The battle cry against health care reform echos through Congress and the talking heads of the right wing media as: "How will it (health care reform) be paid for?" This rhetorical question is never answered in a positive manner, as if there are no answers other than more of the same. The sooth sayers of doom would rather do nothing about health care than accept the status quo. Allow more than 100 million of our citizens do without adequate health care while all of those working for government are given subsidized health care. If all local, state, federal employees are counted plus all elected officials plus all veterans, plus all active military, plus all medicaid recipients, plus all medicare recipients the total now covered by some form of tax payer subsidized health care must exceed 150 million people (about half the USA population).
More than 17% of our gross national budget of $13-14 trillion dollars is annually spent on health care in the USA. This is more than double the percentage spent in countries that have universal, single payer health care for all of their people. Nonetheless, countries that have universal single payer health care have better health care outcomes as measured by recoveries and overall quality of health and everyone has access. England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales. and all Great Britain surpasses our country as do Germany, France, Brussels, Spain,Canada, Japan, Norway, Denmark, Holland, Sweden and all economically advanced countries of the world. Ours is the only advanced country that fails to provide health care for all citizens paid by taxes. We seem to have more important priorities, mainly war and military objectives that must be paid before such silly purpose as universal health care be supported.
The cost of the Iraq War alone, since 2002 is nearly $700 billion dollars, and our world wide military expenditures exceed $2 trillion dollars annually when all related expenditures are included (VA, CIA, many hundreds of world-wide military bases, military reserve and national guard, weapon procurement and development, military pensions and disabilities, Pentagon, NSA, and untold secret expenditures). Including World War II, the total cost of all USA war related expenditures easily exceeds $500 trillion dollars in todays dollar, or a minimum of $8 trillion dollars per year.
Imagine what could be achieved with just one-fourth of this amount per year. Two trillion dollars per year deducted from war related expenditures could finance universal health care and leave more than a trillion dollars for other essential purposes. Improved schools, roads, public transportation, energy research, and ongoing educational opportunities for all citizens.
Today those opposed to universal health care claim that the cost will exceed $1.6 trillion dollars over 10 years, or about $160 billion dollars per year. This is considered to be excessive by the same Congress that allows military and war-related costs to grow unchecked and virtually unquestioned, and that is about 10% of war-related annual tax expenditures.
If the spiral of military spending continues unchecked our destiny will be involvement in endless wars to justify the expenditures. As the former presidential Republican candidate, Sen, John McCain gleefully sang during the recent campaign, "Bomb, bomb, Iran" as he danced a jig, his refrain will ring continuously as we joyously engage in one war after another to "save the world".
We have an opportunity to advocate health care for all and reset our national priorities, but only if we the people stand up and tell the political leaders that they must change course. If we fail, the pathway to perpetual war will propel our country and the world into an unimaginable abyss. Advocacy of Universal Health Care will help change our course as a nation as our sense of priority becomes renewed for constructive purposes. Act now and contact your elected representatives in Congress and state legislative bodies. Our generation and our future loved ones depend upon your involvement and actions.
4 comments:
"How will we pay for it?" The same way we do now: Those who can afford to pay will be billed for the expenses incurred by those who can't afford to pay. And the more expensive care will be rationed. The only difference will be that the government will collect the money and ration the care by force, as opposed to insurance companies doing the job.
Thanks for your comment. Seems to be that all health care is rationed now. If you are unable to pay you will generally not get any care except for emergencies. You seem to advocate a system for only wealthier Americans and allow millions of others to beg. If you care for your fellow citizens I would expect some sign of charity. Guess continued trillions of dollars spent for wars is OK with you.
Sorry to post anonymously, but non-anonymous posting exposes me to personal risks.
Living in an area that is solidly conservative (80% McCain in last presidential election), I can tell you that no amount of reason will work with these people. I've tried, trust me.
You see, it really comes down to these things for them: 1. Racism 2. Intolerance 3. Greed. These things come down to fear, ignorance, and selfishness, qualities that logic or reason can't overcome.
Hello Anonymous, Unfortunately, you are probably correct, and if so we are faced with incessant chaos. There must be an alternative based upon mutual understanding and faith.
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