I think I'm a socialist

[TakingBackSunday]

Or I connect to certain aspects of it

We're watching Sicko right now and I find myselg agreeing with a lot of how Canada/Britain handle health care...and I'm schocked we aren't following their example.

Am I dumb?  :'(

[Tieno]

What does your sister think?

[TVC15]

Everyone that is into politics at college is either a libertarian or a socialist.

[Human Snorenado]

Welcome to the club.  After you have paid your fees, a committee will review your application and send you your cast iron decoder ring and beanie.  This process usually takes anywhere between 8-108 weeks.

[TakingBackSunday]

Everyone that is into politics at college is either a libertarian or a socialist.

nooooooo

dont compare me to a lolbertarian

[cloudwalking]

CANADIAN HEALTH CARE IS HORRIBLE

[TakingBackSunday]

CANADIAN HEALTH CARE IS HORRIBLE

Is it?  Well then I'll take your word for it.

I mean, this is Michael Moore and all.

[Human Snorenado]

CANADIAN HEALTH CARE IS HORRIBLE

I'm sure it beats my US healthcare.  Oh wait, I don't have any.  So it definitely beats it.

How's healthcare in Switzerland?

[cloudwalking]

if you like waiting for a month to get an x-ray then i guess it's just dandy

[cloudwalking]

CANADIAN HEALTH CARE IS HORRIBLE

How's healthcare in Switzerland?

seems pretty good so far in my limited experience. health care isn't free here, but it IS mandatory. that means it doesn't matter if you're a rich motherfucker or a dirty poor... you still have to pay for health insurance. it is illegal not to have health insurance here.

however, what you pay is pretty flexible and you can change your premium and deductible depending on how much you can afford. but since it's mandatory it becomes kind of a "necessity" here, like paying the rent or the phone bill. people just add it in to monthly expenses. and people typically have higher salaries here as a result.

but yeah so far i've had good doctors... almost NO wait times... pretty nice.

[Human Snorenado]

if you like waiting for a month to get an x-ray then i guess it's just dandy

In Switzerland?  SHEESH.  I thought you euros had this socialized medicine shit down?  Fuck it, I'm moving to France and France alone if McCain wins:

-The French hate America.  I hate America.
-The French drink a lot of wine and are in general insufferable people.  Ditto and ditto.
-The French don't hate you if you're a Socialist.  I'm a Socialist.

edit:  oh nevermind then.

[cloudwalking]

if you like waiting for a month to get an x-ray then i guess it's just dandy

In Switzerland? 

no, canada. my grandpa broke his wrist and had to wait something like 4 days for an xray. all this while he was sick with cancer. what a joke.

edit: also, because of incompetent canadian doctors trying to cut costs, i have partial hearing loss in my right ear.

[tiesto]

if you like waiting for a month to get an x-ray then i guess it's just dandy

In Switzerland?  SHEESH.  I thought you euros had this socialized medicine shit down?  Fuck it, I'm moving to France and France alone if McCain wins:

-The French hate America.  I hate America.
-The French drink a lot of wine and are in general insufferable people.  Ditto and ditto.
-The French don't hate you if you're a Socialist.  I'm a Socialist.

edit:  oh nevermind then.

Heh, I was quite impressed with Paris when I went as a senior in HS. Some bonuses for me:

-French women don't shave their pits, so who knows what else they might not shave? 
-When a Parisian high school let out, I was overwhelmed with the number of hot girls I was seeing at once... all thin and a lot of blondes.  Such a contrast to the fattys around here.
-Daft Punk!!

[Human Snorenado]

Don't forget AIR.

France

[Van Cruncheon]

hey, i have hearing loss in both ears thanks to incompetent american doctors trying to cut costs!

[Howard Alan Treesong]

Don't forget AIR.

France

I will never forget going to Tomorrowland in Tokyo Disneyland

they were playing AIR over the speakers

it was truly the future

other countries

p.s. do you know Logan's Sanctuary? that's some boner music

[Flannel Boy]

While the American debate tends to be very black and white, believing in socialized medicine doesn't make you a socialist any more than believing in public education or believing in banking regulations. Hard-core libertarianism and socialism are two extremes; you can find yourself somewhere in the middle.

The Canadian system is less than perfect, but people expect too much from the government. The population is aging and health care is becoming more and more expensive. So even as various levels of government  massively increase funding, wait times and doctor shortages remain problems.

The level of health care tends to vary from province to province and region to region. In rural areas of the country, for example, it's very difficult to find a GP.

hey, i have hearing loss in both ears thanks to incompetent american doctors trying to cut costs!

Maybe it was an incompetent Canadian doctor; about ten percent of Canadian trained doctors practice in the US.

