It seems that while I was away, the constitutionally elected government of The United States passed a bill to introduce universal health care to its citizens. My own impression is that while this bill is far from perfect, it's a huge step. At the very least people should soon stop it with the negative comparisons to Cuba, etc. already...
Welcome to the 20th... er, 21st Century, America! Surely the End Times are near!
Haven't you heard? It's all unconstitutional. Several states are already taking it to court to prove its unconstitutionality, even Louisiana which made out like a bandit with the funding made available to us under this bill. We don't have Cancer Alley for nothing, you know.
ReplyDeleteAs a matter of fact, I was in my watering hole just Monday where I had to listen to a transplanted Texan spout off about the Canadians who develop cancer and have to run down to us in the US from across the border to get help rather than wait 18 months for a doctor to see them!
I get so mad at these people who ultimately believe it's better that the poor and disenfranchised simply die than that this country serve its constitutional mandate to serve, in turn, its citizens.
Glenn,
ReplyDeleteLong story short: Sure, the Canadian system has its problems--maybe most notably in the waiting lists for elective (non-life-threatening) surgery. My mother had to wait an awful long time for a hip replacement. But her life was never in danger! This is a problem having to do with allocation of resources and a general lack of qualified staff in more rural areas.
There's no question that anyone *with the money* can get whatever treatment they need anywhere, anytime. It boils down to what you think a health care system is. The wingnuts will tell you about the waiting lists for heart transplants, or the lack of a helicopter to fetch an injured (rich) person from the side of a ski mountain, or no MRI machines in a town of 1,000 people.
Fuck them and their dreams of buying immortality. I don't give a shit if Rush Limbaugh ever has a hard on again if it means some kid somewhere can get his/her asthma medicine.
I'd better stop...