Thursday, August 20, 2009

Lemming Americans

Yes, people. There are Native Americans, African Americans, Jewish Americans and apparently we can add to our national diversity one more group: Lemming Americans. Those Lemming Americans are the ones that follow the herd. They hear something and they repeat it as loudly as they can, and truth or facts be damned!

It looks like a common sense reform to our health care system is going to be derailed by simple lies repeated often and loudly enough, by so called leaders and opinion makers. Apparently all it takes these days to make sure reform is derailed is someone to whisper conspiratorially "Death Panels". From that point forward the truth goes out the window. The lie gets repeated and magnified. The interested parties smile broadly and stand aside while the imbecile masses fight a battle contrary to their own self interests.

Let me comment on this one more time:

The Moral Argument - it is simply wrong that tens of millions of Americans do not have health insurance. All of us deserve to lead a healthy life and to receive decent treatment if we get sick. For crying out loud, we provide health services to our felons in prison, but not to our hard working poor. If there is injustice in the world, this is a clear example.

The Economic Argument - our system is broken beyond repair. My family of 5 - all completely healthy - WITH health insurance, spent more on health care last year than we spent on anything except for daycare and rent. This is without even counting the $12K or so in insurance premiums paid by my employer. The system is simply hemorrhaging money through waste and bureaucracy. Costs must be controlled or (i) our economy will collapse; or (ii) half of us will be uninsured.

The Fear Factor - the fear mongers would have us believe that government will pull the plug on granny. Complete and utter lie. Hate to break it to you idiots, granny already has socialized medicine. She's on Medicare! Or that government bureaucrats will come between us and our doctors. They don't tell you that right now there is an insurance company coming between you and your doctor, and that your insurance company makes money by denying you care. Why should they care? The fear mongers know that gullible Lemming Americans will buy anything they sell.

Here are some real things to worry about: today if you lose your job, you lose your health care insurance. If your employer decides to stop offering health care, you're out of luck. If you or a family member get seriously sick, your insurance will probably not be sufficient to keep you from financial ruin. If you exceed your lifetime insurance cap, as far as your insurance company cares you can just curl up and die. If you are not afraid, you don't understand the true nature of your predicament.

The Personal Experience Angle - I was born and raised in a country where so-called socialized medicine exists. You know what? If I had the unfortunate choice between getting sick in the US or getting sick in Israel, I would much rather get sick in Israel. The US has the best health care system in the world you say? Bullsh** I say. Base your claims on facts and on reality. Here's one easy comparison - life expectancy. Life expectancy in France, Canada and Israel - all countries with socialized medicine - is higher than in the US. Best health care system in the world my left foot. Lemming Americans.

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10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow- you said everything I want to say. I hear "lemming Americans" argue against healthcare even though it serves their own interests!

Unless you're the CEO of a major pharmaceutical or insurer or the wealthy 1%, you will benefit from a universal system, period.

Anonymous said...

This post is dead on.

Even if one does not agree with the current bill or the need for reforms , can we at least have an intelligent debate ?
It is amazing the amount of lies spread out all over the airwaves. Worse some elected officials are lying and are not being called on ....

The dems need to get in gear and get control of the message. Part of the potency of the opposition message is that it uses emotion and fears (death panel , pull the plug on grandma ....). They need to point out that right now for profit companies are controlling your health. I all for free markets and capitalism but there is thing that can t be for profit ...

disclaimer : I also was raised with a "socialized" health care (France) so I guess that makes me a commie. By the way doctors there make good livings and are not working for the gouvernement :-)

Thanks for the post

Shadox said...

Anonymous I - Can you explain that? I just don't get it.

Anonymous II - you Commie! Have you noticed how Americans tend to automatically assume that everything in this country is the best in the world, without even checking the facts? Questioning that assumptions is considered un-patriotic in some circles. I guess it's yet another one of those things I don't get.

Anonymous said...

yes , I have been here for 10 years+ and I used to literally scream at the TV when people would say such thing - now I just don t watch TV anymore ;-)

Anonymous II

iamfromdaguvment& said...

Your right . . . uh, but what about those "death panels" . . . and my taxes . . . o, i forgot, Obama "guarantees" it will be better, okay, sign me up, i am gonna quit working and signup for Obamacare and SEIU and Acorn . . . get my bailout . . . let you pay for my subsistence . . . it's all good . . . vote, we don't need no stinkin' vote, we'll ram it through . . . who cares, raise taxes, spread the wealth . . .

Shadox said...

Ahhh. Well informed and rational argument. That's what I love.

You're right. Health care needs no reform. Our system is perfect. Hooray for America, the MOST perfect place on earth that requires absolutely no improvement (see my flag pin and loud singing of the Star & Stripes while eating a corn-dog and driving a monster truck?) Yay, patriotism.

imfromguvmntnhere2help said...

As long as Obamacare=VA care, i guess we are all "A-OK": http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090821/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_veterans_bonuses

As vets await checks, VA workers get $24M bonuses

Yay, government to the RESCUE . . .

Shadox said...

Dude, really?! All it takes is for you to show one case of corruption or mis-use in a government program to prove your case? Do you want to compete in 1 for 1 examples of abuse, fraud and waste in the private sector?

I am all in favor of capitalism and free markets. In fact, this blog is mostly about those topics. However, clearly the health care system in this country is completely and utterly broken.

You want to propose a different type of reform? Let's discuss it, rationally and using facts. Throwing around slogans and and catch phrases is useless.

What do you propose for the tens of millions of Americans who have no health insurance, many of them working full time, many of them with pre-existing conditions? Do you have an actual rational and workable solution or does saying "Obamacare" and "Socialism" while waving a flag solve those problems?

I am all for debate, discussion and votes. I am against misinformation, dogmatic idiocy and blind rejection of reality.

noreformneeded said...

Do you want to compete in 1 for 1 examples of abuse, fraud and waste in the private sector?

With public waste, public tax dollars are wasted (ie. mine, yours, anyone who actually pays taxes). With private sector dollars, stockholders choose board members who waste stockholder dollars - stockholders can sell stock, but I can't change citizenship near as easily or conveniently.

I am all in favor of capitalism and free markets. In fact, this blog is mostly about those topics. However, clearly the health care system in this country is completely and utterly broken.

Nope, not broken. Maybe some don't like the current system, but I am willing to live with what I have and except for relatively few disagreements with co-pays, I feel my family is better off with our current health insurance and health care, rather than risking what the "powers that be" may come up with next. A bird in the hand and all that.

You want to propose a different type of reform? Let's discuss it, rationally and using facts. Throwing around slogans and and catch phrases is useless.

I am happy with the current way my health insurance and health care is currently handled - no need for reform from the way I see things.

What do you propose for the tens of millions of Americans who have no health insurance, many of them working full time, many of them with pre-existing conditions? Do you have an actual rational and workable solution or does saying "Obamacare" and "Socialism" while waving a flag solve those problems?

I propose they use what resources are available to them medicare, medicaid, local ER, political influence, cash, credit cards, jobs, etc. I have been fortunate in my circumstances by most measures, others have not. I am not here to judge, just to vocalize what I perceive that any "reform" may decrease my personal income (via higher taxes) while lessening the health care received for my family.

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