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Title: An American Family's Cancun Horror [Shithole Alert]
Source:
townhall.com
URL Source: http://townhall.com/columnists/Mich ... american_familys_cancun_horror
Published: Apr 2, 2010
Author: Michelle Malkin
Post Date: 2010-04-02 07:58:56 by Eric Stratton
Keywords: None
Views: 476
Comments: 41
An American Family's Cancun Horror ?It's every parent's worst spring break nightmare come true: Fun in the sun somehow turned into a south-of-the-border bloodbath for 21-year-old Zeke Rucker. The vacationing Rutgers University graduate was discovered alone outside his resort hotel in the wee hours of the morning of March 16, bleeding and unconscious by a swimming pool. His heartbroken and horrified family has questions. American and Mexican officials don't have any answers -- or any immediate interest in finding out what happened to Zeke. Did he fall? Was he beaten? Did hotel staff witness anything? A resort security guard found Rucker at around 4 a.m. near some lounge chairs with his head "bashed in." According to family members, the hotel has interior surveillance video showing Rucker "staggering" from his room. But there is no exterior video to shed light on what happened once he exited the hotel or when and how exactly he sustained his grave head injuries. His wallet and ID were left intact inside his hotel room. Zucker's New Jersey-based parents strongly suspect foul play and random violence. But the American consulate told the family there will be no investigation, and Zeke's parents say the Mexican police didn't even bother to meet with them. Mexican consulates on American soil are famous for vigorously intervening on behalf of their illegal alien citizens -- lobbying to get them driver's licenses, bank accounts and health care, for example, and rushing to defend illegal alien border-crossers arrested in reckless- and drunk-driving cases. Where are our U.S. lawmakers to put pressure on our U.S. State Department to get to the bottom of the Ruckers' Cancun horror? For now, the family is focused on nursing Zeke back to health. He remains in a coma under heavy sedation after undergoing emergency surgery in Mexico to remove a hematoma in his brain. During that surgery, he suffered an infection that has left him with a raging fever and complications. Zeke was flown to Miami's Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital for top-notch care. But not without difficulty. Zeke's aunt, Jodi, related the Ruckers' hellish experience transporting her nephew out of the violence-wracked country: "The air ambulance team is made up of ex-military men who have done evacuations out of many countries. They say that Cancun is one of the most difficult places to get out of. The air ambulance team when landed in Mexico was surrounded by military with guns drawn that then searched the plane." The Ruckers hired a "handler," who "basically gives the Mexicans American cash for their plane to land and take off safely. It's called 'greasing the monkey.' (Zeke's father) was getting anxious because of the amount of guns and men surrounding the plane, and the pilot told him not to worry because 'they greased this monkey (plane) good.' They were allowed to take off about an hour later. Corruption is abundant there." Adding to the emotional strain and bureaucratic headaches: The Mexican hospital that treated Zeke demanded upfront payment for all of the costs related to his care, surgery and stay before allowing him to leave. Can you imagine the international uproar if a U.S. hospital demanded the same of Mexican citizens in their care? The Ruckers' insurer here in the States was able to change the terminology of Zeke's airlift from "transport" to "evacuation" in order to cover those costs. Thanks to the kindness of strangers and help from Jackson Memorial Hospital, the Ruckers have received assistance for their hotel lodging while Zeke gets treatment. Their friends and neighbors are holding a benefit fundraiser on April 14 at Randazzo Pizza in Sewell, N.J., to assist with costs. And well-wishers can leave comments and tributes on their CaringBridge page here. Amid myriad unsolved border violence cases over the past month -- the cold-blooded murder of Arizona rancher Robert Krentz, the assassination of an American consulate worker and her federal security officer husband in Juarez, and on and on -- the case of Zeke Rucker has a special, chilling resonance with every parent of a teen or 20-something. This could have been your child. What would you do if no one would answer your questions? Apathy is not an option. Poster Comment: OTOH, hey, when you go to Mexico for spring break, it is foolish to not strongly consider that in that shithole something exactly like this has an elevated chance of occurring.
