Dept. of Humanitarianism

[tim]

I am *so* *fucking* *tired* of what passes for health care debate that assumes the problem is any or all of:
1. rich people (i.e. people like you, the person reading this, and me, the person posting this on a taxpayer-sponsored computer) have to pay too much for health care
2. rich people spend too much on health care
3. other organizations spend too much on health care on behalf of rich people
4. rich people sometimes spend 3 months not having health care when they change jobs

The problem actually is:
5. poor people die of asthma attacks because they can't afford preventive care,

you idiots.

And no, (5) is not a direct consequence of (1) through (4), because the problem isn't that the pie isn't big enough for everybody, or that some people are bigger eaters than others; the problem is that most people find it convenient to throw extra pie in the trash rather than giving it to people who don't have any.

Comments

[tim]

If a popular president, famed for his rhetorical skill, is unable to sell a program, that's a very bad sign. Given how unpopular the Republicans were at the start of the debate, it's a terrible reflection on both Obama and his program.

Is this really all that surprising? People who are interested in keeping health care the way it is have a lot of money to spend on lying to people. I'm not sure how even Jesus Christ, having risen from the dead and been seated as president, could out-rhetoricize that kind of smear campaign.

[asrabkin]

Interestingly, huge volumes of corporate money are being spent in favor of the plan. And more has been spent supporting than opposing. Source: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124865057962382365.html