--- In [email protected], Bhairitu <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > shempmcgurk wrote: > > --- In [email protected], Bhairitu <noozguru@> wrote:
[snip] > >> > > > > > > > > ....seeing as I'm one of the very few on this forum who grew up under > > a socialized health care system (and now living under a semi- > > socialized system here in the States) I'm probably in a better > > position than most to comment upon it. > > > > But all I will say is this: the solution to the health-care crisis is > > NOT more government interference in the field, but less. We do NOT > > have a free-market in health care in this country. It is a regulated > > monopoly controlled by the American Medical Association, as dictated > > by federal law. Let's have a real, true free market in health care > > in which the AMA does NOT control admissions to medical school (and > > thus control the supply of doctors) and in which alternative > > medicines are on par with western medicine. > > > The AMA is not a government agency. Sorry, I didn't mean to imply that they were. But it is true, I believe, that much of their mandate IS as a result of federal law. > They lobby government a lot > though. So do the HMOs, health insurance companies and the > pharmaceutical companies. CMA is also a pain in the butt in California > as they don't like preventative and alternative medicine so they are > anti things like Ayurveda. The profit motive IS at the root of a lot > of these problems. I disagree. It is the absense of MORE of the profit motive that is at the root of the problem. We need MORE suppliers and providers competing OUTSIDE the orbit of government control and dictate so that consumers have more choice at better prices. > We need a medical system where doctors get rewarded "get rewarded" in my neighborhood is just a politically correct way of saying "profit". > for keeping patients healthy rather than when they get sick. > >> BTW, Bill Gates is now the second wealthiest person in the world > >> > > being > > > >> replaced by Mr. Slim the Mexican telecom tycoon. > >> > > > > > > > > > > Two observations on this: > > > > 1) The person most happy about Mr. Slim surpassing Mr. Gates as the > > richest man is the world is...Bill Gates! When Gates appeared on > > MSNBC's "The Big Idea" host Danny Deutsch asked Gates about his > > designation as the world's richest and without hesitation Gates > > responded that there was absolutely no good has ever come out of it > > for him, only bother. So I assume handing over the mantle to someone > > else is a matter of relief for him! > > > I've always observed that Gates seemed to be quite detached from his > wealth situation. With wealth comes responsibility and a lot of people > don't think it is worth it. > > 2) Aside from the fact that you gotta LOVE anyone with the > > name "Slim", I remember an item in the news a few months ago in which > > Mr. Slim was asked what he thought about Gates' and Buffet's > > incredible philanthropy (Gates has given about $20 billion of his > > fortune to charity and Buffet about $40 billion). Slim's response? > > He wasn't too impressed. He said something to the effect that if > > Gates and Buffet really wanted to help the world and the poor that > > they shouldn't give their money to charity but invest it all in other > > business ventures and become even richer. > > > > This is a man after my own heart! Slim does justice to the monologue > > of the character Arthur Jensen played by Ned Beatty in the > > movie "Network" in which he says: > > > > "It is the international system of currency which determines the > > vitality of life on this planet. THAT is the natural order of things > > today. THAT is the atomic and subatomic and galactic structure of > > things today. And YOU have meddled with the primal forces of nature. > > And YOU WILL ATONE. Am I getting through to you, Mr. Beale? You get > > up on your little 21-inch screen and howl about America, and > > democracy. There is no America; there is no democracy. There is only > > IBM, and ITT, and AT&T, and DuPont, Dow, Union Carbide, and Exxon. > > Those are the nations of the world today." > > > > "You have meddled with the primal forces of nature, Mr. Beale, and I > > won't have it. Is that clear? You think you've merely stopped a > > business deal? That is not the case. The Arabs have taken billions of > > dollars out of this country, and now they must put it back. It is ebb > > and flow, tidal gravity. It is ecological balance. You are an old man > > who thinks in terms of nations and peoples. There are no nations; > > there are no peoples. There are no Russians. There are no Arabs. > > There are no third worlds. There is no West. There is only one > > holistic system of systems; one vast, interwoven, interacting, > > multivaried, multinational dominion of dollars." > > > > "The world is a business, Mr. Beale; it has been since man crawled > > out of the slime. Our children will live, Mr. Beale, to see that > > perfect world in which there's no war or famine, oppression or > > brutality - one vast and ecumenical holding company, for whom all men > > will work to serve a common profit, in which all men will hold a > > share of stock - all necessities provided, all anxieties > > tranquilized, all boredom amused. And I have chosen you, Mr. Beale, > > to preach this evangel." > > > Of course the point of the movie, which you missed, was how corrupt this > way of thinking is. Oh, I didn't miss the point at all; I just disagree with it. Doesn't mean I don't think that Paddy Chayevsky isn't a great scriptwriter and it doesn't mean that I can't use and enjoy quotes from the movie. > Last I looked this was a list of people interested > in spirituality not materiality. If anything this points out why the > Vaishya caste should not rule. >
