Medical Madness November 9, 2009
Posted by denmick in Uncategorized.trackback
Why I Voted NO
by Dennis Kucinich
We have been led to believe that we must make our health care choices only within the current structure of a predatory, for-profit insurance system which makes money not providing health care. We cannot fault the insurance companies for being what they are. But we can fault legislation in which the government incentivizes the perpetuation, indeed the strengthening, of the for-profit health insurance industry, the very source of the problem. When health insurance companies deny care or raise premiums, co-pays and deductibles they are simply trying to make a profit. That is our system.
Clearly, the insurance companies are the problem, not the solution. They are driving up the cost of health care. Because their massive bureaucracy avoids paying bills so effectively, they force hospitals and doctors to hire their own bureaucracy to fight the insurance companies to avoid getting stuck with an unfair share of the bills. The result is that since 1970, the number of physicians has increased by less than 200% while the number of administrators has increased by 3000%. It is no wonder that 31 cents of every health care dollar goes to administrative costs, not toward providing care. Even those with insurance are at risk. The single biggest cause of bankruptcies in the U.S. is health insurance policies that do not cover you when you get sick.
But instead of working toward the elimination of for-profit insurance, H.R. 3962 would put the government in the role of accelerating the privatization of health care. In H.R. 3962, the government is requiring at least 21 million Americans to buy private health insurance from the very industry that causes costs to be so high, which will result in at least $70 billion in new annual revenue, much of which is coming from taxpayers. This inevitably will lead to even more costs, more subsidies, and higher profits for insurance companies – a bailout under a blue cross. More here
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I cannot add anything to what he wrote other than my disdain for the parasitical insurance industry and I am not the only one that noticed they are the problem not the solution. Too bad his amendment got shot down, greed unfortunately trumps common sense in Congress today.
The relentless pursuit of the dollar does have a down side.
Two media stories of interest, IMO….
THE MEDIA EQUATION –
News Erupts, and So Does a Web Debut
Even though it has its negatives, having lived in Texas, I can attest to the fact that there are a heckuva lot of innovators deep in the heart! I wish them well….
Is the U.S. News Media Failing to Do Its Job on Climate Change?
We should all contact Google and suggest they feature an on-going series of graphics on climate change leading up to Copenhagen, Dec 7 — as they’ve done (for days) commemorating the 40th anniversary of “Sesame Street.”
Millions of people would get “a message,” everyday multiple times, that would perhaps lead to the distribution of more information.
Paul Krugman is very worried!
Micki — Yes, this wave of anti-enlightenment emoting instead of thinking, nazi or fascist in its intensity and direction, Heideggarian in its worst form,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Heidegger
is sweeping not only the uSA, but many other countries as well.
Paul Krugman ought to be worried!
The great uniter?
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According to Representative Earl Blumenauer of Oregon, who supports the health care bill, the president asked, “Does anybody think that the teabag, anti-government people are going to support them if they bring down health care? All it will do is confuse and dispirit” Democratic voters “and it will encourage the extremists.”
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This from the first Communist elected to preside over this country. Now there is an extremist for you.
You have some insider evidence for your allegation?
Kindly stop just MSU! (Making Stuff Up)
He admitted in his biography, if you can call it that, that he learned a lot from the communists and liked to hang around with them. Ayers, Alynski, et al. He is a communist but like most communists/liberals, they will never admit it. They just call it something else, like progressives.
this wave of anti-enlightenment emoting instead of thinking, nazi or fascist in its intensity and direction, Heideggarian in its worst form
Oh, you mean like is practiced right here @ DWF by the Making-Stuff-Up-One-Man-Freak-Show?
Bob called a company for service on the basement fireplace and I heard him say, “Oh, you’re in Canada?” I was standing in the doorway and said I wished I was Canadian, maybe then I could go to a doctor. Bob told her what I said and they chatted a bit about their system. The Canadian woman said she didn’t understand us AT all, the people against a national health care system. And she didn’t understand her father even more, who lives in Boston, just had a major medical event that he almost had to pay thru the nose for, still defending the insurance companies.
