[lbo-talk] Health Care is Different

[R]

At 07:44 PM 9/16/2004, you wrote:
>On Sep 16, 2004, at 5:28 PM, R wrote:
>
>>our politicians -- our congress -- have their own health care system.
>>we don't hear much about that from pundits, major media, the politicians, 
>>etc.  their system is the one that should be extended to every citizen in 
>>the USA.
>
>Actually, Kerry has said just that a number of times -- words to the 
>effect of "I think every American should have as good a system of health 
>care as we in Congress have."
>
>That doesn't mean, of course, that the proposals he is standing for in 
>this campaign are anything like that -- he's no single-payer supporter, at 
>least at this point..

i've heard him.   "as good as" sums it up.  not "the same as."  separate 
but equal. sound familiar?

no reason for the systems to be the same.  that way congress can modify 
it's system while the people's version deteriorates into something rivaling 
medicare, if that failed dream still exists.


>But I agree with Jim that most people would probably support a much more 
>radical system that Kerry is currently advocating, and that this should be 
>a major focus of progressives in the coming years, whoever wins this election.
>
>One can either say, "Well, these politicians will never do anything," and 
>wait around for the Revolution, or one can try to mobilize a grass-roots 
>effort to get "socialized medicine." I'm in favor of the latter approach.

i don't think it's quite this black and white.  plus, getting "socialized 
medicine" passed won't do the trick.  (may i mention those magic words 
"medicare" again?)  our society is unable to hang on to what it's got much 
less create something better.

i agree something must be done.  know anyone, or group, mobilizing the 
grass roots approach you're alluding to, in the coming years or whenever?

R


>Jon Johanning // jjohanning at igc.org
>__________________________________
>Belinda: Ay, but you know we must return good for evil.
>Lady Brute: That may be a mistake in the translation.
>         -- Sir John Vanbrugh: The Provok'd Wife (1697), I.i.
>
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