We Need to Change The Culture

So clearly things have changed since the last time I blogged. The healthcare bill went from as dead as a doornail to.....law!!?? Yes, I was stunned too. The US actually passed a law on healthcare that might actually be useful. Now even though I haven't been blogging with anything that resembles regularity that doesn't mean I haven't been following how this bill became law very closely. I had so much hope when Obama came into office. I like many other liberals thought he was pulling the Ali "rope-a-dope" by letting Congress put forth such a horrid bill. No public option. Single-payer was never even part of the discussion. Not a damn thing that will help bring down costs on drugs or procedures. This bill was garbage and every liberal knew it. It wasn't real reform OR real change. It didn't do enough. What it would do was nice but it did nothing more than bring 32 million more people into a broken system.

But now that this bill is law I've done some re-evaluation. Prior to this bill passing these people had NO access whatsoever to healthcare, broken or otherwise. While I can sit here in my ivory tower and complain about how much my medication costs after insurance the fact is I actually HAVE insurance. Without insurance I would have to pay at least $150/month for this one prescription yet I have the nerve to complain because I have to pay $50 with my insurance. In all honesty.....how dare I?? For some people having insurance might be exactly what they need to make things affordable. All they needed was a little help. And this bill gives them the help. Most people without insurance really do want it. They just couldn't get it because of a "pre-existing condition". And that condition could be anything ranging from diabetes to a toenail fungus.

This bill (now law) has HUGE flaws. This does nothing for people who currently have healthcare. If you hate your healthcare, too bad. You still get to keep it. Think your provider gouges you now? Just wait. Now that insurers can't reject anyone to keep up their eye-popping profits they will jack up rates on everyone. The cost of medical care will not go down. Families will still have to decide between keeping their homes or paying for chemo. This does nothing but solidify the need for single payer. I'm still so angry it was never even on the table. Why was this never even a consideration!!??

And it finally hit me today.....America isn't there yet. We aren't ready. The culture in this country needs to shift and shift dramatically before single-payer will ever be a true consideration. America is way too focused on "me" and not "we". This is reflected in everything we do. It is reflected in the way our companies operate. An American company tends to see you as a cog in the wheel that is easily replaced. In their minds you should just be happy to have a job. We give little to no vacation time to our employees. If they get sick most have to use vacation time if they need to stay home. Nobody has sick days anymore. And heaven forbid you need to take a day to move or you just need to day to yourself. Personal days are almost unheard of. And a pension.....what is that? Don't even get me started on our UNPAID family medical leave act. And then in terms of healthcare, some offer it...some don't. And those that do offer it sometimes charge such an absurd amount you can't even afford it. But that's ok because this is America!! European companies may offer all these benefits but to hell with elitist Europe with their funny accents and hoity-toity ways. Giving a woman who just had a baby six months of paid leave...ridiculous!!! Five weeks of vacation a year...absurd!!! Companies who are scared of pissing off employees because of unions and picketing.....well that won't happen here. This is America dagum it!!! Here we work hard and pull ourselves up by our bootstraps. It doesn't matter if you have to make the shoes and straps yourself. That is what makes us American...no one gives you any help and you can take some sense of pride in suffering and doing it all yourself.

I reject that notion. What is American about suffering? What is American about refusing any and all help just so you can say you did everything yourself? If you fall on hard times and you ask for help or want a little help you are demonized by a large part of this country. Wanting someone to help you when you've fallen on hard times make you somehow un-American. It makes you...*gulp*...European....maybe even French!! I reject that notion. Having someone help when times are rough doesn't make you un-American, it makes you human. We all want someone to help us. And in turn when someone else is down we should want to help them. And sadly in America we don't. We look down on anyone wanting help and we most certainly don't want to help anyone else in need. Especially if that need might involve some of our money. Heaven forbid we give one red cent to help another human being.

To change the healthcare debate we need to change the culture. And the first step is simple. We must change the heart and mind of every person who think healthcare is not a right. Everyone gets sick. It doesn't matter if you are rich or poor, black or white, Christian or Muslim. Every single American can and will get sick. So therefore every single American needs insurance. The Declaration of Independence gave me and every single American the rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness....none of which I can do shackled with debt from healthcare bills or walking around with an illness. My right to life is compromised by insurance companies who at any moment could put that very life in jeopardy. They have violated what the founding fathers of this country entitled me too.

I hate to clue the right-wing in but healthcare is a RIGHT in America!! We are ENTITLED to have the right to live in America. And for those who don't believe in every man, woman and child having the chance to live I hear Darfur is a great place. Ooh, how about Uganda...they even want to kill the gays. Isn't that a bonus for you people!!?? If you don't believe in every man, woman and child having access to healthcare then as far as I'm concerned YOU are un-American!! You call the pro-healthcare people Nazis!!?? Last time I checked I wanted everyone to have a chance to live. You were the people marching them off to death chambers. Every single person opposed to this bill should be ashamed of themselves. Most of these people call themselves Christians. If this is what makes someone Christian in modern day America I think we need to spend some more time reading the bible. Jesus was all about good works and helping the poor and healing the sick. I don't think Jesus would have been a fan of the HMO's. I'm pretty sure universal single-payer coverage is what Jesus would do.