[Beardo]

SiCKO

The part about Cuba was hilarious Bullshit.

[Howard Alan Treesong]

SiCKO

The part about Cuba was hilarious Bullshit.

go watch An American Carol

[Beardo]

I am. Im gonna dress up for the premiere.

I already have my baseball cap and  200 hotdogs that will make my belly almost half as big as Moore's.

[Flannel Boy]

I am. Im gonna dress up for the premiere.

I already have my baseball cap and  200 hotdogs that will make my belly almost half as big as Moore's.

Are we certain that Beardo didn't write the screenplay for An American Carol.

[Madrun Badrun]

While the American debate tends to be very black and white, believing in socialized medicine doesn't make you a socialist any more than believing in public education or believing in banking regulations. Hard-core libertarianism and socialism are two extremes; you can find yourself somewhere in the middle.

The Canadian system is less than perfect, but people expect too much from the government. The population is aging and health care is becoming more and more expensive. So even as various levels of government  massively increase funding, wait times and doctor shortages remain problems.

The level of health care tends to vary from province to province and region to region. In rural areas of the country, for example, it's very difficult to find a GP.

Well said.  I come from Saskatchewan which according to print outs in my doctors office, has the oldest average age of family doctors and has the least per persons.  This summer I had to go to the doctors every day for just about three months.  I can't imagine what that would have cost if someone didn't have insurance.  It isn't perfect but i would sure as hell be more happy here than in the states.   


 

[TakingBackSunday]

And yeah, I agree with what Malak and Father Mike are saying.

Beardo, you would hate Sicko.

[Beardo]

Yes, yes I would. Just like all of his movies you can basically sum it as "Republicans are poopy heads, they want you to die and suffer"

[Beardo]

Im so glad I can walk into my doctors office and get an x-ray within 10 minutes (instead of 1 month). Ahhhh capitalism.

[Madrun Badrun]

Im so glad I can walk into my doctors office and get an x-ray within 10 minutes (instead of 1 month). Ahhhh capitalism.

That is hardly the norm though.  I can see having to wait a month to get your own doctors or specialist appointment, who will then get you an x-ray then but any emergency xray is going to get done fast.     

[laesperanzapaz]

CANADIAN HEALTH CARE IS HORRIBLE

if we were to equate health care with teh intelligence level of a politician

the canadian system is like GWB

the US's is Palin

[Beardo]

Im so glad I can walk into my doctors office and get an x-ray within 10 minutes (instead of 1 month). Ahhhh capitalism.

That is hardly the norm though.  I can see having to wait a month to get your own doctors or specialist appointment, who will then get you an x-ray then but any emergency xray is going to get done fast.     

The last X-ray I had was when I sprained my ankle. I walked in and within 10 mins of seeing  doctor I was getting an x-ray.
The last specialist I went to see was for a Cat scan. Again I did that only a day after I saw the doctor.
When I had an ingrown toe nail I had to see a podiatrist. Within days (less than a week) I had it taken care of.

[duckman2000]

Nothing wrong with social responsibility, unless you're a selfish "me first, and off the cliff with the weak" shithole of a prat.

[Bloodwake]

I'm a socialist (at least economically) too.

And I guarantee you that Canadian health care is much better than American health care. Because there's so much money in American health care, the way the system is set up, the companies try to fuck you over instead of help you pay for shit.

[Beardo]

Nothing wrong with social responsibility, unless you're a selfish "me first, and off the cliff with the weak" shithole of a prat.

What's social responsibility? Oh yeah to liberals it means taking away choices and forcing people to do something they think is the right way.

And I guarantee you that Canadian health care is much better than American health care. Because there's so much money in American health care, the way the system is set up, the companies try to fuck you over instead of help you pay for shit.

Yeah, I went to the gas station today and when I asked the clerk to help me pay for the gas I bought he said no. I called him a capitalist pig and then I drove off without paying because I want him to be socially responsible. 

[Madrun Badrun]

Im so glad I can walk into my doctors office and get an x-ray within 10 minutes (instead of 1 month). Ahhhh capitalism.

That is hardly the norm though.  I can see having to wait a month to get your own doctors or specialist appointment, who will then get you an x-ray then but any emergency xray is going to get done fast.     

The last X-ray I had was when I sprained my ankle. I walked in and within 10 mins of seeing  doctor I was getting an x-ray.
The last specialist I went to see was for a Cat scan. Again I did that only a day after I saw the doctor.
When I had an ingrown toe nail I had to see a podiatrist. Within days (less than a week) I had it taken care of.

