Random Thoughts (Political Edition)

The problem with healthcare in this country is not government, it's the corporations. With this current system, it's just telling people to buy something in return for a few so-called consumer protections. Not to mention the companies hired to run the website, it's just a mess. Eliminate the corporations as in a single-payer system and the problems go away.
You just end up with other problems. No matter what the system is, there will be some problems. Any way you look at it though, the current system is crap.
 
Huge taxes, for one.

Opposed to huge burden on individuals to pay for healthcare. In a private set-up money goes to making a profit which would otherwise go back into the health system in a single payer system.
 
Opposed to huge burden on individuals to pay for healthcare. In a private set-up money goes to making a profit which would otherwise go back into the health system in a single payer system.
This is absolutely true. But at least high insurance have some hope of encouraging healthier lifestyles. A third of our population is obese and paying high premiums; what incentive is there for such individuals under a system that's entire tax-payer funded? No?
 
This is absolutely true. But at least high insurance have some hope of encouraging healthier lifestyles. A third of our population is obese and paying high premiums; what incentive is there for such individuals under a system that's entire tax-payer funded? No?

I've been fortunate to have good healthcare plans through my employer, the thought of "Woohoo I can now gain a hundred pounds!" never crossed my mind.

In addition which is cheaper, an emergency room visit or a check-up? The latter can prevent the former in many cases (treating on-set diabetes before it grows into full form for instance).

Look at France, how unhealthy is the average Frenchman to the average American?
 
I've been fortunate to have good healthcare plans through my employer, the thought of "Woohoo I can now gain a hundred pounds!" never crossed my mind.
I bet it's never crossed your mind at all simply because that's not who you are.


In addition which is cheaper, an emergency room visit or a check-up? The latter can prevent the former in many cases (treating on-set diabetes before it grows into full form for instance).
It again comes down to a simple question: why should I pay for someone who chooses to live an unhealthy lifestyle? I'll happily chip in for anyone that develops cancer (except maybe if its the result of smoking) or any number of other illnesses that are beyond one's control. But diseases borne out of obesity? Half a dozen kids that someone had simply to keep getting welfare checks? I'm all for helping people but when I consider how high my taxes would have to be to cover all that stuff... holy hell man! These issues exist unfortunately and you won't be able to avoid them. The problem runs a lot deeper than just healthcare, imho. The biggest problem with healthcare is its underlying COST.

/drunkrantforonenight
 
LeVeL, do you realize that for a lot of people, being obese is as much in their control as having cancer? Believe it or not, people don't just choose to be fat. Furthermore, you don't have to be fat to have an unhealthy lifestyle.

Also, I'd like you to show me somebody who has had children purely to get a welfare check. I'll be surprised if you ever do, because having a child costs far more than the government will ever give you in welfare.
 
I'm sure he can find an edge case somewhere. The logic being if you can find one out of one hundred thousand than the whole system is a waste.

But yes, obesity has something to do with fatty food being cheaper and faster to prepare than more wholesome alternatives.
 
Last edited:
What I don't get is why having to pay for a few freeloaders (which undoubtedly exist), be it in welfare or health insurance, from one's hard-earned money, somehow negates the benefits such a system has for the vast majority of people not abusing the system. The numbers just don't add up.
 
I prefer paying for a few freeloaders and covering everyone than cutting off a few freeloaders and not covering everyone.
 
And what puzzles me further, is that the vast majority of those that feel that way also claim to be Christians. They must have failed at Sunday school.
 
I agree. But that doesn't make what I said less true. They are known as the religious right for a reason.
 
They're more known for imposing their beliefs than espousing the morals. Not that all the morals are inherently positive, either..

The most visible example of this is the Westboro Baptist Church. Who were all avowed liberal Democrats. Wait, what? How can this be? Religious nuttery *can't* a Democrat thing, can it?

Sorry, religious stupidity is not restricted or even wholly concentrated on the right.
 
Also, I'd like you to show me somebody who has had children purely to get a welfare check. I'll be surprised if you ever do, because having a child costs far more than the government will ever give you in welfare.
You know perfectly well that short of an actual confession, I don't have concrete proof. However, drive up to MA sometime, we'll head to Roxbury (with a police escort). Single moms with 4+ kids and no job to speak of in the last 5+ years. We can even talk to some of the social workers and see what they think. We can then go stand in front of the welfare office and see if we can spot the number of BMWs and Lexuses. But anyways, this isn't about welfare...


I prefer paying for a few freeloaders and covering everyone than cutting off a few freeloaders and not covering everyone.
1) Every single poster here has been ignoring the catastrophically high costs of healthcare itself in the US. 2) I don't for one second trust the government to run such a huge portion of our economy. We need smaller government, not larger. 3) I would actually pay more taxes for a system that did a better job eliminating freeloaders.


edit: are we seriously equating the political right with religious nutjobs? So what, the left is all lesbian hippies and libertarians are anarchists?
 
Last edited:
1) Every single poster here has been ignoring the catastrophically high costs of healthcare itself in the US.
Which is a result of bad legislation. If every other first-world country can manage to control healthcare costs, the US should be able to do it as well.

3) I would actually pay more taxes for a system that did a better job eliminating freeloaders.
Every single study I've ever seen came to the conclusion that paying the freeloaders is more efficient than trying to eliminate them. Let me give you an example: Back in the nineties, a friend's dad worked for Philip Morris. He had a nice, red-and-white Ford Mondeo which we lovingly called "The Cigarette" as a company car. And he and his family were allowed to use it for personal trips, even paying for fuel on Philip Morris' bill. Why's that? Because the boffins at PM Inc. found out that it's actually cheaper to let the employees freeload than to pay accountants that handle the travel expenses and bill the fuel used privately back to the employees.
Same holds true for welfare.
 
Top