This was actually posted on a friends facebook page:
“Just heard the most remarkable statement by a Russian native on CNN. Could not believe CNN didn’t edit it. Old Russian woman “You American people don’t understand, you need to listen what they are telling you! I have lived it, this is exactly how Communism works! It is becoming the Soviet Union all over again.” wow!”
This friend is a good guy. But he is also a hard-core conservative and has no realization that something good can come of this or that he is believing and repeating the panicked rhetoric and other unfounded reactions of other conservatives and Republicans. He jumped on the chance to use CNN instead of Fox News as his source but I wanted to see this video for myself and cannot find this relevant evidence on CNN, Cnn.com or even youtube. Remember the Republicans… you know the entire party that did not participate in the creation of the healthcare reform bill because they were not in control and resented the Democrats being in charge and doing something for Americans instead of acting on behalf of Insurance companies, Health Management Organizations and Pharmaceutical Conglomerates. The Republicans are more interested in playing a blame game to try to regain political control instead of actually being bipartisan and participate in creating this bill. It is so sad that their “power in Washington” is more important to them than trying to actually do some good for Americans. Since they could not get their DEMANDS all the time… they took their ball and went home!! Sen. John McCain vows, “There will be no cooperation for the rest of the year,” McCain said during an interview Monday on an Arizona radio affiliate. “They have poisoned the well in what they’ve done and how they’ve done it.” *(2) He earlier said, “The first casualty of the Democratic health care bill will be immigration reform. If the health care bill goes through this weekend, that will, in my view, pretty much kill any chance of immigration reform passing the Senate this year.” *(3) Talk about sour grapes and a bad sport!! And he was a presidential candidate. Why can’t politicians just represent their constituents and quit representing their party affiliation? I say this to Democrats as well. The PARTY POLITICS HAS TO STOP!! How sincere was the invitation from the Democrats for the Republicans to join the debate? But the Republicans should not have cried and gave up to only change their game plan to traditional party politics. Both parties together could have created a better plan… but I am happy we have something. I also hope the Republican party makes comments soon that John McCain does not speak for all Republicans and there will be a real effort to do more great things for Americans now this bitter fight is over.
Also England has had socialized Medicine since 1911 for all workers over 16 and in 1948 extended the system to the entire population. Last I checked… socialized healthcare has made England neither Communist nor Socialist. England remains a capitalist democracy. In an international comparative study of the health care systems in six countries (Australia, Canada, Germany, New Zealand and the United States), the British health care system was ranked in first place for quality of care. It also gained first rank position for equity and efficiency and a top place ranking for performance overall.*(1) Amidst all the misinformation about Canada’s universal healthcare system (also called Medicare) which began nationwide in 1966, 43 years later Canada is still not Socialist or Communist. 85.2% of Canadians reported that they were “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with the way health care services are provided in their country and an even higher number (89.8%) rated their physician in the same way though slightly lower ratings were awarded to hospitals (79.9% being “satisfied” or “very satisfied”) *(4) I bet you could not find 85% of Americans to be satisfied with anything much less healthcare!! lol Israel established socialized healthcare since the country was established in 1948 and it remains the sole democracy in the Middle East, well the sole democracy until America leaves Iraq and Afghanistan. lol
The next issue with this argument – the healthcare reform bill is not socialism!! lol Or it is not any more socialist than the police forces, fire protection, public education or city water systems used in the United States. These are all services that are funded by taxes and are shared by citizens. So why would medical services be considered socialist if these other well established and accepted services are not considered socialist systems? When politicians use words like socialism to describe anything… it is only to cause fear and panic because their argument is to weak to stand on its own. It also displays to the educated they do not understand the meaning of the words they are using!! lol
This is where I get ugly…. sorry…. but a day or two before my friend posted that status message on facebook he explained to me as a father, he is concerned for his son. That is understandable. Fathers want the best for their kids. But what about that father with a sick child that has fallen in the cracks, is uninsured and wants desperately to help his son, daughter, or even his wife but has no insurance or access to healthcare? What about a kid with a serious illness like Spina Bifida, Juvenile Diabetes or Leukemia ….. he or she has a pre-existing condition for life and will make his or her having insurance after he is grown nearly impossible in the current healthcare system. What about the caps insurance places on treatment of costly illnesses like Multiple Sclerosis or cancer? How is the healthcare reform bad in these situations? ….. Because sadly, my friend and a lot of Americans are not concerned with that other father… he is not concerned about the pre-existing condition that child will live with long after he or she leaves his or her father’s house…. he is not concerned about the caps on treatments for illnesses like Multiple Sclerosis or Cancer…. he is only concerned with how he feels NOW and is not open to think beyond what he has been taught and believes because as a conservative he is more concerned about his politics. HE is in a position as a father to protect his child by supporting the healthcare reform bill, help his unemployed neighbor or even a sick former co-worker. I do not say “he” like “he” is the only one! He is typical of Americans… he is scared… they are scared.
Change is hard and yes, even frightening. I also feel they are scared of the 1/2 black, Democratic President that has accomplished something that his predictors have been unsuccessful at achieving and OMG what happens when a President can accomplish things with the cooperation of Congress? We only have to look to the Bush administration that has left us in 2 wars that has cost more than this healthcare reform will cost, Bush started the big Bailouts for the banks and the economy was crap when Obama inherited his office. Bush accomplished this with his same party controlled Congress. So a President getting what he wants from Congress is not new…. but a Democrat President getting what he wants is new!! Keep it up President Obama – keep fighting for me and the other Americans that have not been able to afford to buy our influence in Washington D.C.!!
I have been that uninsured person with a chronic illness and I want no one to be in that same or even a similar situation. I want to ask the Americans that are upset about the healthcare reform bill to just take one second to realize they can be happy for the ones this will help – even if it is not them! But if they take the time to learn what the bill is… they will see it is good, the U.S. will not become socialist or communist as a result and most of all – we can share even healthcare in a country as great as the United States of America. Others do not have to be WITHOUT insurance so others CAN have insurance. Americans are not as selfish and uncaring as they are presenting themselves to be to the rest of the world with this issue… Americans need to think, read and learn about this (and other) issues without trusting only one news source like CNN, Fox News or even The Daily Show. But I do kind of like they are getting a taste of the fear I lived with, without having an actual bad situation at hand. But they are getting the taste without having to eat the whole meal I have choked on for 2 years.
President Kennedy said, “Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” I change that just a little to say, Americans ask not what I can do for myself, ask what can we do for each other. Americans may be afraid of change… I was afraid there would be no change and I thank GOD there is a change!
I feel there is Hope Again for a New way of life for the forgotten Americans!!
Although almost 90% of my blog is opinion, I try not to rely on rhetoric… I try to show where information I consider relevant comes from lol Sources below:
*(1) Davis, Karen; Cathy Schoen et. al. (May 2007). “MIRROR, MIRROR ON THE WALL: AN INTERNATIONAL UPDATE ON THE COMPARATIVE PERFORMANCE OF AMERICAN HEALTH CARE”
*(3) http://www.tnr.com/blog/jonathan-chait/vengeance-will-be-mccains
*(4) “Healthy Canadians: Canadian government report on comparable health care indicators”
Thomas Johnston 