Is it possible the Tea Party went too far tonight? CNN's Wolf Blitzer posed a hypothetical question at the Republican debate tonight and the Tea Party showed their true colors. Listen to the applause when he asks if the uninsured should just be allowed to die!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MF64QzDSG60&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fjoemygod.blogspot.com%2F&feature=player_embedded
It is unbelievable that any intelligent person could consider voting for them!
Busy day with lots of photos!
49 minutes ago
I also think people should be more responsible for their lot in life. I also find it hard to believe that any logical person could vote for the NDP, but some otherwise intelligent people do. It's an interesting world, and just because some people think differently doesn't mean that you are right and they are wrong. It's just different.
ReplyDelete"just because some people think differently doesn't mean that you are right and they are wrong"
ReplyDeleteYes it does!
Lol...c'mon Croft, where is all that acceptance of different ideas that you NDP'ers are famous for?
ReplyDeleteKevin:
ReplyDeleteRespectfully... I think you missed the point. The point is that in the U.S. there is a crisis in health care. Where it is not part of a package in employment it is simply too expensive for some folks. In Canada you enjoy national health care. Here, when health care is not part of an employment package and is cost prohibitive for many, they must balance health care costs with other living expenses. And, therein lies the point of Croft's post and the surprising response of the audience to the answer in the debate: when someone is uninsured or underinsured they should be allowed to die. This has happened in this country. Yes, people should be responsible for their lot in life. However, like it or not, there is a class structure and the poor should not be allowed to die because we cannot provide national health care coverage.
Bill in Nebr.
Bill, I'm in the U.S. right now, and I fully understand the American health care system has it's problems. But so does the Canadian system, despite what you may hear otherwise. There is no perfect system. But the major cause of the whole problem is the fact that the people in the health care industry have been put on a financial pedestal by our societies, especially in the U.S., but also in Canada. Until you control the costs, you have no control.
ReplyDeleteKevin
ReplyDeleteGood point. I would add though that yours is closer to perfect than ours.
Enjoy your travels.
Bill
It is indeed has become a strange world and a strange country when cheering death is acceptable to some and calling it their 'lot in life' is the acceptable excuse to some.
ReplyDeleteIt IS wrong to cheer for another humans death, no matter how you want couch it, Kevin.
Unfortunately too many find it acceptable. Crofts point is exactly correct.
Just bookmarked your blog-found it on Contessa's. Canadians usually are stunned when they find out how much my husband and I pay for our health insurance-very good coverage, but not very well subsidized by the company my husband retired from. The US does need a better system, but as long as the conservatives keep stomping on it, the poor WILL die! (I have to work in order to pay our premium, even though I'm supposed to be retired.)
ReplyDeleteAs the great Milton Friedman pointed out, the market will take care of itself and that includes healthcare. Eliminate handouts and charitable hospitals will return in full swing. They disappeared as it got harder and harder for philanthopists to do their work. On the other hand, the physicians monopolies have driven the price of healthcare out of the reach of the common worker. Too many laws and regulations. Get big government out of healthcare, they don't belong there. In addition, each person should pay based on their income. Giving it away for free allows socialism to prosper, in other words, more big government.
ReplyDeleteIt's incredibly telling to read the comments and find that so many folks have so little concrete knowledge about the subject of health care. Sad to read!!
ReplyDeleteHaving just been 'in the system' myself & with parents in another Canadian province trying so desperately trying to get help I have to agree with Chris.
ReplyDeleteChris, two things in life should be provided by our government. One is education and the other is health care, including care for the aged. There is no room for private enterprise in either of these ventures. The government is the only body able to provide this.
ReplyDeleteIf this is Socialism then this is what we need.
You may be right, but I still believe government should only be responsible for collecting taxes, redistribution and public works. Even then, I think it is too much intervention.
ReplyDeleteA flat tax across the board would solve all our financial woes. Government only does one thing well, grows out of control and wastes money. No one owes me nothing. If we all had that attitude we would all be self-reliant. Sure, some will fall through the cracks, that's life. We don't live in Utopia. Trust me, I have had friends who fell through the cracks. Again, if we were just charitable human beings there would be no need for this conversation.
Let me ask one thing though, how do you put a price on a heart transplant or cancer treatment? If organs are donate
Sorry, got crazy with the keyboard.
ReplyDeleteIf organs are donated, how can it cost so much to perform a heart transplant and the surgeons won't guarantee their work?
Health care has unfortunately been turned into a business and the first priority of any business is to make a profit! This is why there are too many multimillionaire doctors and too many poor patients pushed aside.
ReplyDeleteGood thought provoking post Croft!
ReplyDeleteThis is a very interesting discussion. One thing though, should people be allowed to abuse their bodies and still receive free health care? In our (great) state of Nuevo Leon, we have the highest rates of lung, prostate, liver and colon cancer, all produced by excesses of cigarettes, alcohol, red meat (we even have it for dessert, no kidding) and lack of prostate checks because well, you know the reason why. Add obesity into the picture.
ReplyDeleteIn the U.S., the scam is on for SS disability and medicare/medicaid. Should those that abuse their bodies be disqualified?
50 years ago, there was inexpensive medical care, but now with " advancement " so many more things Dr's can do for us. Where do we draw the line .Heart transplant ?, Lung transplant? Should we give new lungs to smokers ? Livers to alcoholics ? Like it or not no country can afford to supply unlimited medical care for all.
ReplyDeleteAnd the alternative is.....?
ReplyDeleteIn Canada doctors earn maybe $250K, in Mexico probably well under $50K and in third world countries much, much less. In the US they all consider $1 million to be below average.
My doc tells me a particular pill is $17 each in Canada but in Africa the same pill, same manufacturer, same bottle is only $1, yes one dollar! How much in the US? More than in Canada!
And you still say we cannot afford proper medical care?
Hi Croft, I came here following a link from your recent e-mail to me.
ReplyDeleteInteresting comments!
I do have one to add: Individuals that intentionally smoke, become obese and as a result suffer from diabetes, joint problems, weak hearts and strokes; those that refuse to exercise or even walk across a room; abuses of alcohol and drugs (legal and illegal) ultimately overload the health care system - no matter where it is. Those that take care of themselves pay for the abusers. I believe in saving people (I am a Paramedic/EMT Instructor), but prefer education as the focus, not intervention. If an individual chooses to put themselves in harms way by ignoring factual information related to health maintenance then it is not my responsibility to pay for their mistakes. We could eliminate half (estimate - not fact) of the medical treatments and overall health care costs in our country if people took care of themselves.