I didn't mean to say your fast service wasn't the norm.  What I was saying it that you saying it takes a month to an x-ray here is hyperbole.  The last xray I had to get, I got into the doctors as soon as I got there and had an xray 20 mins latter.  Depending on the severity of the case we'd get all those things you got in the same amount of time. 

[Olivia Wilde Homo]

American health care is great if you can afford it.

[demi]

I am. Im gonna dress up for the premiere.

I already have my baseball cap and  200 hotdogs that will make my belly almost half as big as Moore's.

hey baby

[Van Cruncheon]

ah, republicans: the shrill party of twee strawmen, disconnected analogies, polarized worldviews, and well-lubricated slippery slopes

[Beardo]

ah, republicans: the shrill party of twee strawmen, disconnected analogies, polarized worldviews, and well-lubricated slippery slopes

All of which can be seen tonight on keith olbermann or any other liberal talking points show.

[duckman2000]

Im so glad I can walk into my doctors office and get an x-ray within 10 minutes (instead of 1 month). Ahhhh capitalism.

That is hardly the norm though.  I can see having to wait a month to get your own doctors or specialist appointment, who will then get you an x-ray then but any emergency xray is going to get done fast.     

The last X-ray I had was when I sprained my ankle. I walked in and within 10 mins of seeing  doctor I was getting an x-ray.
The last specialist I went to see was for a Cat scan. Again I did that only a day after I saw the doctor.
When I had an ingrown toe nail I had to see a podiatrist. Within days (less than a week) I had it taken care of.

My mom had hip surgery, spent a week in a kush recovery, and paid $10 for the ordeal. That's with a universal, tax based system, available to anyone, from birth to death.

I had to wait four months for a hearing exam and MRI, the latter of which would have set me back 3k for a single MRI scan had I been uninsured. I'm not even going to go into how far into debt the surgery would have sent us, had we not had insurance (which we do pay for, only we pay it to private firms as opposed to a government). I had to spend the entirety of the recovery in the ICU, as there was a shortage of available beds. And as far as cost goes, we are among the few in the family who have total coverage; had this happened to someone else within the family, they would have had to pay a considerable sum of the cost themselves, due to limitations in their coverage. So, there's certainly waiting in this wonderful, costly system of yours.

Do you actually have any first hand experience with alternative healthcare system?

[Van Cruncheon]

ah, republicans: the shrill party of twee strawmen, disconnected analogies, polarized worldviews, and well-lubricated slippery slopes

All of which can be seen tonight on keith olbermann or any other liberal talking points show.

why wait until 7pm pst when i can read your posts NOW

[TVC15]

ah, republicans: the shrill party of twee strawmen, disconnected analogies, polarized worldviews, and well-lubricated slippery slopes

And don't forget:  the party that suspended habeas corpus!

[TakingBackSunday]

ah, republicans: the shrill party of twee strawmen, disconnected analogies, polarized worldviews, and well-lubricated slippery slopes

All of which can be seen tonight on keith olbermann or any other liberal talking points show.

The sooner you realize Olbermann is just another radical newsman that really none of us take for face value, the better.

[Beardo]

Im going to be socially responsible and make my fellow citizans pay for my fuck ups. Then we can all hold hands sing kumbaya and talk about how great it is that everything is free.

[Van Cruncheon]

i mean, i kinda respect the modern unstated republican ideal that poor minorities and academic moonbats are responsible for everything evil in the world because they're too lazy, criminal, or homo to do anything for themselves, but WOW HEY i like my egomaniacal masturbation to be a little more subtle as it were

[Van Cruncheon]

Im going to be socially responsible and make my fellow citizans pay for my fuck ups. Then we can all hold hands sing kumbaya and talk about how great it is that everything is free.

we're paying for republican/libertarian fuckups enough as is

[Flannel Boy]

American health care is great if you can afford it.

Instead of choosing a system that included really good health-care for some, mediocre health-care for others, and bad or no health-care for many more, Canada has chosen a system of mediocre health-care for all (except for the wealthy who can go to America). Any system is going to have trade-offs. America's system leaves plenty of people uncovered, while Canada's system leaves some, who could afford better coverage, with something less than ideal.

The sooner you realize Olbermann is just another radical newsman that really none of us take for face value, the better.

Still, he's much better than the Conservative versions.

[TakingBackSunday]

Im going to be socially responsible and make my fellow citizans pay for my fuck ups. Then we can all hold hands sing kumbaya and talk about how great it is that everything is free.

And you talk about liberal eliticism?

And Malak:  I agree, at least Olbermann uses some fact-checked sources with his rants.

