Sick and Wrong: how Washington is screwing up healthcare reform

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 9/5/09 at 2:07pm

I've been waiting a couple of weeks for this to appear online so I could link it. Sure, Taibbi lays on his straight dude jock talk a little thick in a couple of places, but I found this article invaluable. And infuriating.
... and why it may take a revolt to fix it.

[sabrelady]

Posted: 9/5/09 at 9:05pm

Really well written, and informational.
The comment about Obama acting "like he's still running for President" rang especially true. It's like Mr. Obama feels the deficit/bailout will so taint his first term that he's deliberately "playing nice" so he can get a 2nd term and then REEELLY REEEFOOORMM! (fer shure this time!)

[Q]

Posted: 9/5/09 at 9:41pm

Republicrats.

I simply can't watch anymore.

[HellsBells2]

Posted: 9/5/09 at 10:44pm

All I know, is that there needs to be a change - as my daughter just had an out-patient test and it has cost me over $500.00 and I DO have insurance!!!!!

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 9/6/09 at 12:06am

See? The system's FINE as it is!

[jennafan]

Posted: 9/6/09 at 1:03am

I will never forget,

In 2001 I was sick, had my appendix out, and had really good insurance. I had to pay my deductable & a $$$ for perscriptions.

That SAME year my mom knew a woman who got really sick too, she had no insurance, but was on welfare (ugh) and she got her whole bill paid for.

I was just disgusted that I had to pay this bill (the deductable) and because this other woman was on welfare she didn't have to pay a dime?

Updated On: 9/6/09 at 01:03 AM

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 9/6/09 at 1:14am

Think of the government cheese she got, too, while you has to pay for kraft American slices! Poor people have the life!

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 9/6/09 at 1:17am

And have you ever seen the BMWs outside the projects? Such lucky ducks.

[jennafan]

Posted: 9/6/09 at 2:14am

Phyllis, government cheese? WTF are you talking about? These people buy the same stuff as me, exept they use food stamps.

FindingNamo, there's nobody in my area with a BMW outside. There are more probably in the projects. Stolen!
HA

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 9/6/09 at 2:35am

Who are "these people"? And why does your mom
hang out with people on welfare (ugh)?


Updated On: 9/6/09 at 02:35 AM

[CAX]

Posted: 9/6/09 at 8:48am

Sounds like a conveniently "overheard" tale to me. Hearsay can be the source of so much ignorance.

Hands down, having insurance ensures that you have ACCESS to quality healthcare that someone on Welfare more than likely will never have access to. As a matter of fact, most of the doctor's offices and dentists I've visited in the last few years while in grad school made made it OVERTLY clear INSURANCE POLICY HOLDERS were the only people they were interested in treating.

[Bluemoon]

Posted: 9/6/09 at 9:45am

jennafan - I'm interested in what you think a "fair" deal would have been in the situation you desribe. Should the woman on welfare have been given no medical attention because she's poor? Restricted medical care? Third rate,ineffective here-we-have-a-leftover-bandaid care? She's a human being with real needs - she was very sick. What would have been your solution for her?

[best12bars]

Posted: 9/6/09 at 10:02am

"If they're going to die, they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population."

Ebeneezer Scrooge

[clever name]

Posted: 9/6/09 at 11:34am

Nothing will get better. Nothing will change. Healthcare is a privilege for the wealthy. The End.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 9/6/09 at 11:56am

The good news for jenna if this watered down excuse for reform goes through, more people will die long before they ever decide their situation is bad enough to go to the emergency room.

[YouWantitWhen????]

Posted: 9/6/09 at 11:59am

I like Taibbi, but sometimes his arrogance gets the best of him.

I am waiting for someone to make the argument that political donations by lobbyists, i.e., those with a commercial interest in legislation pending, do not qualify as protected political speech, but commercial speech, which in fact have lest first amendment protections. I am sure someone has made this argument, but I have not seen it yet.

If somehow political donations from established lobbying groups are considered commercial speech (which, in truth, I think they are because they are being made for a specific financial gain, rather than for merely advocating a point of view), then there could be more restrictions on them.

I doubt that anyone would have the balls to argue this, but it would be interesting to see what happens.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 9/6/09 at 12:06pm

I remember the first time Obama ran for president, back before he won the election, he made all sorts of noise about those evil lobbyists. And now, like W before him, they're writing the bills! FABULOUS!

[YouWantitWhen????]

Posted: 9/6/09 at 12:11pm

I know. I am hoping against hope that he does an "enough" speech and changes the tone in his address on Wednesday. What I really don't understand is why the devout Christians even care about getting quality health care. They are dying and going to heaven. You would think they would not mind accelerating the pace a wee bit. (Only a little tongue in cheek).

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 9/6/09 at 12:21pm

You know what?

If they had deposited the Billions of dollars they blew in the Federal Bailout in a good bank, the interest would have paid for Universal Healthcare...

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 9/6/09 at 12:25pm

That was what many people said at the time. When W was pushing the bailout.

YWIW maybe that's why so many of the Christian right keep going on about the evils of healthcare reform (even though these drafts of the legislation should be exactly what the Republicans want, corporations getting richer, profits going up, collateral damage in the form of human lives but there's plenty more where they came from); perhaps they don't WANT to live healthy, and therefore lengthier, lives.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 9/6/09 at 12:27pm

Can't we just leave out the religious wack jobs? Most of them don't want healthcare anyways.

"Just leave it up to God"

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 9/6/09 at 1:06pm

Unfortunately their not wanting healthcare extends to not wanting others to have healthcare either, thanks to the Glenn Becks and the pandering members of Congress out there. They could have been left out at the very beginning but it's too late now.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 9/6/09 at 1:10pm

This, and people rioting against Obamas speech to school kids tomorrow makes me ill.

[YouWantitWhen????]

Posted: 9/6/09 at 1:14pm

I honestly do not understand the economic competitiveness argument for healthcare reform. I know many people who are in jobs they hate, or will not venture out on their own, because they or their spouse (or children) need healthcare.

You would think a true capitalist would want a free market where new ideas can exploited and talent rewarded. Instead, they are pushing to keep people in jobs that do not exploit potential.

Because, the dirty little secret is that big business does not want a free market, or the free exchange/movement of capital, as that might threaten market share. Corporatism is the new capitalism.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 9/6/09 at 1:25pm

^^^^

Spot on!