More on Health Care

I was wondering: How much money is the health care industry pouring into Congress to maintain the status quo? We have a lot to overcome.

I want to ask everyone who says anything against President Obama, or in favor of our current "best in the world" health care system what facts they have to back up their assertions. I have facts to back up my criticism of the Obama Administration, but they are grist for another blog post.

As to health care, I'm disappointed at how readily Obama seems to be willing to give up the public option. We need that to keep the insurance industry honest. After all, the most efficient health care delivery and financing systems in the country are those run by the government. The VA is one of the best--at least it was till the Republicans tried to gut it. The members of Congress get excellent health care at our expense--i.e., socialized medicine. Also, Medicare and Medicaid have lower overhead than any private insurance company in America. Those are my facts to back up my assertion.

Now, as for those who oppose a public option, who don't want the government competing with private enterprise, are they going to oppose school vouchers? That is government competing with the private sector.

How about those opposed to the government getting into the health care business? Are those who are veterans going to go to private hospitals and boycott the VA? Are the others going to pledge to refuse to sign up for Medicare when they become eligible? Afer all, the arguments against the health care plans working their ways through Congress are word for word exactly the same arguments that Ronald Reagan and others used to oppose Medicare.

A digression: I opposed Medicare until I was assigned the Affirmitive side when I was on the high school debate team. If I recall the wording exactly, it was "Resolved: That the government should provide medical care for elderly people through the Social Security System." My research for having to argue in favor of it convinced me that it was a good idea. Now that my parents have been recipients of its benefits, I am more convinced than ever that it is a good thing.

Now, for those who believe the government can't do anything as well as the private sector can, do you boycott the Post Office and send all your letters and packages via UPS or FedEx? Do you go to a private hospital when you need medical care rather than the county hospital? Do you send your children to privage schools or home school them? (Actually, that's what the mind controllers of the Republican Party want them to do.) Do you hire a private security firm rather than the socialized law enforcement establishments of the Sheriff's Office or the Police Department?

Finally, it has been asked before, but I want to ask it again: If socialized medicine is so bad why don't the Republicans in Congress introduce legislation eliminating military hospitals and force all armed forces personnel to buy private insurance?

Okay, now that we have dealt with the childish ridiculousness, can we PLEASE have a rational debate about the best way to provide health care for the American population?