Michelle Malkin
Friday, April 02, 2010
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#2. To: Eric Stratton (#0)
Hey, I used to go to Mexico all the time in hopes of exactly that happening.
April 15th is really April FOOL'S DAY." Thomas Jefferson had NO REASON to make this statement -- So I did !!! Doug Scheidt /APRIL 1, 2010 / Year of the 2nd REVOLUTION.
One must ask why Malkin hasn't been out front demanding her republicrat "handlers" beef up border security ??? Or, why has she been an advocate for "concentration camps" for citizens ?
April 15th is really April FOOL'S DAY." Thomas Jefferson had NO REASON to make this statement -- So I did !!! Doug Scheidt /APRIL 1, 2010 / Year of the 2nd REVOLUTION.
I've always wondered about Malkin. Once in a while she hits one out of the park, but generally speaking she's so far up the sphincter of the neocons that it's a wonder she can see to drive to work. That said, she's pretty damned hot. It causes me confusion. My brain is thinking "What an idiot" but other parts of me are thinking "hubba!" meh. She's an idiot.
MapQuest really needs to start their directions on #5. Pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.
Perfect analysis !
April 15th is really April FOOL'S DAY." Thomas Jefferson had NO REASON to make this statement -- So I did !!! Doug Scheidt /APRIL 1, 2010 / Year of the 2nd REVOLUTION.
This is standard operating procedure in Mexico. Not saying it is ideal, but just normal procedure. A few weeks ago I saw an old man in Guadalahara crawling in his hands and knees on the sidewalk, evidently he has been doing so for years. No pesos, no medical service. The contrast with folks with no money in the US getting medical service, at least emergency medical service is, stark. If I ever go to Cancun, it must be because of the airport.
"Satan / Cheney in "08" deleted
The relationship between morality and liberty is a directly proportional one. "You've got to put right and wrong above legal and illegal. Because when tyranny becomes law, rebellion becomes duty; and it is not rebellion at all, it is submission to the higher law that our government is in rebellion to. We're not the rebels, they're the rebels."
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The relationship between morality and liberty is a directly proportional one. "You've got to put right and wrong above legal and illegal. Because when tyranny becomes law, rebellion becomes duty; and it is not rebellion at all, it is submission to the higher law that our government is in rebellion to. We're not the rebels, they're the rebels."
deleted
The relationship between morality and liberty is a directly proportional one. "You've got to put right and wrong above legal and illegal. Because when tyranny becomes law, rebellion becomes duty; and it is not rebellion at all, it is submission to the higher law that our government is in rebellion to. We're not the rebels, they're the rebels."
deleted
The relationship between morality and liberty is a directly proportional one. "You've got to put right and wrong above legal and illegal. Because when tyranny becomes law, rebellion becomes duty; and it is not rebellion at all, it is submission to the higher law that our government is in rebellion to. We're not the rebels, they're the rebels."
deleted
The relationship between morality and liberty is a directly proportional one. "You've got to put right and wrong above legal and illegal. Because when tyranny becomes law, rebellion becomes duty; and it is not rebellion at all, it is submission to the higher law that our government is in rebellion to. We're not the rebels, they're the rebels."
They used to demand cash money here too for treatment, directly from the patient. Oddly enough, most everybody could afford the payment (much as they can now when they go to the Veterinarian's office). Now of course, the "co-payment" is higher than the previous "full payment in cash" used to be prior to insurance/government interference.
MapQuest really needs to start their directions on #5. Pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.
There ya have it. And the money went to the folks actually giving the care not a for (huge) profit corporation in the east coast.
"Satan / Cheney in "08" The government is, by leaps and bounds, the largest "medical insurance corporation" in the country. They routinely deny payment and reduce payment to doctors for basic, reasonable procedures.
MapQuest really needs to start their directions on #5. Pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.
There ya have it. Wonder why the free market radicals aren't all over this one ??? Why don't docs and hospitals just let the "market" dictate the price ??? A $5000.00 dollar broken arm would revert to $250.00
April 15th is really April FOOL'S DAY." Thomas Jefferson had NO REASON to make this statement -- So I did !!! Doug Scheidt /APRIL 1, 2010 / Year of the 2nd REVOLUTION.
