We Don't Need No Stinking Health Care Reform

[marco di angelo]

Well, now that Obama has been re-elected (with a Senate still dominated by the Democrats to boot), his health care plan is here to stay.

[Dawn]

Yeah!

[Lifelinking]

From an onlookers perspective - this is a very good thing. Well done the US electorate.

[Shadowfox]

What was reformed is the way it's paid. I see need for health CARE reform itself.

[Seeker630]

Alan West is still fighting his loss of his Congressional seat in the House here in Florida. But it will come out that he lost, and that's all that counts.

[JOwenRN]

The best Republican health care plan: Don't get sick, then die quick!

[Dawn]

Originally Posted by JOwenRN

The best Republican health care plan: Don't get sick, then die quick!

So true!

[Shadowfox]

Or don't get old as you have a duty to die to make room for the younger.

I do wonder what those who propose this think when they get up to retirement age! What I see is their grabbing for all the brass rings and demanding more for themselves.

[JOwenRN]

I get so tired of republicans labeling "socialist" any program that attempts to help the less fortunate. All that individualist mentality breaks down when you lose that job, as most people are only a few lost pay checks away from government assistance themselves. Some fail to realize just how lucky they are to,live in an advanced nation with the freedoms. I often wonder how different I would be if I had been born in a poor nation with many disadvantages. I work with a lot of republicans who look down on the poor as if they were just too lazy to try to do better. They fail to realize that an accident of birth gave them much of the privileged status they think they "earned." Grrrrr...

[Dawn]

I totally agree, JOwenRN.

[Shadowfox]

Indeed, James, I run into that my own self since I am disabled. I do most sincerely appreciate all the help I can get and make sure I don't abuse any priveleges available to me. All the same, I often get called parasite, and, well, other not so nice things. . . . Sure, if I could have worked or could now get a job at my age, I would have.

Because I don't exactly look disabled, I know that some quite healthy folks who are on "the dole" may well be in the same boat, so I'm not about to go on about them getting off their rears and going to work. Too bad some, well mostly Republicans, don't think about that.

[JOwenRN]

I like to,believe I live in a mostly compassionate society. I just dislike the class warfare that occurs sometimes. IMO people who have good health should be thankful for it and realize they have a moral obligation to help the less fortunate, because everyone needs help sometimes. Ironically, Christians I know are some of the first to disparage minority or disadvantaged people. So much for following the teachings of Jesus...

[Dawn]

I am really sensitive to this too. I have some chronic illnesses that don't show on the outside other than that I look tired all the time. I push myself really hard to maintain a full-time job, but have had times where I have thought I could not go on. So far I keep going, but I have a lot of compassion for those who cannot. There is the meme that I think Ronald Reagan ran on back in 1984 (?) where he pushed the idea of welfare queens and it seems to me that this movement started really building then of right wing religious people with a need to blame the less fortunate and judge them as at fault, lazy or out and out frauds for being in bad circumstances and needing help. The same crowd wants to humiliate those on assistance by forcing drug testing which would just cost more money for no good reason.

[homo hirsutus]

Throw in prosperity gospel and not only do the less fortunate not deserve a helping hand, but they actually deserve scolding for not being right with Jebus.

How someone can claim to be a Christian and against universal healthcare is beyond me.

[Quath]

Yeah, on Facebook, some guy from my old high school was trying to make the point that Obamacare lacks morality because it is done at the point of a gun. (I pointed out that public parks, scientific labs and support for orphans would also have the same issue, but these are accepted without complaint.)

But as part of it, I decided to quote the Bible to say that Christians should all before helping the poor and needy (even at the point of a gun):

I am so surprised that Christians are so against this. It would seem that Matthew 5:40,42 covers this: "And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. ... Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you."

In addition, Christians are so quick to bring up Sodom in persecution of the homosexuals. However, the real reason it was destroyed according to the Bible is from Ezekiel 16:49: "Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy."

His response to the Christian stuff make me chuckle:

As far as the rebuke on Christians, God gave us free will and scripture focuses on heart issues and not compulsory behaviors.

[Shadowfox]

Yup, always some excuse or other for non Christian behavior from xians.

Which is why I so much respect my xian friends who do live up to being true followers of Christ. They don't denigrate others, they don't talk about doing good, they just do it.

[JOwenRN]

Originally Posted by Quath

...
His response to the Christian stuff make me chuckle:

As far as the rebuke on Christians, God gave us free will and scripture focuses on heart issues and not compulsory behaviors.

Couldn't help laughing over that one myself. What twisted logic... I thought Christianity was all about behaviors, at least other people's right?

[Terry]

Originally Posted by JOwenRN

I thought Christianity was all about behaviors, at least other people's right?

Yes, the old and the new testament as well give behaviour instructions, whereas christians should focus on the new testament with its call to mercy, help and impartiality. This is such a lame statement of Quath' high school guy...

[AspenMama]

I don't even know what that's supposed to mean! What are "heart issues"? I doubt it has to do with high cholesterol....

[Dawn]

Originally Posted by AspenMama

I don't even know what that's supposed to mean! What are "heart issues"? I doubt it has to do with high cholesterol....

It sounds like lame justifications on his part to me. One of those non-answers when you don't have a good argument.

[JOwenRN]

Originally Posted by Quath

As far as the rebuke on Christians, God gave us free will and scripture focuses on heart issues and not compulsory behaviors.

I thought the Ten Commandments were "compulsory behaviors?" Are they merely suggestions,

[lpetrich]

Originally Posted by Quath

His response to the Christian stuff make me chuckle:

As far as the rebuke on Christians, God gave us free will and scripture focuses on heart issues and not compulsory behaviors.

That seems to me like a thief claiming to have great respect for property rights, but also that respect for property rights is not a virtue unless it's voluntary.

[Quath]

I notice in a lot of these cases, their mind is made up and they will latch onto anything that sounds like what they decided is justified. The problem is when you knock the justification from under them, they don't re-evaluate their position; instead, they latch onto the next quick justification that comes their way.

[marco di angelo]

Originally Posted by Quath

Yeah, on Facebook, some guy from my old high school was trying to make the point that Obamacare lacks morality because it is done at the point of a gun. (I pointed out that public parks, scientific labs and support for orphans would also have the same issue, but these are accepted without complaint.)

Governments were set up to do things people or private organizations can't do adequately--for example, providing health care. The private sector had its chance.

I was just reading something in USA Today about cities trying to get Millennials to settle in them; the article seemed to equate good schools with charter schools, despite studies showing that charter schools either do no better or not much better at educating kids in terms of test scores than traditional public schools. But they're privately owned and operated (a lot of them), so they do better automatically.

Like private health insurers.