6/2017
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 has essentially forced the adoption of electronic medical records (EMRs) on the healthcare industry, with the section known as the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH Act). Don’t know about you but I just love cute little acronyms.
This was done by Congress. The same august body of our government that gave us the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, which has forced the use of those expensive CFLs, halogen and LED light bulbs and the elimination of incandescent light bulbs.
I have commented on these EMRs before and could probably write a book on the subject, but hang in here, today I’ll try to keep it shorter than that.
Just like in the case of light bulbs, where Congress caused the wanton use and distribution of many toxic substances in an attempt to protect and make the world safer/brighter/lighter/more economical, it has now caused us to have to use computers and electrons to see our health history with the bizarre benefit of saving trees in the process.
But wait just a minute! Trees can be planted, tended, harvested and planted again and therefore are a renewable resource. Drive through Arkansas, Oregon, Maine or any timber state and look at all the tree farms. In fact, paper can be made from a variety of cellulose producing plants, not just trees. And paper can be made from paper. It is recyclable!
Silicon, on the other hand, is the 14th element on the periodic table. While silicon may be the 8th most common of the elements on earth, it is relatively rare in its elemental form and there is a finite amount of silicon in the universe. It is commonly found in sand and dust. Silicon is used to do more than enhance breasts, butts and lips (although some of us hardly see the point), caulk leaky sinks and keep us from burning our hands on hot pots; it is an essential component in the production of computer chips.
So in fact, Congress has forced the use of an element that is not renewable to avoid the use of a resource that is renewable.
Now do you understand why we have so many military installations in the desert areas of the Western states?
Now do you understand why we are so interested in sending our young men and women to the Middle East (as if it were for oil interests, poppy-cock!)?
In the near future, you will see the news media focusing not on OPEC (Oil Producing & Exporting Countries) but SHEC. You figure the acronym.
Your grumpy Uncle Dave trying to squash conspiracy theories left and right.
Weary