Tuesday, May 4, 2010

How are you Feeling?

This is a topic I've both wanted and not wanted to talk about. It's an issue that I am passionate about, an issue that can drive my blood to boil. I've literally had shouting matches with my family, whom have an opposing view. These shouting matches are the reason that, despite my deep passion for the topic, I've held off from doing it. The issue is heated, more heated than anything else I've discussed here. People get angry, furious, when you bring this up, and the last thing I want to do is bring trolls to this blog. Strap yourselves in, cause I'm about to talk about Health Care.

But what to say about it? There are so many aspects of this issue, so many things to say. I could talk about the morality, the idea that health is a right, and those who profit off the sick are universally disgusting. I could talk about the quality of health care, the exaggeration of wait times, and the simple idea that waiting is preferable to simply being unable to afford treatment at all. I can discuss the cost of all things, while our country spends billions on military and war efforts. I could even go into the corruption of Insurance Companies, who set up plans intent on keeping you ill and their most grievous slight of preexisting condition clauses.

These are all topics I can write an entire article on, I could rant and rave, I can show my logic and rationale for hours. But in the argument's listed, there is always a counter, counters I personally find weak, but reasonable. There is another, more pressing argument though, that finds this issue at it's most heated. It is the argument that spawns hatred and rage, and it is completely and utterly ridiculous. The idea that Universal Health Care is a Socialistic method, a method that has no place in Capitalism. I just shake my head at this, I wonder how they cannot realize the simple truth?

There's already Socialism in America.

I want you all to think about something for me. Are you over eighteen? Do you have a job? If you answered yes to these questions and don't have any children above the age of five, guess what... You're part of a socialist program. The people who bleat this argument say that it's unfair that they have to pay for everyone's health care, when they can just pay for their own which they consider to be superior. What they don't realize is we already have this system in place for something else... Schools. Public Schools are paid for by the State, the State gains money through the taxes. I have not gone to a School in seven years, and yet I am paying my part for our children to learn.

Now you can go ahead and send your kids to Private School, private schools receive no funding from the state, they're a tuition based system for profit. They're often times considered superior to Public Schools, the fact that you pay them directly means they can afford better equipment, and the limited number of students compared to public means your kids get more attention from the faculty. But your taxes still go to that Public School. You, paying for your own kid's private education are paying for Public School. Are you really going to say you don't want every kid to have access to some form of education? You're going to tell me, that because I can't afford Private School, my child is not allowed to learn?

From the Postal Service to Police we in this country pay through taxes what could easily be privatized and have been. Fed Ex sure beats out the USPS, but I'm sure you're happy the post office is only gonna charge you ten bucks to ship the package that Fed Ex would have charged you forty when you're strapped for cash. And I know you're happy that the cops don't write you up a bill when they've finished investigating a robbery.

The problem with this argument of socialism is that these people believe it's going to corrupt our nation despite the fact that it's been here for decades. They think that as a Capitalist society we can only run on capitalist methods, but it just doesn't work that way. A symbiosis of ideas from many methods of government is the way. It's the very foundation of our nation that it's government would be run by it's people, that we wouldn't be bound by one rule and one system. That we could forge a new system as needed when needed.

I am at heart a Capitalist, as shocking as it might sound, I truly believe that if you have a service you should be able to sell it. But this isn't cell phones or produce we're talking about, this isn't real estate, this isn't big screen TVs, this is life. When you see someone in pain, when you see someone sick, when you see someone at the cusp of death... Are you really gonna ask them cash or credit?

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1 comment:

Rick said...

ok any talk of government & types of such & laws & bills etc confuse the hell out of me, but I agree everyone, whether they can afford top dollar or not, deserves the best of health care