For the last 100 years or so, progressive politicians have sought to provide all Americans with safe, responsive and FREE health care. We can send rockets into deep space, fight wars of attrition but without cause, stockpile enough nuclear bombs to devastate the entire planet a dozen times over, build weapons systems that are over priced, under developed and ultimately ineffective (see the F-22), but we cannot afford to guarantee every citizen in this country quality health care.
As a result, nearly 45,000 people die each year directly related to their inability to pay for health insurance. These deaths, by and large, are accompanied by immense suffering and a total lack of individual dignity. Many of these lives are “crude, nasty, brutish and short.” Over 47.2 million people in this country do not have health insurance, making it almost guaranteed that they will not seek a doctor’s care until the proverbial die is cast and there is nothing left to be done(1).
In addition, every man, woman, and child in the USA pays out over $4,178 yearly in health care costs. Switzerland is second at $2,425 and the UK is last at $1,461. Only the USA and South Africa fail to provide a national health care program for its citizens amongst developed nations. Further, non-profit insurance companies are disappearing here while the for profit companies are booming, controlling more of the available market while oftentimes limiting competition even to the point of monopoly(2).
The US stands an embarrassing 26th in infant mortality while many smaller and poorer countries do significantly better in this regard. We are also 24th in pure life expectancy, easily out distanced by nearly every developed country in the world (3).
The new health care reform bill passed by the Democrats this spring is certainly a step in the right direction, but a pitiful one. Even now States are aligning to fight this new law, refusing to support citizens who lose their insurance due to pre-existing conditions or chronic diseases.
This is simply unacceptable. We can, and must, do better. No human being should be consigned to die like a dog in the street because he didn’t have a job that offered health care. For a country that fancies itself to be Christian and compassionate, we are little more than selfish, disinterested and cruel. I have heard it said that the poorest citizens of France live longer and healthier lives than the richest citizens in the USA. Isn’t that a damning statement of this country, Sarah Palin or Rush Limbaugh or Mitch McConnell?
Yesterday I saw a political cartoon of a business guru leaving his office only to see a homeless man dying in the street. He determines ignominiously that he hasn’t the time or inclination to help this unfortunate, but he hurries home to discover on Facebook that someone needs imaginary fertilizer for her imaginary farm on imaginary Farmville(4) He prepares to ‘sacrifice’ his ‘critical’ time to meet this ’critical’ need. What a sad commentary. Why are we racing backward toward the middle ages? Why are we still so despicable as a nation? Why are we still so crazy after all these years?
Source of article is OpenScandal.com
1. US Census Bureau, 2000.
2. Ayres, Stephen, Health Care in the United States, 1996
3. World Health Organization, 1997-99.
4. The Watertown Daily Times, May 4, 2010.