Electrophile Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 There is ZERO reason why in a country as purportedly "exceptional" as the United States, there should be anyone without health care. Not one goddamn reason. It absolutely sickens me that there are countries in this world doing shit for their citizens we haven't even gotten around to talking about. The homeless in this country get fucked, veterans in this country get fucked, the elderly in this country get fucked, kids in this country get fucked.....where's the sense in that? Saying that everyone in this country should have health care is not the same as saying that every single person in this country should be exactly the same. Quit being intellectually disingenuous. If we're so damn "exceptional" why don't we start acting like it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
planted Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 ^ You raise serious concerns, and most of the time there are solutions. ie, Medicare and Medicaid for starters. Medicaid should be used sparingly and short-term, however, unless there are extenuating circumstances. Exceptional? You're goddamned right. We are the United States of America, the best place on Earth. And, I will never apologize for that. Have a nice Memorial Day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
planted Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 I don't want to get too far off topic, but, Electrophile, read "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls. It is her memoir of what is was like being raised by parents who chose poverty and homelessness. That's right. Read it. She is or used to be a writer for MSNBC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGDAN Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 Exceptional? You're goddamned right. We are the United States of America, the best place on Earth. And, I will never apologize for that. Have a nice Memorial Day. Not on your life Planted, you are so far off you might as well be on the moon, England is the best place on Earth, just ask the GIs who came back after the war to use our Free National Health to give birth to their kids, and we dont hold any grudge as there is so much money in England that the whole world is welcome to use our Free National Health anytime. Regards, Danny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anjin-san Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 nothing is free.Geez! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGDAN Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 nothing is free.Geez! Its FREE to you my American Friend, always, and if they ever try to charge you just give them my National Insurance Number. Very Kind Regards, Danny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
planted Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 Not on your life Planted, you are so far off you might as well be on the moon, England is the best place on Earth, just ask the GIs who came back after the war to use our Free National Health to give birth to their kids, and we dont hold any grudge as there is so much money in England that the whole world is welcome to use our Free National Health anytime. Regards, Danny Point taken, and thanks for being civil when making your argument. I will take you up on a beer and some fish n chips in one of your pubs sometime though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGDAN Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 (edited) Point taken, and thanks for being civil when making your argument. I will take you up on a beer and some fish n chips in one of your pubs sometime though! Hi Planted, Civil? Me? Always, i know when i'm talking to a Lady. Beer and Fish'n'Chips? now you're talking, next you'll be wanting Pie and Mash? No but really, you hear a lot of bad stories about our NHS but all i can go by is my own and friends and families opinions of the care they have had. And its all good, apart from the father in law who thinks his head if full of cotton wool but wont except that at age 80 he is just getting old. As you know we run BUPA alongside the NHS, a friend once used BUPA for some dental work, thought he was a cut above me at the time, then he comes back to tell me that BUPA only covered him for £150 and he had to find the rest of the £800 himself ,more than double what it would have cost on the NHS. We pay National Insurance while we work, about 9-11% of income for the NHS, but if you are out of work or long term sick its all free, perscriptions as well, and i am so glad and fortunate that the UK used the money America supplied after the war in its Marshall Plan for setting up the NHS without which we all would be very poor or dead without it, so i'll raise a toast to the US and the UK for their benevolence towards my people. Kind Regards, Danny PS, JFK once said "And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country." BIGDAN says now "Works both ways buddy, its been nearly 50 years and nothing from yourside" Edited May 26, 2011 by BIGDAN Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
planted Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 I think I'll have a Sam Summah... CHEERS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGDAN Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 I think I'll have a Sam Summah... CHEERS Pardon my ignorance but what is a "Sam Summah..."? Kind Regards, Danny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
planted Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 Pardon my ignorance but what is a "Sam Summah..."? Kind Regards, Danny Sam Adams Summer Ale. Made in Boston, if I'm not mistaken. (I was making fun of our accent here in the North) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGDAN Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 Sam Adams Summer Ale. Made in Boston, if I'm not mistaken. (I was making fun of our accent here in the North) Ah thanks Planted, so what do you drink in the other seasons then? Kind Regards, Danny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
