Doug Hughes- the only problem with incremental is that real savings happen only with radical reform. Currently a family of 4 making $25,000/year with company provided health insurance spends 37% of income on health care. (dollars and sense Aug 2008) A National health care program like Canada but funded adequately, can be thought of as a tax reduction. No one has suggested that single payer would cost near even 10%. 99%or us pay more now for less!!!!

On Book-TV this morning Naomi Klein, “The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism” and
Jeremy Scahill, “Blackwater: The Rise of the World’s Most Powerful Mercenary Army” presented at the Miami Book Festival.

The 700 billion (really several trillion when you add up all the doo-doo) bailout and the proposal for the Big 3 douche out falls right into Kleins schematic. These two said that it appears that Obama is loading the lineup with many Clinton Hawks from the 90’s and that the roots of this economic disaster can be traced to Slick Willie–in other words, same bleep different day. It looks like if Obama is going to doing anything progressive it will only be because grassroots and netroots make him.

When it comes to Klein (and Wolf, speaking of Naomis) its hard for me to tell what’s shrill over-functioning (sell more books) vs. heads’ up oooga-oooga. Frustrating, that.

What Scahill said about Blackwater, et al, wasn’t new, but in lots more chilling detail. Did you all know there were Israeli ex-commandos (along with 6 or 7 other private little armies) in New Orleans hired by a private business man and that Blackwater went on its own without contract?

Other than that it’s a wonderful day in the neighborhood.

Canadian Reader, that seems to be part of our national character. It drives me crazy, too.

Dave, I’m in complete agreement. You do a great job of listing the basic pros and cons.

If it is possible to legislate an end to stupidity and short-sightedness, some capitalist nation, somewhere, must have done so by now… but I can’t think of any. Examples, anyone?

In anticipating the Obama administration’s use of the bailout money (if any is left after Paulson’s “squandery”), I keep thinking, To whom is Obama beholden for being elected? The Dems’ urging of a Detroit bailout seems, so far, meant to benefit the members and retirees of the UAW. I’m for that, but I could be wrong; a bailout could end up benefiting only the successors of the late Roger Smith.

-People over 18 and under 65 pay for their visit to the opthalmologist unless they have a specific eye condition (don’t ask me the details).
-We pay for our prescription medication, unless we have benefits from our employer.
-Physiotherapy must also be paid for out of pocket, unless you are receiving it as a patient in rehab (again, I’m a bit fuzzy on the details). Many employers offer some physio benefits (sometimes unlimited, sometimes up to x per year).
-I’m sure there’s lots more, I just can’t think of examples right now.

This being said, and despite the doomsdayers and naysayers, our system still works, it works pretty well and there would be a civil war if the government tried to go totally American on us.

What I find absolutely maddening is the US’s need to invent a “made in the USA” solution, when there are so many examples to learn from–France, Germany, even Canada.

When was the last time anyone refused to use a miracle drug just because it was developed outside the US? And when it comes to cars, the Japanese are doing just fine in the US as the American car-makers are gasping for air and on the brink of bankruptcy.

Just a few thoughts. I wish you well.

Then again, I understand that the EPA invested $1B in the 90’s to build an advanced hybrid drive train. (This from a former EPA official that was on Tweety or Rachel last week, I forget which.) Soon as Bush was elected, Detroit dropped it cold and started lobbying hard against higher mileage standards, etc. Gas was relatively cheap and they were pushing big iron like always.

The shame of it is the EPA investment spurred Japan to do the same, and they are now selling advanced hybrids while Detroit has nothing to show.

If we bail them out in the Paulson model, no string attached, we’re just putting off the inevitable. How do you legislate and end to stunning short sightedness and stupidity as part of a bail-out package? What strings do we have to put on the money to make sure they get on the correct track?

Every option sucks.

the bush admin legacy…..

I believe in separation of church and state and I hope the government will insist on it.

That’s frightening. My parents had good health insurance coverage because my dad had belonged to a union, so between that and Medicare they had good medical care in their last years and didn’t go broke paying for it. I hope we get the health care mess straightened out before I hit the same phase; I don’t want to leave my kids with big hospital bills.

WWJD? Weep.