Liberty Update Ep. 41: Why Americans Are Sicker and Poorer

Hey, and welcome back to another episode of the Liberty Update, where we bring you your need-to-know news in 15 minutes or less every week right here on the Conventionist Aids podcast. I'm Jake, and as always, I'm joined by my co-host, Bri, and together we're excited to dive in and explore this week's top headlines with you, starting, of course, with the recent Republican Party debates, and we also have an exciting announcement from Conventionist Aids Foundation, that you won't want to miss, we'll also dive into a report that uncovered a terrifying censorship scheme with Stanford and Big Tech, and also another report that shows that after 10 years, Americans are sicker and poorer under Obama care. All of that right here on the Liberty Update makes sure to subscribe to the Conventionist Aids podcast. Let's dive right in. The third Republican presidential debate took place in Miami on Wednesday night showcasing a notably more civil tone compared to the two previous political showdowns. Five candidates discussed various issues from foreign policy to the economy, outlining their vision for the future of the party and the nation. However, it was the criticism directed towards Aronna McDaniel, the chairwoman of the GOP, that stole the spotlight during the event. The debate's frontrunner, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, set the stage by expressing a sentiment that resonated with many in the party. He said, quote, I'm sick of Republicans losing. He proudly touted his accomplishments in Florida, highlighting his historic, victory and significant support in Miami-Dade County. candidate Vivek Ramaswamy did not mince words when addressing the party's recent track record. He declared, quote, I'm upset about what happened last night, we've become a party of losers at the end of the day, a cancer of the Republican establishment. Ramaswamy's frustration was evident as he pointed out the GOP's losses in key elections since Aronna McDaniel assumed her role in 2017. Some of these losses include the midterms in 2018, the presidential election in 2020, and the 2022 midterm elections during which the expected red wave failed to materialize. Ramaswamy's call for accountability created tensions as he challenged McDaniel, who was sitting in the audience to come on stage and resign, should she be unable to provide some answers. At the conclusion of the debate when the candidates mingled on stage with their families and supporters, cameras panned McDaniel and Ramaswamy in a heated, finger-pointing discussion. As the 2024 presidential race continues to unfold, it remains to be seen whether the GOP can bridge these divisions and find common ground on key issues. The challenges and criticisms brought up during the debate signal the need for the party to address its internal concerns and present a united front to voters in the upcoming 2024 election. This week Convention of State's Foundation announced the release of a short film documenting the recent 2023 simulated Article 5 Convention hosted by COSF in Colonial Williamsburg. The movie is set to premiere the week of Thanksgiving during an exclusive livestream event. The founding fathers were wise, yet imperfect men who framed a great nation with a great constitution, but it was not a perfect constitution. The movie's website reads, they themselves recognized that they would come a day when time or circumstances would require amendments, some of which could only be achieved through the state-led convention process. Having lain dormant since America's founding, it is important for us to breathe the life into this important constitutional safety valve by demonstrating the interstate convention process known so well by the founders. Premiering during COSF's first ever movie premiere event on Tuesday, November 21st at 6pm Eastern time, the Article 5 Convention of State's Simulation Summary video will take audiences on behind the scenes journey through the world of Article 5 at the COSF simulation. But never before seen footage and stated the art cinematography, the film promises to be an unmissable event and cinematic treats for Article 5 fans everywhere. So mark your calendars for November 21st and prepare to experience the constitutional magic first hand and like never before, here's a little bit of the trailer to get you excited for this upcoming movie. A brand new bombshell report from the House Judiciary Committee takes a deep dive into the government's despicable efforts to control information through partnerships with both universities and big tech. According to the report, the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of State coordinated with Stanford University and other colleges to develop an election integrity partnership in 2020 in the lead up to the presidential election. The partnership provided a way for the federal government to launder its censorship activities in hopes of bypassing both the First Amendment and public scrutiny. The allegations are outlined in the committee's staff report titled The Weaponization of Disinformation, Sudo Experts and Bureaucrats, how the federal government partnered with universities to censor Americans free speech. Members of this election integrity partnership followed a straightforward censorship process. First, external stakeholders, including federal agencies and organizations funded by the government, submitted misinformation reports. Then, EIP misinformation analysts would scour the internet for additional examples. The report goes on to detail this disgraceful process. Quote, if