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Health Care A forum for discussing the US health care debate and proposals. All threads on this subject shall be posted here.

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  #46 (permalink)  
Old 06-17-2009
daddio's Avatar
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Re: A Question For Supporters Of Government Run Healthcare...

Quote:
Originally Posted by Danny View Post
Interesting point. The military is a decent example I guess. There is also medicare, the federal judicial system, etc.


Medicare ? No, that's bleeding money from mismanagement and rampant fraud. Judicial system ? Congressman Jefferson just now coming to trial 2+ years after the fact ? Not such a good example either.
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  #47 (permalink)  
Old 06-17-2009
Secretary of Defense

 
Member Since: May 2008
Location: Atlanta, GA
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Re: A Question For Supporters Of Government Run Healthcare...

Quote:
Originally Posted by MattLarson View Post
You said government needs to be "fixed", did you not?

Matt
I think I was using that as the current argument used by and in certain circles.

Quote:
Originally Posted by daddio View Post
As Far As I Know
Thank you sir.

Quote:
Originally Posted by AJG View Post
Yea, but I could also say a fixed private insurer would be able to run a better healthcare plan as well.
Ahhh yes, but here's the thing about that though.

a.) Private insurers don't think they need need to be fixed.

2.) They have no plan on changing anything.

III.) They'll still be for profit so the individual's interest can never come first, by default.
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  #48 (permalink)  
Old 06-17-2009
Joint Chiefs of Staff Member

 
Member Since: Dec 2008
Location: Texas
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Re: A Question For Supporters Of Government Run Healthcare...

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jason Marcel View Post
Going to the moon was a huge success.

Or how about the best and most sophisticated military on the planet?

Or how about FEMA when it was run by anyone but Bush?

Modern right-wingers insist that the gov't can do no good, and then for some odd reason they want to get elected in order to prove that point.

When people think of gov't as being "us" instead of gov't as being "them", then there is no major problem "we" can't fix, since "it" can't do anything as grand as what "we" can do.

It depends on how you view gov't. In modern times, the right sees it in a purely sentimental way, the way a child sees their daddy. And it's always an argument that daddy can't deliver everything. But that's not a realistic view of what gov't can really be, since it only can make progress as we the people do, and depending on how we put pressure on elected representatives to get that progress done.

As long as healthcare is up for sale in America, the longer the system will be far too expensive while limiting coverage.

In private hands, healthcare costs helped to bankrupt companies like GM, who reportedly were spending upwards of $1,500 on healthcare per employee per every automobile built. That's completely outrageous and unsustainable, but it's going to continue to work like that as long as powerful corporate interests and insurance companies have control of the country's healthcare payment system.

It's the payment delivery system that is broken, and going with a single-payer payment system is the most affordable way to go, as proven by all the other developed nations (and not so developed) that have it.

The gov't can do great things as long as people approach it from the view that we are the gov't, not "they".

And for much of the first half of the 20th century, America had a can-do attitude about themselves as the gov't, whereas today grown adults make a childish argument about how daddy can't possibly do everything for us.

What's the line? Ask not what your country can do for you....
Uhhh pardon me but FEMA still sucks. Gulf Coast resident here. They sucked during katrina and they sucked during ike. I'll bet you dollars to donughts they suck this season.

The military works IN SPITE of the government. WHY? its given money to work with and ONE person decides what to do with it (Commander in Chief)

Going to the moon has clusterfucked out so many times its not even funny. And we still haven't gotten much out of it.

It also doesn't require a MASSIVE bueracracy.

Heres an idea. Look at how they run the VA. No thanks
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  #49 (permalink)  
Old 06-17-2009
Steve's Avatar
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Re: A Question For Supporters Of Government Run Healthcare...

Hmmmmm...

Quote:
Originally Posted by MarcATL View Post
Isn't that what you and your ilk do about the government? With this constant chant of "government is bad, government is no good!"

Those of us on the left believe, as you just stated, in trying to fix it...government.

A fixed government would be able to run a much better healtchare plan.

No?
Quote:
Originally Posted by MarcATL View Post
I think I was using that as the current argument used by and in certain circles.
No you weren't. Your post is pretty clear.

Your post shows that you believe that government needs to be "fixed". You made no reference to other "circles", nor did you quote anyone else. The words you wrote are yours, and yours alone. Be man enough to own up to that.

And, as you seem to be a big fan of government run healthcare, one can conclude that you want to put that service in the hands of, by your own admission, a broken entity.

That's pretty fucked up, but it really does show just how fucked up the left can be sometimes...
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  #50 (permalink)  
Old 06-17-2009
Secretary of Defense

 
Member Since: May 2008
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Re: A Question For Supporters Of Government Run Healthcare...

Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve View Post
Hmmmmm...





No you weren't. Your post is pretty clear.

Your post shows that you believe that government needs to be "fixed". You made no reference to other "circles", nor did you quote anyone else. The words you wrote are yours, and yours alone. Be man enough to own up to that.

