KaskadskyjKozak

Huh? What are you saying??? GGK says we've been total pussies with Russia and let them have free reign. You can't be right!

Thinking people. That explains your lack of interest.

if by "giving salt" you mean to crush his skull with an adze, then YES, AMEN, BROTHER!

Lick sack, you pinko bastard.

yeah, but the 60-lb "16" year old girls haven't delivered any round house kicks to the face of any judges (yet)...

Is there a clinical term for this? I'll fight you marxists to the end, irrespective of whether I am sick of your bullshit.

I'll bet those other countries don't have such high malpractice insurance and rapacious lawyers. Reform indeed!

Nope, I'm having too much fun messing with you - our resident loony marxist.

Try the ignore feature, dumbass.

it should be obvious that I'm tired of you, ace.

Prole's man is lying in state in a mausoleum na krasnoj ploshchade.

I don't think there are enough photos on that pianoforte.

Yeah, WTF? Where are the Che posters and hammer and sickle banners. Lame!

So, why don't all the folks - there are apparently millions out there - who really think insurance companies are evil bloodsucking bastards, start your own non-profit payer system. This would be a private, non-profit whose goal was to "pool" health care costs in a fair system. Anyone who wants "in" to this system should be allowed to do so through employers, etc. Who wants to bet that such a company would go out of business before too long, or would have to make similar decisions about denying coverage as we see above. All the talk about the "government" being more fair, and solving this problems is bullshit. Either the government will have to deny services to cut costs, raise "premiums", or be in the red and take money from other tax revenue sources.

There ya go! I've got no problem with that. But what Matt wants is something much different. To solve what problem or problems? High costs? Bringing them down does not guarantee "universal health care" - which is the term MattP keeps using - along with many of the other liberals speaking out on this issue. We keep hearing about one supposedly atrocious problem after another, but one supposed solution to them all - big government.

What the socialists are proposing is to eliminate an industry (health insurance companies) and replace them with a state-run agency. this is far more than "having a hand" in the industry. It's nationalization and a move towards communism.

I was responding to 5Ks point about the left not addressing some issues. I think the malpractice issue has driven up healthcare costs but I know in WA state it has also caused a shortage in some medical disciplines. I would think ultimately it relates to the bottom line of $$ for a universal system. If a doctor/hospital/clinic pays XXX dollars (where XXX has grown to obscene proportions in the aggregate accross the industry) for malpractice insurance, settlements, payouts and other legal fees, they pass these costs on to the guy at the bottom - the person receiving medical care.

What keeps people from being able to afford health care today? The cost? What impacts the cost? Malpractice INSURANCE is huge. Note the word in CAPS, Matt. INSURANCE. Litigation has driven this, whether you like it or not. The fear of lawsuits, and of losing everything you have drives doctors to pay huge premiums. This impacts costs. Hospitals and clinics all foot this bill. Threat of litigation drives other aspects of our health care system - including what/how procedures are done and how costly they are.

Hiked to Grand Park today. Not as bad as it was supposed to be. the Olympics sucked shit. Had to bail on camping and come home.

Yeah. We know all about "transfer payments." You have declined to address any of the substance of Tokogirl's post, or really much of anything else, except your disdain for socialism. Pay your own way, Matt. It's clear that this is the heart of your discontent with the current system. You want others to pay for you in some big "collective" pool of cash.

We are getting the best health care in the world. The best care is expensive - no surprises there. There are other things driving up costs - things the left deny repeatedly as factors: costs of malpractice insurance and litigation, costs for expensive procedures to prevent the latter, costs of prolong the lives of people in poor health, and the costs of an unhealthy population. They also refuse to accept the fact that many of the uninsured are uninsured by choice - they'd just rather spend their money on something else. My insurance premiums are high. But I'll be damned if I let the government step in and fuck them up even worse. They will. Shittier care for more money.

How about citing books one has never read?

Refusing to discuss the issues is not a legitimate argument. The "liberal" argument is that somethings wrong, wring our hands, moan collectively, whine about the rich, and "big" corporations, then demand a state-imposed "solution". Not much to discuss there other than give a big middle finger to socialism.

There will always be "issues" with any system or institution created and run by human beings. Nothing is perfect. So that's not a legitimate argument.