Wednesday, April 22, 2009
News Just Do It
Posted by Dan Savage on Wed, Apr 22, 2009 at 2:23 PM
Best news I've read all day:
Democrats Consider Bypassing G.O.P. on Health Care PlanDemocrats are tempted to use their political muscle to speed passage of health care legislation with minimal concessions to the Republican minority.
Here's hoping they actually do it. You're the majority party, gang, you won the last two elections, the House, the Senate, the White House, and Americans support a national-health-care program by 2-to-1 margins. You have a mandate. Just fucking do it.
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1
That way we can all wait 6 months to get shitty results! But it's free for everyone! YAY! FREE!!! COMMUNISM!!! WOOOO!
3
Um, hi, @1? You realize that it’s not communism, right? You understand the difference? A little bit, maybe?
5
If they're considering using that procedure to just mandate employer-funded healthcare (which is what it sounds like) rather than instituting a single-payer national healthcare system, then I'd say it's a waste. Forcing all employers to provide benefits for their employees is a far cry from universal healthcare.
6
Single Payer Plan like Canada has - in fact, borrow the drug patent laws and the actual software, since it works with all our states and private medical plans anyway.
Just Do It!
It will literally cost HALF AS MUCH in GDP as the current one and they even have an add-on US English dictionary. And Americans will start living 8 to 10 years longer.
Just Do It!
It will literally cost HALF AS MUCH in GDP as the current one and they even have an add-on US English dictionary. And Americans will start living 8 to 10 years longer.
8
For those of you who have NEVER had socialized medicine before and believe it will ruin the country...
Talk to a veteran. Remind them that what they had was, in fact, socialized medicine.
John McCain was rebuilt by socialized medicine, for example, but chooses to ignore this part of his own history.
My left leg has steel pins in it, thanks to socialized medicine. The best part? I got to keep my leg.
You schmucks throwing around the charges of socialism and communism and fascism have NO CLUE what you're talking about.
Talk to a veteran. Remind them that what they had was, in fact, socialized medicine.
John McCain was rebuilt by socialized medicine, for example, but chooses to ignore this part of his own history.
My left leg has steel pins in it, thanks to socialized medicine. The best part? I got to keep my leg.
You schmucks throwing around the charges of socialism and communism and fascism have NO CLUE what you're talking about.
12
@8,
The VA's procedures are also more efficient and lead to less malpractice, even if the system can wind up being underfunded overall. It's amazing what standardization can do to cut down on waste and fuck ups.
The VA's procedures are also more efficient and lead to less malpractice, even if the system can wind up being underfunded overall. It's amazing what standardization can do to cut down on waste and fuck ups.
13
One insane argument that I hear all the time is the “waiting list” argument. “In Canada, you have to wait months to get a surgery!” Of course, what these people fail to care about are the thousands upon thousands of people in the US who don’t have the money to get their surgeries, ever. Insurance won’t cover it, they can’t afford it, their illness may not kill them outright but living with it makes them want to be dead… but we Americans don’t want to allow them to get their surgeries, if that means we may have to wait a few weeks to get ours. We don’t really believe in equality here.
14
I have often wondered that if people didn't have to worry about having no health insurance, the fear of losing their health insurance or having to battle the insurance industry to get something covered if collectively it would calm the nation down a bit. Sure there might be waiting periods for certain things, but imagine the reduced stress-levels in this country and people getting health issues taken care of early on. A healthier and happier country all around. And improved productivity.
15
1. That it's "news" to Democrats that, um, they should be what they're for, and pass what they can pass, without asking permission and making concessions only indicates their pathetic wussiness.
2. They always vote for the dumb cloture rules that empower the GOP minority to stop all action. Very, very stupid.
3. Obama's not for single payer, unfortunately.
It's only the system that works in about 30 other nations.
4. Obama's letting his 11 million e mail list lie fallow. There ought to be demonstrations for health care in all those blue dog democrat districts, threats of challenging them in primaries, etc., to get them on board. There is a majority of Democrats in the Senate you know. They can pass it as part of the budget.