planted Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 Ah thanks Planted, so what do you drink in the other seasons then? Kind Regards, Danny They make seasonal ales. Winter Lager, OktoberFest, etc. But, I'm a red wine drinker first and foremost. Not to be confused with a wine snob, btw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PerpetualMotion Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 Exceptional? You're goddamned right. We are the United States of America, the best place on Earth. And, I will never apologize for that. Where the men are men and so are the women. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
planted Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 ^ That's awesome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cryingbluerain Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 If we're so damn "exceptional" why don't we start acting like it. Agreed, so sick of the "entitlement generation". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silver Rider Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 (edited) It's the same as the show "Let's Make A Deal". Behind Door #1 is excellent healthcare and behind Door #2 is rotten healthcare. Would you choose what's behind Door #1 or Door #2? I guess you could limit healthcare to the wealthy. But if one of your loved ones gets sick, can't afford to get proper health care and dies, that's really too bad. Tough luck for you. It's kind of sad to watch the one person who matters most to you in life die as he fills out forms to get emergency coverage.That's after waiting in the emergency room suffering in pain while the latest group of illegal immigrants line up ahead of him quietly to see an ER doctor for the flu (a routine for them because it's the only health care they can get). Yeah, the present health care system is working, for someone; but maybe not you. Edited May 26, 2011 by Silver Rider Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deborah J Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 This is only my opinion. I think lifes experiences can make us look at things different. My wonderful Mom passed away with Dementia February 2010. My youngest sister was diagnosed with Schizophrenia when she was 13, she is now 42. When you go through devasting heath problems within your family you realize that the system as it is, IS NOT WORKING!! If you are not rich,and I mean rich, not just upper class, you get no real help after the little bit of money you do have, or drain most of any savings to help. So I am for it changing. It's disgusting as it currently is! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveAJones Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 This is only my opinion. I think lifes experiences can make us look at things different. My wonderful Mom passed away with Dementia February 2010. My youngest sister was diagnosed with Schizophrenia when she was 13, she is now 42. When you go through devasting heath problems within your family you realize that the system as it is, IS NOT WORKING!! If you are not rich,and I mean rich, not just upper class, you get no real help after the little bit of money you do have, or drain most of any savings to help. So I am for it changing. It's disgusting as it currently is! These are extreme and most unfortunate cases but overall the health care is excellent and the system is working. I kindly submit to you the real issue here is the dire need for health insurance reform. Congress and the President didn't want to tackle that (as they as well as the pharmaceutical companies are a source of enormous campaign contributions) so they have tried to hijack the whole system instead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvermedalist Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 These are extreme and most unfortunate cases but overall the health care is excellent and the system is working. I kindly submit to you the real issue here is the dire need for health insurance reform. Congress and the President didn't want to tackle that (as they as well as the pharmaceutical companies are a source of enormous campaign contributions) so they have tried to hijack the whole system instead. How can you say overall the system is excellant? Are you kidding me? Go tell that to all of those people that are in debt and cant see a Dr or have procedures covered that were once covered. Insurance companies doing whatever they can to fuck the average poor joe. That is a statement that makes no sense Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveAJones Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 How can you say overall the system is excellant? Are you kidding me? Go tell that to all of those people that are in debt and cant see a Dr or have procedures covered that were once covered. Insurance companies doing whatever they can to fuck the average poor joe. That is a statement that makes no sense What did I just say? There is a need for health insurance reform, but that's just one aspect of what is IMHO an excellent system (availability of doctors and physicans, technical competence, quality of care, incentives for private practice, etc). The people bitching the loudest are those who either have no coverage at all or have coverage but think they're getting a raw deal and that a government-run system would be better. Insurance reform is the real issue and the real answer, not government control of the whole health care system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dazedcat Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 I'm old enough to remember when there weren't any HMO's. Imagine such a thing? If a person had to have a procedure done or were in a hospital per their doctors orders (doctors had control back then believe it or not) how did they pay?? Simple, they made their own arrangements with the hospital. Imagine that? There were no endless battles with the insurance companies and there wasn't any bilking by the medical profession either. HMO's get between the patient and the doctor. They exist to make money. I don't know what the answer is though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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