middle class why do or don't you believe in socialized medicine?
551428
Take it from some one who works in government.  Government is inherently wasteful.  The lack of competition also gives no incentives to lower costs.\n\nWhere there is competition costs are lowered take laser eye sugary for example, it is not covered by health plans and the price has dropped dramatically in the last few years.\n\nOh By the Way I also agree with everything in the first answer.
362003
This is good for so many reasons.First, big companies should be happy they now play a more important role in the well being of the their consumers. Second, when you have universal health care, more people visit the doctors; 1- at the onset of a problem instead of waiting until it becomes worse, 2- visit the doctor for regular check ups, and 3- visit for preventative care. These reasons make for a healthier population in general thus often negating the need for more costly an evasive procedures down the road.  When a poor person goes to the hospital now a days, its usually because they have put it off for so long because of no insurance, that they are in worse shape than they would have been in if they had gone at the first sign of trouble. Their care now costs the state and the taxpayers more, or puts that poor person in DEEP DEBT for the rest of their life.\nWe are the only modern industrialized country in the world without Universal Health care for ALL its citizens.\nA good way to measure a nations moxie is to look at the way it cares for its population. All Americans should ask themselves this:\nDo you care more for the profits of big corporations, than you do for our poor, our children or our elderly?\nHealth care should be our # 1 priority. Good for you MASS!!
1095281
Anybody who is not independently wealthy must live on money -- doctors, lawyers, engineers, mechanics, painters.  \n\nMost of these people will make whatever the market will bear.  (You don't see a lot of poor doctors around.)  But public defenders, public interest lawyers, some small firm lawyers -- don't seek great wealth from what they do.
391909
The reason for poverty in America is the politics's of greed, or Repuglicans in general. I have mine and I want to make more therefore I do not want to pay taxes and to hell with anybody else. Being poor is no more a choice then homosexuality. It is thrust on 10% of the population by another 10% of the population the very rich. I wonder why of for what reason that a person needs every cent of their billion dollars and there are many billionaires here. There is also a thing with corporate greed. Move the good paying jobs with health benefits overseas to a place where people work for pennies. But do you see the price come down on anything because of it. The answer is a big NO. Socialized medicine is long overdue here it is needed by all, not just an elite few. Every one in the United States should have a birthright to three things food, shelter and health care.
470450
Since it is the peoples republic of MA I amsure it is some form of socialism. Socialism never works! The governmen does not pay for anything we do!It is not the governments money... it is ours. Free healthcare is paid for by those who work. It is not free. What makes you think that I should provide you with healthcare? What about housing, shouldn't everyone have a free house? Is it fair that I have two cars and someone doesn't have one. Should I buy them a car too? I ate steak last night, Should I be forced to buy you a steak too, because you are tired of chicken? If I take the risk and build a business by working 80-90 hours a week and hire you to work 30-40 hours a week. You have assumed no risk and only work 30-40 hours a week what the heck makes you think I should give you anything but a paycheck?\n\nNo one owes you squat! If you want health insuance go buy it! I had to cancel mine whan I started my business, now I have a crappy plan that I pay for! I don't expect someone else to pay for it for me! If you need emergency treatment, guess what you go to an emergency room and the tax payers pay for it anyway! \n\nThe government can't run anything efficiently, what makes people like Hitlary think they can do it better?
368463
Well, the situation is... in the U.S. if you're rich, you can afford insurance and medical care... in Canada, everyone gets it but not on their schedule... so rich Canadians come here to get it on their schedule...\nSo... I look at the census... the median household income for America is approx. $40,000, so that's half of America making $40,000 or less a year. If your household is making $40,000, (probably  a two income household, with two people making on average $20,000 each)you probably can't afford even a small procedure to be performed and if you get a procedure, you'll be in debt for at least a couple of years (not to mention the costs of medication), and that's if you're insured. (Also according to the census, 32 percent of Americans don't have medical insurance).\nWhat I'm saying is, according to these numbers, over half of America clearly can not take advantage (without severe financial penalty) of the American healthcare system as it stands, and thats a sad state to be in. \nAnd it's getting worse as insurance goes up 5+ percent a year (for the past few years) and wages are barely rising at all. \nSo, if you're rich, you probably like it, if you're not... you probably don't.. but there are more poor pepole than rich, so hopefully we can get some changes.
