The Good Fight

"Swiftboating" town halls? Your metaphorical characterization of events is amusing. The only "shouting" done inre the Swiftvets was the caterwalling of Kerry sychophants trying to shout the Swiftvets down. Lawrence O'Donnell and James Carville come immediately to mind.

But, now that you've mentioned it, "swiftboating" Obama's healthcare obamination sounds like a pretty darn good idea.

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Bongo, easy man. Moredock is just scared.

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Isn't it time we called a spade a spade as it were? These are white protests. Many white people are very hurt, confused, and angry that Barack Obama won the election. Obama dips slightly as the Bush economy continues to struggle and these white people smell blood. What unites them is not their opposition to health care reform, economic bailouts, their children's tax burden or anything other than the color of their skin and their fear.

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These people who are so called rioting at so called town hall meetings about health care reform are truly Lunatics (aka Republican), because they are just not dealing with the FACTS but instead they are brain washed by the lies of slime bags like Limbaugh, Hannety, Beck, Fox crap, etc. etc. who are paid Billions of Dollars by the Big Pharma and Big insurance to carry out this brain washing.

After all consider these FACTS about how horrible the current for profit private health care in US is compared to the single payer (not for profit) Universal health care that they have in ALL European countries, Canada, etc.

1- 50Mill Americans have NO health insurance so their only choice in case of illness is death or bankruptcy and usually both, while every European, Canadian, Japanese, Chinese, Australian, etc. has access to the same health care for the Taxes that they pay plus a nominal
fee such as $59 per month per person in Canada.

2- 2Mill+ Americans go bankrupt each year due to health care costs WHILE in Europe or Canada that have Universal health care ZERO person or family goes bankrupt each year due to health care costs.

3- In Europe or Canada that have Universal health care health care is taking about 9% of GDP while in US where as noted above Millions do not have
health care or Millions go bankrupt each year due to health care costs, health care is taking 18% of GDP.

4- In US toward the goal of maximizing profits health insurance companies deny coverage to Millions of Americans under claim of "pre existing conditions..", thus sentencing them effectively to DIE! Which would be a criminal act in any civilized (European) country but here in US under the cover of our right-wing Media and lunatics (Republicans and so called centrist Democrats) insurance companies get away with such a practice.

5- In US even if you have health insurance, costs of co-pays and deductibles drive many American families into financial ruin, unless you have Military or Government type health insurance, the type that our Senator and Congressman enjoy courtesy of our Taxes. Whereas in Europe, Canada, etc. there is NO such thing as co-pays and deductibles, beside a nominal fee such as for example 5 Euros per doctor visit in France, whether you stay in the Hospital a day or a month.

So when one presents the above FACTS which clearly show how much better European, Canadian style single payer Universal health care is compared to the for profit private health insurance in US, then Republicans (aka our right-wing Media) state the following:
"But European's have economic stagnation due to having a "Socialist" single payer Universal health care......"
Which is patently false since the European economies are in FACT doing much better than US economy as evident by:

1- Euro being so much more valuable than US Dollar
2- Avg homes in Europe being much more valuable than avg homes in US and not falling in value 95% of Europe, even 3 years into less valuable US homes falling in value in 95% of US
3- Europeans Auto makers doing fine while US ones went bankrupt, with just 1 German Auto maker, VW, having a market valuation MANY MANY times of all US Auto makers combined!
etc. etc.

For sake of this post not getting 2 long, U can read much more here:
http://www.anoox.com/blog/real_news.articl…

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I read a story a couple weeks ago about a servicemember who went to a military (government) hospital for a routine gallbladder operation and got both legs amputated instead. If you want to know what single-payer healthcare would look like in this country, just visit a military hospital or the VA.

The kicker? Because he's a servicemember who received his treatment at a government hospital he is forbidden by law from suing the government. That's right, when the government is in charge they exempt themselves from the kind of liability that would sink any private practice. Why do they do this? To control costs.

If our government will not provide quality healthcare to servicemembers and veterans, what makes you think they'll try harder for you? Just a thought.

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Jason, really!

1st, Where did you read that story?
Very likely you wont be able to answer that question since this is just typical scare tactic by lunatic Republicans, since the facts are not on your side but only LIES are.

2nd, No health care system, no system in fact, is perfect. Every system fails now and then and produces some victims, but this does not mean that the system per say is bad, but that it just needs refinement, vigilance and improvement. So to say "I know one person that had a problem with Government health care and thus lets stick with the for profit based private health care system in US..." is like saying I know some one who died in a Car crash and thus all Cars are bad, lets ride horses again; or it is like saying I know someone who died in an Air plane crash so lets go back to riding carriages across the country; or is like saying I had an Uncle who won a $10Mill lottery in US, what a country US is that every one can get rich... Such singular examples are absolute non-senses, because the case of a handful is not the issue but the case of the great majority, the society is the issue, and in this regard the FACTs are that the current for profit based private health care system in US is nearly a criminal operation set up to bankrupt the American (middle class) rather than provide the best possible health care as EVIDENT by these FACTS:

A) In US last year 2Mill+ Americans went bankrupt last year due to health care costs while in Europe or Canada ZERO person went bankrupt due to health care costs, because they have Universal Health Care

B) Health care is taking 18% of GDP in US while it is taking 8% of GDP in Canada and Europe

C) AND Average life expectancy in Europe and Canada are far higher than US, in fact life expectancy in US now is in 3rd World country levels, you can see here:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2007/aug/1…

3rd, If for profit based private health care system is better than Government health care which all Military personal, all members of Government in fact enjoy, including such lunatic Republicans as McCain, Graham, Demint, etc. then lets switch them to for profit based private health care system that average citizen has to endure under. You see, they wouldn't want that, they like to stay with their Government provided health care paid for courtesy of us the Tax payers.

