soccerdad, I had seen this at Hilzoy's place and I was overcome with tears! I cannot believe that this is the state we've come to. To be an American today is not to be optimistic about the future or to feel you have control over your life and your government -- today it is to be fearful about what accident or bad luck will destroy you and your family. So much for the American dream.
Posted by Mary at August 17, 2007 05:27 PMI've just been reading up on The Age of Reform in Great Britain (1782-1832) and I came across an article on Old Corruption.
What Cobbett and his fellow radicals meant by Old Corruption was a parasitical system -- ostensibly built up to enormous proportions during the Napoleonic Wars -- through which the elite fed its insatiable appetite for power and money at the people's expense. Sinecures, they argued, put government offices in the hands of idle rich men who drew all the emoluments, but farmed out whatever work was attached to them for a fraction of the profits. Reversions, they protested, enabled the government to bequeath offices to its friends, regardless of the latter's ability to handle the business. Government contracts, pensions and church preferment, they affirmed, were doled out by the ministers of the day to reward their hangers-on or to purchase the support of influential landed and moneyed men. Radicals contended that places and rotten boroughs enabled ministers and aristocrats to pack the House of Commons with men subservient to their will, not to the will of the people. Cobbett and company insisted that the growing tax burden that financed the whole execrable system hit the common people hard, while barely touching big property-holders. More generally, they alleged that government trade and financial policies benefited the vested interests of agriculture, shipping and finance at the expense of humble consumers.
So it's taken the US over two hundred years to get to where Great Britain was two hundred years ago! Hang on in there - in the next few years the Abolition of Slave Trade Act (1807), the Representation of the People Act (1832) and Abolition of Slavery Act (1833) will be passed in the US. Unfortunately, you will have to wait more than another hundred years before you get a welfare state (1946 National Insurance Act) and universal health care (1948 National Health Service Act). You should have remained a colony!
Posted by blowback at August 17, 2007 05:55 PMYes, blowback, while watching "To Sir With Love" last night at Mom's, we tried to guess the year it was made (1966). It was the part about the kids getting out of school and signing up for National Health Care that generated the year discussion. Yep, we are WAYYYYY behind.
Posted by Sharon at August 17, 2007 06:51 PMTo be an American today is not to be optimistic about the future or to feel you have control over your life and your government -- today it is to be fearful about what accident or bad luck will destroy you and your family. So much for the American dream.
Great comment Mary.
Yet we have so many from wingnutia say, "You control your own destiny", "It's the choices you make in life", or "Take responsibility".
It really is sickening. Compassionate conservative my ass!
Being the disabled Veteran that I am, I've been having incredible back pain lately, I feel fortunate that I have somewhere to go for treatment.
Somehow, I still feel underlying guilt for getting free medical when so many other Americans suffer without.
I get emotional also when I read about story's like this.
It really hits home for me when it concerns returning Vets who are left homeless, suicidal, jobless, the military trying to get them to sign waivers for medical issues, claims that take 8-12 months to get processed...it's so damn frustrating...my tolerance level is close to nil!
Ah...the hard edges of capitalism.
Can we say socialist Democracy?
Can we say socialist Democracy?
Hell, right now, I'll settle for strongly regulated capitalism!
The ruling class does not view this as perverse. Their gospel is that the role of the government is to reduce risk for capital and, in the event of a problem, to bail out the ruling class.
As Atrios, I believe, continually asks, who is the economy for?
Posted by James E. Powell at August 17, 2007 07:28 PMCan we say socialist Democracy?
Hell, right now, I'll settle for strongly regulated capitalism!
Six of one and half a dozen of the other. And easily reconciled with the virtues of the "free market" once one realizes that many and perhaps most markets can never have free competition because of their very nature, and so must be regulated in the interests of the public. Unless of course you think that any Joe Blow can start up his own bank or oil company and slug it out with the big guys.
Posted by sagesource at August 17, 2007 10:35 PMThat story is not only heart breaking, it is reprehensible that in this Country anyone should feel this was their only option. He shouldn't be on trial, the Country should be on trial. I hope a jury finds him not guilty.
Posted by Judith at August 18, 2007 04:14 AMIn less than two weeks I heard that a relative in Texas shot himself to death because of high med bills, and a neighbor's relatives, a married couple bailed by gunshot because of way out medical bills.
Death and disaster, that's the American way nowadays.
Posted by Mal Feasance at August 18, 2007 05:01 AMThe really sad part is that these two had been married for many decades. I'd call it an act of love. Down to 76 lbs. She must've been in an incredible amount of pain.
Posted by Chief at August 18, 2007 05:49 AMBeing from sweden and having univeral health care - i just dont get how it can benefit your society having that system of yours. I read a while back about a US carpenter going out of work because he had a bum knee that he could not afford to fix. That situation would never occur here. Who benefits from him not being able to contribute? Nobody. Certain things should just work unconditionally - clean water, healthcare, infrastructure, among them. If those dont work the losses in what rightfully is private sector (businesses, manufacturing and others) are enormous and unnecessary.
Posted by at August 18, 2007 06:05 AMThe democrats have hardly covered themselves with glory on this huge issue. Kucinich's plan is the fairest and most workable, but where is he again in the polls?
Posted by abi at August 18, 2007 07:11 AMAh...the hard edges of capitalism.
Yep. It's tough to be a Captain of capitalism. Why, just look at all the risk: There is a possibility the Fed wouldn't lower interest rates .5% AND dump $54 billion dollars over a week to prop up shitty securities. They might have only done one of these things. The risks are incredible!
There is also a risk that Corporate Welfare would have been only $1 trillion dollars instead of the $1.1 trillion dollars it actually was. Again, risky. Not to mention, what if your lobbyest is a stutterer? Why, they might say "hundred, hundred, hundred thousand", and the Con-gress person would expect three hundred thousand in cash!! Risky!
I'd call it an act of love.
It really was a last desperate act of compassion.
The democrats have hardly covered themselves with glory on this huge issue.
No shit. How does Hillary's healthcare plan differ from Rudy's? Uhhh...it doesn't.
I've been having incredible back pain lately
Few things are more problematic. And you add to that the DEA limits the presriptions doctors can write for pain management. I like it when cops can treat ailments they know not a fucking thing about.
No doubt you heard of the guy in Florida who got his pain meds cut down, went pill purchasing to manage his pain, got 8 years in prison where they gave him a morphine pump to keep him pain free. We live in a very fucked up society. It's like a mall. The facade is pretty nice but the shit that goes on behind the facade is often not too nice at all.
Posted by phidipides at August 18, 2007 08:26 AMIn-the-meantime, there is not one politician who worrys about their health care.
Posted by Judith at August 18, 2007 11:14 AMPhid, I try and sneak down to Mexico occasionally to get added tranqs just to help me sleep.
All the V.A. does is pain management, albeit in a fucked up way. Anti-inflammatory and muscle relaxers...nothing really works.
I guess I seriously screwed it up again, easy streching doesn't help.
The thought of another back surgery is what I dread the most.
Seven, I can certainly sympathize. I haven’t been the same since the Gulf. Maybe that’s a good thing, as I was never sane anyway!
Posted by tempus at August 19, 2007 01:05 PMMary " I was overcome with tears! I cannot believe that this is the state we've come to."
When I lived in Tampa about every month or so there would be an article about double suicides, where the caregiver could not afford medical care and so out of love killed the spouse and then committed suicide. It bring tears for me to even remember that.
But yes, this is capitalism. Be a CEO, make half a billion and get your health care while Home Depot stock is back down to $33. You little guys, die in the street, its the republican way.
Posted by me at August 20, 2007 10:25 AM