The health car debate has been kidnapped by the GOP fear-mongers. Rumors of death clinics and communism have ignited widespread paranoia. People are scared that our system will become like Canada, the UK or even worse France. One senator claimed that if the famed astro-physicist Stephen Hawking had been treated in England that he would be dead now. Stephen Hawking responded from his wheelchair that he owed his life to the UK's National Health. This statement escaped the media and Alaska's ex-governor Sarah Palin ratcheted up the temperature with her comments on death panels after misinterpreting the health bill's inclusion of end-of-life counselors to aid the nearly dearly departed make choices on living wills and treatment et al.
President Obama has entered the fray. His visits to various cities have been met with protests by the far-right who are fighting against the collapse the insurance industry's 13% profit margin and the drug companies' monopoly of meds. The president could have responded to the harsh criticism in kind. Instead he mentioned his grandmother's demise the day before the 2008 election.
"Health care is really hard. This is not easy. I'm a reasonably dedicated student to this issue. I've got a lot of really smart people around me who've been working on this for months now. There is no perfect painless silver bullet out there that solves every problem, gives everybody health care for free. There isn't. I wish there was."
Perhaps there is no silver bullet. Perhaps seeking universal health care is a waste of time. Perhaps too many people like things the way they are, but I doubt it. Even Glenn Beck of Fox News ranted against the treatment he received after a hemorrhoid operation and he has coverage.
"The system is geared to getting you out of the hospital as fast as possible."
My health care plan is not to get sick.
Or at least not in the USA.
Not until people are willing to choose between waging wars around the world or getting proper treatment at a hospital for nothing.
I know which way my vote goes.
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