826384
Your link looks like a pension question, but you are using it for national health care purposes??? Would you rather ask about Social Security to make it more relevant?\n\nYou can get more information about this issue and analysis of the health-care problem from all the angles at the link below.\n\nLaissez-faire health-care economics makes no sense. Markets are good for some things, bad for much and  immoral for health-care. Markets can function efficiently if people have choices. There is no choice in your health-care requirements. If you have congestive heart failure, you can't say to yourself, "Ah, I don't need the attention of a thoracic surgeon this week, I'll put it off until next week."\nOr, "I don't have any need for cancer right now, I'll take indigestion instead."\n\nTherefore, a market solution will only distribute our health resources inefficiently and inequitably. Rich hypochondriacs get all the care they "need" while poor folks with bad hearts let their conditions deteriorate until they need the most expensive care available.\n\nOur high malpractice problems and claims are a direct result of having no national health insurance. When those poor folks who can't afford health-care finally are faced with a heart attack or some other acute episode, they head to the hospital to a doctor they've most likely never seen with no medical records to speak of. The doctors are "flying blind" trying to save the patients not knowing the full array of ailments, allergies, etc they might have.
975561
I support a moderate form of libertarianism.  People should have a choice about things. I favour a minimum wage but agree with free trade and tax cuts.  I don't support the taxation of income trusts and would eliminate red tape for small and independent business.  I am very capitalist but believe hard work should be rewarded and there must be guidelines on labour standards.  Let people purchase private health care if desired but don't abandon a public system, however, more money into it is not the answer.  We need to supplement the system with private clinics and private delivery of health care to reduce waiting lists.  Actually, maybe I take that back.  Somehow I fear 'Ralph Klein' style health care.  \n\nSay no to corporate welfare and high property taxes.  Say no to duplication of services and union-oriented agendas.  Say no to a lax civil service that provides services better taken care of by the private sector.  Require a balanced budget and insist that money be spent on essential programs like subsidized housing, shelters for the homeless, public education, roads and health care.  Say no to welfare maintenance for years on end and get corporations to take care of daycare for anyone who earns above the poverty line.  I do favour a subsidy and tax benefits for families below the poverty line.  It is better to move single mothers into the workforce and support them with public housing and daycare then leave them on welfare for years.  The only exceptions should be women with disabilities with kids, under nineteen, women with disabled children, and ones in a rehab facility or with severe health problems.\n\nAlso, Yahoo! should spend less time censoring speech in general and spend more time      ing down on public statements of      against gays, ethnic minorities, women and Jews.
918363
Interesting question...\n\nIn western society, we certainly live in an artificial world supported by technology. Technology allows instant gratification, more convenience, and a faster pace of life. Some homes have so many appliances, that if the electricity goes off, people can't do anything... wash, cook, heat/cool the rooms. That is rather dependent, I'd say!  And there is an obsession with technology trying to control nature through genetically modifying plants and animals.  Bigger, newer, and more profitable are seen as better.\n\nI see medicine as a branch of technology. It depends on what you are trying to accomplish... save a life, create comfort, or do a facelift for a celebrity, or whatever.\n\nReligion fills a basic human need to believe (or not, if you wish). I think religions which are based on a respect for nature (such as those of many indigenous peoples)  are not obsessions in the sense that you are using. It's hard to generalize about religion when there are so many different types in the world.
649261
Class formation is a side effect of capatilism that western culture has deemed acceptable.  There will always be some people with a ton of money who don't have to work, and those with little money that cator to the wealthy.  This is acceptable, because it is theoritically possible for anyone to become rich, given the appropriate invention idea, or business model.  It is this possibility that gives the people motivation to create something that will better the lives of as many people possible, and adds value to education.  When there are more products that better the life of the mass populous, the standard of living increases within that country or economic unit.  As long as there are some checks and balances, to prevent the rich from overusing or abusing the poor, like minimum wage/40 hrs a week in the USA, or whatever makes sense in other countries, then cpatilism is the best form of government anywhere.
493875
Yep, its true - no socialized medicine.  Closest thing to it is Medicare for senior citizens (U.S. citizens).
951361
Dick DeVos (r. MI) running for governor thinks that those people should just get jobs.  When confronted with the fact that over 1 million of us have jobs and no health insurance, he responded with 'well they should get jobs and that way they will lead to better jobs that offer health care'.  Guess who I'm NOT voting for?  BTW democratic incmbent Granholm does NOT advocate socialzed healthcare, but rather a pool in the state that people can buy into, that is affordable health care..  This has been successful in states that have tried this.
