Could it just be that capitalism without checks and balances is fundamentally “different” than what the US once was and the idea of regulatory, best practice oversight is not a bad thing but instead the basis upon which we can make things better?

The concept that government “involvement” in an issue is analogous to communism seems, to me, to be a very weak argument. There is government involvement in every area of our lives–checks and balances is the positive term, government interference is the negative.

Why can’t I drive 90 mph through a school district? Why do I have to have my kids vaccinated just so they can go to 3rd grade? Why do I have confine myself to just one wife; why not three or four or as many as my income will allow?

These are examples of “regulations” (instituted and “controlled” by the government) and I don’t think this is a novel concept that they exist and, hopefully, they are put into place in order to help make the “system” work “better” for the common good.

What is happening, I believe, with health care is that the “idea” of what one gets with insurance turns out to be in variance with what one often times receives. In both socialized medicine countries and the US there is a distinct stratification at work.

Whether one is excluded due to volume or due to income, in both systems there will be those who suffer and those who prosper and there are limitations to both.

If Insurance Companies and other health care providers actually provided the services they “advertise” and contractually agree to then this would just be a question of rich vs poor and a different line of argumentation would likely follow.

But the most important issue (in my opinion) is that health care providers are taking advantage of a system that allows for profit taking (by many that have nothing to do with actually providing care but instead serve only in administrative capacities) to the detriment–in many cases this is life threatening–of the people who pay for their services.

Why, if I am a manufacturer, should I put decent brakes on motorcycles if I can make them at a higher profit with sub-standard ones? Why build the house to code if the likelihood of fire seems so remote? These lines of argumentation are no different than asking “why don’t you provide a level of service that meets acceptable, agreed upon standards”?

The issue is not that Canada is better or worse. The issue is that the system in the US does not work and whether or not one implements “socialized medicine” or not is not nearly as important as making the current system better and providing a level of oversight and control that supports better service to the consumer/patient.

Kaiser’s fingerprints–as evidenced by the tape with President Nixon–are on the smoking gun. The forensics are, to me, pretty clear.

Right now, health care in the US is broken. This “intervention” by Kaiser back in the early ’70’s certainly helped “break it”. I remember being a kid in the 60’s when you could still go to the doctor and not have to sell the house in order to do it. It is certainly not that way any more!!

SOMETHING has to happen; the status quo is no longer a viable option and if “sicko” brings awareness to this issue and initiates a dialogue and critical assessment of current state, then this is a positive thing.

http://www.freewebs.com/mykaisernightmare/

The cancerous evil has now spread far and wide.

Any business who could be so calloused and greedy doesn’t belong out in the public “serving” the public. They should be shut down and replaced with human beings with compassion and a need to do right.

Someone should do a movie on just Kaiser, to highlight the greed, corruption,illegal activity, lack of accountablity, and lack of concern for whether people live or die as long as the hot shots make another buck.

He should make that the cover of his book..

I am not a crook. Reform healthcare now. Then reform me.