I’ve written about this many times over at Daily Kos, but as I sit here sick as a dog, I thought I should bring it up again. This is my new frame for universal health care:
What is the #1 responsibility of the government? Think about that for a minute. What do you think a Republican would say? Many people, in fact most people, would say, “To protect its people.” Even if that is not the #1 responsibility, I would think nearly everyone would agree it is a major responsibility.
So what should the government protect us from?
Enemies? Undoubtedly. That’s why we have the armed forces, CIA, NSA, etc.
Crime? Yes. That’s why we have the FBI, DEA, Federal Marshals, federal courts, prisons, ATF, and other law enforcement agencies.
Natural Disasters? Sure. That is why we have FEMA, early warning systems, first responders, etc. Look at the tsunami, and how everyone felt the governments in that area should have been out warning people.
Disease or other health dangers? No doubt. We have the Dept of Health and Human Services, FDA, EPA, OSHA, NIH, CDC, clean air and water acts, and many other agencies and laws which are involved to some degree in monitoring, maintaining, or ensuring the health of the citizenry.
So if health dangers are something the government is already concerned with, why is universal health care not a part of this model? Why shouldn’t the government protect us from microbial invaders as well as human invaders? A healthy citizenry is certain to be a more productive work force (that is, after all, the justification behind employer provided health insurance). So look at injury and disease as a threat to our citizenry and our national economy. Health care then becomes part of our national defense.
What is the one thing Republicans are always willing to spend more money on? National Defense!
I don’t know when the general public are going to wake up to the fact that a national health care system(if done right of course) would save the country untold billions and billions of dollars.
Just think if businesses didn’t have to provide health care….how much money they save….how much could come off the price of automobiles-I read that american car companies tack on up to several thousand due to their having to provide health care to their workers- to the fact that people wouldn’t be afraid to change jobs and maybe we’d have a happier work force to say nothing of hopefully being healthier and of course the stress of not having to worry about health care is a big added bonus. So many things I can’t even begin to list that make sense in the short and long run.
Having universal health care makes economic sense not just moral sense.
As for repugs and health care, they’re still stuck in the mindset I imagine that somehow if you can’t afford health care that implies some lack of hard work on your part or some such bullshit to that effect. Family values my ass…what is more of a family value then to have healthy children and parents.
I am now watching the CBS series “Numbers.” This episode features an outbreak of the Spanish Flu, that devastated the world population in 1918 and 1919. It infected 1/4 of the US population, killing 675,000 Americans (10 times more than WWI). 200,000 Americans died in October 1918 alone. It infected 1/5 of the world population killing between 25 million and 40 million. Unusually, it was most deadly for individuals between 20 and 40 years old.
In the episode on Numbers, the virus was released intentionally by a lab worker. But influenza occurs naturally in nature and another virulent strain could surface naturally. Last year’s flu vaccine snafu could have been a major disaster.
More than ever, I think we must consider universal healthcare a top priority in our national defense.
“But influenza occurs naturally in nature and another virulent strain could surface naturally.”
This statement brought to you by the Department of Redundancy Department.
Oh well, that’s what I get for typing while watching TV.
I completely agree. I coordinate benefits at my job for about 70 employees, all social-worker types and teachers for our charter schools. Every year the premium rates have gone up at an average of $100 per month for an individual staffer with very little in the budget to increase their salaries to help them fork out for the costs. It’s a real problem (what an understatement, huh).
I’m in agreement with you but I doubt that most Republicans would agree. There seems to be a (mostly) unspoken agenda in letting the poor and ill die. I know that sounds far to the fringe but seriously, from those I’ve talked to about health care, that’s what it boils down to- poor=irresponsible/stupid=unfit=dead.
I was shocked the first time I heard this, now I’m just disgusted by it.
Doesn’t help that I’m poor myself, nice to know various people in my circle feel I should die off for the good of the system, so to speak.
If we ever get control of this country back in sane hands maybe we can do something about universal health care.
That’s an attitude that dates to the enlightenment. I actually discussed this in one of my first diaries here: Divergent Enlightenment: Taking Darwin’s Name in Vain.
Thanks for pointing the way there! That’s a great diary-informative and interesting.
I never had this more forcefully hit home to me than when my last boyfriend said that there should be no disability or any other kind of ‘welfare’ to people. It should be survival of the fittest and anyone with hereditary or other diseases, well to bad for them unless they happened to be rich and could pay for health care themselves and not burden society with tax payer handouts.
When he found out I was on disability permanently then of course that was different as someone like myself of course ‘deserved’ it.
I continue to wonder over the huge disconnect in this country when Americans say they believe in helping others yet want no programs to help achieve that goal for so many who need social programs to help them or help them better themselves.
It is pretty amazing,I can’t quite understand what happened to the idea of community as opposed to every man for himself. And it’s sad, how many otherwise nice, normal everyday people can be so harsh and cruel in the abstract. I mean, show them a hungry child next door and they’re ready to hand out a meal, show them the statistics on hunger in the world and they’re totally callous about it.
It seems that as a society we’ve lost whatever empathy we ever had. I wish I knew how to regain it.