Every time I hear another bewilderingly silly argument against any move towards real health care reform, I think about that huddled, entrenched and entitled health care industry pouring millions of dollars into politicians’ pockets, yearning to maintain their status quo.
For each and every cry of the end of the world that the Armageddonists predict, there is a lobbyist bankrolling a politician (Go Blue Dogs!) to protect their industry’s turf. As a matter of fact, none of their arguments hold any weight whatsoever, most which are actually more damning of private insurance than any possible government mandated coverage. For example, under private care, your insurance company decides, based on costs alone, whether you can see the doctor of your choice and which kind of treatment, if any, you can receive. And your insurance company only makes money when you are denied treatment, not when you are granted it. In other words, their business is to deny you health care. When you go to the doctor, your insurance company loses.
Then there are the blatantly fabricated and misleading tales of the blunders in foreign hospitals. In Canada this or in England that, as if American hospitals were free from error or negligence. There wouldn’t be a medical malpractice industry without malpractice. That’s Free Market 101. Of course, the Republicans blame the free market of trial lawyers and want to regulate the legal practice.
The most absurd argument of all, though, is about how universal health care will somehow turn the United States into a Soviet style communist nation of lazy people milking the system. Wouldn’t that mean that our single payer public education system is also a form of Soviet style communism endangering our land, and that anyone who has ever studied in or sent their children to a public school is just another lazy-ass freeloader? Should we turn the schools over to the health care industry?
As things stand, we look more like one of those heavily indebted third world dictatorships where the majority of government spending is on the military and almost nothing is invested in the basic necessities of the citizens, like schools, health care, roads, or infrastructure. Even our airports, as one airline expert recently told me, are already light years behind their European counterparts. That’s right, we have the most expensive socialized national defense in the history of the world (though after eight years, longer than World War II, we cannot even defeat cave dwellers), we pay for our wars and trillion dollar tax cuts by borrowing the money from communist China. Yet any heath care reform whatsoever that puts us on par with other industrialized nations would place us at risk of socialism.
Of the G8, we are the only one which does not offer universal health care. With every other highly industrialized democracy in the world providing for the health care of their citizens, maybe we do need such a strong military to protects us against these uppity free market socialists.
I don’t know what’s worse anymore: the ludicrous, baseless fear mongering, the American public’s pathological fear of antiquated socialism by its pro-corporate welfare government, or the Obama Administration’s inability to sell what is seen as a basic public service — like access to water, roads, and education — in every other normal, modern democracy in the world.
Grave Error 
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You’re kidding right? Holy shit.
The United States of America has the premiere health care system in the world, hands down, bar none, without exception.
Health “Care” isn’t the problem; at all. Health insurance and Tort laws are the problem ~ but none of those useless douchebags on the hill want to talk about the real matter.
This ain’t 1905, and immigration isn’t the issue; illegal aliens are not immigrants, are law breakers, violators and entitled to no amnesty ~ under the Patriot Act, they should be executed on sight.
So let’s get down to business:
1. There are approximately 12 – 14 million Americans without insurance. So what, state Medicaid already exists, expand what is already existent, don’t f’ up what isn’t broken.
2. The insurance industry has already agreed to modify their system. I don’t believe their bullshit either; so have regulatory legislation handy for when they revert.
2a. The problem with our current insurance industry is that every medical insurance policy is an unnecessary totality; i.e. as a 40 year old male, I don’t maternity/maternity leave coverage, alcohol/drug rehab coverage, geriatric coverage, psychological coverage, etc. I just need insurance against catastrophic issues, kind of like “state minimum insurance” for automobiles. But you can’t get a “this is the coverage I want” medical policy. THAT is the problem.
3. Tort law: Amurikans are f’n morons, lazy, apathetic, sad … so give them the opportunity to spill hot coffee in their lap and find someone to sue over it; oh hell yeah, they’re all over that. Doctors are humans, humans make mistakes/errors; get over it. Unless some form of malice can be proven, not just inferred, then any case of frivolousness should be thrown out and the perpetrator fined and or jailed.
Our health care, the American health care, is not, I repeat NOT, the problem. Lobbyists, activists, lawyers and corrupted prostiticians are the problem ~ like that is a surprise to anyone.
Here’s an idea: you want to fix the largest battery of problems with America; it’s called a “hanging rope”.
Start trying prostiticians for treason, as they should be, for acts against the people and the nation in their corrupted self-serving agendas, and it will come to an abrupt halt within a single generation.
No matter how you spin it cugino, socialism always becomes cosmic, epic failure. Socialism is just a mediated form of tyranny, history has proven it over and over again.
Europe isn’t going to stand much longer in its current form, the unrest of the people is coming to a boil. Socialism can never work; even Marx knew this, and had no answer for his own philosophical failure.
