purchase for a nominal fee. Doctors and nurse practitioners must spend years to train in medical school where tuition and books are very expensive.  Nobody wants to work for free and nobody should have the right to decide how much your remuneration should be.

Those who were previously uninsured due to preexisting conditions have a point. However, those who cried that they could not afford the premiums or chose to gamble on good health should look carefully at their priorities. What is the cost of their Internet, cable, Netflix, cell phone bill, cigarettes, beer, wine, movies, drugs, fancy clothes, and restaurant meals/ fast food?

Taking from those who work to pay for those who do not work is government-sanctioned stealing. Economically speaking, for every day that you have to work to pay for someone else, you are a financial slave to that person. The cheap, subsidized Obamacare policy that you receive through the exchanges is paid for by hard-working Americans, not by your Obama government.

U.S. Rep. Bradley Byrne (R-Alabama) said, “We took away the health care system that worked for 80 percent of the people of this country to fix a problem that we today know we fixed for only one percent of the American people. Only 3 million new Americans have gotten on this new health care plan that did not have insurance before, that’s one percent of the American people. So we threw out the health care plan that worked for 80 percent of Americans, to fix a problem for one percent of Americans. And look what it’s done! It’s wrecked lives!” He continued, “This law is fundamentally flawed! This law has victimized the people of America!”

Although there have been 60 attempts to repeal Obamacare, it is here to stay. The Daily Signal wrote about the Nebraska woman whose Obamacare insurance was canceled three times.  Her first cancellation was with Humana who decided to pull out of Nebraska and second and third from the Iowa nonprofit CoOpportunity Health which was liquidated and her platinum plan was no longer offered. She is now covered under a Blue Cross Blue Shield plan.  

The federal government offered $2 billion in loans to nonprofit co-ops created under Obamacare (to meet state reserve requirements) and twenty-three co-ops were formed offering insurance in 26 states. According to the Daily Signal, “more than 520,000 people enrolled in insurance coverage through the co-ops through September.” Their research indicated that all co-ops but one had operating losses, with outlays exceeding reserves. “Claims were eating up all the surplus and reserve [money].” http://dailysignal.com/2015/02/17/one-nebraska-woman-lost-health-insurance-three-times-obamacare/?utm_source=heritagefoundation&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=morningbell&mkt_tok=3RkMMJWWfF9wsRoiu6vOZKXonjHpfsX56uwlX6W0lMI%2F0ER3fOvrPUfGjI4ES8djI%2BSLDwEYGJlv6SgFQrLBMa1ozrgOWxU%3D

There are more troubling thoughts in this quagmire.  The IRS has our medical records, will collect fines for non-compliance with Obamacare, and is going to demand refunds from those who received too much subsidy under the state exchanges.  But illegal aliens are still covered for free and those with religious objections don’t have to pay a penalty and are given medical care. What a relief!

Copyright: Ileana Johnson 2015