OK, we obviously have a difference of opinion. And that's cool. But let's look at some fact here.I just hope everyone is prepared to wait months to get your mammograms, colonospopys and such. Not that I enjoy them all that much but I do like to have my preventative maintenance. My husband on the other hand will be thrilled with yet another reason to NOT go to the doctor. I'm just sad and worried.
Slider I really wish you could make me feel better. I always read your posts hoping to see something that will put my mind at ease about this administration's plans for the country. Instead I realize that you are like many in this country who just think the gov't should be taking care of everyone for everything because however bad they run it, it's better than the big bad greedy rich people (who are mostly Republicans) running everything.
What I think you fail to see is no matter WHO is running everything in this country you will always have leaders (whether it's political or business leaders) making bad and selfish decisions...the only difference is the way it's headed it will be politicians making these mistakes and there will be NOTHING we can do about it. With free enterprise those Madoff type idiots who are selfish and greedy can be prosecuted and go to jail.
I'm just sad.
The current system is broken. We cannot sustain the current system with medical costs that are expanding. These costs are not only eating into the Federal Budget, but into state budgets and personal budgets as well. And these costs will only go up. Now IMHO, I think it is wrong that 1 in 6 Americans don't have health insurance. I think that is a sin, and I do agree with Obama that health care should be a right, not a privilige. We are the only industrialized democracy that does not have health care. We also don't have things like paid maternity leave, but that is another story. Why is this and how can we accept that as a people? Even Margaret Thatcher, as conservative as she was, knew better than to dismantle the British public health system.
And when people bitch about the costs of Obama's plan, what they forget is that federal deficits would increase anyway due to the expanding costs of the current health care system.
Let's take a look at the auto industry for example. If there was UHC in this country, health care for workers and retirees wouldn't need to be in labor contracts. Can you think of how much money that is and how it could have been put back into the company? And its not just the auto industry. If we had UHC in this country, that money could be put back into companies and it would reduce the amount of layoffs for example.
And I agree with you that there are bad and greedy people out there. But I categorically reject the idea that everything the government gets involved in is bad. That is a bullshit conservative talking point designed to make people lose faith in their government, and thus vote for conservatives. Do I even need to point out how many private companies have screwed the pooch in recent years? And what about things that the government has done that have been successes? NASA putting men on the moon. Electricification of this country back in the 20th Century. The FDIC. Head Start. I'm tired, otherwise I could think of more. As I have said on many occasions, we have met and conquered many problems in the past. Don't tell me that this is problem is too big to be solved. That is a lame copout.
And here is the other thing - if the Republicans are so dead set against it, where is there plan? So far, they have presented nothing except a knee jerk reaction to being against everything Obama does. That's not leadership - that's bullshit. Which is why their numbers will continue to shrink in 2010.
Its cool if we disagree. I have no problem with that.
