Friday Poll

You thought it was gone forever, didn't you?

Well, so did I for a while, there.

I've been watching with increasing alarm the debates over revamping the health care sytem that are ocurring in the House and Senate. At first I was confident, because the dude in charge in the House is Henry Waxman, a kick-ass guy if there ever was one, and one of the few politicians I actually trust. He comes from the LA area, and has always been as honest as a politician can possibly be expected to be.

But then came the Republicans and the Blue Dogs and all the other jerks who are looking to screw over people in favor of the wealthy and powerful health insurance lobby. And listen, anyone who doesn't think the government should have a part in healthcare should renounce their right to Medicare THIS VERY SECOND. And yes, old people who are croaking about "socialism," I'm talking to YOU.

Argh. It raises my stress level, it does.

Do you think there should be a public option in the new health care bill?

PS I now realize the build-up to that question was a bit loaded. Er, I promise not to bite your head off if you disagree. Only maybe your nose.

Comments

Anvilcloud said…
Every other country seems to do fine with the government being involved somehow. Surely it can work there too.
10:47 AM
Nance said…
Gina--You're preaching to the choir here. This issue is the one over which I worry about Pres. Obama's natural proclivity toward making nice and over-compromising. REMEMBER YOUR CAMPAIGN PLATFORM, BARACK, AND STICK TO YOUR GUNS!
4:07 PM
Heidi said…
I really believe that all medical care and medicine should be free (well in our taxes) to everyone. But I am a bleeding heart liberal.
9:26 PM
Ortizzle said…
I lived in a 'nasty socialist country' for 25 years. It provided me with worry-free universal health care, and I didn't pay any more taxes than I pay here. Less, in fact. I couldn't believe the complicated, messy, nightmarish situation that existed in the U.S. when I returned.

To anybody with any doubts, just check out the movie 'Sicko.' It's true. And I've lived it on both sides of the fence. Very few of the people bitching about it can say that.

The problem with any reform in health care is that it is crippled by insurance companies who have been sucking the lifeblood, literally, out of the population for decades, and the fact that opinions are so strong on this that anything that is going to get everyone's vote is probably going to have a million patches all over it. Let's hope they can come up with something that works. In the meantime, no one should lose sight of the fact that in a country where a free education is considered a birthright, why on earth is health not a birthright, too? And why is it so scary that the government should run it? The private sector certainly doesn't have a very good track record.
11:45 PM
Patois42 said…
Well, okay, if it's only the nose...

Actually, I agree with you. Absolutely.
8:30 AM
dr sardonicus said…
If a public option is the best we can do, than so be it. I'd rather put everyone on Medicare and restrict private insurance to supplements.
7:20 PM
dgm said…
That would be "no" for me.

Back off my nose!
12:18 PM
J said…
I'm all for it, but I think equal stress needs to be put on lowering the cost.
3:55 PM
GIANTS FAN said…
This is a great blog you have here. I have a humor blog myself and I would like to exchange links with you. You can contact me either through email or simply by a comment on my site. It's a win-win situation for both of us. Let me know if this is possible. Jason

http://www.hilariousheadlines.com/talk
10:03 AM
Bammy said…
The key word is OPTION... people dont have to have it if they dont want it.. Personally.. the homeless here in fort worth have better health care than a lot of people I know..
9:04 PM
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