On 17 Apr 2008, at 20:05, Stuart Jansen wrote:
Our health care system puts a significant and growing strain on small
business. It increases employee lock-in. It abuses the poor and
financially vulnerable. It engenders an attitude of entitlement in
those
that can afford insurance. It does little to value preventative care.
Of course, not all blame can be heaped on the health care system
directly. A significant part of the blame should also go to our legal
system. Something is wrong when doctors stop practicing because
liability insurance is too expensive. Something is wrong when lawyers
force insurance companies to provide millions of dollars on
extraordinary care for a single patient at the expense of every other
person paying into the system.
It may strike you as inhuman to calculate the value of an eye compared
to a limb, but its an economic reality. I'd argue its more inhuman to
deny health care to the most defenseless in our population while
lining
the pockets of CEOs with the money of those who can afford health
care.
Of course, I've strayed pretty far from the original topic, so let me
reiterate the thrust of my original response in a single sentence:
Privatization is not always better.
I think most of the blame for all our problems should be heaped upon
"we the people". "We" have the power to change what private companies
and organizations do. "We" have the power to change what the
government does. I think the problem lies in individual ignorance and
indifference. Ignorance to the fact that we are powerful enough to
make changes happen. Indifference to taking the effort to make those
changes. I think the greatest weapon we could arm ourselves with is
the weapon of the knowledge that we as a collective whole can effect
whatever changes we want. But that means we actually have to know
what is going on and care enough to do what it takes. That is why I
am glad to have access to so many people (on this list) that actually
know at least some of what is going on and care to do something about
it. Cheers to knowledge and motivation to do good.
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