struck again, leading me to read the news on my BlackBerry machine
thing in the bathroom. This was a bad idea, as I came across this
nugget of brilliance in a "NY Times" article on Obama's health plan:
"They said the notion of establishing a new government health plan to
compete against private insurers seemed un-American. They questioned
the wisdom and fairness of taxing the rich."
The people who uttered this make $38,000 a year and owe $3,000 in
medical bills from the birth of their youngest child, which I think
the article said they struggle to pay. And that is the problem with
Americans: we buy into the dumbest fucking ideas about the status quo,
fearing change. Another couple in the article insisted that a
government insurance option would mean "less choices.". Less choices
than what? Crap plans that literally cost an arm and a leg? How is
it un-American to offer competitive health insurance, and how does
that lead to fewer choices. And why, oh why, is it unfair to charge
tax rates proportionate to the amount of resources that people own in
a society? If the top 1% of households in the US own more than 70% of
the nation's wealth, why is it "unfair" to tax them? Trust me, the
wealthiest work no harder for their silos of income than the average
person. Money earns money.
And what the fuck does "choice" really mean? It's a term marketers
use all the time, but when you really think about it, what "choice" do
most of us really have, especially when it comes to health insurance?
Our current choices are: 1. Take what your employer offers you and
hope that it covers your needs, if your employer even offers anything;
2. Pay over $10,000 per year for a personal plan; 3. Get no insurance.
What kind of "choices" are these?
Over the last few years, I've watched income inequality grow and grow,
and I tried to fight it. But more and more, I'm not sure I should
bother. If people don't want the best, then maybe that's what they
deserve. The appropriate consequence is that they get exactly what
they ask for. Bah!
--
Sent from my mobile device
Blog: www.cussandotherrants.com
Book: www.offthebeatensubwaytrack.com
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