I have not seen any other post here with which I can whole-heartedly agree. Most people have no critical thinking skills (a fault of our public education system, perhaps?) and instead rely on the loudest voice they hear when forming their own opinions. Believing is easy, and takes little intellect. Learning is harder work. Believers are lazy. Thinkers are rare.
Your belief in the Bible is the only only proof you can ever have that it is truly the word of God, and you believe that this is true because the Bible tells you that it is the truth. Do you see the circle here?
"Believing something doesn't make it true." The rest of your text contradicts this first statement. Because the Bible says it is true, it must be true? Really?
The history of the Bible, and the obvious flaws of those who wrote and re-wrote the Bible is not a matter of question, but of historical fact. It doesn't matter if you believe it or not, it is fact. As I have pointed out before, an honest reading of the Bible would reveal the truth: it is not the word of God, it is the word of men, and men messed it up. If you find comfort in some of its passages, great! If reading the stories brings you happiness and enlightenment, wonderful! But you should be honest with yourself and admit that much of it does not make sense, it is not the writing of a divine being that you are reading, and remember that you have no more claim to the ultimate truth than anybody else. You only have an opinion.
I can foresee GREAT BIG PROBLEMS if the governement runs the whole shebang on healthcare. Until we get a government without fraud and corruption, we need the checks and balances of the private sector.
Somebody must watch the henhouse, and it can't be the foxes.
Don't be so sure that private insurance companies are the entire problem. They are, after all, businesses designed to make a profit for their shareholders, and I'll bet most shareholders want lots of profit. They are only operating in an underregulated capitalist manner. We need private insurance companies (as I stated above), but we need them to run better, and without the ability to steal from the insured to pay the stockholders.
A more balanced system, with public and private options will be best to patients, with oversight on both groups to hold down fraud and waste.
As a doctor, you no doubt have more insight that I do on this complicated issue. But, here is my opinion anyway:
I think it is certainly true that no meangingful change in the way we fund healthcare can happen if there is no public option. There is no chance, however, that we will not have a public option of some kind. The US government already controls Medicare, Medicaid and the VA system. These will NOT be dismantled until the government itself is torn down.
None of these are run well, since the government is too big and cumbersome to run anything well.
Part of the solution is to fix Medicare, Medicaid and the VA system, and to cause more competition in private insurance. Fraud and waste are at unnacceptable high levels in every branch of the government, including these healthcare divisions. Private insurers require oversight, as well. They cannot be trusted to not screw over their clients or their competition.
Plus, too many lawyers are cashing in on medical mistake lawsuits, and too many people are suing doctors, hospitals, manufacturers etc for errors. Judgements are too high to be meaningful when honest mistakes happen. Carelessness and incompetence, are, of course, different matters. Tort reform must be part of the package.
Healthcare reform is a ginormous agenda, if it is to be done right. I am afraid it will not happen until politicians no longer are owned by special interest groups (like lawyers, the insurance industy, etc.) If anything meaningful is to happen, the concerns of the patients MUST be the top priority, and nothing yet convinces me that this will happen.
I am not sold that healthcare is a fundamental human right, however. I understand the concept of an inalienable, fundamental human right, but I can't say that healthcare falls into that category. I am willing to say this: You may be absolutely correct, and I might be dead wrong on this issue.
There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that many citizens' and politicians' primary concern is that whatever Obama likes MUST be fought until it fails. Political idealogues are shameless unthinking fools. And, these are the people we elect, year after year, to represent us. They are mostly the type of person who writes letters to the editor, too. Or calls into talk radio programs, or watch Fox news and enjoy the non-biased coverage. THAT must also change. Rational people need to speak up more and help the less fortunate think for themselves, not blindly follow the loudest voice.
I think it is certainly true that no meangingful change in the way we fund healthcare can happen, if there is no public option. There is no chance, however, that we will will not have a public option of some kind. The US government already controls Medicare, Medicaid and the VA system. These will NOT be dismantled until the government itself is torn down.
None of these are run well, since the government is too big and cumbersome to run anything well.
Part of the solution is to fix Medicare, Medicaid and the VA system, and to cause more competition in private insurance. Fraud and waste are at unnacceptable high levels in every branch of the government, including these healthcare divisions. Private insurers require oversight, as well. They cannot be trusted to not screw over their clients or their competition.
Plus, too many lawyers are cashing in on medical mistake lawsuits, and too many people are suing doctors, hospitals, manufacturers etc for errors. Judgements are too high to be meangful when honest mistakes happen. Carelessness and incompetence, are, of course, different matters. Tort reform must be part of the package.
Healthcare reform is a ginormous agenda, if it is to be done right. I am afrid it will not happen until politicians no longer are owned by special interest groups (like lawyers, the insurance industy, etc.) If anything meaningful is to happen, the concerns of the patients MUST be the top priority, and nothing yet convinces me that this will happen.
