Christian Democrats in the United States
Domestic Issues - Health Care We support the right of all American citizens to receive quality basic preventative care and medical treatment. We posit that the amount of money that could be saved by basic preventative care for everyone outweighs the immediate expense of treating advanced illnesses of the poor. Subscribe to Posts [Atom]
Monday, August 24, 2009
9:16 AM
Critics of universal coverage often say that this means the "death of America," that it means socialism will be instated and no one will have any freedom, old people will be euthanized, etc. Well, I do think old people in America should learn how to age gracefully, like the stars of the silver screen. We're all going to kick the bucket someday. But preventative coverage for all Americans means you'll be paying less in the long run in premiums and taxes to cover the cost of health emergencies for the uninsured. We have a right (and a moral obligation) to come together and say we're all going to help everyone out to go to the doctor. That doesn't mean we're socialists, it means we're nice people.
The critics' argument is a "slippery slope," that is, it starts with one fact, that government-run health coverage will insure everyone and prevent private companies from corralling customers into needless spending to make a buck. Then the slippery slope provides a chain of lies, that government will dictate all aspects of health care, that private companies will have no role, doctors will not be paid, euthanasia for old people, etc. This leads down the slippery slope to a false conclusion, that all private industry in America will cease to exist and the government will dictate all aspects of our lives.
What a load of crap.
Even within the health care market, there will still be all kinds of competition for doctors to provide new treatments, for drug companies to research new compounds or genetic therapies, for manufacturers to make new equipment, for free enterprise in computers, construction, materials, labor, from x-ray machines to wooden tongue depressors. The government isn't going to dictate all that, and it can't.
In fact, one might argue that by coming together to pool our resources as a nation to cover the uninsured, we will decrease competition in health insurances, but will increase the competition in all other aspects of health care. Right now, doctors have an incentive not to cure patients, but to keep them coming back for more treatments. What we want to do is to make doctors compete to cure patients. The more efficiently a doctor can cure a patient's ills, the more money they keep. That's the kind of capitalist system we want.
Capitalism and free competition are supposed to reduce costs for consumers. Private insurance is anti-capitalist, it is a system of welfare for the corporations and must be humanely put out of its misery.
health is not a slippery slope to socialism
Hats off to Mr. Obama for taking a stand, and leading Congress to pass health care reform that ensures every American will be able to get preventative care before health problems become an expensive crisis.Critics of universal coverage often say that this means the "death of America," that it means socialism will be instated and no one will have any freedom, old people will be euthanized, etc. Well, I do think old people in America should learn how to age gracefully, like the stars of the silver screen. We're all going to kick the bucket someday. But preventative coverage for all Americans means you'll be paying less in the long run in premiums and taxes to cover the cost of health emergencies for the uninsured. We have a right (and a moral obligation) to come together and say we're all going to help everyone out to go to the doctor. That doesn't mean we're socialists, it means we're nice people.
The critics' argument is a "slippery slope," that is, it starts with one fact, that government-run health coverage will insure everyone and prevent private companies from corralling customers into needless spending to make a buck. Then the slippery slope provides a chain of lies, that government will dictate all aspects of health care, that private companies will have no role, doctors will not be paid, euthanasia for old people, etc. This leads down the slippery slope to a false conclusion, that all private industry in America will cease to exist and the government will dictate all aspects of our lives.
What a load of crap.
Even within the health care market, there will still be all kinds of competition for doctors to provide new treatments, for drug companies to research new compounds or genetic therapies, for manufacturers to make new equipment, for free enterprise in computers, construction, materials, labor, from x-ray machines to wooden tongue depressors. The government isn't going to dictate all that, and it can't.
In fact, one might argue that by coming together to pool our resources as a nation to cover the uninsured, we will decrease competition in health insurances, but will increase the competition in all other aspects of health care. Right now, doctors have an incentive not to cure patients, but to keep them coming back for more treatments. What we want to do is to make doctors compete to cure patients. The more efficiently a doctor can cure a patient's ills, the more money they keep. That's the kind of capitalist system we want.
Capitalism and free competition are supposed to reduce costs for consumers. Private insurance is anti-capitalist, it is a system of welfare for the corporations and must be humanely put out of its misery.
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