MrPopo wrote:I personally don't really care one way or another in terms of universal health care. I've got a good job with health care benefits built in and I generally don't find myself needing care anyway.
No offense meant, but isn't that a bit self-centered? I hate to think that this is the logic that keeps healthcare from going through. What about those who haven't had the same luck as you?
Besides, what would you do if you lost your job? What about when you retire? You may find that you need lots of health care as you get older.
MrPopo wrote:I personally don't really care one way or another in terms of universal health care. I've got a good job with health care benefits built in and I generally don't find myself needing care anyway.
No offense meant, but isn't that a bit self-centered? I hate to think that this is the logic that keeps healthcare from going through. What about those who haven't had the same luck as you?
It's not a just a bit self-centred... It's full-on self-centred.
Universal Health Care does work well overall in other countries.
I don't trust the government to run this. Medicare is going broke, Social Security is going broke. How much debt is this country in? Hell, the dealers still aren't paid from the whole cash for clunkers program. And what is the rush to push this through? Most of this won't come into effect until 2013. Why not get it done right instead of rushing it through? Look at the bailouts, that was rushed through without most of our legislators reading it. There is no need to rush this, they have ONE shot at getting this right and once you start this you won't be able to go back.
Not just self-centered, but short sighted. In this economy, any of us could be out of work through no fault of our own. No job = no health insurance. I've got great health and dental coverage through my job (working at a Jesuit university has its benefits) but nothing lasts forever. I would be in favor of universal health care even if it caused my employer to drop its health coverage. I'd rather have a plan that can't be taken away.
There is no need to rush this
Rush what? We've had 15 years for the free market to sort itself out. It's gotten worse, not better. How much longer do you want us to wait for reform?
We are prepared to live in the plain and die in the plain!
I like to consider myself a somewhat giving/generous person, however, if and when I choose to be giving/generous to another person should be up to me. If someone wants to try to persuade me to be generous -that's great, BUT it should still be up to me to make the choice. I am not saying we should just take a crap on those running short on their luck regarding healthcare, I just think that I shouldn't be legally forced to help them.
Most of the cries I hear against a government healthcare option have little to do with the issue itself, and more to do with the concept of our "perfect capitalist society". That the government shouldn't run anything because it's socialist. That somehow capitalism is 100% foolproof and if the government just left it to its own devices everything would be fixed. It's a nice thought in theory, a world where the government doesn't interfere with our lives. A world where we're truly "free". I'm not an expert economist but this simply doesn't sound likely or logical to me. Again, it's a beautiful theory and is a nice thing to spurt out while waving a flag, but I don't think it's realistic in the long term.
Mostly I'd say this is due to greed and monopolies and the power of money. It's easy to say: "If you don't like private healthcare because of its practices or cost, you have the choice in our capitalist society to not use it. The people can rise up against it so they cut prices and provide the type of coverage we want. Again, a nice theory, but you're talking about people having to give up the safety of healthcare to stand up against it. Not likely. Which is why these private companies have so much power over our lives.
I work in psychology, and I come across a lot of poor people who don't have any form of healthcare and can't afford to take care of themselves. They often suffer physical pain, mental illness, and contagious diseases. They go untreated unless they can find someone kind enough to do pro-bono work or something with a sliding scale fee. It's bad for these people and bad for the people that come in contact with them. It just seems wrong that there isn't adequate healthcare for everyone.
Breetai wrote:It's not a just a bit self-centred... It's full-on self-centred.
Universal Health Care does work well overall in other countries.
And if you have a certain illness that they don't want to research, they won't help you. Sounds like the "other countries" are pretty self-centered themselves.
Breetai wrote:It's not a just a bit self-centred... It's full-on self-centred.
Universal Health Care does work well overall in other countries.
And if you have a certain illness that they don't want to research, they won't help you. Sounds like the "other countries" are pretty self-centered themselves.
This reminds me of argumenst me and my brother used to have as kids, where he would justify his actions by saying "Well, you did it too!"
Don't you see how both situations are uncalled for and ethically wrong? There are no justifications for being self-centered. Fear and weakness are the only reasons, and they are for the lesser man, ie, someone who needs to learn more about life if they think the world revolves around them and somehow think its alright to screw over everyone else just to get what they want.
