Nothing but the best rhetoric will do. I see a President and Congress unwilling to risk political ire (or anger of those with vested interest in the health insurance and pharmaceutical industries), and do what the right thing for this country by getting rid of the free market health insurance industry altogether. Giving that isn’t about to happen, it concerns me that as soon as a term begins, be it executive or legislative in nature, it is but a short time after that the concern for reelection takes precedent over the actual legislation. Media as well seems to spend more time discussing what voting for or against a given piece of legislation will mean in terms of reelection, rather than concentrating on what any given piece of legislation will mean in practice.
I’ve always thought this ridiculous rush was unnecessary. It is not good enough to claim victory, be it in the passing or or the blocking of legislation. Victory either way does not ensure subsequent success. Victory is a means to an end for politicians, but their end is the victory itself, when it is the likely result of that victory that matters to the citizenry.
I caught this on my reader today and thought I’d share. If you’re so inclined, pass it on.
The Mad as Hell Doctors have hit the road. They will be traveling across the country, having had their first request to meet with the president to present their plan, they are not giving up. They’re heading to Washington, D.C. to bring the message of single-payer universal health care to leaders in Washington. They hope to put the idea of the single-payer back into the public discourse. They will arrive on September 30, and hold a demonstration on October 1 at the Capital. They hope to get a meeting with President Obama.
What they want?
Slow things down
Don’t calculate political wins and losses.
Give health care reform the time it needs.
We want to help.
Paul Hochfield is heading the delegation. An emergency room physician who believes that the insurance and big pharmaceutical companies have undue influence on the health care discussion.
“What I’m mad about is not health care,” he says. “What I’m mad about is the way our political process is being manipulated by the industry.”
Meet the Mad as Hell Doctors, see where they come from, and why they are Mad As hell.
There is no doing the right thing in politics. it’s politics. If you want to be reelected you have to dance to the drum of those in power. Not the people who pay their salaries (us). You know this. A lot of people don’t.
These doctors are right.
jacob´s last blog ..And Then There Were Two
You aren’t kidding about the dancing to the drum of others. It’s important that we are at least aware of the hand that feeds these people.
Cooper you’re young. I have waited fifteen years or maybe my whole life for this. I’m half insured yet I have paid substantially more for premiums than most people.
75% of the bankruptcies in this country come from medical issues. Most people were insured but not enough
This is something that can’t wait. That can’t be thought out anymore. There has to be at least stop gap measures put into place.
I refuse to go broke for my health, and that’s what it’s coming down to for many people
Yes insurance companies have undue influence and pharmaceutical companies might have their patent time made longer.
I have reached the point where I don’t care as long as pre-existing conditions and recession are eliminated.
I don’t want to feel this way. I want to care about everybody but we have to care for ourselves first. I also thought Obama made an incredible speech that spoke to many truths.
pia´s last blog ..President Obama, yes, that was a speech!
Rather than rehash or repeat what Pia is stating, I’m just going to agree with her and go just a bit further by suggesting the mad-as-hell doctors meet with the footdraggers, ie, Lord Bouscamy and that grand Asshat, Adderson Graves Wilson.
sauerkraut´s last blog ..Adderson Graves “Joe” Wilson grabs Asshat of the Month Award
Cooper unfortunately this isn’t about ideology. The system is broke and we have waited too long to fix it
75% of bankruptcies in this country entail medical issues. Most people have insurance
Yes a single payer system will be ideal. Ain’t going to happen now
Do you want more people to be denied services because of pre-existing conditions and/or rescission? We have to fix that and we have to fix it now.
Only the people with great health insurance who have no fear of losing it and much resources can afford to wait it out
I don’t want to sound angry. But I have been busy saving money so if I ever get truly sick I can afford to be sick as I’m half insured yet have paid more in premiums over my lifetime than you would think possible. is that fair? I could have a great life if I wasn’t so busy putting half aside for possible stroke care.
I can’t afford to care about anybody but me right now. And yes Obama played to people like me last night as we are so numerous
pia´s last blog ..President Obama, yes, that was a speech!
The fact that 80 percent of those who filed for bankruptcy because of medical bills had health insurance is enough to convince me the industry needs to be wiped off the face of the earth. Although there is a list of things longer than my reading list to compliment that opinion.
I am extremely disappointed that we did not have a thorough, not cursory, study on the parts of systems working in the rest of the world, and make ours truly the best, the one to beat.
I understand that some people have different opinions. Band-aids aren’t what I wanted from this administration, but hey they are cheaper than surgery.
You certainly aren’t alone in what you are saying, and it may well be far more reasonable.It’s just that I don’t hold much hope that once this legislation is passed that there will be any more progress in this regard. That is what bothers me the most.
I think I agree with Pia, and I’m sure not convinced that “free market health care” is something we do better without.
I’m glad the docs are there, but nothing is easier to do than something, especially for politicians. An improvement this year would be swell and if there’s more work to do next year, I’m fine with that. If nothing happens this year, I think it would be naive to assume something better will happen next year.
Doug´s last blog ..Imposition
Dogs are entitled to their opinion. I always respect yours. I am totally convinced.
I know for certain that we can’t survive ergonomically with it encompassing this much of the GDP. What will happen is it will be just ok for awhile, and then we will do this again. Only next time it will be harder to solve, there will be more people without insurance, more people going bankrupt due to medical bills, and so on and so forth. This will be a perpetual cycle until finally we have truly a the top 3 percent, the ones who own the schools the health insurance companies, the prisons, getting it all, and the rest, which could contain my great or great great grandchildren ( or at least great great grand nieces), paying for it, possibly with their lives.
