Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Health Care Deniers

What punishment would be suitable for health care deniers? Telling, or stupidly repeating, outright lies like: we can't afford it! our health care is the best in the world! it's terrible in Canada! you can die waiting to see a doctor in Europe! it's a trick to raise your taxes!

I read a nice piece today made up of stories told by Americans who had accidents or got sick while traveling around or living abroad. Great stories, told in reverential and slightly incredulous tones, about caring, efficient, competent, and rapid care, with no cost or a cost so low that it sounds like a punchline. As in . . . six dollars!

There was some back and forth in the comments. One guy posted some numbers, it was a shame but his gig name cut into his credibility a little bit:

Phreaked I'm a Fan of Phreaked I'm a fan of this user permalink

For all the people who say that the health systems of other countries are bad or worse than the US here is some numbers to for you to ponder
Cost per capitaUS - $6714UK - $2760CAN - $3678
Cost as % of GDPUS - 15.3UK - 8.4CAN - 10%
of gov revenue spent on healthUS - 18.5UK - 15.8CAN - 16.7%
of health costs paid by govUS - 46%UK - 87%CAN - 70%
Life Expectancy US - 77.8UK - 79.1CAN - 80.4
Infant mortalityUS - 6.9UK - 5.0CAN - 5.4

Best health care system in the world, my ass.

Among the wreckers, a favorite with a common theme:

ProudNeoCon I'm a Fan of ProudNeoCon I'm a fan of this user permalink

How will we pay for this "great universal health care"?"The bill includes tax surcharges on Americans in the top 1.2 percent of income. It proposes a 5.4 percent surtax on couples earning more than $1 million, a 1.5 percent surtax on couples with income between $500,000 and $1 million, and a 1 percent surtax on joint incomes over $350,000 or individual income over $280,000."http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/07/14/house.health.care/index.htmlSo at the end of the day I will pay for it and all of you will pat each other on the back...

Oh, shit! We may have to delay the comprehensive service on the Ferrari! These are the same sociopaths who proclaim, why should I pay taxes for schools? I don't even have children! The answer is simple: because you have the money M.F., and because it's the right thing to do, and because whether you like it or not, this is your country, and we're all in this together.

Well, aren't we?

I have in mind a suitable punishment for these cruel, selfish bastards, but I'll keep it to myself, because, after all, officialdom might be listening in, and besides, I have devoted a lot of effort to tricking people into thinking that I am a mild mannered man, and I don't want to spoil it.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

. . . but your punitive fantasies are the best!

fred c said...

Would it be cruel and/or unusual enough to take them out to the woods, tie them to trees with piano wire, and leave them for the animals?

Justifiable in many cases, I'm sure, but not an appropriate response from a love-based humanist like me.

fred c said...

Really? Someone enjoys my punitive fantasies? Actually, I'm not totally surprised, they are quite colorful (and included here for demonstrative purposes only, don't try this at home kids!).

Perhaps you should re-enjoy "My Teeth Are Hungry." Word search it, and the post comes up.

That was a transient storm of murderous rage inspired by last year's presidential election.