Soldier Demands an Apology

There are two issues here...healthcare and the constitution. On the constitution, Congress regularly bends or exceeds its authority. A great example are the Gun Free School Zones Act and the Violence Against Women Act. Both were passed under what congress claimed was it constitutional authority under the Commerce clause, and both were ruled by the courts as unconstitutional because they exceeded Congress's authority. The position of the soldier is a narrow interpretation of the constitution, yet a valid one. Certainly as valid as any "liberal" position advocating greater government involvement in the lives of citizens. As to Healthcare...Hey flobber...are you really claiming that the government does any of the things you listed "right"? Per student funding for education, in real dollars, has doubled since 1970 and test scored have dropped to the point where they tests had to be redefined. Just go to the ACT or SAT web sites and look at the formulas for "adjusting" (upward) a score from the 1970's to make it comparable to the scores today. Protect borders? Joke. Police streets? the last time I lived in a large city the 911 response time on a Friday night exceeded 4 hours. "Sorry Mr. Burgler...could you stand there and wait until the police arrive to arrest you. And please don't rape my wife. I don't have a gun to shoot you with because the government won't let we have one under the Commerce clause of the constitution". Fighting fires is probably the only thing we do pretty well. 91% of the people in this country have health insurance. 1/2 of those who don't choose not to. 1/4 of those who don't qualify for medicare or medicaid but haven't signed up. so we are talking bout 2.25% of the population who are truly uninsured. That is roughly 7 million people. Not insignificant, but not worth driving private insurance companies out of business and running up another few trillion in debt. Can the government run healthcare? Give me one example of a well run, efficient government program. Military procurement? Social Security? Medicare? The Highway Trust fund? You should be bitching about $2000 toilets instead of claiming that the democrats and the great Obama can deliver on this bullshit. "But the Republicans gave us the $2000 toilet. Democrats don't do that". Bull-fucking-shit. Do a little homework on John Murtha and his airport to nowhere. I for one resent people who refuse to take responsibility, live within their means, and provide for their families first and their toys second. I know uninsured people with a brand new truck who would never pay the equivalent of a car payment to get health insurance for their families. Wake up and figure out that the government is just a fucked up pass thru for your money, and by the time the special interests are done with it, you once again will get screwed. The AMA supports the plan...why...because doctors got promised higher medicare reimbursements. The drug companies are supporting the plan, why...because they got an extension on the time period they can keep drugs out of the generic market and make more money. Hospitals are supporting the plan because...fuck...I forgot the deal they cut. Congress loved the plan because they exempted themselves from it. You support the plan but I bet you are unaware of the above sweetheart deals and largely unaware of how it will be paid for. The ubiquitous "rich" will magically open their wallets and we will get "savings" from Medicare, a chronically underfunded and politically manipulated program. Fucking lies.

Of course I don't believe the Gov't runs things in an efficient manner - it's the nature of the beast - when you are responsible for providing anything to EVERYBODY, not just to who can afford it - it becomes a fucking mess. But the fact that health care costs are out of control and doing nothing is NOT an option, what else can we do? Medflation is a very real thing that must be dealt with. Are we really going to take the stance that it's too fucking bad if you can't afford healthcare? Really? The greatest country on earth woudl do that to its citizens? And yeah, everyone can get healthcare by going to the ER -and that is precisely why the costs are rising so quickly. If we don't do something to address that problem our current model is going to collapse on itself. Can't you see that??? And for all those horror stories we hear about socialized medicine, let me ask you this one question... Name ONE, just ONE, country that used to have socialized medicine that scrapped it in favor of the US model of healthcare.

I am unaware of any country that has gone that direction. But that is not evidence that socialized medicine is better, only that once implemented, it is politically impossible to change. Try this... http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142405297020351730457430617067764507... Written by a British doctor who states, rather clearly, that "Not coincidentally, the U.K. is by far the most unpleasant country in which to be ill in the Western world. Even Greeks living in Britain return home for medical treatment if they are physically able to do so." I'm guessing greek care is pretty bad. Also, keep in mind that the U.S. is subsidizing healthcare world-wide. Most of the new procedures, drugs, and treatments come out of the U.S. Why do you think you can buy a drug in Canada cheaper than from a pharmacy in the US. Because Americans are indirectly subsidizing Canadian healthcare through taxes (to fund research) premiums (to pay for care) and direct costs. That is something Obama and the democrats will not tell you about "mediflation". We do the same thing with defense. The reason many other countries can afford socialized medicine is that the US projection of military strength allows them to cut their defense spending and channel that money elsewhere. Who is going to pay when the US no longer fills that role (and I'm not advocating we should fill either role...but that is the national policy at present). The cost issue is very complex and comparisons to other countries are very much apples and oranges. And you are correct the current system needs to be altered. Where we likely differ is on the causes of the "mediflation" and the need to impact 97.5% of the country to help 2.5%. I have been able to keep some of my costs controlled by doing research and insisting that me doctor only use generic drugs unless she can articulate a compelling reason to use something else. What about congress refusal to address liability insurance, which drove the OB that delivered my kids out of business even though he had never been sued for malpractice? Congress also bows to the AMA in refusing to make doctors records transparent which permits bad docs to simply move to another state and resume practice. And States and the Feds require that insurance companies cover costly items...psychotherapy and chiropractic, massage, etc. The current bill forbids private companies from offering a no nonsense major medical plan without the frills. The government distortion of the market is to blame for much of the "mediflation". Finally, in the "Can't you see that" category, you admit that the government can't do this efficiently yet the government is selling the plan based on the claim that they are more efficient than, to quote Pelosi, the "Villians" that run private insurance companies. When power brokers in congress have to resort to dehumanizing the PEOPLE that work for and run these companies and try to instead capitalize on the evil for profit corporation populism, you should start holding your nose and asking what is wrong with this picture. You ask "what else can we do"? Well, we have a choice. There are other proposals that have floated through Congress for 15 years, none of which wave scored so badly financially. What we can do is reasonably address those people who cannot afford healthcare. But we have to focus on what the country can afford. What good does it do to create a program that grossly distorts the market, eliminating options, and yet is projected to be bankrupt out of the gate? Didn't know that? The only reason the proposal will be solvent is that the taxes to pay for it are scheduled to be implemented for two years before the program hits the ground running. Without that cushion, there wouldn't be enough money in the first year to cover the cost. And while the President says no one will be forced to give up their own insurance, two facts. Why then are their monetary penalties for non-participation? And, look at Fannie and Freddie. They were created because congress felt the secondary mortgage market was not diverse enough. So what is the secondary market now? Fannie and Freddie and no one else. "Can you see that" you are being lied to? If this was such a great idea, why is it necessary to lie to sell it. I'm aware I sound heartless. I firmly believe that some people simply cannot be "saved" and that there is a limit to society's responsibility to help the unhelpable. But the problem was caused by ourselves, where we sue when we drop a cup of coffee in our lap because we were not told it was so hot it could burn us, where juries award $$$ because they want to win the lottery too, where filing a bullshit lawsuit has no cost or penalty to the filer, where we live a sedentary lifestyle yet still want the government to pump the sludge out of our veins or the shit from our lungs. Yet it is evil drug and insurance companies that are responsible for us failing to take responsibility for our lives, and so we need everyone to set up and pay. "Can't you see that" And flobber, please do not take any of this as disrespect. I am passionate and brutally direct and a bit of an ass. But I think there is a better way to approach this that to claim Crisis crisis crisis and try and make a political legacy in the first 6 month of a presidency, especially in light of one of the greatest downturns in American history. I pray saner minds prevail and that the American public wakes up and quits wanting the government to wipe their collective asses.

