In a continuing effort to redefine his legacy, Bush spent a bit of time photo-oping with children at PS 76 in New York today. In a grammar lesson that pretty much sums up his commitment to the educational growth of our children, he told us all that “Childrens do learn,” adding to an already impressive and prolific list of grammatical gaffes. Standing in front of a small “No Child Left Behind” banner, the ironic parallels to “Mission Accomplished cannot be avoided.
The whole, “I’m for the children” thing will be a difficult sell, since he is prepared to veto the new legislation granting health care to about 4 million children that have none. Saying, “Now is not the time to be pulling money from hard working people’s pockets,” OK, perhaps since tax revenues are down and expenses are up, this might be out of reach for us right now.
Um, wait: What’s with the “I need 190 billion more for Iraq” thing? Interestingly, and in an astoundingly ill-timed effort, Bush and his team have given the nod to the Pentagon requesting another 190 billion for the war effort. Best get that checkbook out after all – sounds like Bush is only uncomfortable about taking your money for things other than those that really help us all.
If Bush really cared for the children he would end taxation so parents like myself could afford to support our children.
Implementing a socalized health care system would dramatically reduce the quality of heath care and cause heath care costs to soar far beyond where they are now.
Medicare got health care to where it is today, adding more socialization will just cause it to go more bankrupt and dramatically increase the already huge tax burden we have now. Not to mention inflation.
Just yesterday or so the dollar fell in value below the Canadian dollar. In 5 years the dollar has lost half of it’s value. Since 1913 went the Federal reserve bank was formed (the second worst event in American history) the dollar has lost 99.9% of its value. Why do you want to give the government more power to reduce the value of your money ?
I don’t see the notion of healthy people as a devaluation of my dollar.
In China, there is a very interesting form of socialized medicine. Doctors are given a group of people. They are given a salary. They are docked for people that are sick and cannot work. This is why they’ll try just about anything, from accupuncture to herbs to placebos to make them healthy.
Here in the U.S., the private medical institutions actually make money by perpetuating your sickness – not healing you. Our medical institutions make money by treating symptoms, not cause. This is the byproduct of a capitalist medical infrastructure – how best do we make money on sickness… not how best do we ensure health.
I am not saying that the government has it much better… if at all… but the current system does NOT support you and I in health… it is designed to strip us of every dollar it can, and use our health (or lack thereof) as the Repeat Customer hook. A healthy person does not need to come spend money at the doctor’s office… so why in the world would they want me more healthy?
And my post is more about the hypocrisy and political pandering of Bush to his base than it is specifically about health care – which is a great topic for a whole different debate.
Personally I am for freedom. On every issue. I do not believe is it proper to force people to pay for things or to force people to work. Force in my book is bad. Even when that force is going to accomplish something good.
Sure, the corporatist market is not perfect. They are in cahoots with the government and are protected by them so that can get away with the tatics you propose. In a true free market the heath care providers would have incentive to provide care that would draw customers. YOU would have the choice as who you wanted to service you.
In your solution, not only are you supporting force of stealing money from people to give to doctors, but you will end up giving the government lots of other control over heath care. I prefer to keep the choices to myself.
Therefore I can never support a system that leaves my choices vulnerable or uses violence to accomplish its goals.