I didn’t want to post this up for a long time, ever since President Obama introduced it to his country. However, after reading months after months of Republican hoohah and those who continue to bash UHC with misinformation, I think it’s about time I say something.
FIRST AND FOREMOST: I would like to address that NOT every American who can’t afford medical are are lazy. That is outright ignorance for those who believe this. Think and please think about this, because it’s not difficult. Americans who cannot afford medical care, aside from the lazy few are:
- students that are working low-paying jobs
- single moms that are working and going to school at the same time
- single dads that are working and going to school at the same time
- drop-outs that are working and living on his/her own
- individuals that have financial responsibilities such as supporting a mom, a dad, both parents, a grandparent, siblings, his/her boyfriend/girlfriend/wife/husband
- individuals that have acquired debt from a family member
- individuals whom have been tricked into burdening a debt from a ‘friend’, an associate, etc
- individuals whom have been trying to look for work in a fallen economy, whom do not have much training or post-sec
- individuals whom have brought up in a crappy neighborhood, being stereotyped or is experiencing racism which cannot find a job or has a job, but little future
- individuals whom are prone to get sick and can’t travel around readily
- individuals whom are working, but has past debts like a student loan
SECOND: The USA has one of the world’s most high-tech medical facilities and medicines available, BUT that sort of technology IS USELESS if NO ONE CAN AFFORD IT! Common sense no?
So many anti-UHC complainers have been trying to wreak havoc in debates saying that every individual should be responsible for his/her own health, that everyone else shouldn’t be responsible. You know what my rebuttal to that was?
I said, “Then why call yourself American? Why not just live in a constant state of anarchy? If all you’re doing is looking out for yourself, who cares about your neighbor, your friend, your colleague, your partner? You might as well build up a stone wall around your house, mount cannons in each corner and bar yourself from the outside world. Name your little piece of land and house your new country.”
Seriously, whenever an American cries foul on the UHC, I imagine some Hill Billy with a giant shotgun, firing off in the air and yelling complaints.
THIRD: THERE IS NO DEATH PANEL. Those like Sarah Palin who think Canada should devolve into private medical ‘care’ should not run for politics, let alone write books, even though it is in their freedom to. The scary thing is that there are people out there who support her erm, umm, ‘policies’…
I will repeat this: THERE ARE NO DEATH PANELS. There isn’t a committee of people who decides who lives and who dies. That sort of thing is a private personal matter. If your mom becomes a carrot for X years at a hospital bed, the family can decide to pull the plug on her ‘life’, after deliberations from medical professionals.
FOURTH: Some people like Sean Hannity have said that many Canadians go down to the USA to get medical treatment. That is true. However, what he DID NOT mention is that same Canadians that go down to the USA have their treatments CONTINUED back in Canada. ON TOP OF THAT, those same Canadians continue to HAVE Universal Health Care to fall back on. Americans on the other hand don’t have that option. When they get sick, they either deal with that sickness on their own or fork over a crap load of money to get treated. Also, many hospitals will deny a person, if that person doesn’t have insurance.
Indeed, Canadian hospitals have long waiting times for cancer treatment for example, but we have cancer treatment. In the USA, there isn’t much waiting time and do you know why? Because most people that need to be treated don’t go for treatments.
Think:
1) To treat and pay hundreds of thousands of dollars
2) Not to treat, possibly die
Which one is better? To pay off a loan you took for years, to pay your medical debt or to not get treated, continuously get worst and then possibly die in the end?
As I have said elsewhere, Canadians HAVE THE OPTION to get medical treatment outside of the country, but they WILL ALWAYS have something to fall back on back home. In the USA, most Americans who cannot afford treatment back home will most likely NOT go out of the country to get medical treatment. That means, many Americans who need medical treatment, can’t afford to go to one and have no medical treatment to fall back on. That is a triple fail: no money, no treatment, no fall-back plan. In Canada, emergencies get top priority and immediate care. Medical treatment is on a waiting list, but ALL Canadians have the option to go elsewhere for treatment. Americans don’t have options. Canadians do.
LASTLY: Stop mashing Communism and Socialism together with Universal Health Care! ALL democratic ideals have Socialist foundations. ALL OF THEM. Misinformed Americans I’ve debated with tell me that they are a Republic and not a democracy. Wow eh? Yes, the mechanics of their political system is a Republic, BUT your social structure is a democracy. Democracy comes in dozens and dozens of forms. ALL first world nations are Capitalist. ALL first world nations are Democratic. Canada, most of Europe, Australia are Socialist Democracies.
Many Americans have announced that President Obama is trying to bring Marxist Communism and Mao Communism into America. Wow, do they have spaghetti for brains or what? Which part of Canada, most of Europe and Australia look anything like Stalin Russia or Mao China?
It IS the USA that isn’t evolving with the rest of the industrialized nations. Many Republican supporters believe it is their constitutional right to fund their military, which apparently is MUCH MORE important than keeping American civilians healthy back home. It is fine to fund the military which wages war on foreign soil, but it isn’t okay to fund an universal health care, which civilians need for their basic survival. It is okay to go kill people with guns and other war machines on foreign soil, but it isn’t okay to give American citizens health care.
My most consistent thought, throughout this entire anti-Obama and anti-UHC lameness has been my sighing.
Finally: Indeed, Universal Health Care can be reworked, improved on, but you can’t improve on something if you don’t already have it. Canada’s Universal Health Care CAN BE improved on, but in the USA, Americans will continue to live in that state of pre-industrialization, with only a sense of selfishness and paranoia.
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Added 2010/01/20: Brock Lesnar slams Health Care in Canada
News link: http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/100120/sports/mma_ufc_lesnar_comeback
The UFC fighter didn’t actually say anything about Universal Health Care at all. All he had been doing was tap dance around the ‘problem’ he received while at the Canadian hospital. Did he care to mention how much it cost him to get treated back in the USA? Did he care to mention that he is NOT a Canadian citizen being treated at a Canadian hospital? He DID however, mention that the particular unnamed hospital had equipment failures and wasn’t able to treat him.
So tell me Mr. Lesnar, what has Canada’s Universal Health Care have ANYTHING to do with you being an American citizen having to go to an unnamed hospital for treatment while having an equipment failure? If you’re basing Canada’s UHC on equipment failure for one particular unnamed hospital, then let’s look at all the Americans suffering BECAUSE they can’t afford health care at their local hospitals.
Don’t mislead people by thinking a specific incident like this has anything to do with Universal Health Care. I was in a car/bike accident when I was a teenager. They stuck me into emergency care and within a couple of hours, I was being worked on. My bill was paid by the unified tax payers. How much was your bill Mr. Lesnar?
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