Secrets of the City

Small toddlers, large babies, victims of domestic violence, rape survivors…

Having worked inside the industry, I can tell you that Tom’s headline is absolutely accurate.

I was a little annoyed at the father saying that he’s not in favor of universal health care. Oh, yes, the problem with the health care industry is that your child can’t get coverage, an that’s what needs fixing. Let the other uninsured fend for themselves.

I wonder if a less cute kid with black hair and brown eyes would’ve gotten as much attention. But maybe I’m just a cynic.

In any case, this is a messed up situation, but not surprising. I’ve always been of the opinion that the US health care system is a giant scam designed to make a handful of people really rich, while the majority of the country pays out-of-pocket for almost every procedure they have done.

Why does that annoy you Max?
I would support across the board universal no questions asked healthcare for children, no problem. The aversion I sometimes have to universal is taxpayers paying for healthcare for those who do not even try to help themselves or contribute to society. I don’t think that is fair. But the fact that we end up paying for HC for these types of people through emergency room visits anyways makes me reluctantly understand that we don’t really have a choice.

You right, it’s not fair, baker. But it’s not fair for some kid to go without decent health coverage because their parents/guardians are loosers. If we accept universal health coverage as the moral thing to do as a nation, we don’t have to worry if every able-bodied American adult “deserves” health coverage.

Mary2: I’ve always been of the opinion that the US health care system is a giant scam designed to make a handful of people really rich…

Remove the words “health care” and I’d agree with you even more.

I think the right to health care is embedded in the words “The right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” It’s a universal right, not based on any sense of whether the person is deserving or not. We don’t say, Oh, education for some children, but not for parents who are losers, and our fire departments aren’t going to put out the fires of people who are scammers, and our police only help people who aren’t bottom feeders.

Rights are not contingent on how good or useful a person you are. If they are, they aren’t rights. Rights are what you get no matter who you are.

Those who strictly believe in “original intent” of the Founding Fathers might disagree with max’s argument for universial health care.

They are also dead wrong.

Baker:

Does it annoy you that people who do not contribute to society drive on roads that taxpayers have paid for? Where do we draw the line on who contributes to society and who does not?

I hope I don’t anger society or internet people for not living up to my potential. My mom always said I could be a UN diplomat.

My mom said I could be a great porn star. Wait… What thread is this? I have said too much.

“My mom always said I could be a UN diplomat.”

Are you reform minded?

I always love the “contributing to society” arguement about who deserves health care and who doesn’t. What you really mean is “works a traditional job.” Because you don’t mean mom’s raising their children to be good citizens, but you do mean land mine manufacturers, tobacco executives and telemarketers.

My mom always said I could be a UN diplomat.

Sexy, jane. That would rate right up there with cosplay as a school teacher but with the additional benefit of being able to avoid traffic tickets.

heard an interesting take on NPR today. if you didn’t have insurance, broke your legs, then hobbled to the insurance company and demanded they sell you insurance, would they be wrong in denying you?

i like a lot of the reform ideas i’ve been hearing lately. right up until the government option kicks in.

I would tend to agree with Baker. I do not think health car is a right. But the fact that the largest voting block in history is going to vote for governmental health care i.e. medicare and medicaid I see the need to address the failing system. The old farts will never vote for someone that “takes their program away” so here we go. That said, why does this debate always become about the children. How about people and not just poor people wake up and pay for their brats vs expecting society to pay for all of their needs. You had the kids so pay for them, if you can’t pay for them then stop having them. One way to cover the budget deficit and pay for health car is to eliminate the child credit given to those that breed. If you breed you should pay more your family unit consumes more resources thus you should pay more.

I am so f*cking going to love it when swandog becomes one of those “old farts.”

Or starts to have kids … and then loses a job or two along the way because the economy always goes into the crapper*.

*This is the fourth or fifth “recession” I’ve lived through since entering the work force in the ’70s.

Well, as it happens, health care is a human right, according to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that the United States helped draft and is signatory to. So whether you think it’s a right or not, according to a declaration of human rights that the United States deemed necessary and took a large hand in creating, our government seemed to think it was; now if they would just around to actually taking care of providing the rights that they helped draft.

You guys may have misread, but I stated that I do understand that universal is really our only option. That being said, I just have a problem with paying taxes to support those that give nothing back. And KC, I don’t give a shit if you work at McDonalds or manufacture landmines. If you work for a living, contribute to society, and try to take care of yourself and your family, then I think you earned a right to have health insurance assistance. If you sit around all day watching Tv and not looking for work, and don’t support the kids you have fathered (or mothered), it really just bothers me that those that are active citizens will pay your health insurance too, along with your housing, and your food. Again, I know we end up paying for deadbeats via emergency room visits, etc, but the ‘nothing for something’ lifestyle still bothers me.