From: John B. on
On Feb 20, 7:12 pm, assimil...(a)borg.org wrote:
> On 20-Feb-2010, "John B." <johnb...(a)gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>
> > > > Every industrialized country on earth offers universal health care
> > > > except the U.S., yet the U.S. is the only one of them that's embroiled
> > > > in a debate about health care.
>
> > > so since every one else jumped off the bridge we should too?
>
> > > --
> > > bill-o
>
> > The fact that other OECD countries are not having a civil war about
> > health care the way we are kind of suggests that they don't think
> > they've jumped off a bridge.
>
> What they think about their situation is irrelevant.
>
> --
> bill-o

And I thought you were smart.
From: Howard Brazee on
On 20 Feb 2010 17:33:33 GMT, Carbon <nobrac(a)nospam.tampabay.rr.com>
wrote:

>Here's a parallel that makes sense. The war on healthcare is a lot like
>the so-called war on drugs. The US has spent trillions of dollars over
>the years incarcerating a higher percentage of its population than any
>other first world country. And for what? For a drug problem is at least
>as bad here as in countries like Denmark, where you can get pretty much
>any drug you want without fear of going to jail. The whole thing is a
>ridiculous waste of money and has been for the past 40 years at least.
>
>Year in and year out, Americans pay more for healthcare per capita than
>citizens of any other first world country, thanks in no small part to a
>massive bureaucracy designed to weed out the unentitled. The joke is
>that it costs more to run than just giving healthcare to the poor to
>start with. Like the war on drugs, the war on healthcare is an
>ill-considered policy that has always done much more harm than good.

But there are lots of people who are willing to pay the costs of these
two battles, even without any hope of success. It is the Righteous
way.

Others are willing to pay for a similar losing war against obesity.
Spend the money and ignore the results.

--
"In no part of the constitution is more wisdom to be found,
than in the clause which confides the question of war or peace
to the legislature, and not to the executive department."

- James Madison
From: Howard Brazee on
On Sat, 20 Feb 2010 14:09:10 -0800, "gray asphalt"
<dontwrite(a)gmail.com> wrote:

>So what did you think or Ross? Did you happen
>to know Kevin Lynn? or Russ Verney?

Never met either. EDS was huge when I worked there, and shortly
after I started, GM sort of bought it.

I say sort of, because GM bought EDS but we could buy GM-E stock which
was EDS stock owned by GM. Or something.

--
"In no part of the constitution is more wisdom to be found,
than in the clause which confides the question of war or peace
to the legislature, and not to the executive department."

- James Madison
From: Howard Brazee on
On Sat, 20 Feb 2010 19:53:00 -0500, Jack Hollis <xsleeper(a)aol.com>
wrote:

>In the UK 11% of the population has private health insurance. Why do
>you think they choose to pay for something that they can already get
>for free?

People under social security also buy private health insurance. And
do. It doesn't mean they are willing to think about getting rid of
their social security.

>Rich Canadians, including government ministers, come to the
>US for health care. Why do you suppose they do that?

Because we treat Rich People well.

--
"In no part of the constitution is more wisdom to be found,
than in the clause which confides the question of war or peace
to the legislature, and not to the executive department."

- James Madison
From: Carbon on
On Sat, 20 Feb 2010 16:13:43 -0800, dene wrote:
> "Carbon" <nobrac(a)nospam.tampabay.rr.com> wrote in message
> news:4b802399$0$4892$9a6e19ea(a)unlimited.newshosting.com...
>
>> I work in IT. Like a lot of businesses, my company has shed a
>> percentage of its permanent workforce and any new hires are brought
>> on as contractors. You would have liked this one fellow. He kept
>> telling me how the US healthcare system is the best one in the world,
>> even though as a contractor he had no benefits. He had a cyst appear
>> on his stomach. It got to the point where he couldn't ignore it and
>> he had to get dug out, on his lunch hour, as an outpatient.
>>
>> It turns out he has cancer. I saw him the other day. All his hair has
>> fallen out and he has big bags under his eyes. I assume he's getting
>> chemo somehow. If he does survive I imagine he will lose everything
>> he owns. I don't know the particulars about how his healthcare
>> coverage lapsed, but I do know he was laid off from his previous job
>> and it took him a long time to find a new one. He has kids to look
>> after. I assume he decided that paying the mortgage and putting food
>> on the table was more important than health insurance.
>
> Assume is right. There is always the untold story. Find out what it
> is.

I will not pump him for details for the sake of some Usenet argument.

I do know he was unemployed for almost a year and got close to
foreclosure on his house. He told me that by the time he got hired he
had gone through his savings and had about maxed his credit cards. It
seems pretty obvious to me that he couldn't afford to feed his kids and
pay health insurance at the same time.

The system absolutely needs an engine replacement if guys like him are
falling through the cracks. Even if he survives he will be dead broke
and won't be able to get insurance because of his now pre-existing
condition. He's a stand-up guy and he's fucked. It's not right.