So this guy explains why all the state attempts have failed at providing universal coverage, and somehow uses that explanation to show that a national plan will succeed.
I'm not buying it.
Update, 7/11/07: Here's Michael Moore-on and Dr. Sanjay Gupta disagreeing about Sicko. I'm more apt to believe Gupta.
"None of the facts were fudged." Yeah, Moore-on is known for his unvarnished integrity.
Most of your medical co-pays go to insurance companies, advertising for insurance companies, advertising for the Pharma corps, propaganda to keep you petrified & dumb as a door knob and insurance for doctors' malpractice ... insurance, what else.
ReplyDeleteAre you dumb?
And this will change when the feds pick up the bills?
ReplyDeleteNo, I'm not dumb. Don't be rude here, or you will not be welcome. Treat this blog as the online equivalent of my house.
What always fascinates (and dumbfounds) me is that we do have the past experience of others by which to judge virtually any legislative scheme. We can see if what's being proposed will have a ghost of a chance to work because others have tried it first, in this case, Canada and England come to mind.
ReplyDeleteNational health care in those nations has been an unmitigated disaster and would require an extra-constitutional regime to institute taxes and confiscatory mechanisms sufficient to fund such a scheme on American soil. Yet, despite millions of Canadians streaming south to gladly pay for the prompt, safe medical care they can't get in their own nation, some people just never learn.
Yeah Darren, don't be dumb. Be smart like Thornton. It's easy. All you have to do is watch "Sicko", mouth hanging open, and wipe the odd dribble of saliva off your chin.
ReplyDeleteMike's already laid out the objective case so I'll just reiterate my primary objection to socialized medicine: it's inherently anti-democratic.
In a government-funded medical system, predicated on the assumption of equal care, there are always some people more equal then others.
Once again, if we weren't bound by law to blindly give medical care to anyone who stumbles across the border, we wouldn't be in this mess. Our local public hospital has a 70% live birth rate from Illegal immigrants, and Dallas is not that near the border. While I certainly wouldn't want anyone in an emergency denied care, we are giving basic health care services to people who are not paying their way. It came to the tune of 67 MILLION dollars-estimated on the low side-just for maternity services. And we the suckers who pay for public health care but cannot use it, are now being asked for yet another tax hike. So that is the deal, if the liberals want to provide health care, then make sure that NOBODY here illegally gets access. But that won't happen if they get in....
ReplyDeleteI love it when the more enlightened among us choose to show their true colors and call names about those who disagree with them. Don't agree with me? You must be stupid. History tells us that the government cannot effectively manage anything. These are the same people who never cease to criticize the Pentagon over their $600 hammers. But health care will be different I'm sure.
ReplyDeleteIt's the old Marxist/socialist line: "It only failed disastrously all those other times because *I* wasn't in charge."
ReplyDeleteThese days, however, I'm seeing that combined with more of what I call the "psychic hotline defense." "Well, it would have worked if all you skeptics didn't sabotage it with your bad chi."
Wasn't Hillary the Mother of the HMO? Weren't they the compromise that was supposed to save us all money? As I recall I paid $30 for an office visit, in total, before that time. Now I still pay $30 for copay, but there's another $70-$100 on top of that to account for higher insurance for physicians and office personnel.
ReplyDeleteThornton
ReplyDeleteYou dribble reminds me of a great quote from a great man:
“The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of blessings; the inherent virtue of socialism is the equal sharing of miseries.”
Sir Winston Churchill
I have a chronic illness and there is no country I would want to be more than here. At some point I don’t want a bureaucrat cutting me off medication because it cost too much for the government to pay for it. Not to mention the fact my treatments were developed by medical companies looking for a profit. It’s because of their actions I can go about my life.
But again, if you think it’s such a great idea I want a few people to try it first. Let’s put Congress under socialized medicine before everyone else and see if they like it. I mean we have to make sure they (and their direct families) have to deal with long lines, lack of medicine, waits for simple services like MRIs or ten month delays for specialist appointments or surgery. We’ll see how they like it for a couple of years and then let’s discuss it.
“we must let our minds be bold.”
ReplyDeleteOh boy, now that IS scary.
Good article, though (except where he confuses Washington and Oregon). I was wondering what happened with Hawaii's plan because you don't hear much about that one anymore. These plans just kinda go away with a whimper don't they.
It won't be that way with a federal plan. Once everyone's hooked up to it, there's no cutting it loose.