My concern is they have allowed the insurance companies to manipulate them and whatevr gains will be lost eventaully. I agree with you the health care industry needs to be taken our of the for profit secotr like in Germany or Switzerland. There are many alternatives, but most of them revolve around taking the profit out of basic health insurance care, while allowing for profits from other things like comestic dentistry, upgrade hosptial rooms, chiropractor coverage, and long term care coverage. It won’t be cheap it, will be cheaper and everyone will be covered, the insurance industry will survive.
The only way this works is with mandatory coverage and that will never pass here. At least until half the country has learned the hard way.
john´s last blog ..Sex, Spanking, Affairs, and Family Values
You know I agree with you, so there is really not much to say.
My oh my, you are getting so many posts up any more I can’t keep up with you.
“Victory either way does not ensure subsequent success. Victory is a means to an end for politicians, but their end is the victory itself, when it is the likely result of that victory that matters to the citizenry.”
So very true. Way too many politicians simply want to get elected or reelected. And why not? They have a universal health care system that covers their entire families, they make on average triple the median household income and they have
slushcampaign funds to do however they please. Sounds like a sweet deal to me. Obama not excluded.Chris´s last blog ..Continuing the Charade
They do have a rather nice plan now don’t they?
I just wrote a post from my blackberry, at work. I agree with you, but like the lady above I have my reasons to want something passed yesterday.
Of course this isn’t good enough, not by a long shot, but for me, at this point I don’t give a crap.
We can hope somethingmuch better will come out of it eventually.
I linked to that physicains group too. I wish they had started touring last year.
My internist, or my former internist from Children’s Hospital is much in the way of agreeing with them. I used to have some of the best converstaions with her.
g´s last blog ..For Some There Is No Option
Yea, as with Pia I can certainly see your point G. Thanks for linking to the mad as h ell group though. I think it is important.
Right on point about reporting, this
http://news.newamericamedia.org/news/view_article.html?article_id=6728d3999e19c001e9a3880e064f17bc&from=rss from American News media, talking about the next election.
That might be what they do, I rarely read them, and after reading that I have to read them less, but there it is.
I’m sitting pretty, paying only part of my healthcare/insurance, even though I’m only part time while back in school. I know others are not as fortunate.
I love that those doctors are doing that. I will link to them later if I have time to write a post.
Oh in addition, let’s not forget the Republicans want to privatize medical care. Corporatizing medicare, then public schools. A Republicans wet dream.
john´s last blog ..Sex, Spanking, Affairs, and Family Values
Thanks for the link. I don’t read Think Progress much any more. Blah Blah Blah. That whole privatization ting is so not knew that one day it will have happened and no one will even know it. They have been trying to ooze it in for years.
You never see much in the way of investigative reporting on exactly what that woudl mean though.
I just published a small post about the mad as hell doctors, along with a bit about the ones fighting to keep the status quo and privitize medicare.
john´s last blog ..Gotta Get Mad As Hell
I will check it out.
It’s far too early to be thinking about re-election with having made no changes. If the election were held this week, I doubt it would be favorable.
Found this link to Penn on YouTube.
He isn’t so cute up close not on TV, but he does bring up some interesting obscure ridiculous provisions in HC.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voePlVCdFVc&feature=sub
Bennet´s last blog ..Sell Some Crazy For The Hazy
My mom went to high school with him. She lived in a small New England town. He was extremely bright from what I am told. He used to ride a unicycle, was a drum major, and in a time when geeks were geeks he was a cool as hell geek.
Anyhoo, Penn makes some good points, but he has an agenda of his own, and he will just as easily leave out facts to push it as the next guy.
I can’t believe how many people are giving Obama credit for a speech where he gave away half the store. He basically gutted the public option and caved to the Republican’s desire for a “free market exchange” instead. He also embraced mandating that the uninsured buy coverage, which is an unconscionable give away to the insurance industry who will put together high-deductible, poor coverage packages to sell to the suckers who think Obama is helping them. He began this whole promise by denying Single Payer advocates a seat at the negotiating table. His Public Option was a compromise. Now he’s compromised that out of existence. If anyone truly believes what he is proposing will improve the situation of the uninsured in this country they have are sadly mislead. It’s time to start accepting what he says based on trust and to start looking more deeply into the policies that he’s actually proposed. He’s betrayed the left already on several fronts, and he will continue to do so as long as they roll over and let him keep serving the larger corporate interests.
You are wrong on nearly every part of your comment.
sauerkraut´s last blog ..Adderson Graves “Joe” Wilson grabs Asshat of the Month Award
No one is really wrong on this one, there is
no result to prove anything
either way and it’s all opinion
at this point.
I agree with Francis though which is probably obvious by my post.
I’m willing to engage you in a discussion of those points, so please enlighten me to how exactly I’m wrong. It’s easy to negate without providing specifics.
Francis Scudellari´s last blog ..Waxed black floss
which “half of the store” did Obama give away?
sauerkraut´s last blog ..Adderson Graves “Joe” Wilson grabs Asshat of the Month Award
I almost didn’t get insurance because of my age, but I pay very little. The benefit of a teaching job I guess. I should think more about it because I am not going to be teaching but for a few more years.
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