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Let's Talk About What Matters

August 19, 2009 10:17 PM

he biggest topic of discussion on the national stage recently seems to be this whole health-care thing. I say it that way because it seems that very little of the discussion has anything to do with actually making sure that more people get health coverage. I mean, there's all this nonsense about "death panels," and then everyone trips all over themselves to point out that no one's proposing death panels. Then some other people get all worked up about how having the government run the entirety of health care is ridiculous overreaching--more needless government growth. Then, just as some people are trying to point out that Obama's public-option proposal wouldn't eliminate private insurance and that, really, the government runs a hell of a lot of health-care-related programs already, some idiot Congressman starts talking about how he'll only vote for a health-reform bill that moves us to a single-payer system. Nevermind that the competition spurred by the free market is what allows America to constantly be at the forefront of medical technology, even if we're not at the forefront of the widespread dissemination of new treatment.

And what in the fuck is going on with all of these protesters? What did someone hope to achieve by showing up at Barney Frank's town-hall meeting with a picture of Obama with a Hitler mustache? That isn't germane to the conversation. It doesn't make an intelligible point. It's just a cheap ploy. I can understand that people don't want to pay more taxes--that makes sense to me. But what I don't understand is where all the paranoia and distrust comes from. I don't understand why people are spreading those kinds of rumors, and I don't understand why people are believing them.

At the same time, I wish that these single-payer proponents would shut up and go away. They aren't going to win, and all they're doing by refusing to compromise is muddying up the debate and giving the other side ammunition.

When you boil it all down, the state of health-care in this country is sufficient, on its own, to convince me that something needs to be done. America is the most powerful nation that has ever existed. We are so rich that our poorest citizen is still orders of magnitude richer than citizens of third-world counties. We have been at the forefront of technological advancement for centuries. And yet children in this country die from simple, curable illnesses. Some of our elderly citizens have to choose between buying food and medication. Nearly 50 million people here are just a small medical emergency away from complete financial ruin.

We should be embarrassed at the state of our health-care system. But more than that, we should be embarrassed at the level of discourse on the health-care issue.



5 Comments


tRJ said:

A big part of that problem is that the legislation is extremely long, and technical enough to be difficult for the average person to wrap their head around. We could have a whole separate debate about whether that, in and of itself, is a failing of our system. Since that's what we're working with, it's imperative that the people who report on it have actually done the legwork to understand the bill. This includes members of Congress who are out conducting town halls on the issue.

As someone who has read the thing, I can say that's it's largely unobjectionable, in that it's standard bureaucratic tedium: shifting this dollar there, increasing this allowance here. However, the part that does bother me is also the most important part: the section that creates an insurance exchange and a public insurance option.

The problem is that the details of how exactly that option will work are not in this bill. They are left to be worked out by the bureaucracy that the bill would create. And I think it's fair if people are nervous about that. I am not opposed to reform, or to a limited public option. But there are many, many ways to "go public" with health insurance, and most of them don't sit well with me. I think we'd have a much more honest discussion (and a greater chance at passing something people can agree on) if we could discuss the details, instead of just yelling across the partisan divide about whether it's "right" for the government to be in the health insurance business.

August 20, 2009 3:55 PM



TheExpat said:

Hear, hear, Ismael. Lots of people avoid the doctor's office, even if they might have a serious problem, only because they can't afford it. Anyone who doesn't think health care needs reform of some kind can go suck it.

August 22, 2009 2:00 AM



Utah said:

Don't you mean that isn't GERMAN to the problem? (With the Hitler reference and all). Zing.

August 23, 2009 7:47 PM



Denisha said:

You’re on top of the game. Thanks for sahring.

July 10, 2011 8:10 AM






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