{"id":91,"date":"2025-01-19T07:17:00+00:00","date_gmt":"2025-01-19T07:17:00+00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ragecognito.digital\/?p=91"},"modified":"2025-01-17T19:18:36+00:00","modified_gmt":"2025-01-17T19:18:36+00:00","slug":"reflecting-on-the-first-report-a-commentary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ragecognito.digital\/?p=91","title":{"rendered":"Reflecting on the First Report: A Commentary"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Unveiling corruption and inspiring action\u2014because accountability starts with us!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let me start by setting the record straight. I\u2019m not a \u201cpersonality,\u201d an influencer, or a politician. My worth isn\u2019t tied to wealth\u2014especially since I don\u2019t have any. My self-value comes from the people I help and the good I strive to do. That\u2019s not hyperbole<\/strong>; it\u2019s how I\u2019ve lived my life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve served in combat<\/strong>. I\u2019ve been elected to public office twice. And at every stage of my life, I\u2019ve aimed to contribute meaningfully to society\u2014not just through donations but through the simple yet powerful act of being a decent human being to others<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m what happens when someone dedicates themselves to serving their country and community without ulterior motives. I\u2019ve never accepted a dime from anyone for my campaigns. I\u2019ve been attacked, insulted, conspired against, and threatened. Those threats didn\u2019t stop with me\u2014they extended to my wife and children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even the politicians I initially thought were kind and principled lacked the moral courage to do the right thing when it truly mattered. For someone like me, who doesn\u2019t aspire to personal wealth or political gain, you quickly become a threat to the establishment. When you\u2019ve been behind the curtain and seen how things operate, the last thing the establishment wants is for you to retain credibility, should you decide to speak out. I know this firsthand. It\u2019s what happened to me, and it\u2019s what happens to any independent candidate who makes real<\/em><\/strong> headway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The system adapts, creating rules to make it harder\u2014and sometimes nearly impossible\u2014for independents to compete in future elections. Over the years, I\u2019ve become burned out, distrustful, and unable to serve in most organized capacities. Decades in the trenches have taken their toll.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still, I can\u2019t shake the compulsion to contribute<\/strong>. The world\u2014and particularly the American world\u2014has been in a constant state of transformation for a few decades now, toward oligarchy<\/strong> and hoarding of resources and wealth. While I may no longer be on the front lines, I still have a brain and the drive to play my part.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s what this project is about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope you\u2019ll join me on this journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

The First Report<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

My first report was a trial run\u2014a way to rebuild momentum and reestablish the discipline of studying and researching. Healthcare and health insurance<\/strong> dominate the minds of many Americans today, so tackling pharmaceutical price hikes felt like an obvious starting point. Martin Shkreli, the unapologetic pharmaceutical executive notorious for his greed, became my subject. Even after his time in prison, he remains remorseless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Video report – https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Od7KkasNTkM<\/a>
Blog Post – https:\/\/ragecognito.digital\/?p=75<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I feel good about the job I did in presenting the facts in that report, but I\u2019m especially grateful for the independent fact-checker who signed on to keep me accurate and focused. Their contribution gave me a solid foundation to build on, as well as insight into deeper issues worth exploring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, through this fact-check, I identified two areas I want to delve into further: the regulatory environment that enables such price manipulations and the broader trends within the pharmaceutical industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Looking Ahead<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I want to draw a line between my reports and my commentary. My reports should be grounded in facts, free from sensationalism. My commentary, on the other hand, is where my personality and perspectives will shine through.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This first report was just the beginning. With each new piece, I\u2019m striving to improve, refine my approach, and tackle increasingly complex topics. I hope my journey inspires others to think critically and engage meaningfully with the world around us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, here\u2019s to the next step. Let\u2019s see where this road takes us.<\/p>\n

<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Unveiling corruption and inspiring action\u2014because accountability starts with us! Let me start by setting the record straight. I\u2019m not a \u201cpersonality,\u201d an influencer, or a politician. My worth isn\u2019t tied to wealth\u2014especially since I don\u2019t have any. My self-value comes from the people I help and the good I strive to do. That\u2019s not hyperbole;…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"mf2_syndication":[],"venue_id":0,"webmentions_disabled_pings":false,"webmentions_disabled":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-91","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","kind-"],"kind":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ragecognito.digital\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ragecognito.digital\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ragecognito.digital\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ragecognito.digital\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ragecognito.digital\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=91"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/ragecognito.digital\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":93,"href":"https:\/\/ragecognito.digital\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91\/revisions\/93"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ragecognito.digital\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=91"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ragecognito.digital\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=91"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ragecognito.digital\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=91"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}