Damn...I'm getting pretty good at mixed metaphors

Dastard - first off, I appreciate all the work you put into that response - it's refreshing to see some well thought out and well written arguments instead of the standard, "die you socialist scum - people like you and "The Chosen One" are going to destroy this country...blah blah blah..." Just a few comments - first off, Obama trying to create his legacy in 6 months - one of the platforms he ran on was healthcare reform, his stance seems to be that in this shithole of an economy we need to get some change in this area sooner rather than later. It'll take years before any real reform passed today will actually take effect. I find it hard to argue that this is not a crucial issue. As someone who works on a budget at work, I know firsthand that the cost of healthcare is a runaway train that is very quickly getting out of hand . I'm one of the lucky ones that still has excellent healthcare at work - but with the economy tanking the powers that be had to think long and hard during our budget season about drastically reducing our plans (eliminating our choices from 3 different plans to 1) , or requiring more $ from the employees towards the premiums - thankfully a happy medium was found at my job - but this is happening EVERYWHERE right now. The absolute worst course of action is to take none at all - because if that happens, in a few short years we will all be truly fucked. Next budget year is going to be a repeat of this year, only the health costs will be another 5-7% higher. And that's gonna mean 2 choices - reduced coverage for all, or bodies are going out the door... It's just sad that this has to be such a politically divisive issue simply because I can't understand how either side could be against reforming a system that is a huge factor in our financial disarray. Just looking at the medflation #'s the past few years should open anyone's eyes. Look: http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS120241+08-Apr-2008+BW200... Finally, I hope more people can think this issue through and ignore the incessant crap spewing from politicians (on both sides) and from the radio as well. (This to me is where the political infuence of the the Insurance lobbyist can be considered "villainous") I think anyone that does this will realize that healthcare reform is not an option, it's a necessity, and we really need to figure out what is best for the country as a whole. Looking at Britain's system, or Canada, or Japan is a moot point - we're supposed to be the greatest country on earth - if we decide we're going to do this thing, then have confidence we can also have the greatest healthcare on earth. We put a man on the moon right? (Done by the Gubmint btw) - then we can figure out a workable way to provide care to everyone and spread out those damn costs.

Flobber...You also make good points. I simply cannot believe that the government can do this because they cannot put aside political considerations. I recently wrote in a blog about how Medicare has been trying to competitively bid oxygen to save costs. Congress stepped in and prevented it because companies in various congressmen's districts would be "hurt". This is what we will get from a universal plan. We need a plan to address the poor and uninsured. We need to address cost shifting from government plans to private plans. And we need to allow private plan to offer simplified coverage without States and the feds requiring the plan to provide expensive and often unproven services. But we cannot do any of that with the culture of lobbyists and short sighted political gaming being all that congress can focus on. And, if Congress does implement a solution, something has to give. We simply cannot afford the plans on the table and massive tax increases will hurt the economic growth that underlies the plan to pay for the "solution". Oh...and die you socialist scum, and the horse you road in on. Feel better not that we have brought the discussion down to the level of internet norms? :)

No where in the Constitution is there mention of the GI Bill, but I didn't hear him demanding that it no longer be funded. Believe me, I am really against this health care plan, but quit bringing up the Constitution.

Says the soldier who enjoys government provided healthcare. Provide education - ok Protect our borders - ok Police our streets - ok Fight our fires - ok Build our streets, treatment plants, water delivery systems - ok ok ok Provide healthcare - FOR THE LOVE OF GOD NO! THE GUBMINT CANT DO NOTHIN RIGHT!!! LMAO

I'm not sure that everyone who has government funded health care enjoys it, flobber. Take my child for example....took two weeks to get tests done, that were needed immediately, because of red tape with 'government run' insurance. So...government health care can fuck off.

He should be a politician...he's great at grandstanding.