So here is our challenge liberals. We have to get people to believe healthcare is a right. We then must wait for people to see how healthcare companies will try to get around this bill. They are already trying too. Once the public sees that HMO's are going to do everything they can to NOT provide you with the coverage you were promised the movement will finally be able to take hold. People will finally move for a single-payer system. It may take another 10 or 20 years but it will happen. And then finally we will have what our founding fathers promised us.

If our government isn't here to help its people then why even have it at all?

So I'm Kinda Sorta Back?

So I started this blog with a lot of gusto. And then....I just got tired! I got sick of and still am the bickering on healthcare and the daily GOP drivel. I also got caught up with work and my wedding and I just outright ignored my blog. So it's a new year and time to try to get back into the world of politics. Will I ever blog as much? Maybe, maybe not. But I will try to pick a topic every two weeks or so in an attempt to get me back into a routine.

Thanks for sticking by me!

We Need To Get Back To These Feelings

With all the fuss and drama going on in the politics world these days I think we are all getting down. We are getting down on Obama because he promised us change and we don't feel like we are getting it. We tend to forget how f-ed up our country was by the time we took it back. We need to go back to how we felt during the campaign. We need to remember how hard we worked. The road wasn't easy but by 11pm EST on Election Day "Yes We Can" got to change to "Yes We Did". I think we all need to remember the feeling we had during the campaign. We need to remember the overwhelming feeling of hope we had. We can have our climate change bills, our workers rights bills AND our healthcare reform. We just have to remain strong and have hope. "Yes We Can" did it once before and it will do it again.

So do whatever you need to do to get yourself back to that place. If you need to put "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" on repeat for awhile then do it! For me I needed to go back and watch some of Obama's speeches from the trail. His Election Eve speech was so wonderful because we all know he was still reeling from the death of his grandmother and it took guts to get out there. He had done the Fired Up story before but in the context of that night it was even better. Listen to his words.....he knew this wasn't going to be easy. He knew it would take one hell of a fight to get America to start thinking like a community instead of individuals. He knew corporations wouldn't just shrivel up and die. He is a smart man and he is ready for this fight. The bigger question is are we??

I think we all felt like after the election was won we could rest but that is when the work truly begins. There are alot of people with a lot of money at stake and they have no intention of going down easy. We must fight the right-wing wingnuts who will stop at nothing to destroy America's transition to a community. So watch this video and remember what the fight during the campaign was like and channel that energy again. And then go out and fight for healthcare. Fight like your life depends on it....because quite frankly it does. And once that's done we will have another fight, and another and another. But always remember this......Yes We Can.

Calling All Liberals

Alright my liberal people....I need you. I have an idea. It's somewhat hairbrained and it may not work but I need you to see how far we can take this. The wingnuts on the right had tea parties for their anti-tax, anti-Obama views. I want to have our version, except for healthcare. I'm not kidding. I want us to pick a day, go out, rally and get press coverage. I want us to show Congress and our President that they have to get this done. Even if you don't want Universial Health Care I want you to come out and show our elected representatives just how we feel. A show of strength with huge crowds will be the only way to have a show of force to our elected officials. And also that way there will be enough of us to drown out the lunatics who keep saying we are trying to kill senior citizens.

Maybe since we are having a get together about healthcare should we serve green tea??

Palin Divorce???

So a new rumor is making its way through the blogsphere......Sarah Palin is getting divorced. Well, whatta know?! I for one will be waiting like a kid on Christmas Eve to watch the details fall out on this one! I will also being waiting for Levi Johnston's "Vanity Fair" interview due in its October issue.

Some people have asked for calm and they've asked for the bloggers and the media to back off. The end of a marriage is tragic and awful. I agree with them 100%. However in this case, with this person, I can't and I won't. Once you put yourself on a moral highhorse and try to act better than everyone else you don't get to hide on this. You don't get to preach family values and then parade your underage unwed teenage daughter all over the place. You don't get to put her out there and then spaz out when the media has a field day with your kid. Same thing with a marriage. You don't get to preach family values and how "having God" makes you better and then have your marriage fall apart and expect the public to leave you alone. That's not how it works. You don't put morality and values out there when the values in your own house aren't in order.

I have no intention of backing down. Sarah Palin tries to be some holy roller and she isn't. I will not back down!!

My Healthcare Plan

Since Congress can't seem to come up with one I will. Listed below is the Healthcare Plan The Liberal Manifesto would like to see put into place.