And, as you seem to be a big fan of government run healthcare, one can conclude that you want to put that service in the hands of, by your own admission, a broken entity.

That's pretty fucked up, but it really does show just how fucked up the left can be sometimes...
Hmmmm...

Should I really take you seriously?
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  #51 (permalink)  
Old 06-17-2009
Steve's Avatar
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Re: A Question For Supporters Of Government Run Healthcare...

Quote:
Originally Posted by MarcATL View Post
Hmmmm...

Should I really take you seriously?
Only if you're not afraid of looking like you don't know what the fuck you're talking about.

Considering that you continue to dodge the question, though, I don't think there's much of a chance of anyone believing you have a clue...
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  #52 (permalink)  
Old 06-17-2009
daddio's Avatar
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Re: A Question For Supporters Of Government Run Healthcare...

Quote:
Originally Posted by MarcATL View Post
Thank you sir.
I didnt know either so I looked it up, you are welcome.



Quote:
Ahhh yes, but here's the thing about that though.

a.) Private insurers don't think they need need to be fixed.

2.) They have no plan on changing anything.

III.) They'll still be for profit so the individual's interest can never come first, by default.

a. I think it may be closer to the mar to say that they disagree about what is broken

2. see a

III. In any contract there are two parties, each of which have interests at stake. In this case the insurer would like to get paid every week same as anyone else, the insuree wants the terms of theor policy met. In a perfect world ths should be easy to accomodate. There are several third parties involved with their own interests at play. The vendors also want to be paid. And then the government (medicare/caid) wants servioces but also want to be able to decide to pay less and less at their chosing. Those vendors have to find ways to get paid while the govt cuts it's rates in addition to customers who just don't pay (and those who are attempting to defraud them). This is the conundrum. The govt basically forces them to game the govt system to maximize payouts. And if that doen't get it done then they resort to fraud. So... do these insurance people not deserve to get paid ? The vendors ? Its far more involved than just nasty insurance companies. I don't claim that they are free of sin, only that there is plenty to go around.
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Socialism doesn't create a rising tide that lifts all boats. It drains the lake and teaches the boat riders not to help themselves by rowing.

Jesus loves you, allah wants you dead

"Every government interference in the economy consists of giving an unearned benefit, extorted by force, to some men at the expense of others."

Ayn Rand
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  #53 (permalink)  
Old 06-17-2009
emptypepsi's Avatar
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Re: A Question For Supporters Of Government Run Healthcare...

Any comments on the post earlier with a link describing the difference between "Government healthcare" and a Single Payer system?
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  #54 (permalink)  
Old 06-17-2009
goober's Avatar
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Re: A Question For Supporters Of Government Run Healthcare...

Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve View Post
......
What past program has been so phenomenally well-run by the government that you believe that the government is equipped and qualified to run healthcare?

...............

I'm just wondering if there are other programs that the government has run that would be indicative of the government's ability/readiness to run something like healthcare...
I would offer the example of Social Security, introduced when seniors had the highest poverty rate of any group in the US with over 90% below the poverty line, seniors now have the lowest poverty rate in the US. Social Security also boasts the lowest administration costs of any pension/disability insurance plan in the world. And the experience of country's that have privatized their pension plans leaves them looking longingly at the US Social Security System. For example Britain found that when it privatized pensions that people were not sold the proper pension plans for their particular situation, but more often than not they were sold the pension scheme that provided the highest commission to the person selling the scheme. And they now have large numbers of Seniors who need to receive welfare benefits because their privatized pension product has left them destitute.

Or maybe the US Postal Service, providing us with the lowest priced first class postage rate in the world, at no cost to the taxpayers.

Or maybe US Medicare, which is the system that is usually compared to Canadian Medicare to show how the US Health Care system is superior to the Canadian system.
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  #55 (permalink)  
Old 06-17-2009
daddio's Avatar
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Re: A Question For Supporters Of Government Run Healthcare...

Quote:
Originally Posted by emptypepsi View Post
Any comments on the post earlier with a link describing the difference between "Government healthcare" and a Single Payer system?

I think most people comprehend that all the medical people will not become government employees nor all clinical settings become govt institutions (of course we didnt think the govt would get into the car biz either but I digress).

Beyond that its sort of moot.

There will be a large burocracy set up and to be paid for which is only adds cost to the system.

If the govt is involved, we know that they will shape the process so single payer will render it all to be govt healthcare anyway.

The process will encourage business to abandon insurance which pushes it further to govt HC.

Different pathes but the destination is the same.
__________________
Socialism doesn't create a rising tide that lifts all boats. It drains the lake and teaches the boat riders not to help themselves by rowing.

Jesus loves you, allah wants you dead

"Every government interference in the economy consists of giving an unearned benefit, extorted by force, to some men at the expense of others."