Actually, I am all over this one. I would love if medical services reverted back to the same mostly free market model that Veterinarians use. Like they used to before government took over 50% of the medical payment kitty and insurance followed suit by becoming more than catastrophic recovery related. It doesn't cost me $100,000 to get surgery on my dog, it costs a couple of hundred bucks pretty much regardless of the surgery. It doesn't cost me $1,000 for a prescription to nurture the pup back to health, it costs me $12.00 off the rack for the same exact medicine that humans get. A full free market, non-government system would rock. Insurance wouldn't be able to justify continued support of a terribly failing entity (when Medicare/Medicaid denies/lowers payment, private insurance is more or less forced to pick up the bill), and we might actually see docs making house calls again.
MapQuest really needs to start their directions on #5. Pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.
Malkin blows her own horn on every neo-crap program available to her. It looks to me that the Republipukes have sized up their male members (hahaha) and determined the fastest way to their little teeny hearts is through their Johnson !
April 15th is really April FOOL'S DAY." Thomas Jefferson had NO REASON to make this statement -- So I did !!! Doug Scheidt /APRIL 1, 2010 / Year of the 2nd REVOLUTION.
One of my friends is a "Veterinarian" and I, like you, am aware of and have access to the necessary elements conducive to healthy living. He's also able to access some herbal remedies reserved to the professional that are not available to the general public. He too knows much about the evil system intent upon shutting off access to "cures" while implementing treatments that "kill" ! Actually he's one of us ... the good guys !
April 15th is really April FOOL'S DAY." Thomas Jefferson had NO REASON to make this statement -- So I did !!! Doug Scheidt /APRIL 1, 2010 / Year of the 2nd REVOLUTION.
Rutgers seems to be lacking a course in Common Sense.
Malkin is a Filipina. A Filipina I know told me in the Philippines Malkin would not be considered particularly attractive. Over there, you have to be half white to be considered beautiful.
“No amount of reason, evidence, logic or rational argument will ever convince the true believer otherwise.”
Yeah, but I'm not in the Phillipines, nor am I any of those people. Just think she's attractive physically (or was the last time I saw a picture). Philosophically she's a rather scary entity.
MapQuest really needs to start their directions on #5. Pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.
deleted
The relationship between morality and liberty is a directly proportional one. "You've got to put right and wrong above legal and illegal. Because when tyranny becomes law, rebellion becomes duty; and it is not rebellion at all, it is submission to the higher law that our government is in rebellion to. We're not the rebels, they're the rebels."
deleted
The relationship between morality and liberty is a directly proportional one. "You've got to put right and wrong above legal and illegal. Because when tyranny becomes law, rebellion becomes duty; and it is not rebellion at all, it is submission to the higher law that our government is in rebellion to. We're not the rebels, they're the rebels."
Actually, most insurance companies are lucky to make 7% profit most of the time. The trick going on now is that when Big Government Medicare/Medicaid refuse to pay or lower payment schedules, insurance companies by and large are forced to cover the deficit. In effect, they are paying for their own bottom line AND are forced to cover government shortfalls as well. I know it's all the rage to bash "insurance companies", but that's the meme being drilled into our heads by the socialists. The real rabbit hole is much deeper and much scarier than a couple of profit driven old hacks in limousines as the statists would have us believe.
MapQuest really needs to start their directions on #5. Pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.
deleted
The relationship between morality and liberty is a directly proportional one. "You've got to put right and wrong above legal and illegal. Because when tyranny becomes law, rebellion becomes duty; and it is not rebellion at all, it is submission to the higher law that our government is in rebellion to. We're not the rebels, they're the rebels."
This has been done already. Look up corporate lifecycle research. We were given a large multi-day presentation on this at a company I worked at a while back (which was not an overly large company, but mid sized and trying to avoid the "huge bureaucracy, incompetent" phase).
