I recently received a link to this website: freemarketcure.com.
I did some reading, and watched this video:
I guess it sort of got me thinking so I wrote back to my sis who sent it to me and shared my thoughts. Please read below, and then share yours!
“Yes, aren’t we all so glad that sex change operations are covered by
our wonderful healthcare system? I am going to ask my Canadian friends about this–I really believe
that it’s the EXCEPTION, not the rule. (If Michael Moore can find
stories to spin propaganda to his side, can’t we agree the the other
side can find stories to spin the story their way?) And let’s keep in mind that close to 100 Million US citizens are on
are on Medicare, or Medicaid, and are dealing with a lot more
paperwork and bureaucracy than our Canadian neighbors. The sad news it that the “free market” system we have now, has become
monopolized by pharmaceutical, medical, and insurance companies that
are incredibly greedy. That business is NOT about caring for people’s
well being, it is simply a very lucrative industry, and they have
recently realized that they can charge whatever they want for health
care, because we the people have no choice but to pay it. It’s a
collaborative monopoly, and the “free market capitalism” is failing to
keep costs competitive. Yes, a centralized health care system would be a DOWNGRADE for every
one of us, along with the rest of the richest 20-30% of US citizens
who are lucky enough to have really good medical coverage by their
employer, or otherwise. However, the rest of the nation is dealing
with Medicare, Medicaid, and HMOs, and Public Hospitals that are well
below par! So yes, I would be willing to accept a health care plan that might not
be as good as my current plan (emphasis on might), so that others who
are currently dealing with a bureacratic and oppressive system can
have better coverage–not to mention my children and grandchildren
being guaranteed reasonable coverage no matter what their
circumstances may be. Ok, I suppose if Christy opened this door, I’ve gone and kicked it off
the hinges–what do the rest of you think?”
our wonderful healthcare system? I am going to ask my Canadian friends about this–I really believe
that it’s the EXCEPTION, not the rule. (If Michael Moore can find
stories to spin propaganda to his side, can’t we agree the the other
side can find stories to spin the story their way?) And let’s keep in mind that close to 100 Million US citizens are on
are on Medicare, or Medicaid, and are dealing with a lot more
paperwork and bureaucracy than our Canadian neighbors. The sad news it that the “free market” system we have now, has become
monopolized by pharmaceutical, medical, and insurance companies that
are incredibly greedy. That business is NOT about caring for people’s
well being, it is simply a very lucrative industry, and they have
recently realized that they can charge whatever they want for health
care, because we the people have no choice but to pay it. It’s a
collaborative monopoly, and the “free market capitalism” is failing to
keep costs competitive. Yes, a centralized health care system would be a DOWNGRADE for every
one of us, along with the rest of the richest 20-30% of US citizens
who are lucky enough to have really good medical coverage by their
employer, or otherwise. However, the rest of the nation is dealing
with Medicare, Medicaid, and HMOs, and Public Hospitals that are well
below par! So yes, I would be willing to accept a health care plan that might not
be as good as my current plan (emphasis on might), so that others who
are currently dealing with a bureacratic and oppressive system can
have better coverage–not to mention my children and grandchildren
being guaranteed reasonable coverage no matter what their
circumstances may be. Ok, I suppose if Christy opened this door, I’ve gone and kicked it off
the hinges–what do the rest of you think?”
One Comment
Thanks for kicking the door off the hinges. Please allow me to take a sledge to the frame.
Stuart Browning, one of the ideologues behind Freemarketcure.com, says in his article “Socialized Medicine is Sicko”:
“Life expectancy averages are determined by a multitude of factors such as ethnicity, culture, and crime rates. Asians live longer than whites. Whites live longer than blacks. Canada has more Asians than blacks. Infant mortality rates are likewise determined by a host of factors having nothing to do with our health care system. The chief cause of infant mortality is very low birth weight babies. The U.S., for reasons having to do with ethnicity and culture, has more low birth weight babies than Canada and other OECD countries.”
What might he mean by this? What about the ethnicity and culture of the US might contribute to low birth weight of babies? According to Browning it must be that Canada has more Asians than Blacks. And clearly, there must be a problem with the Blacks culture or ethnicity that leads to the low birth weight of babies–this is all code for “it’s the immoral and degenerate Black’s that have made our health system seems so bad.”
In a culture drowning in a deep pool of historic and current racism this line of thinking makes perfect sense. The inadequate health care for people of color in the United States is symptomatic of this racist system, and Brownings line of thinking simply confirms that.
If we start with the assumption that all people of children of God, regardless of “ethnicity or culture or crime rate.” And then move to assert that all deserve to have their basic needs met, we might not end up with socialized medicine, but we will at least acknowledge that something is horrifically wrong with the health care system in the US.
freemarketcure.com has taken the typical–and unfortunately politically persuasive route–of blaming the problems of our society on a convenient scape goat. In the above quote Browning chooses the descendants of African slaves, in his video “Two Women” he chooses a Trans-gender woman.
I don’t know the answer for the current health care crisis, but I do know that I don’t trust for those who rely on racist and hetero-sexist scapegoating to persuade me to accept their ideology.