Ayn Rand
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  #56 (permalink)  
Old 06-17-2009
drgoodtrips's Avatar
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Re: A Question For Supporters Of Government Run Healthcare...

I think that there is incentive to have some government run service when the market simply would not accommodate it for all customers or when there were barriers to a company being able to take advantage of economies of scale. Only in this situation is the government even an adequate competitor.

For instance, consider the USPS. What the USPS does is distribute mail equitably, as a means of communication for the country. What they don't do is charge more for customers in rural areas or simply opt not to provide service. A private competitor might simply opt not to provide service to some areas as they would have only negative effects on profits, in terms of infrastructure cost. Obviously, this would defeat the purpose of having a flat system that allowed any citizen to communicate with any other citizen. Another similar example would be government subsidizing of train transportation, or government ties with electricity/phone providers. Again, this insures that all citizens have access to these 'essentials' when the free market might result in providers telling some "tough luck".

The common threads here are (1) equal access for all citizens but also, and more importantly that (2) the system breaks for everyone if it does not cover all, which is never going to be addressed by rationally functioning corporation. That is, if I want to mail a letter to my friend in Podunk, Wyoming, and mail service doesn't go there, not only is he up a creek, but so am I, even in a profitable area.

Where it doesn't seem to make as much sense is with healthcare. Like above, it would provide "equal access" for all citizens, but unlike those situations, my friend in Podunk, Wyoming has no bearing on my situation. I can purchase healthcare without others doing likewise (the only exception being innoculations against virulent infections). The reason that second consideration is of paramount importance is that you're removing the primary reason for the government to run it, which is that lack of demand for the service at a reasonable market price causes the enterprise to operate at a loss. There is plenty of demand for healthcare.

If the government stopped operating the USPS or subsidizing Amtrak, it's possible that those services would simply go away. It is not possible that, without government intervention, healthcare would go away. So, why have the government outlaw all competition and set up a monopoly? To what benefit?
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  #57 (permalink)  
Old 06-17-2009
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Re: A Question For Supporters Of Government Run Healthcare...

Quote:
Originally Posted by emptypepsi View Post
Any comments on the post earlier with a link describing the difference between "Government healthcare" and a Single Payer system?
I was wondering that, too, since I'm the one who posted the link describing the difference.
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  #58 (permalink)  
Old 06-17-2009
Rude Boy's Avatar
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Re: A Question For Supporters Of Government Run Healthcare...

Quote:
Originally Posted by daddio View Post
I think most people comprehend that all the medical people will not become government employees nor all clinical settings become govt institutions (of course we didnt think the govt would get into the car biz either but I digress).

Beyond that its sort of moot.

There will be a large burocracy set up and to be paid for which is only adds cost to the system.

If the govt is involved, we know that they will shape the process so single payer will render it all to be govt healthcare anyway.

The process will encourage business to abandon insurance which pushes it further to govt HC.

Different pathes but the destination is the same.
Had you actually read the different links in my post, you'd know that none of what you say is true.
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  #59 (permalink)  
Old 06-17-2009
daddio's Avatar
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Re: A Question For Supporters Of Government Run Healthcare...

Quote:
Originally Posted by Rude Boy View Post
Had you actually read the different links in my post, you'd know that none of what you say is true.


If I believed everything I read, I would be dead.
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Socialism doesn't create a rising tide that lifts all boats. It drains the lake and teaches the boat riders not to help themselves by rowing.

Jesus loves you, allah wants you dead

"Every government interference in the economy consists of giving an unearned benefit, extorted by force, to some men at the expense of others."

Ayn Rand
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  #60 (permalink)  
Old 06-17-2009
Secretary of State

 
Member Since: Jun 2006
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Re: A Question For Supporters Of Government Run Healthcare...

Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve View Post
Having read various threads on healthcare and reading the opinions on both sides, a question comes to mind. This question is directed at those who believe that "the answer" lies in government run healthcare:

What past program has been so phenomenally well-run by the government that you believe that the government is equipped and qualified to run healthcare?

This isn't the place to "make your case" for government run healthcare. Those opinions are well known and and those arguments have been made in other threads.

My opinion is that, with regards to government run health care, it'll be more fucked up than a soup sandwich.

I'm just wondering if there are other programs that the government has run that would be indicative of the government's ability/readiness to run something like healthcare...
I think it depends on your philosophy regarding Government.

We already have a federal, uniformed public health service. There is no reason they could not operate at least one research hospital in all state capitals and any major cities as appropriate. It would be another method of lowering the cost of health care for people in poverty; since that cost would be spread among the largest consumer base possible.

Eliminating official poverty via the mechanism of unemployment compensation, at-will, would allow for more market based metrics by increasing the circulation and monetary base to the individual consumer of statism. Government health care mandates could have the effect of engendering more respect for the law if no market participant can claim to be in official poverty, in our money-based, mixed market, political economy.

I think a combination of both would provide better services at lower cost to the individual consumer of statism.
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