The most recent NY Times/CBS News Poll shows that 72% of Americans support a public health plan. Yet Congressional Democrats claim they'll have to "go it alone" to pursue legislation to fix our broken health care system. Why? Because the AMA and insurance companies throw money. Lots of money. And as long as they are allowed to do so, we will not see significant health care reform.
In 2000, the World Health Organization ranked the world's health systems. America was number 37. Who was ahead of us? France topped the list. The UK and Canada, systems often thrown about to scare us ranked higher than ours. We spend more money on health care than any other nation, yet there are approximately 30% of our population without any kind of insurance. As the economic crisis lingers, those numbers may reach as high as 40%
But hey, why should your Congresscritter worry about whether or not you have health insurance or if you're under insured? It's not like you're going to send him money to vote for health care reform. Certainly not in the amounts that the lobbyists for the other side are capable of tossing around.
It's all bullshit. We the People are no longer represented by our government. We turned over that privilege years ago to the deep pockets of corporations and lobbying groups. Reasserting our voice will be long and difficult.
How can we do it? Write emails and letters. Make phone calls. Send telegrams. Be heard. If enough of us do it, I have to believe that change will happen.
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4 comments:
We're from Canada and we wonder why the lobbyists get to dictate the agenda on this subject. Good luck to all in keeping this one alive. Clinton failed but I hope that Obama can keep it happening.
Thanks for posting about this...I've been feeling the support this week from all of you out there in bloggerland as I continue to do the same, and feeling frustrated that our congress people don't get it! As you say, the money speaks louder than our words, but we need to let them know they won't get our votes next time if they don't get on with REAL reform...we don't need token reform!!!!!!!!!
In case you weren't paying attention, this is a Corporatocracy that we're living in. The politicians don't give a damn about any of us. They are beholden to the pharmaceutical companies, and the oil companies, and retail giants like Wal-Mart, and these corporations decide who they want elected and then throw money at them. As my father used to say, money talks and bullshit walks. And in this case, it's all about the money. If you don't sell out, you don't get elected.
A long time ago, people used to go into medicine to save people's lives, to improve the world. Now quite a few people go into medicine to make shit loads of money. So they can go to France on the weekends and drive Mercedes and live in million dollar mansions. I'm not saying doctors shouldn't be paid well, as they're important and it requires a lot of schooling to do, but do they really need to be paid so much? And maybe if everyone wasn't so damned litigious in this country. Health care is, in part, expensive because people want to sue over every little thing. Doctors have to pay a ton of money in malpractice insurance. When I was in France, I went to historic sites where there were no hand rails, and realized that would never be allowed in the States, because someone would fall and sue, because everyone here is so sue-happy.
@AWQM- Yes, indeed, corporations have far, far too much power and money. Check out my Exxon rants to see how I feel about companies that make obscene amounts of money. People want a piece of that money, that corporate greed that they see day in and day out. So they sue, thinking that the corporations have deep pockets and won't miss it. ANd so the corporations and insurance companies raise their rates and we end up paying for it. We are indeed sue-happy. Just read the warning label on your McDonald's or Starbucks coffee cup.
@Chris- I am not now nor have I ever been a fan of health insurance companies. They have a dollar value for every human being on their rolls. It's disgusting and needs to change.
@Joanna- Thanks for stopping by. I'd love to rid Washington of the lobbyists. They have way too much power. And on a personal note, I'd love be in Canada on a day like today when it hit 101 (38).
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