I saw that yesterday. Hilarious, he totally pulled a "fox" and bullied the crap out of him. I thought MSN was better than that but oh well at least I agree.
That was awesome. I'm sick and tired of politicians making completely illogical arguments or flat out lying on television with impunity. The idiocy of the tiresome Republican meme about the government being totally inept and their constant fear mongering regarding the purported evils of socialism is laid by their refusal to denounce Medicare, Social Security and the Veteran Administration. It's a damn shame that O'Donnell doesn't have his own show.
[YOUTUBE]1eU76nnPLZY[/YOUTUBE] Here's another great clip of Bernie Sanders calling Orin Hatch out on this hypocritical BS.
Is Medicare Socialism? Possibly. Socialism is a broad term, but by the most literal understanding of the term "socialism" any centralised service could be considered socialist. My basic understanding of the (current) US Medicare system is that it is not open to everyone - only people falling into certain categories. In which case, it's not egalitarian in the purest sense and could be considered not socialist. At the end of the day, Socialism is just a tag that many Americans seem to believe is toxic. I would, then, ask you to remove the label "Socialism" from any discussions about Medicare and, instead, ask yourself is the idea robust in and of itself? I am biased, perhaps, but tend to believe that the mark of advanced civilisation is not so much the ability to make music, art or any of those other celebrated human traits. I believe the first sign is the capacity and desire of a society to expend resources in caring for the sick, elderly and disabled because it is the morally right choice to make and for no other reason. To bring this back to an economic focus, however, consider the following: A healthy worker and a sick worker. Who is more productive? And - to where it hurts most...what if, one day, you lose your job and life really sh*ts on you? And you need medical help? Additionally, the USA already spends more on health care per person than any other country, and that's even without a universal health care system. If a comprehensive, universal public health care system is pure socialism at work, then I am a Socialist. I am happy to pay additional tax every year so that other people can be looked after in the public health system, as I am yet to really need the services of the health care system. Whenever tax reductions are offered in the future as part of some ludicrous vote-winning exercise at election time, I will write and ask to instead have that money put into the public health system. My only gripe is that it's not comprehensive enough and the efficiency could probably improve. Warning - the following video contains profanity. [YOUTUBE]4sQKTArZRcU[/YOUTUBE]
social medicine Look, it really is nice to think that "our" gov't can supply every need we all have as far as health care. It can't...neither could you supply all the needs of everyone in your surrounding community, even if you had a money printing machine. Eventually your money would be worthless, and the services cant be paid for, and eventually the same parasites you stupidly tried to help will now turn on you. The same money you cry about coming out of your weekly paycheck is the EXACT same money used to fund social medicine, it is you that pays for it and with the govts method of collecting money from you, then spreading it amongst the masses is the reason you complain...it is YOUR money and you can pay your own doctors bill if you need to. Choose your own doctor, when you want to, male or female, dentist or gyn. It is FREEDOM of choice MR> AMERICAN..hellloooo!!!!
Webby,the way the GOP and others on Fox frame it,anything is socialism. Where is the roll call for the Medicare vote of 1965?
The labeling of various programs or proposals as socialist is a cultural holdover from our conflict with the Soviet Empire; something used to undermine good ideas such as the street car system in Los Angeles during the earlier part of the 20th century. One way to create a car dependent culture in a (then) emerging metropolis was to castigate certain forms of public transportation as "socialist." Precisely, which goes to the heart of the reason of why we've bothered to form civil societies in the first place. If it isn't to check the propensity for human suffering at the door, then what? If it is to evaluate each other by our material possessions or chase white women, then we're completely fucked. Civilization is not our natural condition and its improvement presupposes the willingness of every generation to make a choice for the reduction, if not elimination, of calamity. For future reference, I wouldn't have it any other way.
Thanks FEHG/Saty.. Having lived in a Social Democratic Country, I have always found it "interresting" the way many Americans view the concept. Some haven even bothered really looking it up, but rather just repeat what they have been told is the truth about it. On the other hand, I am equally amused by the view of The US system by some of my Swedish friends, equally regurgitating stuff rather than educating themselves about it.
This is a human trait - not an American or Swedish one. For sure, I know many people who make this mistake regularly. Everyone does it...the path of least resistence is an enticing one. Yes. I understand on a basic level the reason behind it - which is why I stated in my previous post that Medicare (and universal health care as a general concept) should be thought of independant of any labels. The ardent fear of "socialism" merely results in a knee-jerk reaction towards the opposite which, let's face it, is just another system and hasn't resulted in any better outcomes, that I can see. Do correct me if I am wrong, however. Actually, I'm chasing black men...so, the world should be fine, then... I never expected anything less from you.
O'Donnell made some good points. The Republican guy kept dodging the question and just made himself look more and more like a hypocrite. When you're willing to support Medicare and Social Security, you're argument against "government-run health care" rings hollow