Another nice post. Bill Moyers has had a couple of good pieces on Health Care as well.
I was just watching an interview with one of the Blue Dog Democrats and when confronting with having received money from the health care insurance lobbies, she denied it. Then when confronted with the numbers presented by the watchdog group that reported she had received $XXX,XXX (I don’t remember the quantity), she said that was not very much money because it only amounted to some $60,000/term that she had been in office (and she had served something like 7 terms). That sounds like enough to sway my vote.
Kitapsiz,
I would agree that socialism as a pure form of government leads to tyranny, but the government offering services to its citizens like clean drinking water, sewage, highways, roads, education, health care, and national defense does not turn us into a socialist nation, especially one in which corporate special interest bankroll politicians.
Regarding Europe being at risk of social unrest, I really have no idea what you are talking about, and I have been living and working in Europe for nine years now. Europeans love to march in the streets, go on strike, and have their peaceful protests, but outside of the government taking away their social benefits I don’t see the potential for real social unrest that we are just one more LAPD or NYPD misstep away from in the U.S.
I have seen this guy on his book tour about the upcoming revolution in the streets of Europe because of Muslim immigrants. A an utter total myth, pure neo-con fantasy.
Europe’s risk lies in the sustainability of it model. With an aging population and very low population growth, if Europe doesn’t start practicing unprotected sex or importing foreign workers in large numbers, then they won’t have enough taxpayers to fund their government services. They could try to do what the U.S. does and, instead of increasing taxes, simply borrow the money and let a future president pay the political price of having to raise taxes. Unfortunately, the EU has something akin to a balanced budget law, limiting the percentage to which a member state can indebt itself.
So while the “social safety net” in the European countries has protected their citizens in ways that Americans have not been protected during this crisis, the question is whether a prolonged crisis would bankrupt EU governments.
The U.S. economic model is proving perhaps even less sustainable than the dreaded European socialism. Most of our states are on the verge of bankruptcy, Americans refuse to pay more taxes, we haven’t invested in infrastructure in a generation, and we are completely dependent on foreign lenders, mainly China, to finance our government. And guess what? China, our Cold War enemy, the one we sent a generation of soldier to die in Vietnam to protect us from, is now telling us that we have to clean up our act or they will cut off the constant flow of “aid”.
But back to health care, we do have to recognize that health care, under whatever system, is something that we pay for, either in the form of taxes or premiums. When we get it from our employers, we have to expect wage stagnation (as health care premiums go up for our employers, our salaries decrease), and when you lose your job, you’re screwed. When we get it from the state, we pay for it in terms of higher taxes (or we send China a bigger IOU). The debate should really be centered on these issues, not on Cold War rhetoric, especially considering that it is starting to look like we’re finally losing the Cold War.
So desperate has the industry become that now it is trying even new scare tactics (all directed at Republican Christians) that the government is going to start paying for abortions, euthanasia, and rationing care. How stupid do they think we are?
Regarding Europe being at risk of social unrest, I really have no idea what you are talking about, and I have been living and working in Europe for nine years now. Europeans love to march in the streets, go on strike, and have their peaceful protests, but outside of the government taking away their social benefits I don’t see the potential for real social unrest that we are just one more LAPD or NYPD misstep away from in the U.S.
Because much like Machiavelli, I am more interested in the overall behavior of the sheepled mob, historically and presently, than the perceptions of the media morons. The human animal is not a species for continued suppression or repression; all systems of control are undone, hence the rise and fall of every empire.
With a number of failing socialised medical systems, (Canada, England particularly), just how long do you think humans will hold out when they are being rationed and legislated into dying for society?
Don’t bother with the “it isn’t happening”, every media outlet, both U.S. and European is reporting the withholding of medicines, procedures and care based on the fiscal failure of their systems.
You are correct, their societies are aging. The “white” race, has traded the wealth of family and genetic immortality for monetary wealth, status and materialism; sad, but so be it.
The U.S. economic model is proving perhaps even less sustainable than the dreaded European socialism. Most of our states are on the verge of bankruptcy, Americans refuse to pay more taxes, we haven’t invested in infrastructure in a generation, and we are completely dependent on foreign lenders, mainly China, to finance our government.
The “model” isn’t the problem; it’s sustainability, if ethically controlled, is unparalleled. This also means, a measure of mitigated avarice; that drive provides more forward progression of technology and wealth than any other. But again, it has to be within boundaries.
I am always entertained by the “system is flawed” argument. It is never the system, posited as a singular, self-perpetuating entity; the system is humans, the failure is humans.
The facts of the matter, especially as you bring up the failing states, is as thus:
1. Illegal aliens who drain every social resource and put nothing, zero, zip, nil, back into the system. As a matter of the facts I have personally observed, what money they do make, the greater portion leaves our economy for foreign lands.