the submitted report flagged a Facebook post, for example, the EIP analyst searched for similar content on Twitter, YouTube, TikTok, Reddit, and other major social media platforms. Once all the offending links were compiled, the EIP sent the most significant ones directly to big tech with specific recommendations on how the social media platforms should censor the post such as reducing the post's discoverability, suspending an accountability to continue tweeting for 12 hours, and removing thousands of Americans' posts. Put simply, the federal government triggered the operation, the EIP proposed speech guidance, and then big tech delivered with action. Government censorship directly harmed top conservative social media accounts, even government employees like President Donald Trump, and representatives Thomas Massey and Marjorie Taylor Green. The resonant convention of states endorsers were also targeted, such as Charlie Kirk, James O'Keefe, Dave Rubin, and Sean Hannity. Conservative posts that were, in fact, accurate, received misinformation labels while false information shared by liberal accounts received no retaliation. The silencing was largely one-sided, and the advantageous results were one-sided. The report states, quote, The suit of science of disinformation is now, and always has been nothing more than a political ruse most frequently targeted at communities and individuals holding views contrary to the prevailing narratives. The word sudo means fake or counterfeit, and the past three years have taught us that there are many sudo narratives and public servants who are willing to breach the First Amendment in pursuit of control. We cannot live freely and authentically without transparent and free access to information. This frightening report provides all the more reasons why we the people need to finally hold the government accountable. Remember when Nancy Pelosi and Speaker Nancy Pelosi told us that we had to pass Obamacare to find out what wasn't in it? Well, that was in 2010, 13 years later, we now know the answer to what was in Obamacare. Author Sally Pike's Pulitz, quote, The Affordable Care Act is anything but affordable. This is not just some cute saying. A new study from the Commonwealth Health Fund titled How Health Care Costs and Medical Debt Are Making Americans Sicker and Poor reveals several concerning statistics about the condition of health care in America. Most notably, the study suggests that at least half of working age adults in the country now struggle to afford their health care costs. Additionally, soaring prices have forced many to incur medical debts and or miss out unimportant medical appointments and treatments. In 2013, the year before Obamacare went into effect, the average monthly premium in the individual market was $244, recalled Mrs. Pike's who serves as the President of Health Care Policy at the Pacific Research Institute. By 2019, she says it was 558. The state is confirmed by the Heritage Foundation, who shows that from 2013 to 2019, the average monthly premium paid in the individual market had decreased only in one state, Massachusetts, and only by a meager 5% in every other state's monthly costs had skyrocketed as high as 244% in Alabama, which climbed from $178 per month to 613, 243% in West Virginia, to 112% in Nebraska, and 198% in Delaware. Some of these prices climbed in Virginia, for example, West Virginia, as high as $894 previously at 261, and that in a six-year period. All of that, across all states, resulted in an average increased total of 129% from the six years again immediately following the enactment of Obamacare. Heritage Foundation aptly concluded that data on how much Americans actually paid for their health insurance confirm that the ACA's mandates and regulations dramatically increased the cost of individual market health insurance in almost all states. But why, of course, there are several answers to this, the first of which being administrative costs when you have to wade through complicated rules and regulations, not only does that clog the process, it adds on a bunch of extra expenses. The ACA also dealt a serious blow to the free markets. The year after the former president's signature legislation passed through Washington, the average state enjoyed 30 options for individual market insurance. More than half of the states had more than that, but by 2020, the average number of individual market insurers in the states had fallen to a mere 10. As experts suggested back in 2018, at a House Committee hearing, this consolidation of healthcare leads inevitably to decreased competition in higher premiums. This data reveals overwhelmingly that the federal government interjecting itself into the private sector and Americans' healthcare has been disastrous, resulting in a sicker and poorer population. Here at Convention of States, we believe in self-governance, the idea that decisions should be made as close to home as possible. To join us in pushing back against federal encroachment and returning the power to you and your family and your community, sign the Convention of States petition on Convention of States.com today. And that's a wrap on this week's Me to Know News Rundown. As we close today, I want to give a personal shout out to both of my grandpa's, as well as every other individual who has served in the military. Thank you for your bravery, thank you for your service, and all the sacrifices you made for our nation. You are so very appreciated on Veterans Day and always. Thanks for listening to the Liberty Update with Jake and Bri. We'll catch you back here next week.