I've been reading a lot of posts on social media about health care reform. Most seem to be in favor of some sort of reform, as am I. Others posted inflammatory messages that I just truly don't fathom. In my economics class I learned that capitalism is fueled by self interest and indeed it is. But is that really a good thing in the long run? Is a system that focuses on the individual ultimately what is going to keep the world turning for another 1000 years? I don't think so, because everyone wants to drive their minivan or SUV just because they have visitors once a year and *might* need the extra space. I don't think so, because no one wants to be inconvenienced by having to sort out their recycling from the garbage. So many people want smaller government, but if everyone is out there only looking out for their own self interest what is to stop them from taking advantage of the little guy? Aren't we all little guys as individuals and supposedly only two paychecks away from loosing our homes? Is that always really always a result of bad choice? Refusing to implement public services means yes.

How many of you would change your mind if it meant *your* business had to go under, your child couldn't get a seat in the local public magnet school, or because you chose to be a teacher (yes, teachers do work for practically free - so why wouldn't doctors? - And to be honest, I don't think they would ever have to, even with a public health care system) and you can't afford to live in the neighborhood that will give your child the best education - as good as what you are giving other people's kids. Don't we all want firemen to rush to our homes to put out a fire? What about keeping police officers around to nab murderers and rapists and kidnappers?

I also hear people floating the word socialism around. What is so effing wrong with socialism? They spit it out like its a bad word, like...communism, or something. Or do they perhaps confuse it with the word communism? They aren't the same things, you know. Socialist economies are essentially still capitalistic, they just pay a higher percent of taxes in order to gain more governmental services. That is a far cry from a communist government telling you who's going to be a doctor, what to watch on TV, who's going to grow veggies or wheat, who's going to become an educator or an engineer.

There are basic things that people need to survive and shouldn't we as a community do our best to ensure people can reach their highest potential. Doesn't it make sense to invest in our human capital today for a better future tomorrow? Isn't that why we have public schools? Eliminating the need to worry about basic things such as health care, will help do that. I don't think it's too much to expect that things such as health care, education, infrastructure such as our streets and highways, modes of transportation such as public transportation, and the many other things our tax dollars pay for are run by the government. That's part of what they are there for - to provide those services, among other things.

It amazes me over and over again how people can't see beyond themselves. We do live in a capitalistic world that is self centered. Those are the values that we were raised with. Get out of your homes people! Leave your comfort zone. Travel the world and see how other systems work before deciding they will fail. I mean it's pretty obvious where our priorities are if we can even consider a ignorant floozy like Palin, who thinks she has international experience because Alaska is next door to Russia.

Someone posted today that they are tired of reading all the posts that are fear mongering. She was right, no one should be subjected to the fear mongering that the Republican party has caused at all those town hall meetings, specifically with respect to death panels, which has since been proven not to even be in the proposal! Focus on the facts. The fear mongering is just a sign of their own fear of change and that *gasp* they might be forced to actually do something worth while and beneficial to others over themselves!

She posted that the cash-for-clunkers was an abysmal failure. I don't know where she gets her news, but the cash for clunkers was so HUGELY successful that they extended the deadline and budget allotted to it. Just because the website was clogged from volume of users isn't an indication of the success of the program. Even private firms have trouble with expansion of hardware and servers when their businesses are more successful than expected. In everything we do, there is always room for improvement.

The same poster said that no one has died from not having health care. Again, I don't know where she got her statistics from but people unable to afford health care and then who get cancer and can’t afford treatment (I mean let's face it, who can afford the treatment with the prices where they are at)are forced to allow their cancer to progress until it is terminal (where perhaps it could have been treatable). Because they can't get treatment, they don't do anything until they land up in the emergency room (where we all pay for them anyways with our tax dollars. Damn that socialism!). These are the people who die from lack of health care. (Oh, and if it were a doctor failing to diagnose properly, or a family choosing for religious reasons not to medically treat their child, they are sued for malpractice or neglect! Is not allowing people in need, and also wanting to get treatment, but are unable to get it because of rising costs or a lack of health care just a neglect of the government or society)

Before this current financial crisis, the number one cause of home foreclosure was not due to bad consumer choices, but because people couldn’t make their payments because they fell sick. The propaganda fed to the public about UK and Canadian health care systems are out and out myths. Please call any of our Canadian neighbors and ask what they think... Have you traveled to Canada, or France, or Sweden to find out for yourself, or do you just simply believe what is fed to you on Fox News? Remember, people are only after their own self-interest. Why would they tell you what you should hear instead of what will benefit them?

My husband and I moved back to the country a few years back after traveling the world. This time he was a legal immigrant and I was pregnant. He was refused health care coverage because he hadn't been in the country long enough (before getting his green card, my mom had to sign an affidavit saying that she would be financially responsible for him if he couldn't support himself for the next 10 years. She had to do this just so he could get his green card. That means that his not having health insurance would have ultimately affected my mom had he had a tragedy) and because I (his wife) was a preexisting condition. I was a pre-existing condition - repeated for those of you who didn't get it the first time. Not his health or anything to do with him. Me, as a pregnant woman married to him. What did we do wrong?

On a more positive note, I feel immensely fortunate to be living in a country where such a debate is possible. Where, I hope, a huge change is about to take place. A country of which I am proud (almost) for the first time in my life for having elected Obama. To have witnessed a campaign that inspired me to get involved (or at least have an opinion). Don't let me down now, Obama!

But in the end, health care reform is about the bigger picture. It's about serving the greater interest over the individual. And although Obama has thus far refused to play this card, this is a moral issue. And, we should not tolerate anyone not being able to receive health care. It's for our future as a whole. So that we can be healthy and strong enough to fight off all those dangerous (and dare I say imaginary) terrorists.

Labels: health care, obama, rant