4th, all European countries, Canada, in fact ALL developed countries have single payer Universal health care AND none of them would ever consider US style for profit based health care system. WHY? Because of the 3 points listed above. That is IF Government provided health care provides anything but the best health care, then the citizens in the next election will throw that Government out or power, but we cannot do such a thing with the for profit health care, and thus our only choice is to Sue which is another problem with US health care system, that is high malpractice costs. That is why for example in France which is ranked 1st in the world as far as health care goes, while US is ranked 37, health care is taking 9% of GDP while everyone has health care for free, for the Taxes that they pay.

For sake of this post not getting too long, U ou can read much more in this regard here:
www.anoox.com/blog/uhc

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This wasn't hard to find.

http://www.star-telegram.com/health/story/…

It's got other juicy anecdotes as well about government healthcare in our military hospitals. Again...if they won't do better for servicemembers, they won't do better for me and you.

And by the way, I can tell personal stories about this since I am a recently discharged veteran. I filed a disability claim with the VA back in February. They delayed with a response because they told me that I had failed to provide them with my service medical records. I made photocopies and shipped them to their front door via UPS and I was able to tell them the last name of the person who signed for them.

In the same envelope where they sent me that notification, they included the medical history of an 84 year old man in Boiling Springs. They mistakenly sent another veteran's medical history in the same correspondence with me about how I never sent them my medical records.

I wish I were making this up.

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When presented with the facts as to how much better Universal health care as they have in ALL European countries, in Canada, in FACT in all developed countries are compared to the for profit private health care system in US, which FACTS you can read about here:
www.anoox.com/blog/uhc
so I will not repeat them it in this article, then out of desperation Republican lunatics or those brain washed by the Billions of Dollars of Big pharma and Big insurance via their control of the right-wing Media (Talkradio, Fox, MSNBC, WSJ, etc.), will state such scare tactic non-sense as this:

"I read a story a couple weeks ago about a service member who went to a military (government) hospital for a routine gallbladder operation and got both legs amputated instead. If you want to know what single-payer health care would look like in this country, just visit a military hospital or the VA. ..."


Answer to this non-sense:

1st, No health care system, no system in fact, is perfect. Every system fails now and then and produces some victims, but this does not mean that the system per say is bad, but that it just needs refinement, vigilance and improvement. So to say "I know one person that had a problem with Government health care and thus lets stick with the for profit based private health care system in US..." is like saying:
1- I know some one who died in a Car crash and thus all Cars are bad, lets ride horses again;
2- or it is like saying I know someone who died in an Air plane crash so lets go back to riding carriages across the country;
3- or is like saying I had an Uncle who won a $10Mill lottery in US, what a country US is that every one can get rich...

Such singular examples are absolute non-senses, because the case of a handful is not the issue but the case of the great majority, the society is the issue, and in this regard the FACTs are that the current for profit based private health care system in US is nearly a criminal operation set up to bankrupt the American (middle class), to enrich the Super rich and Big Wall Street corporations, rather than provide the best possible health care as EVIDENT by these FACTS:

A) In US last year 2Mill+ Americans went bankrupt last year due to health care costs while in Europe or Canada ZERO person went bankrupt due to health care costs, because they have Universal Health Care

B) Health care is taking 18% of GDP in US while it is taking about 8% of GDP in Canada and Europe

C) AND Average life expectancy in Europe and Canada are far higher than US, in fact life expectancy in US now is in 3rd World country levels, you can see here:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2007/aug/1…

3rd, If for profit based private health care system is better than Government health care which all Military personal, all members of Government in fact enjoy, including such Republicans as McCain, Graham, Demint, etc. then lets switch them to for profit based private health care system that average citizen has to endure under. You see, they wouldn't want that, they like to stay with their Government provided health care paid for courtesy of us the Tax payers.

4th, all European countries, Canada, in fact ALL developed countries have single payer Universal health care AND none of them would ever consider US style for profit based health care system. WHY? Because of the 3 points listed above. That is IF Government provided health care provides anything but the best health care, then the citizens in the next election will throw that Government out of power, but we cannot do such a thing with the for profit health care, and thus our only choice is to Sue which is another problem with US health care system, that is high malpractice costs.

Now when you state the above FACS as to Universal health care being far better for the Society than for profit health care, lunatic Republicans and out right-wing Media will state these amazing LIES:
1st, People in UK hate their national health care and want US style health care.
2nd, People in Canada hate waiting in line and want US style health care.

Proof of the 1st LIE can be found here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politic…

Proof of the 2nd LIE:
Not long ago, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporations, CBC, asked Canadians to nominate and then vote for The Greatest Canadian in history. More than 1 Million Canadians responded. The winner? Not Wayne Gretzky. Not even Alexander Graham Bell, another finalist.
The greatest Canadian ever?
Tommy Douglas, the father of Canadian universal health care
http://www.cbc.ca/greatest/

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