2. Immigrants who open businesses in our country, again from my direct personal experience, and the admissions of numerous immigrant business owners ~ they get massive tax abatements, (10, 15 years). At the point where the abatement is to run out, the business is switched into another family members name, and **poof**, another round of untaxed business. They are also given access to loans that an American would have to work for, and tolerate the 40-65% likelihood of rejection, out of hand.
3. The absolute lack of education; because of the socialist minded, so called “positivism” movement. Which has been proven to be more destructive to the educational process than anything, (thanks to “I hope he’s dead” Ted Kennedy and the Village Idiot). Failure is part of the game, unless you believe in the standard of no standard.
4. Infrastructure failure; prosticians, period.
So desperate has the industry become that now it is trying even new scare tactics (all directed at Republican Christians) that the government is going to start paying for abortions, euthanasia, and rationing care. How stupid do they think we are?
Yes, how stupid are we?
The Maobama administration has put up a “Flag” page, on the US gov’t site, asking citizens to report their neighbors/colleagues for “passing misinformation” about the health care bill.
Gestapo revisited. Speaking of which, that worthless whore, Nasty “Botox and Plastic” Pelosi is now referring to American citizens who voice their disapproval of socialised healthcare as “wearing swaztikas and other suck stuff” … no verifiable proof, in any instance, but still, the dirty whore can slander American citizens with impugnity.
If you look at the economic numbers, and then listen to the lies coming from the White House …
If you look at the cost numbers for socialised medicine, and its absolute failure to cover the number of Americans it was stated to, it’s absolute guaranteed debt …
If you look at the government asking one neighbor to report the words of another neighbor in a full blown tyrannical exercise of inhibiting free speech …
Yes, just how stupid are we?
Here is what a Hungarian immigrant said to me just today: “In my country, it’s called communism, Europe calls it socialism, and you fools in America call it ‘hope and change’ ~ what’s wrong with you people?”
Yes, just how stupid are we?
Comparing everything we don’t like to the Nazis or communism for that matter is so tiresome, unhelpful and overplayed. It is pathetic. The Reps call the Dems Nazis and then the Dems call the Reps Nazis. Now the whole back to the Cold War. We are THAT dumb.
Regarding rationing of care, at least in Spain and France, I have not seen or heard of it happening. It is just an American illusion, a scare tactic. On every health indicator out there, we are at the bottom or near the bottom of the barrel. Remember what we call socialism in the U.S. would in general be supported by Europe’s right wing, liberal economists.
Regarding immigrants milking the system for taking jobs with zero security or legal protection and that pay below the minimum wage, I would suggest two things. We could remove all income taxes — the Republican wet dream — thus there would be no argument that immigrants don’t pay taxes. Or we could legalize them by which they would all have to pay taxes. Unfortunately, though, the costs of goods and services would go up and our economy would suffer without the aid of cheap, indentured labor.
Regarding tax breaks: Big Oil, Big Insurance, Big Military Contractors, Big Banks to Big to Fail … there is nobody like the big boys to receive government subsidies.
And it’s not like the rich are paying their share of the taxes either.
“According to government figures, 1-percenters’ share of America’s total income is the highest it’s been since 1929, and their tax rates are the lowest they’ve faced in two decades. Through bonuses, many 1-percenters will profit from the $23 trillion in bailout largesse the Treasury Department now says could be headed to financial firms. And most of them benefit from IRS decisions to reduce millionaire audits and collect zero taxes from the majority of major corporations.”
Comparing everything we don’t like to the Nazis or communism for that matter is so tiresome, unhelpful and overplayed. It is pathetic. The Reps call the Dems Nazis and then the Dems call the Reps Nazis. Now the whole back to the Cold War. We are THAT dumb.
Nice try on the willfully ignoring what I stated:
Try again; Skanky Pelosi was caught ON CAMERA, stating that the American CITIZENS who opposed socialised medicine were coming to townhall meetings wearing “swaztikas and other like symbols” …
Do try to pay attention: That whore is attacking American CITIZENS, most of whom are elderly citizens opposed to losing their healthcare coverage.
Regarding rationing of care, at least in Spain and France, I have not seen or heard of it happening. It is just an American illusion, a scare tactic. On every health indicator out there, we are at the bottom or near the bottom of the barrel. Remember what we call socialism in the U.S. would in general be supported by Europe’s right wing, liberal economists.
Here’s what the link says, when you look at it with proper skepticism: “Source: Calculated by the Commonwealth Fund Survey, @2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 […]”
Sorry, no dice. Their data isn’t shown, their protocols, if any, aren’t shown and the parameters of the survey aren’t known/shown …. nor is there any indication of any manner of peer review.
Summary: statistics to serve an obvious agenda. No sources quoted but their own, without support of the above ~ non-empirical shit.
