We Don't Get What We Pay For
There is an article in this morning's New York Times about a study being released today on the state of health care in America. In a nutshell, the Commonwealth Fund study shows that despite the fact that we pay more for care in this country than in most other industrialized nations, the quality of care does not measure up.
While this simple statement would be readily apparent to the millions of people struggling to pay for basic medical care or to senior citizens choosing between paying for their prescription drugs and their groceries, it is also important to quantify the disparity. It is yet another sign pointing to how badly we need to universal health care coverage.
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The only way we'll get value for payment
is two-pronged; it is essential that the simple greed factor be removed from Patient care. IN ORDER TO DO THIS THE POWER OF THE AMA-FDA--BIG PHARMA-"INSURANCE" CARTEL MUST BE DESTROYED, AND A SUFFICIENT SUPPLY OF HOSPITALS BE RESTORED. This can be done. First, ALL forms of Medicine must be allowed. Allopathic Medicine, which NEVER tries to cure ANYTHING, but which relies on suppression of symptoms, preferably expensively, must no longer be the ONLY "Approved" Medicine. Naturopathy, Homeopathy, Chiropractic, Orthomolecular Medicine, Rife and Reich techniques, and other "Alternative and Complementary" modalities, WHICH DO TRY FOR CURES - AND MAINLY GET THEM! must be allowed and encouraged. I'd much rather take a few vitamins and herbs cheaply to cure an ailment, than take a prescription drug expensively that will maybe make me feel better without helping the underlying cause, (and maybe kill me!) Makes sense, no?
And second, re-enact Hill-Burton, so that we have an adequate supply of Hospitals - but make it part of the enactment that it is NOT necessary for EVERY Hospital to have ALL the new expensive diagnostic toys - THAT idea is what is mainly bankrupting modern hospitals. Limit the acquisition of such gadgets as MRIs, PESs, CATs, etc. to one in ten regional hospitals, and make it a proviso that such new technology be acquired ONLY on the existence of in-house CASH reserves to pay for it! Do these two things and you have cured the problem. Also restore "Fee for Service" and destroy the hugely profitable insurance business that is bankrupting the Nation and contributing NOTHING to its Health. Emphasize PREVENTION, and allow vitamin and herb companies to tell the TRUTH about their products. Henry Waxman won't like that, but he is an FDA zealot, and the FDA is the enforcement arm of the AMA-Pharma Cartel, which has lately proven to be totally incompetent. Abolish it, and replace it with something like Wiley's Bureau of Chemistry. Change its title to "Federal Drug Administration," cut its budget by 90% and give oversight over FOOD (including vitamins, minerals, and herbs) to Agriculture, where it belongs!
Do the above, and you'll restore Health to the population, and also make it a lot less expensive!
Seder and Siegelman = Excellent Interview
Fast Forward to about 10 minutes
listen/watch here
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You can lead a republican to the truth, but you can't make him think it...
Bush dictator for life...
Front group associated with Cheney calls for Bush to be dictator... for life...
Buckle up kiddies. I am cranky and this is not making things better:
Family Security Matters a neo-conservative based think tank has published an article advocating that George W. Bush should be a dictator for life. The organization has since taken the article down, but is still viewable via this cached link.
Conquering the Drawbacks of Democracy: By Philip Atkinson
The article written by Philip Atkinson states that Bush would fail his country by becoming an ex-President or can achieve greatness by becoming President-for-Life Bush in order to bring sense to Congress and sanity to the Supreme Court. Atkinson is bluntly advocating that Bush should become dictator for life with these outrageously anti-American statements.
From the article:
President Bush can fail in his duty to himself, his country, and his God, by becoming “ex-president” Bush or he can become “President-for-Life” Bush: the conqueror of Iraq, who brings sense to the Congress and sanity to the Supreme Court. Then who would be able to stop Bush from emulating Augustus Caesar and becoming ruler of the world? For only an America united under one ruler has the power to save humanity from the threat of a new Dark Age wrought by terrorists armed with nuclear weapons.
Atkinson also advocates that Bush should get rid of everyone in Iraq through military force and repopulate the country with Americans.
From the article:
If President Bush copied Julius Caesar by ordering his army to empty Iraq of Arabs and repopulate the country with Americans, he would achieve immediate results: popularity with his military; enrichment of America by converting an Arabian Iraq into an American Iraq (therefore turning it from a liability to an asset); and boost American prestiege while terrifying American enemies.
Although these statements by Atkinson are completely insane and entirely anti-American, the author also shows complete ignorance as to the type of government the United States is supposed to be. The author states that Bush is a victim of Democracy when in fact the United States is not a Democracy.
From the article:
Yet in 2007 he is generally despised, with many citizens of Western civilization expressing contempt for his person and his policies, sentiments which now abound on the Internet. This rage at President Bush is an inevitable result of the system of government demanded by the people, which is Democracy.
The inadequacy of Democracy, rule by the majority, is undeniable – for it demands adopting ideas because they are popular, rather than because they are wise. This means that any man chosen to act as an agent of the people is placed in an invidious position: if he commits folly because it is popular, then he will be held responsible for the inevitable result. If he refuses to commit folly, then he will be detested by most citizens because he is frustrating their demands.
Although I do agree that Democracy is a horrible form of government, Atkinson's argument holds no water since we do not have a Democracy in this country. The United States is in fact a Constitutional Republic, so it is not possible for Bush to be a victim of Democracy.
Unfortunately, Atkinson might get his wish of a Bush dictatorship. The HSPD-20/NSPD-51 directives issued by Bush states that the President is to have complete control over all three branches of government during a catastrophic emergency. In addition, the Department of Homeland Security plans for continuity of government operations have been kept secret from Congress.
Either way, Atkinson the author of this article is clearly an insane individual who hates America. From advocating the colonization of Iraq with Americans as well as a Bush dictatorship, it is clear this individual needs some serious help. It also leaves questions as to the judgment of this Family Security Matters organization considering they openly published this anti-American trash. An investigation by Free Market News Network, found that Family Security Matters is actually a front group for the Center for Security Policy a group that Vice President Dick Cheney is a known associate of. Removing the article was clearly a means of damage control and it shows how rabid and insane the neo-conservative base has become. This article shows that today's neo-conservative is nothing more than the 21st century equivalent of a Nazi in pre World War II Germany.
This is what comes of aligning with fascists in order to fight the Commies. Both should have been the enemy.
Posted by Larisa Alexandrovna
click here
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You can lead a republican to the truth, but you can't make him think it...