My Very Real Healthcare Plan That Would Actually Work:

1) Healthcare is a RIGHT in the US not a privilage. Going forward every man, woman and child would be covered.

2) This plan would be run by a department of the US government. To not burden HHS a seperate agency would be created with the head of the agency being part of the President's cabinet.

3) Since all Americans would be eligible for this plan there would be no need for the current healthcare programs that we have on both a state and federal level. This would allow for the abolishment of Medicare, Medicaid and SCHIP. All of those persons would now be part of the US Healthplan.

4) Businesses would no longer have to buy healthcare for their worker b/c everyone can use the US system. If a business chooses to they can continue to offer plans to people who don't want to use a universal system or they wish to keep a plan to cover procedures the government system won't cover.

5) The US Healthcare system will be free to every man, woman and child who is a US citizen, legal resident alien or documented worker. There would be no monthly premiums. No one can be denied coverage b/c of a condition they have or be forced to pay large sums of money to get covered b/c of said condition(s).

6) The US Healthcare system would have the right to deny frivolous treatments and experimental treatments as it sees fit.

7) Doctors and hospitals would have the right to opt out of the system and continue to operate as for-profit centers. These hospitals/doctors would only see patients who were still using private insurance.

8) Anyone can opt out of the system at anytime and resume private insurance. This also applies to opting in.

9) Under this system all generic drugs are free. Non-generic drugs will cost the patient. That amount can NOT exceed $25.

10) Current insurance companies can continue to thrive in this system. They can offer insurance to people who don't want the government system. They can sell plans that will cover surgeries/procedures the government will not. They can cover procedures that now currently are not insured like facelifts, boob jobs and comestic dentistry.

11) This system would be funded by the taxes and all monies that used to go to previous government healthcare programs. The government would also have to slightly increase taxes. Also small co-pays would be needed not to exceed $10 for doctor visits and $25 for ER visits. As any of us with insurance now know, this is much cheaper than what we currently pay.

12) All legal and widely accepted procedures are covered. This means abortions b/c last time I checked, those are still legal!!!!

13) All patients are to receive the same quality care regardless of age or gender.

14) The Healthplan would cover all end-of-life care such as HOSPICE. No patient can be forced into end-of-life measures.

These are just a few things I think would work and this post will more than likely be updated as the debate rages on!

My Angry Moment

I love the movie "Sicko". I really truly do. Also everytime I watch it I want to pick up and move to the UK or France. All prescriptions in the UK cost 6.55 pounds. It doesn't matter if it's pain pills or HIV meds, it's 6.55. Here in the US I paid $4 dollars for my pain meds after my surgery two years ago.....only if I got generic. My birth control pills each month cost me $40 dollars. I honestly don't want to know how much HIV meds cost. I've heard horror stories of drug regiments costing $27,000/year. I'm not a big conspiracy theorist but I tend to think the people who have issues with Big Pharma are onto something.

"Sicko" also shows that Universal Healthcare is possible. The scenes shot in France just boggle my mind. The government provides a nanny to new moms to help them with the child. The nanny even does the laundry!! Doctors make housecalls 24 hours a day. And you don't pay a dime for your healthcare. Yes, the taxes are higher but that is a trade-off most Americans are willing to make. And it doesn't matter if you are working, laid-off, or whatever. You are never denied healthcare. Same for non-France residents. If you are a US citizen who gets sick while you are in France you don't pay a bill either. It's a wonderfully crazy and beautiful sight.

And every time I watch "Sicko" I get madder and madder at our current Congress. Not only are they not pushing for single-payer they are finding a way to kill the public option. Let me say first and foremost I think the public option SUCKS!!! It's ridiculous. It doesn't matter how cheap you make healthcare, some people will never EVER be able to pay for healthcare. They will never have healthcare unless it is free. And while I am grateful we have Medicare/Medicaid let's be real, that system is so riddled with fraud it can never be truly fixed. They are more holes in Medicaid/Medicare than a block of Swiss cheese. And while I am no expert on healthcare I would think if we went to single-payer we could eliminate Medicare/Medicaid and SCHIP. These programs gobble up trillions of dollars every year and I don't think we as country have much to show for it. If everyone gets healthcare from the government we wouldn't need those programs because the populations they serve would go on the universal plan.

At this point, I'll just be happy to get the wretched public option. But I'm fed up with all the idiots who are getting in the way. I'm not shocked the Republicants are getting in the way. That's what they do best. But the Democrats that are getting the way are ridiculous. These "blue dog" Democrats......they are a discredit to the party. It's time for Obama to come out swinging. Take the cuffs off Rahm Emmanuel. The man put a dead fish in someone's bed once. He's a force to be reckoned with. Put the "blue dogs" in a room and promise them a true Democrat as a primary challenger. I'll challenge my "blue dog" Senator!! Whip them into shape and get this done!!!