MapQuest really needs to start their directions on #5. Pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.
deleted
The relationship between morality and liberty is a directly proportional one. "You've got to put right and wrong above legal and illegal. Because when tyranny becomes law, rebellion becomes duty; and it is not rebellion at all, it is submission to the higher law that our government is in rebellion to. We're not the rebels, they're the rebels."
That said, she's pretty damned hot. It causes me confusion. My brain is thinking "What an idiot" but other parts of me are thinking "hubba!" Yeah. What you said.
Liberty is not a means to a higher political end. It is itself the highest political end. When I was about 21, I stepped on a broken bottle on a beach and had a very deep 4 inch gash on the bottom of my foot. The emergency room visit, including x-rays and a doctor spending about an hour stitching it up (about 60 stitches, inside and out) cost me $175.00.
a. SOL, you are correct re: profits of health insurance companies. www.newsvine.com/_news/20...surers-profits-35th-of-53 "FACT CHECK: Health insurers' profits 35th of 53" 10/26/09 Some cut and paste: ...Health insurance profit margins typically run about 6 percent, give or take a point or two. That's anemic compared with other forms of insurance and a broad array of industries, even some beleaguered ones. Profits barely exceeded 2 percent of revenues in the latest annual measure. This partly explains why the credit ratings of some of the largest insurers were downgraded to negative from stable heading into this year, as investors were warned of a stagnant if not shrinking market for private plans. Insurers are an expedient target for leaders who want a government-run plan in the marketplace... b. And yes, if one were to take the time to scratch Obamacare's surface and to look beyond the 2 tar babies created by the Dem Party prop machine [ie. health insurance companies 90% of the time, and to a more limited degree, "greedy doctors"], the rabbit hole of Obamacare looks very big and scary indeed.
deleted
The relationship between morality and liberty is a directly proportional one. "You've got to put right and wrong above legal and illegal. Because when tyranny becomes law, rebellion becomes duty; and it is not rebellion at all, it is submission to the higher law that our government is in rebellion to. We're not the rebels, they're the rebels."
deleted
The relationship between morality and liberty is a directly proportional one. "You've got to put right and wrong above legal and illegal. Because when tyranny becomes law, rebellion becomes duty; and it is not rebellion at all, it is submission to the higher law that our government is in rebellion to. We're not the rebels, they're the rebels."
deleted
The relationship between morality and liberty is a directly proportional one. "You've got to put right and wrong above legal and illegal. Because when tyranny becomes law, rebellion becomes duty; and it is not rebellion at all, it is submission to the higher law that our government is in rebellion to. We're not the rebels, they're the rebels."
I'm sorry, but I'm not going to play the Marxist class warfare game that Obama wants me to play. I also refuse to demonize doctors (unrelated to this answer, just pointing it out). The blame lay fully at the door of government takeover of 50% of medical "insurance" in 1962. Everything that followed after that has been a sad, terrible reaction to that unjustifiable and unconstitutional takeover. If the government wants me to demonize, then I tend to wonder why. Not going to play the game man. Sorry.
MapQuest really needs to start their directions on #5. Pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.
deleted
The relationship between morality and liberty is a directly proportional one. "You've got to put right and wrong above legal and illegal. Because when tyranny becomes law, rebellion becomes duty; and it is not rebellion at all, it is submission to the higher law that our government is in rebellion to. We're not the rebels, they're the rebels."
