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I agree with Pamela4,

I grew up with NHS healthcare in the UK and it did a great job of patching me up after a couple of nasty climbing/biking accidents in my teens. I just made my way to the nearest ER and got treated on the spot, No questions about insurance, no worries about tracking down distant parents to provide their insurance information.

It may not be an perfect system but opinion polls consistently show that it is very popular
view link
view link . Over the past few years reforms have been made to try to improve its efficiency and reduce the wait time for elective surgery, but further reform is necessary. Its become the third rail of British politics to the extent that the political parties vie to be seen as the best protectors of the NHS view link

Draw your own conclusions - if its as bad as its been made out to be by some people, why does such a large proportion of the British population apparently want it preserved?

As I said, I agree with Espirit and idletimes....some Americans just never go out of their home towns I guess...give me national health care any time over what we have here.

I've been wondering if all the opposition to health care reform (of *any* kind) is coming from those who have health insurance, people who don't want to contribute to helping others less fortunate than themselves. It seems that they prefer the existing status quo, which is a far, far cry from anything "fair & balanced" (pun!). Do they think it's better to let the uninsured simply die? Obviously the dying won't be voting in the next election. Perhaps that would be a great way to clear the welfare rolls! But then who would they have to bitch about? Hmmm... these people should reconsider that, before they find themselves in the position vacated by the newly-dead.

What is it about people who hate change, who live in fear & paranoia, who cannot have an original thought of their own & can only parrot what's fed to them? Why can't they realize they're being manipulated by hate-mongering talking heads? How much intelligence does it take to know this?

Or maybe I should take a walk out in the yard. Stupidity & greed irritate me to no end. bbl...

Very well stated Sylk

Can't be about clearing the welfare rolls, they have Medicaid, which is about the same as Medicare but not quite as good. When I was on welfare for a couple of months back in the seventies, I had Medicaid, which paid all my medical bills (few as they were) in full. My sister-in-law was also on Medicaid, although for a much longer period of time, and she had two children while on Medicaid. They eventually found work, but lost their health coverage, since they could not find work that offered health benefits. At the time, the unemployment rate where we lived was well into double digits. My husband and I got off welfare by getting a series of temporary jobs. No benefits, not a lot of money, just enough to keep us from qualifying for any government benefits like food stamps or Medicaid.

It is clear to me that in our society we do not value human life. We look upon our fellow citizens as competitors for the resources that are here in abundance. We are fine with the idea that insurance companies can delay and obfuscate until the patient gives up or dies, as long as it is someone else that is doing the dying.

I am always amazed at the level of pure hatred I see exhibited by people who are otherwise apparently normal. I thought the younger Bush was a terrible President and I was horribly disappointed that the Democrats couldn't come up with a better nominee, but I have never hated the man. I would never wish harm to him, and yet when Clinton was in office and now that Obama is in office, I see so many who express pure unadulterated hatred for both; Clinton then and Obama now. What is motivating such extreme feelings? I just truly do not understand it at all. I know that no President could be more damaging to the freedoms we have enjoyed than President George W. Bush. His administration looked for every way possible to curtail the civil liberties we have enjoyed since the birth of this nation, yet the people who call Obama marxist, communist, socialist seem astoundingly unaware of the increased level of government intrusion into our lives that the nominally conservative President Bush presided over.

So frustrating, I want them to pass the health care bill, yes I know they will skrew it up in someway, some how we will manage even if it costs us a few more dollars. to cover everyone is the right thing to do, so why is JESUS name used to promote hate?

""IF" Government Controled Health Care is sooo Great, then Why hasn't it Passed Already ??"

It already has twice, it is called Medicare and VA health benefits .

Zdungz is spreading the same vile anti Obama rhetoric that we are hearing from those who no longer represent the Republican party. It is hard to use the term far left liberals when you quote Sarah Palin, Michelle Bachman, Rush Limbaugh, Shawn Hannity and Glen Beck. You can not get any more extreme then those people.

This country would benefit from a national health care bill. Living should not be a privilege of the rich.

If in fact we are as bad as some statistics may suggest.....why would ANYONE come to the U.S. for medical care?

Simple answer, they would not.

Any of the statistics quoted have many many inputs and rely on a comprehensive reporting of all actual numbers.....

Having said that, in most western countries we may well see that, assuming a consistent reporting system; however outside the G7 we may not see that, leading to skewed numbers.....

That is a subject for one or more separate threads, not here, as the many variables may lead to hundreds of replies.....

The subjects of benefits, deficits, taxes, etc., as they relate to health care so-called reform should also be separate as there may be many heated replies.....

Now, as to "living as a privilege of the rich".....

Doggone, that means that all those - UNION - people that have what are called "Cadillac" health plans.....and that is just a single example.....

They are obviously some of the super-rich as they have these plans and must be PUNISHED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wait a minute.....don't they support the brain-dead, hypocritical, ultra-liberal DEMOCRATS????????

Know what folks? Republicans and Democrats - by and large - are NOT that different.....oh sure there are some differences of opinion, but not so much as to tear the country apart as the so-called leadership in Congress appears to be trying to do.....

Stay more the middle of the road.....study the health care so-called reform - including - the CBO analysis.....

If anyone and I mean anyone, tells you not to read for yourself, reject them and go read for yourself.....

Oh, and also check the census projections of population.....

Read the bills and read the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) analysis of the bills.....
www.opencongress.org
www.cbo.gov