Comments on: Touching Innocence

By: internet gambling

internet gambling — Thu, 06 Apr 2006 11:54:57 +0000

internet gambling

By: casino games

casino games — Wed, 22 Mar 2006 21:23:46 +0000

By: Jim

Jim — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 01:38:49 +0000

We are so stupid about health care in this country. We rail about “socialized medicine” and how if we had “socialized medicine” people would abuse it, going to the doctor for every bunion and hang nail. The result is that only the very wealthy and people with jobs that offer healthcare insurance can afford medical care. Which means that those without insurance or money end up when very ill in the emergency room. Which is the most expensive care of all. And they can’t pay.

Tell me again why our medical care is so expensive? If we had single payer national health care, we’d end up paying less and getting better care. But noooooo — cain’t have that socialized medicine!

By: The Hairy Reasoner » Blog Archive » TOT 34

The Hairy Reasoner » Blog Archive » TOT 34 — Mon, 27 Feb 2006 05:15:26 +0000

[...] “Years ago there was a joke in circulation that said a conservative is a liberal who got mugged. The new joke is that a liberal is a conservative who�s lost his health insurance.” - Barbara O’Brien (aka maha) [...]

By: The Mahablog » Obliviousness

The Mahablog » Obliviousness — Mon, 27 Feb 2006 03:18:30 +0000

[...] This is a follow up to “Touching Innocence,” below. A blogger named Russell Roberts writes, Proponents of single-payer health care reform in the United States have long pointed toward Canada as a model for the US to emulate. [...]

By: Donna

Donna — Mon, 27 Feb 2006 01:54:57 +0000

Somehow, someday….we will have the perspective to realize that the business model [ 'bottom line' having automatic god-like priority] is a poor conceptual framework to use in designing programs which address our shared non-material needs and values.

In areas such as health care, environmental quality, and education, the business model itself becomes a destructive tool because, by its nature, it focuses on siphoning profits rather than serving needs The needs of the people who are the front-line providers [educators, health professionals, government servants at EPA, etc] and the needs of the general public who are to receive essential services become secondary to profits.

By: Lulu

Lulu — Mon, 27 Feb 2006 00:04:43 +0000

I wonder how much of the health care dollar goes for insurance, and how much for actual treatment? The American system is outrageous. It is immoral to profit from people’s suffering. The only people who are entitled to make any money from health care are the physicians, nurses, techs, and other workers directly involved in providing care. Not investors and insurance CEOs.

By: Babba

Babba — Sun, 26 Feb 2006 22:08:40 +0000

Howard, that was difficult for me to read. I cannot imagine living it. Peace and love to you.
Maha, I’m going to use that line about a Liberal is someone who lost their health insurance. Hah. That’s a good one.
In 1992 my father suffered several health issues at once. But mostly the fact that this very intelligent man had gone almost catatonic, we all, my mother and my brothers and sisters (7 of us) knew that he would not want to live this way. Yeah, medical science could have probably kept him alive for quite a while, but what was the point? All we did was mention this to his doctor and nothing was done to prolong his life. We didn’t sign anything, lawyers were not brought in. It was simply done. I wonder if that would have been done today. How comfortable are doctors doing that in today’s climate? My husband has health issues right now. He’s 65. Will I have a legal issue on my hands if I suggest that nothing be done to prolong his life after something catastophic happens. Knowing my husband would not want extrodinary measures be taken to keep him alive if there isn’t really any hope that he will be a normally functioning human being again? I think I’ll have him work on a living will this week.

By: joanr16

joanr16 — Sun, 26 Feb 2006 22:00:40 +0000

Lynne, you’re thinking of the case of Tirhas Habtegiris. Perhaps the righties missed it because she was a woman of color, and a legal immigrant to the U.S. from Africa.

I love Steve Nichols’ comment about U.S. aid to Israel, which has universal health care when we don’t. It’s all about the priorities.

By: Swami

Swami — Sun, 26 Feb 2006 20:33:37 +0000

Thirty one years ago my mother’s life was ended by a doctor who had the compassion, the wisdom, and the respect for the wishes of the family to honor our request that her suffering without hope be ended. I still hold gratitute for that doctor’s mercy in not refusing to prolong the inevitable. In my mother’s case, death was a merciful release from tremendous suffering.

I often think, when I think of my mother, what a shame it is that some crusaders pushed so hard to convict Dr. Jack Kevorian in his efforts to relieve the suffering of the terminally ill. Death is a part of life.