She said they have their little gripes about their system but when they feel like complaining they just go out for a beer. Other than that, you get sick, go to the doctor. End of story. No muss, no fuss.
No wonder Den invites us to Rodneys! Good for what ales us!
Labor Scores Long-Sought History Victory in Wisconsin Schools
That could soon change in Wisconsin, if Democratic Governor Jim Doyle signs a bill requiring the state’s Superintendent of Public Instruction to include the history of organized labor and the collective bargaining process in state social studies standards. Teachers draw on those standards as they prepare students for standardized tests.
Doyle has said he will sign the law. The measure passed the Wisconsin Senate on October 27, supported by all Democrats and three Republicans; it had already passed the state’s assembly.
While the law does not mandate that labor history be taught in schools, its presence in state standards means some schools will likely teach the subject, and that the state will provide assistance to schools that do.
{snip}
Wisconsin is a state of many labor “firsts”. Some of those include: creating the first Workers Compensation program (1911) which established a no-fault system to guarantee that any injured worker would have their medical care paid for and receive some compensation for lost wages; passing the first regulated apprenticeship law (1911); and designing an Unemployment Insurance program (1932) that issued the first [unemployment] check in the entire nation. We were one of the first states to pass family and medical leave rights (1988) before that legislation was enacted on the federal level.
Wisconsin workers also gave their lives while fighting for more humane working conditions. In Milwaukee, several workers (along with a bystander and a child) were killed by the State Militia during a march in 1886 to limit the workday to eight hours, a demand which was considered radical at that time. That right was not won until the 1930s.
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Cue the wingnuts to go crazier!
Micki — Yes, jus’ like that.
progressive [prəˈgrɛsɪv]
3. (Government, Politics & Diplomacy) (often capital) favouring or promoting political or social reform through government action, or even revolution, to improve the lot of the majority
from
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/progressive
For your edification, Ty, President Obama in no way fits the description of a communist. In fact, he’s quite the capitalist and is very friendly to Wall Street, other corporatists, and is supportive of international trade. He doesn’t advocate abolishing private ownership of property. His policies do not promote an egalitarian, classless, stateless society based on common ownership and control of the means of production and property in general.
Why you wingers insist on calling him a communist, a socialist, a Marxist, or even a Nazi (what idiocy!) just shows your extremely limited understanding of how things work.
The reality is, Obama isn’t even a progressive. I wish he were. I’d be a much happier camper. Obama is right of center on the political spectrum — that should make you happy!
And, as far as leaning something from Communists, so what? An intelligent person can learn something from almost anyone, if they are able to process and analyze the information they receive. So, if Obama learned something from Communists, good for him. Maybe he learned that he prefers capitalism?
“an egalitarian, classless, stateless society based on common ownership and control of the means of production and property in general.”
If done right it would work. We need to develop a different way of serving the populations needs so we all prosper instead of suffer, a ‘hybrid’ system of regulation and distribution of food and medical care with everyone able to be employed earning money to buy the stuff they need, what’s wrong with that? little bit of Socialism, little bit of Capitalism, little bit of Communism.
Is there any collective of individuals with the real intelligence out there to create such a thing?
*crickets chirping*
First , consider just how well Cuba has done, despite US trade embargo, etc.
Next, study the Nordic countries and also Finland.
Are all those peoples actually more intelligent than the rest of us?
oops…<I.learning, not leaning…
Micki — The case may be terminally hopeless, but it is interesting to read what you attempt to do.
so⋅cial⋅ism /ˈsoʊʃəˌlɪzəm/
–noun
1. a theory or system of social organization that advocates the vesting of the ownership and control of the means of production and distribution, of capital, land, etc., in the community as a whole.
from
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/socialism
But alas, it doesn’t seem to wrok that well for the
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Cuba
work
But in a substantially less socialist form, does for the
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Sweden
But I prefer Cuban cerveza to Swedish beers.
Cuban beverages here.