Problem is they don't have the *Democratic* votes to do it. Could solve that if Obama spent political capital on it.
2. They always vote for the dumb cloture rules that empower the GOP minority to stop all action. Very, very stupid.
3. Obama's not for single payer, unfortunately.
It's only the system that works in about 30 other nations.
4. Obama's letting his 11 million e mail list lie fallow. There ought to be demonstrations for health care in all those blue dog democrat districts, threats of challenging them in primaries, etc., to get them on board. There is a majority of Democrats in the Senate you know. They can pass it as part of the budget.
Problem is they don't have the *Democratic* votes to do it. Could solve that if Obama spent political capital on it.
16
@15 your fourth point, about how there should be demonstrations for health care, is a good one.
Here's a thought: since you obviously feel very strongly about the issue, why don't YOU take a stab at organizing something? Look at the Prop 8 protests - those were organized by everyday citizens, just like you and me. Maybe give it a shot? After a point, you can't just hold your breath and hope that politicians will do all the work for you...
Here's a thought: since you obviously feel very strongly about the issue, why don't YOU take a stab at organizing something? Look at the Prop 8 protests - those were organized by everyday citizens, just like you and me. Maybe give it a shot? After a point, you can't just hold your breath and hope that politicians will do all the work for you...
17
My mom just got her wheelchair and shit pot repo'ed (hell yeah they repo that stuff) because it wasn't covered by her insurance. The insurance that's supposed to be attached to Medicare.
She's got a new one of both now (thank goodness), but still! Who steals a crippled old lady's shit pot? INSURANCE COMPANIES, that's who.
She's got a new one of both now (thank goodness), but still! Who steals a crippled old lady's shit pot? INSURANCE COMPANIES, that's who.
19
I am proud of paying the most for the 37th best health care in the world. All you hippie socialist commies should just shut up and or go back to Canada!
22
13, thank you, thank you! I am also so tired of the 'waiting list' argument. I'll wait gladly for six months if I know I'd actually get to see a Doc. In this wonderful democratic system the right wingers are so proud of I'm walking around with a moth full of dental surgery I can't afford, and prescriptions I can't buy. Yea for Capitalism!
As for Republicans feeling like this would be Dem's waging war on them...too late. I'm forced to listen to way too much Fox news at work. They already think the war is coming by that commie, socialist, fascist (yea...love how they throw these terms around with no idea of what they really mean) President of ours. If we have to listen to them bitch all the time, let’s get something worthwhile out of it!
As for Republicans feeling like this would be Dem's waging war on them...too late. I'm forced to listen to way too much Fox news at work. They already think the war is coming by that commie, socialist, fascist (yea...love how they throw these terms around with no idea of what they really mean) President of ours. If we have to listen to them bitch all the time, let’s get something worthwhile out of it!
24
In fact hurry up,
so the magnitude
of what a huge disaster it is
is apparent in time for 2012.
By the time Obama
and the Democrats
are finished screwing over
the financial
and auto
and health care industries
America will be begging
for a change.
so the magnitude
of what a huge disaster it is
is apparent in time for 2012.
By the time Obama
and the Democrats
are finished screwing over
the financial
and auto
and health care industries
America will be begging
for a change.
28
Congratulations, @18, you just coined a new word, and Google has already picked it up! (No luck on glossolælia either).
Too bad you coined the word in a failed attempt to look smart.
Too bad you coined the word in a failed attempt to look smart.
29
Excellent! Further alienate Republicans so that when they have the majority again, they won't allow a single thing you want to go through. Yea, that's really smart you fucking assholes. So much for bipartisanship. Isn't it bad enough that those douches in Congress passed through this bullshit stimulus package full of their own pet projects without once consulting the Republicans, and then bitched and moaned when Republicans didn't automatically vote yes on it? I actually really hope this gets passed right away, so that by 2012 it'll just be another reason to vote for someone who has a fucking clue what their doing, instead of voting for change just for the sake of change.
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