Gary C's Comments
I have not seen any other
I have not seen any other post here with which I can whole-heartedly agree. Most people have no critical thinking skills (a fault of our public education system, perhaps?) and instead rely on the loudest voice they hear when forming their own opinions. Believing is easy, and takes little intellect. Learning is harder work. Believers are lazy. Thinkers are rare.
Your belief in the Bible is
Your belief in the Bible is the only only proof you can ever have that it is truly the word of God, and you believe that this is true because the Bible tells you that it is the truth. Do you see the circle here?
"Believing something doesn't make it true." The rest of your text contradicts this first statement. Because the Bible says it is true, it must be true? Really?
The history of the Bible, and the obvious flaws of those who wrote and re-wrote the Bible is not a matter of question, but of historical fact. It doesn't matter if you believe it or not, it is fact. As I have pointed out before, an honest reading of the Bible would reveal the truth: it is not the word of God, it is the word of men, and men messed it up. If you find comfort in some of its passages, great! If reading the stories brings you happiness and enlightenment, wonderful! But you should be honest with yourself and admit that much of it does not make sense, it is not the writing of a divine being that you are reading, and remember that you have no more claim to the ultimate truth than anybody else. You only have an opinion.
I can foresee GREAT BIG
I can foresee GREAT BIG PROBLEMS if the governement runs the whole shebang on healthcare. Until we get a government without fraud and corruption, we need the checks and balances of the private sector.
Somebody must watch the henhouse, and it can't be the foxes.
Don't be so sure that private insurance companies are the entire problem. They are, after all, businesses designed to make a profit for their shareholders, and I'll bet most shareholders want lots of profit. They are only operating in an underregulated capitalist manner. We need private insurance companies (as I stated above), but we need them to run better, and without the ability to steal from the insured to pay the stockholders.
A more balanced system, with public and private options will be best to patients, with oversight on both groups to hold down fraud and waste.
As a doctor, you no doubt
As a doctor, you no doubt have more insight that I do on this complicated issue. But, here is my opinion anyway:
I think it is certainly true that no meangingful change in the way we fund healthcare can happen if there is no public option. There is no chance, however, that we will not have a public option of some kind. The US government already controls Medicare, Medicaid and the VA system. These will NOT be dismantled until the government itself is torn down.
None of these are run well, since the government is too big and cumbersome to run anything well.
Part of the solution is to fix Medicare, Medicaid and the VA system, and to cause more competition in private insurance. Fraud and waste are at unnacceptable high levels in every branch of the government, including these healthcare divisions. Private insurers require oversight, as well. They cannot be trusted to not screw over their clients or their competition.
Plus, too many lawyers are cashing in on medical mistake lawsuits, and too many people are suing doctors, hospitals, manufacturers etc for errors. Judgements are too high to be meaningful when honest mistakes happen. Carelessness and incompetence, are, of course, different matters. Tort reform must be part of the package.
Healthcare reform is a ginormous agenda, if it is to be done right. I am afraid it will not happen until politicians no longer are owned by special interest groups (like lawyers, the insurance industy, etc.) If anything meaningful is to happen, the concerns of the patients MUST be the top priority, and nothing yet convinces me that this will happen.
I am not sold that healthcare is a fundamental human right, however. I understand the concept of an inalienable, fundamental human right, but I can't say that healthcare falls into that category. I am willing to say this: You may be absolutely correct, and I might be dead wrong on this issue.
There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that many citizens' and politicians' primary concern is that whatever Obama likes MUST be fought until it fails. Political idealogues are shameless unthinking fools. And, these are the people we elect, year after year, to represent us. They are mostly the type of person who writes letters to the editor, too. Or calls into talk radio programs, or watch Fox news and enjoy the non-biased coverage. THAT must also change. Rational people need to speak up more and help the less fortunate think for themselves, not blindly follow the loudest voice.
I think it is certainly true
I think it is certainly true that no meangingful change in the way we fund healthcare can happen, if there is no public option. There is no chance, however, that we will will not have a public option of some kind. The US government already controls Medicare, Medicaid and the VA system. These will NOT be dismantled until the government itself is torn down.
None of these are run well, since the government is too big and cumbersome to run anything well.
Part of the solution is to fix Medicare, Medicaid and the VA system, and to cause more competition in private insurance. Fraud and waste are at unnacceptable high levels in every branch of the government, including these healthcare divisions. Private insurers require oversight, as well. They cannot be trusted to not screw over their clients or their competition.
Plus, too many lawyers are cashing in on medical mistake lawsuits, and too many people are suing doctors, hospitals, manufacturers etc for errors. Judgements are too high to be meangful when honest mistakes happen. Carelessness and incompetence, are, of course, different matters. Tort reform must be part of the package.
Healthcare reform is a ginormous agenda, if it is to be done right. I am afrid it will not happen until politicians no longer are owned by special interest groups (like lawyers, the insurance industy, etc.) If anything meaningful is to happen, the concerns of the patients MUST be the top priority, and nothing yet convinces me that this will happen.