Volume my friend, volume. And the FedGov has been helping the insurance companies get that volume for decades! And they just got another enormous boost in volume with the passing of the "health care" reform. In five years however, those same companies will be failing and going away leaving the insurance biz up to the feds. The more relevant question(s) are where are those profits going? What do casino percentage profits have to do with health insurance companies' profit margins? And how does volume "secretly" affect profit margins? Consider that expenditures also increase as volume increases. Look, I'm not a health insurance stock holder; I do not have any ties whatsoever to the industry. I simply posted the link to profitability because it's what I had read in the fall when Associated Press published the information - I was frankly surprised that the profit margins were so minor in light of the 24/7 prop demonization by the Dem Party. Also the link supported what SOL claimed in his msg post #30. Here's a related list of Profitability by Industry. The health insurance industry is ranked #86. 1.bp.blogspot.com/_otfwl2...5LxQ0/s1600-h/profits.bmp As someone noted in the same blog,"the average ROIC [Return on Invested Capital] for the 7 largest publicly traded health insurers (AET CI CVH HNT HUM UNH WLP) was 8.0% in 2008. This compares to the average for big pharma of 14%, for drug distributors of 11%, for medical device co's of 16%, or big biotech of 14%." Postscript: I would agree that health insurance companies might get an initial boost in profit margins [ the first 5 years?] after Obamacare's mandatory health insurance thingie is fully implemented, but with the removal of contractual ceilings on health insurance expenditures together with the requirement that insurance companies cover anyone [ and at a "fair" premium price] who wants to buy insurance regardless of what pre-existing condition he/she might have, health insurance companies will go banqrupt in short order. And this final point should give us all pause for thought re: what a fiscal disaster gov't run single payer health insurance will be for taxpayers UNLESS draconian rationing measures are followed by Big Brother [ which of course will happen as per all socialized medicine settings around the globe]. Indeed as much as insurance companies are maligned by lefties for cold-hearted/ruthless denial of benefits to sick patients, it's actually the gov't desk jockeys running Medicare who win the prize for the highest rate of denial of benefits. Interesting, yes? www.newsbusters.org/blogs...ical-claim-rejection-rate "Deny This: Guess Who Has the Highest Medical Claim Rejection Rate?" Some cut and paste: ...The Medicare denial rate found in the study was, on a weighted average basis, roughly 1.7 times that of all of the private carriers combined.. So who's the most "heartless" now? And why should Americans accept the idea of gradually being forced into a government-run system when, based on documented government experience, they will be more likely to see their claims denied?..
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The relationship between morality and liberty is a directly proportional one. "You've got to put right and wrong above legal and illegal. Because when tyranny becomes law, rebellion becomes duty; and it is not rebellion at all, it is submission to the higher law that our government is in rebellion to. We're not the rebels, they're the rebels."
I don't believe either SOL or the article links I posted suggested that the health insurance industry was struggling or not financially viable. But their profit margins are indeed rather anemic, COMPARATIVELY speaking. Did you look at the Fortune 500 {?} chart of Industry Profit Margins? SOL is right - the profit margin of health insurance industry is tops 8%, which is rather paltry, compared to 85 other better ranked industries. The Brewer's Beverage Industry's profit margin is a whopping 25.9%, Cigarettes' is 17.4%, Agricultural Chemicals' is 15.2% etc etc etc
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The relationship between morality and liberty is a directly proportional one. "You've got to put right and wrong above legal and illegal. Because when tyranny becomes law, rebellion becomes duty; and it is not rebellion at all, it is submission to the higher law that our government is in rebellion to. We're not the rebels, they're the rebels."
Big banking, as you are well aware, is a racket in this country. Well the insurance industry is related to it and not indirectly. Round and round we go... Why do you keep mentioning AIG in this thread discussion about health insurance companies? Do you even know what AIG does? AIG's main business is under writing commercial and industrial insurance. "The Company's business consists of four core areas: General Insurance, Life Insurance & Retirement Services, Financial Services and Asset Management." I don't see health insurance companies being listed uunder AIG's holdings, either nationally or internationally. So what if the insurance industry is considered to be part of the Financial Banking business sector? Does that mean you think evil bankers are hiding the true profit margins of health insurance companies from the SEC and from their stock holders? I don't get your point. Fyi, there are several different kinds of insurance [ health, life, car, travel etc etc] companies within the insurance industry that is part of the Banking Finance sector. Get it? Possibly the other types of insurance companies have better profit margins than health - I don't know - all I'm saying is that what we are discussing is HEALTH INSURANCE COMPANIES and I have posted article links that support SLO's claims that the profit margins of health insurance companies is nothing to write home to Mama about. You otoh have posted ZERO to support your rambling digressive positions. A little knowledge can be a dangerous thing when you try to formulate sweeping theories based on bits of unrelated information.
