06-02-11
A Facebook friend shared a video clip from one of those cable news shout fests the other day. I watched it only because the subject was healthcare, which I have researched and written about quite a bit. The experience reminded me why I have long since stopped watching anything news related on television. The medium has nothing to do with truly informing the viewer or presenting real solutions. Its carefully choreographed function is to keep the masses confused, distracted and divided, while elected officials focus on serving the corporate insurance profit machine that couldn't care less about America's health.
At the end of this clip, the host thanked the guests, who played their respective liberal and conservative roles perfectly, tossing blame back and forth, talking over each other and allowing the host to neatly wrap it all up by saying there are no easy answers for the healthcare issue.
Of course, there is an easy answer. It's just that the talking heads, the politicians and the corporate pimps who own all of them don't want to talk about it because it puts people before profit. The answer is single payer, universal healthcare. Or, to put it simply, improving and expanding Medicare to cover everybody.
Anyone who calls this idea “socialized medicine” is either ignorantly parroting the fear mongering crap spewed by their plastic partisan heroes, or they have a vested interest in maintaining the broken status quo. Single payer is publicly funded, privately delivered healthcare. Doctors don't work for the government, they work for themselves, and you are free to choose any doctor or hospital you want. The treatment that's best for you is decided by you and your doctor, not the government.
Anyone who complains about how a single payer system will lead to rationing and death panels is ignoring the fact that rationing is precisely how the current for-profit system thrives. They make their money by denying care. Single payer eliminates rationing by putting the focus on people instead of profit.
Anyone who says there's no way to pay for it and that single payer advocates are just looking for free healthcare is ignoring the fact that the money comes out of your paycheck just like it does now, and that eliminating all the needless waste and bureaucracy will save us over $400 billion dollars every year.
Anyone who complains about all the jobs that would be eliminated with the changeover needs to familiarize themselves with the January 2009 California Nurses Association study that reveals a net gain of 2.6 million jobs under a single payer system.
Anyone who wants to rail against the idea of their tax dollars being used to support a healthcare system they disagree with needs to get in line. Millions of us have been railing against the idea of our tax dollars being used to support a needless perpetual warfare system for years. The fact is a majority of Americans has consistently supported a universal healthcare system. But because this is America, those of you in the minority still have every right to lobby your representatives for an opt-out clause in single payer legislation, just like the anti-war millions have been lobbying for an end to needless military conflict all these years.
What are the benefits of a universal healthcare system? Well, in addition to the $400 billion we'll be saving every year, we've got instant elimination of the #1 cause of personal bankruptcies (medical bills – and 80% of those people have insurance when it happens). We've got millions more actually getting the care they need because they no longer have to worry about deductibles, co-pays, insane prescription costs or being denied coverage for a pre-existing condition. We've got companies being able to focus on growth (which of course means more jobs) instead of sweating the bill for providing health coverage for their employees. We've got people being able to escape dead-end jobs without concern about what kind of coverage they'll have at the next job. Ultimately, we've got a healthier, happier, more productive workforce, and a greatly improved, more competitive economy.
The reality is easy to see. You just need to be able to drop the ridiculous politics.
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Physicians for a National Heath Program
Dr. Margaret Flowers Letter Challenging Obama
Single Payer Poll Results
Single Payer Video Playlist
In this podcast, you've deftly put to rest any and all arguments against single-payer. Corporate sponsorship of our government has marginalized the informed citizen and duped the misinformed.
ReplyDeleteWhen the health care issue was amorphously making its way through Congress, my own senator towed the official party line, stating it would result in higher taxes, greater debt, and lower quality health care. When I refuted his claims with evidence, he did not reply. Aside from being betrayed by the president I put in office, I'm ignored by my own representative.
What are we conscientious citizens to do? Rail against this corrupt system and bemoan our fate? Is anyone even listening? We are the only industrialized nation to not offer universal health care to its citizens. We're being robbed of our wages as well as our health.
My congressman has also ignored my repeated requests to address the issue. The Beltway mission is clearly as you say, to marginalize the informed and dupe the rest.
ReplyDeleteConscientious citizens need to speak out. People are listening. We just need more of them to catch on. I don't see railing against the corruption as bemoaning our fate. I see it as doing the right thing, and refusing to accept complicity by remaining silent.