Comments on: Divided America

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 20:16:00 +0000

So Ddx says that what freedom that we have left is not worth defending because we have already given up so much. It seems to me that liberty, like a commodity, is all the more precious the rarer that it is. And he also seems unable to make a moral distinction between involuntary servitude and genocidal murder, which pretty much disqualifies him for any discussion that involves value judgements.

Health Punk seems to think that Americans are greedier than other people. How does geography change the laws of human nature so markedly? Soil conductivity effects on neurotransmission?

We will all get sick and die no matter what kind of "health system" we have. That is unavoidable. Living unfree with the government running our private business is not. Anyone willing to sell their liberty for health insurance isn't worthy of living of this country. Battlefields are highly unhealthy places but millions of Americans have chosen to put themselves on them and risk their health so that we can have that liberty.

Reinhardt can go back to Europe and take all the cowards who are afraid of the ordinary risk of life back with him.

By: Health Punk

Health Punk — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 16:57:00 +0000

Health care is a huge part of the US economy.

To do anything that slows down this economic engine will come with great resistance.

The biggest reason for the US being different, perhaps more fundamental than the "it's all about me" attitude, is the degree to which greed permeates much of our decision-making.

Greed and profit are core values for much of our society (even for non-profit healthcare organizations) and unless this changes, meaningful healthcare reform will not be possible.

There is insufficient pain felt by society at this point in time to sustain change.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 16:14:00 +0000

In order to truly “reform” the system overall, it must first be controlled by one entity. So if you want “reform” on a global basis, you must first have the government running the whole thing.

Then we’ll get reform on an almost yearly basis I’ll bet.

By: DDx:dx

DDx:dx — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 14:47:00 +0000

We didn’t shove Jews in ovens but I think I’ve read about something called slavery…Yeah, right, freedom…
There’s a straw man argument if I’ve ever seen one. We can’t come together to build a healthy system because it will take away our freedom? How about those searches at airports? The Patriot Act? Rendition? Sorry, our freedom is already in shambles. Fear of loss of freedom is still fear.
These aforementioned attacks on freedom(reforms) were inspired by fear. Maybe the Pandemic is the stimulus we need.
I think making plans and doing something because we SHOULD( womens suffrage, voting rights)is the right way, not out of fear.
I also agree with Maggie, but I am hopeful…

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 00:34:00 +0000

Yes. We are not the group-think prone warren rabbits of Reinhardt’s homeland. About half of us think and act for ourselves (the other half clamor for fascism as long as it isn’t called that–and may win some day).

The good part–when the head rabbit tells us to shove the Jews in ovens, we won’t do it. His cousins back home did and would. Freedom is messy and inefficient and I’ll take it and fight the half tooth and nail every step of the well into warm, fuzzy, universal collectivist hell.