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The relationship between morality and liberty is a directly proportional one. "You've got to put right and wrong above legal and illegal. Because when tyranny becomes law, rebellion becomes duty; and it is not rebellion at all, it is submission to the higher law that our government is in rebellion to. We're not the rebels, they're the rebels."
OTOH, hey, when you go to Mexico for spring break, it is foolish to not strongly consider that in that shithole something exactly like this has an elevated chance of occurring.
#3. To: Eric Stratton (#0)
#4. To: noone222 (#3)
#5. To: SonOfLiberty (#4)
she's so far up the sphincter of the neocons that it's a wonder she can see to drive to work.
#6. To: Eric Stratton (#0)
The Mexican hospital that treated Zeke demanded upfront payment for all of the costs related to his care, surgery and stay before allowing him to leave.
#7. To: SonOfLiberty (#1)
#8. To: noone222 (#2)
#9. To: SonOfLiberty (#4)
#10. To: noone222 (#5)
#11. To: tom007 (#6)
#12. To: Eric Stratton (#11)
#13. To: Eric Stratton (#11)
Then again, I'm sure they didn't charge $64 for a bandage and $400 for "supplies" not to mention $22,000 for a common simple procedure either.
#14. To: tom007 (#13)
#15. To: tom007 (#13)
Then again, I'm sure they didn't charge $64 for a bandage and $400 for "supplies" not to mention $22,000 for a common simple procedure either.
#16. To: noone222 (#15)
#17. To: Eric Stratton (#10)
#18. To: SonOfLiberty (#16)
It doesn't cost me $1,000 for a prescription to nurture the pup back to health, it costs me $12.00 off the rack for the same exact medicine that humans get.
#19. To: Eric Stratton (#0)
#20. To: SonOfLiberty (#4)
That said, she's pretty damned hot.
#21. To: Turtle (#20)
#22. To: SonOfLiberty (#12)
#23. To: noone222 (#17)
#24. To: Eric Stratton (#22)
#25. To: SonOfLiberty (#24)
#26. To: Eric Stratton (#25)
If we were to do research, something that I would love to do as a paid project, we would find that after a certain size companies become tremendously inefficient and frankly, would otherwise cave in on themselves in not propped up.
#27. To: SonOfLiberty (#26)
#28. To: SonOfLiberty (#4)
I've always wondered about Malkin. Once in a while she hits one out of the park, but generally speaking she's so far up the sphincter of the neocons that it's a wonder she can see to drive to work.
Lord Acton
#29. To: SonOfLiberty (#12)
Now of course, the "co-payment" is higher than the previous "full payment in cash" used to be prior to insurance/government interference.
Waiting too late to oppose tyranny has always led to bloodshed.
#30. To: SonOfLiberty, Eric Stratton (#24)
Actually, most insurance companies are lucky to make 7% profit most of the time...I know it's all the rage to bash "insurance companies", but that's the meme being drilled into our heads by the socialists. The real rabbit hole is much deeper and much scarier than a couple of profit driven old hacks in limousines as the statists would have us believe.
#31. To: scrapper2, SonOfLiberty (#30)
#32. To: scrapper2, SonOfLiberty (#30)
#33. To: scrapper2, SonOfLiberty (#30)
#34. To: Eric Stratton (#31)
#35. To: SonOfLiberty (#34)
#36. To: Eric Stratton, SonOfLiberty (#31)
(Edited)
What are the percentage profits for casinos?
#37. To: scrapper2 (#36)
#38. To: Eric Stratton, SonOfLiberty (#37)
Simply because a business operates at a "paltry" 7% margin, which I would argue is not necessarily bad, and could be fantastic, does not mean that it or its industry is struggling as has been suggested, or on the cusp of not being viable.
#39. To: scrapper2 (#38)
#40. To: Eric Stratton (#39)
And again, and please, this cannot be understated, the banking/finance/insurance companies, and again, all pretty much one in the same at the root of it, all garner favors from the FedGov making them lucrative when in fact many probably even shouldn't be and should go out or have gone out of business. Again, AIG.
#41. To: scrapper2 (#40)
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