Ted Rall for March 12, 2010

Nice one, Ted.

We want action, not pretty words.

If anyone thinks they want government run heath care, ask someone that has it now & see how they like it. Check with those on Medical Assistance, Medicare, VA benefits etc. You will have a real eye opener. I have a disabled daughter on chemo (Medicare) and they deny every other thing the Dr prescribes. Right now they are fighting about paying for the nausea meds that she MUST take.

Actually, state-run healthcare in Massachusetts and Maine are pretty “patient-friendly,” avarner. Now, the fact that Maine is completely bankrupt and Mass is headed down that road really should be ignored, but there ya go.

I had no problem with Medicare till Cheny/Bush let private Insurance run it

Even Govt run health care would be so much better than the nothing I have now. Just because you got yours, doesn’t mean there aren’t people that need a little, too.

I mean, I have no problem being a drag on the system by going to an Emergency Room and then skipping on the bill, but there is a way that we all get something useful out of the system.

so clever of O to quote Hillel without giving him credit.

Why is there a parking meter at a bus stop?

Threats against President Obama have increased 400% from where they were at with President Bush, according to the Secret Service.

Of course he’s not going to be outside.

Human: When has ANY president been outside in the world in the past 50 years? (Secret Service hates that sort of thing.) And take Cheney for example (to bring a little vice into the picture), when was he outside his bunker?

You mean beside JFK and Ronald Reagan?

Cheney was outside when he shot that guy in the face.

Ha!!! Right on, when does he leave the safe incubation of the White House, really?

Well it will put private ins. out of buisiness by making them take prexisting conditions . Afterall why wouldnt you just pay the fine and then when you get realy sick buy a months worth of ins.after all they cant refuse you? Just like you can get in a car accident and then buy insurance for that accident right? Or your house can catch on fire and while the firedepartment is putting it out you can buy fire ins. RIGHT? Makes perfect sense to me.

“Well it will put private ins. out of buisiness by making them take prexisting conditions . ”

Awwww, the poor dears! Like they can’t deny everything that may cost them money? How will they ever make ends meet?

Seriously, you’d think many people might have noticed that the term ” pre-existing condition” has been… misused as of late.

I got knifed in the back and it turns out it was a pre-existing condition.*

I didn’t really get knifed in the back

Health stuff :))

If you really think health insurance doesn’t need a fix you’ve not had to use it. My supplementel ins is up $50 this month, the wife’s up $75 all on my fixed income…ins. co’s are crooks

‘What is in the bill that makes it so useful Adam?’

Nothing so much, right now. It could have been useful if all the pantswetters weren’t so afraid of the word ‘socialism’ (which doesn’t even apply to ANY of the reforms originally brought up).

rall and ed - (and the rest of you cheerleaders) is there no end to your making up stuff to criticise obama about

he’s been at the very least as visible as other presidents - and being black hasn’t made it any safer - i’ve worried that he was taking extra risks

I think the term “single-payer” is confusing to many people. “National” is easier to understand. I don’t see anybody complaining about National Parks, National Guard, or National Weather Service. Why then does National Health cause such consternation?

Single-payer was lost long ago. It’s a non-issue now. There are various ways to have a national health insurance system, and single-payer isn’t the only way to go. Anyone who thinks that it’s still on the table hasn’t been paying attention.

Sooner or later, maybe in the 24th century (Star Trek era), the world will have come to its senses about such things. But for now I’ll take what I can get and not be too picky about the details. Remember that for most of history, 100% of people were uninsured.

^ I agree – the bill that finally passes won’t be what I was looking for, but I hope and believe it will be better than nothing. Once it’s in place we can hope that it will be improved on.

It’s gotta be pretty good, or the Republicans wouldn’t be so desperate to defeat it.

Geez, I thought it was Palin.

To Avarner and others critical of single payer or government option in health care reforms….me and the vast, vast majority of Canadians would not want to give up our government sponsored, single payer health care system.

I have much hands-on experience - three kids born in the system, wife with breast cancer, myself with colon cancer, and various other stuff. Despite what the propagandists will tell you, treatment is timely (triaged granted), state-of-the-arts, effective, and reasonably priced. Our cost on a per capita basis is about 50% less than U.S., covers all citizens, infant mortality is less, and our life expectancy is higher. When we get sick we do not have to even think about cost, it has been paid for through taxes. Our main concern is selecting the most effective treatment in consultation with our doctor.

I find it amazing how many Americans defend a system that is expensive, inefficient, loaded in favour of the rich, does not cover all citizens, allows 45,000 to die annually who lack coverage, and is rated lower in overall effectiveness than most other developed countries.

^ that’s a pithy comment. I say Obama should hire you for his Health Care Reform press secretary.

Really, now. Who’s smartazz-insulting whom?

Actually, it won’t put the private ins. out of business, there’s little or no protections in the bill for capping private insurer costs.

@edmondd - “Don’t argue the facts, just write the whole statement off with a catch phrase.” Sounds like you work for the Republicans.

Ok folks you lost me.

pith·y    /ˈpɪθi/ Show Spelled[pith-ee] Show IPA –adjective,pith·i·er, pith·i·est. 1. brief, forceful, and meaningful in expression; full of vigor, substance, or meaning; terse; forcible: a pithy observation.

I actually liked Canbag’s comment. I wasn’t being sarcastic.

And that’s exactly how I took it, too.

One could draw the same conclusion about any of our own lives, seen through the eyes of either a tragedian or a comedian (makes little difference). Perhaps that explains why there are those who can love both Bush and Obama with equal unflinching certitude. And those, like Ted, who distrust both of them implicitly. Can a world made up entirely of skeptics ever actually get anything done, though?

^ I don’t know Sirrom, I highly doubt it.

Now I’m just being obnoxious.

And funny!