[Olivia Wilde Homo]

Two real life examples of how awesome the US health care system is:

My mom needs some dental work done.  Throughout the years, her premiums kept rising and they kept slashing what they would cover.  Well, it is kind of getting bad now and well, they won't cover it.  So she's needed this surgery for a couple months now.  She can't pay for it because it is either that or miss a house payment.  So, naturally, she is going without the dental surgery yet at the same time, she complained that she's paying nearly double in premiums and is getting almost nothing covered.

At my parent's work a 46 year old keeled over in the store and died because essential heart medicine she needed (she wasn't fat either, apparently it was a lifelong condition), she could not afford as she had no health insurance.  She worked two jobs and raising a son.

So to say that the US health care system isn't flawed is ridiculous.  If people who are covered (my family) aren't getting the coverage they need despite paying more premiums and if people aren't getting insured and just dropping dead in front of many people because the business she worked at was too cheap to give her any chance of getting covered, then there is a serious problem here.

Although this is affecting the lower and working classes.  As soon as the problems hit the middle class, that is when people will think it is a crisis.  All the conservative family members that lose all their savings in nearly one swoop to pay for a surgery or a health plan that won't cover them when they need it, that is when the Panic button will be hit and there will be reforms.

It won't happen for a few more years but it is coming.

[recursivelyenumerable]

academic moonbats

are HOT

[Van Cruncheon]

Im going to be socially responsible and make my fellow citizans pay for my fuck ups. Then we can all hold hands sing kumbaya and talk about how great it is that everything is free.

And you talk about liberal eliticism?

And Malak:  I agree, at least Olbermann uses some fact-checked sources with his rants.

elitism, not "eliticism" you unpleasant bourgeois slug *sneers down nose, replaces monocle*

[duckman2000]

So Beardo, do you or do you not have first hand experience with alternative health care systems?

[TakingBackSunday]

I started reading your post, Experiment, and became confused before I realized you were being sarcastic.

prole:  :'(

[Olivia Wilde Homo]

No sarcasm, both events actually happened.  I wish it was.

[TakingBackSunday]

No sarcasm, both events actually happened.  I wish it was.

Well, I realize that, I was referring to this:

Two real life examples of how awesome the US health care system is:

[Flannel Boy]

At my parent's work a 46 year old keeled over in the store and died because essential heart medicine she needed (she wasn't fat either, apparently it was a lifelong condition), she could not afford as she had no health insurance.  She worked two jobs and raising a son.

Why should Beardo have paid for her "fuck ups." If the bitch wanted to live she should have thought of that before being born with a bad heart.  

Just to be clear, BrandNew, that's sarcasm.

[duckman2000]

Although this is affecting the lower and working classes.  As soon as the problems hit the middle class, that is when people will think it is a crisis.  All the conservative family members that lose all their savings in nearly one swoop to pay for a surgery or a health plan that won't cover them when they need it, that is when the Panic button will be hit and there will be reforms.

As my example shows, the system already shows some pretty significant issues. Part of it has to do with the sheer weight of the system, and hospital preference among patients, but the supposed lack of wait time was particularly comical to read, given my own situation and how it compares to the experience of someone who's enjoying supposedly run down and shitty tax-funded health-care.

[TakingBackSunday]

When did everyone start thinking I was dumb?  :'(

[Beardo]

It's a sad story but please explain to me why I should be responsible for someone I never have or never will meet?

[TakingBackSunday]

It's a sad story but please explain to me why I should be responsible for someone I never have or never will meet?

Well, I never.

[Madrun Badrun]

At my parent's work a 46 year old keeled over in the store and died because essential heart medicine she needed (she wasn't fat either, apparently it was a lifelong condition), she could not afford as she had no health insurance.  She worked two jobs and raising a son.

Why should Beardo have paid for her "fuck ups." If the bitch wanted to live she should have thought of that before being born with a bad heart.  

Just to be clear, BrandNew, that's sarcasm.

No her fuck up was not trying hard enough in school to get a top paying job to afford the insurances for the fixes right Beardo.  I mean she knew she's had this condition since childhood, you'd think that she wouldn't be so lazy, and would have been saving since she was 10 for the medicine for this.

[Olivia Wilde Homo]

In the US system, you could work your ass off and live below your means, accumulating a nice savings account.  Then you retire and have a heart problem.  Your health insurance doesn't consider it essential but you're near death.  So you pay for it out of your whole savings, wiping out 40 years of backbreaking labor and careful financial planning.  Then you live out your remaining years destitute, relying on medicare and social security.

In defense of Beardo though, usually the free market health care advocates usually will claim what they do until they know someone who got assraped by the insurance industry.

[duckman2000]

It's a sad story but please explain to me why I should be responsible for someone I never have or never will meet?

Seriously. Why should a selfish prick have to be burdened with giving a shit about other people?