Comments on: Hearts, Minds and Health Care (Guest Voice)

By: ProfElwood

ProfElwood — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 03:41:38 +0000

Oddly enough, I'd prefer nationalized or dual-layer over the government protected monopolies (in the AMA and health insurance companies) that we have now or government run (single payer) insurance. It's a really bad idea to guarantee government income to private interests.

By: JSpencer

JSpencer — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:56:10 +0000

Actually “real reform” would be a single payer system, but most Americans will probably accept (thanks to dumbing down and backbone shortages) whatever crumbs fall thier way.

By: DLS

DLS — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:57:28 +0000

“genuine incremental HCR and cost a lot less”

I suspect the GOP will continue to be sidelined (especially in the House) and we will have to settle for (real Hope for) relative sanity among Senate Dems in this light. (Real reform has never included nor needed the “public option,” which is incremental federal takeover, instead; real reform need not include vast new spending and taxes, openly stated or cynically concealed.)

By: DLS

DLS — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:54:56 +0000

That is, Feeling Good as the liberal objective once again.

Overuse and misuse of "democracy" and the retreaded Europe-aping parroting by Dionne also are predictable, and unimpressive, as are other emotional drivel-concepts and viewing of Washington as a surrogate parent who is supposed to Nurture Us, et cetera. [gag]

The House monstrosity legislation is proceeding, and now we have to wait to see what the Senate agrees on prior to conference. Hopefully the Senate will be saner, even if Dionne and similar people aren't.

By: JSpencer

JSpencer — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:48:55 +0000

"Will the United States join all the other wealthy democracies in providing nearly everyone with health insurance? Or will we kick away the opportunity?" ~ EJD

Well, there seem to be plenty of folks who want to do the kicking away part, among R's and D's. How do we define "opportunity"? Is it something intended to help the increasing numbers of struggling Main St. Americans? If not, then we are talking about a very cynical interpretation of the word, "opportunity". We'll see how healthy our representative democracy is by who Washington shows it cares about.

By: dduck12

dduck12 — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:12:50 +0000

Although, a little late in the debate, the Reps will be submitting a health bill, and Pelosi said it would be looked at (no snickers you right wingers). This HCR-Lite does have some tort reform, so it may be toxic even if the rest makes sense fiscally. They admit it won't be as sweeping as the Dems bill(s), but maybe it could be a bridge of sorts to some genuine incremental HCR and cost a lot less.

By: Silhouette

Silhouette — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:08:11 +0000

Hey, that's like our 4-H foundation!

From Iowa State University:http://www.extension.iastate.edu/4H/Hhhh.html

The Four H's
It wasn't until 1907 when Jessie Field Shambaugh, from Page county, and superintendent of Wright County Schools, O.H. Benson, started using a three leaf clover for the identity of boys and girls clubs. The 3 H's were for

Head (was trained to think plan and reason);
Heart (to be kind true and sympathetic); and
Hands (to be useful, helpful, and skillful).
In 1911, when O.H. Benson worked in Washington D.C., the idea of the four-leaf clover came into play. He suggested the fourth "H" to stand for

Health (to resist disease, enjoy life, and make for efficiency).
Those are the four H's on the four-leaf clover.
***********
Let's "think, plan and reason" be "kind, true and sympathetic", be "useful, helpful, skillful" by enacting a Public Option "to resist disease, enjoy life, and make for efficiency" in our nation.

If it's good enough for the livestock, it's good enough for humans?