376486
Well, one of the things that I think everyone is entitled to is life (life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, for America that is)... and health care has a lot to do with life and sustaining life... \nSure, it may be a bit of a liberal take on the issue, but I guess I just don't see how a capitalistic system can work for something you can't put a price on... a human life... and that's what medicine is in it's most basic form... sustaining life...\nOur health care system right now isn't working at all for most Americans, because they can't afford it... and what's the point, if it doesn't help most people...
716775
Yes, it is possible to establish free healthcare in a nation.\n\nAlmost *every* other developed nation On Earth, that is, in Europe, on the Pacific Rim and on the North American continent, almost everyone who *can* afford to do so has done so.\n\nWe haven't.  Why?  Because the Rich Man Says So.  Not much else really....it's just the suits, and they own the media so they get to play an endless mindgame with us all, telling us that if *one more grandma* got her meds paid for it would just *bankrupt* the nation when poorer countries than ourselves *have* national healthcare that covers *everyone*.....\n\nReally.  And some clever folks will piss and moan about "socialism".  Look....socialism is actually *normal* for the rest of the developed world, ok?  It is.  Look at the UK, France, Austrailia.....even Canada, they all have national healthcare, all have it cheaper than we do, and none of them are bankrupt nations.\n\nThen look at Japan.  They definitely are pacifist, and socialist compared to us...and how do we know this? *America* wrote their constitution post-World War II, that's how!  Think about it.\n\nSocialism is normal for the rest of the world.  It isn't a dictatorship like communism, people still own their property, and the rich guys still get theirs, just not *rapaciously so* like here in the USA....\n\nSo yeah, it's *possible* to have free health care in the US....everyone else who can do it is in fact *doing it*.\n\nWill we?  Nope, because our Rich Men have made us all *retarded*.  Really, they call it "special", but when the cameras are turned off, we all know which meaning of "special" they really mean.....\n\nJust saying.  :)
88399
nope, not a long as they can hold down the poor with outrageous prices. That and its one way of comiting legal genocide. See if you get sick in this country and you can't afford the OUTRAGEOUS health insurance premiums chances are you make too much to get public assistance. By the time you do qualify? The cancer or what ever it is thats killing you will be too far advanced to do anything about.I have asthma. I can't even buy health insurance, life insurance or any other kind of insurance..and as you may have guessed ...I can't afford the medicines I need either. I am but one of millions with this problem.. Until we do something about our current government structure.. NOTHING will change. The rich will become richer the poverty stricken will starve and the middle class?.. well they slipped below the poverty line years ago. They just set things up so that you make one or two dollars too much to qualify for assistance yet can't afford health insurnace. MEAN time? they pump billions of dolars into forein counties that hate us..bolstering their programs while Americans do without!
537881
see... asmul8ed is the typical example of why we are cutting and why we have social programs in the first place...\n\nConservatives preach that it should be left up to private companies and people to give to chairty, yet when it actually comes time for these people to give... they say things like asmul8ed said "I don't quite have it and how do I know where it's going?"... excuses, excuses... they never have enough money to justify giving some of it away\n\nSimply put, the majority of the rich don't want their money to go to anyone but themselves, through taxes or through donations. Granted there are some who generously give, but they appear to be the vast minority. Consider how many trillions are made every year, yet many are still in need. Clearly many are not giving and don't care too (and never will)\n\nSo if it wasn't for these programs, many of the poor would simply die in our country... if your a Christian, you should understand that blessed are the poor and we should all try to help them any way we can... \nI do think that our welfare system needs much more oversight, and a work for food program would be great, but eliminating program is simply taking a step back to a third world mentality where the poor die in the street and the rich barely care enough to step over them...
335344
Well. From a canadian point of view, I am personally a fan of Public Health care. When working properly, it is fantastic. It's not working well now, but that's beside the point. I am not a big supporter of the American system, however. I went there for a camp last summer, and my brother made friends with a little boy. One day, when they were playing, the top of the tire swing came off and hit the little boy in the head so hard that both of his eyes were looking different ways. His family simply bundled him up and raised his feet up, and refused to take him to the hospital because they couldn't afford it. I don't know what happened to that kid, but I expect he had some serious damage done to his brain. It could have been prevented if his family had been able to pay for a doctor. Hence, I think your system really sucks. No offence intended.