Regarding immigrants milking the system for taking jobs with zero security or legal protection and that pay below the minimum wage
Non sequitur argument. They are illegal/criminals/violators, they need to either be removed or executed, the tax issue/wage issue is irrelevant. There is no other recourse; either way, they go.
Regarding tax breaks: Big Oil, Big Insurance, Big Military Contractors, Big Banks to Big to Fail … there is nobody like the big boys to receive government subsidies.
Absolutely they do … but guess whose fault that is ~ the Amurikan citizen. The Amurikan citizen who is more interested in the up and coming Gangsta Rappa than their education or their children’s education. The Amurikan citizen who thinks “gettin mah twenny foes tuday” is more important than understanding Constitutional Law. The Amurikan citizen who will spend every last dime for games, beer and hotdogs to watch their favorite overpaid sports superhero; instead of spending the money to learn about how the government, with its abject two party failure, uses everyone to maintain the oligarchy.
Make all the excuses you want; corporations are ingenious way to make profits and are normally a benefit to society ~ oh wait, until what Machiavelli says becomes the case: “the corrupted populace”.
“I’m not mad because they are rich and powerful, I’m just bitching because I want my turn.”
And it’s not like the rich are paying their share of the taxes either.
Crap editorial piece, (as in POS), without a single verifiable reference. Has zero standing.
Someone is paying those taxes, and it isn’t people like myself, who haven’t the wage base to even matter; hell, I make so little, it can’t even be proven that I exist, and there are many like me.
The wealthy also keep their money tied up in the market/mutual funds/money markets and OH NOES!!! investing in new business/business expansions, which provide jobs!!! They didn’t make large sums of money by being idiots; the more of their money stays out of the governments view, the more they keep ~ take a look at capital gains taxes/inheritance taxes/estate taxes some time. It’s unf*ingreal what they do to people who actually have the audacity to earn an appreciable income and invest.
Just to show you the difference in how to handle site references:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/Facts-Are-Stubborn-Things/
“There is a lot of disinformation about health insurance reform out there, spanning from control of personal finances to end of life care. These rumors often travel just below the surface via chain emails or through casual conversation. Since we can’t keep track of all of them here at the White House, we’re asking for your help. If you get an email or see something on the web about health insurance reform that seems fishy, send it to flag@whitehouse.gov.”
Sieg heil, mein Furher!!!
Let the march of the American brown shirts begin. Interesting combination though, I have to admit; American Chavista Politburo with old world Deutschlander Gestapo … mmmmm, taste the tyranny, ain’t it savory?
http://www.taxfoundation.org/publications/show/250.html
How to learn about taxes, and who pays ~ don’t forget the PDF; it is chock full o’ references!!! Oh and charts to make it a bit easier to understand.
Yes, Chairman Maobama, facts are stubborn things ~ too bad you are a shiftless, lying, corrupted moron and wouldn’t know one, even if it bit you in two.
H.R. 3200
In total, CBO estimates that enacting
those provisions would raise deficits by $1,042 billion over the 2010-2019 period.
OH NOES!!! Except you have to read the report in total.
Click to access hr3200.pdf
There’s an enormous problem with the CBO’s mathematics:
1. Cost of living adjustments are “estimated” by a formula; well whoopty shit, expectation is the mother of all failure. Summary: net increase in deficit as COL cannot be directly assessed until actual fiscal year.
2. There are no estimates about the numbers of individuals to be covered. Summary: cosmic fail, you don’t know how many people are going to be covered, your mathematics are incomplete.
3. Government fraud, waste and abuse; nuff said.
4. By 2019, CBO and the staff of JCT estimate, the
number of nonelderly people without health insurance would be reduced by about
37 million, leaving about 17 million nonelderly residents uninsured (nearly half of
whom would be unauthorized immigrants).
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billreport.xpd?bill=h111-3200&type=cbo
Here’s another little tid bit, straight out of H.R. 3200, pg 16, and I quote:
16
•HR 3200 IH
1 SEC. 102. PROTECTING THE CHOICE TO KEEP CURRENT
2 COVERAGE.
3 (a) GRANDFATHERED HEALTH INSURANCE COV4
ERAGE DEFINED.—Subject to the succeeding provisions of
5 this section, for purposes of establishing acceptable cov6
erage under this division, the term ‘‘grandfathered health
7 insurance coverage’’ means individual health insurance
8 coverage that is offered and in force and effect before the
9 first day of Y1 if the following conditions are met:
10 (1) LIMITATION ON NEW ENROLLMENT.—
11 (A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in
12 this paragraph, the individual health insurance
13 issuer offering such coverage does not enroll
14 any individual in such coverage if the first ef15
fective date of coverage is on or after the first
16 day of Y1.
I don’t normally say this, but, it is appropriate here:
Pure Ownage!!! Ah yeah, I like me today. **self-high five**
Yeah Baby!!! Shagadelic.