The other Awards Obama will will this year...

[kandrathe]

You need good healthcare for everybody, and of course that is going to cost. The probelm here is not with the government, the problem is with the mentality of the people. People need to understand that a more social healthcare system, will benefit the entire country, and is not a slippery slope into communism. (I know the propaganda they feed you)

Actually, everyone has good health care. Perhaps, too good. The problem is that due to layers of control, mandates, and the separation of patients from health accountability has driven the price of health insurance beyond what we are comfortable paying. How do you know that the government's interference in the market hasn't driven up the costs?

And you were happy with that?

No, of course not. But, it is my responsibility to resolve it. It would be nice if my health insurance were as affordable as my auto insurance, or my life insurance. Those are markets that the government has not hosed up.

I pay for other people's health care. Me and my wife both have a nice income and are hardly ever ill. Likely during our life we will contribute more than 3 times the money that we will 'get back' by using health care. And I seriously couldnot give a ***. It also doesn't give me a warm or righteous feeling, and probably when these contributions were not obligatory I wouldn't pay so much.......and that is exactly the reason why I am in favour of social health care system (I mean social, not socialist). You and me, are already lucky we were born in a rich country.....we can live a good life solely because we were born where we were born. On a smaller scale I think it is a good thing that parents who get a handicapped child don't have to slip in to pverty but are supported through common money. Again, it doesn't give me a warm feeling, it is just what a developed country should do.

But, the plans on the table eppie are not designed to take care of the poor, and those unable to care for themselves. The plans are designed to insert government into the model for everyones health insurance. The outcome will be more people will pay more money to pay for the additional administration required, and it will not be rich people who pay for it.

I believe all pharma companies work in a free market.

Not really. Drugs are heavily regulated.

If also medical personell salaries were market conform they would probably be lower. Anyway that is not the point. The point is making sure everybody can get the treatment he needs.

Currently, everyone gets the treatment they need. Have you heard horrible tales of people being turned away from hospitals? I think it is quite the opposite. Hospitals in the US are usually required by law to treat anyone who comes to the door.

That is a problem of how you wish to receive tax money. This has nothing to do with how you spend tax-money. On president uses the money to go to war (although he actually just uses it to pay, via a different route, his oil and wepons selling friends) and another president uses it for health care. But both are cases of spending. You are talking about your problems with receiving taxes......your point is the less taxes teh happier I am, and that is your right, I just think that the US if they wanted could invent a working system for health care.

Yes, and no. I want our US government to focus on the problems of a republic, and to try to live within a balanced budget. Any money they tax is a sap on productivity (otherwise would be spent or invested). I want what taxes they do need to be equitably administered, and not on products that are required for sustenance (food, medicine, health care, your first X-KWh a month).

If they choose to do so is up to the voters.

Perhaps. I doubt the vast majority of American voters care or know as much as you or Jester do.