CNN: Debating the Tea Party/Health Care Protests, 8/9/09

[noezway47]

When I grow up, I want to be a Healthcare Insurance Company, so that I can screw over as many innocent Americans as possible through denial of care and exorbitant premiums. I want to thank the bewildered bovines of the Tea Party movement for protecting my dream.

[RIPPED7399]

WTF IS DAVID SIROTA? van jones is a national hero.. your a joke.. a complete  moron

[Sharpe3884]

Ripped,

Do you know anything about Jones outside of FOX's venom. He was actually given an award by TIME magazine which was called the environmental hero award. He has won multiple civil rights awards and human rights awards. He has done a ton of good in this world and will continue to do so despite being out of government now. Van Jones is a hero in this country - we need more people like van jones to make the world a better place.

[RIPPED7399]

thanks for the reply van....

[cajunstrat]

Wow, I can't believe Sirota would post this video on his page?

Is being an anti-American a virtue to liberals?

democRAT/liberals - soft on REAL Terrorists, hard on Americans

[Plasmon19]

what do you define as pro-american?

[NoogLeader]

Why don't we get rid of home grown terrorist first? Lets see gangs(this includes biker gangs), white supremacist, Corporations that aren't environmentally friendly and religious fundamentalist(ie. Evangelist). The list is huge for terrorist here on our own soil and we nonchalantly go over seas and fight terrorist on other peoples soil. What gives? We need to fix terrorism here in this country first before going over seas.

[mavrek47]

Why do you see the GOP wearing HUGE bandages on their chins after attending tea parties? It's been proven having a very bad case of the shits is SMARTER than the GOP & their following.

GOP GOAL: LOSE 57 MORE Senate & House Seats over the next 2 elections. ~Scarah Failin

[RilwanTHS]

does anyone know the ranking of our healthcare system globally?

[dlwke2]

David Sirota is a know-nothing idiot along with the Obama-worshipping CNN host. Guess what, no one wants a government takeover of healthcare!! Thank goodness the fraud Obama and the big spending Dems are imploding over this. Real Americans are rising up against this crap!! I say they should yell and holler all they want at the town halls. This isn't time for twiddling one's thumbs and saying please and thank you. Those town hall protesters are heroes to me. WE SAY NO TO GOVT HEALTHCARE!

[cocobear33]

if i am not mistaken did'nt obama call it health care reform

[FoolWesterner]

BrianTotse, it is foolish to use the Canadian health care as an example of a working system. In Canada, you have a difficult time obtaining a doctor as almost all general practitioners have signs stating 'No New Patients Accepted'. The wait times for specialists continue to increase and provincial (state) governments delists services as health care budgets balloon. Certainly Canada shows that public-only healthcare is a worst case scenario.

[reverbphantom]

sirota goes to amazon to talk trash about those he disagrees with. fail.

[muratshawn]

This also shows how truly dumb Americans are - people yell " Leave the government out of my medicare plan" Speechless,just speechless....how truly dumb and uneducated humans are...

Republicans are against government healthcare, but republican politicians at washington,have government healthcare,and they would never trade their health care with the private insurance....how ironic is that? ? ? They themselfs wanna keep it and use it, but say to the people "its bad" u can only fool a a fool!

[muratshawn]

People are so dumb and so ignorant, this government health care is optional,for christ sake...what is all these protest,...gosh dumb fucks. Its not like you have to have it,for crying out loud. You do not want it, you can stick with your 'Rip Of Profit Maing private Insurance plan'. No one is forcing you to choose the government plan, IDIOTS!!! Pure Ignorant idiots. Freedom of choice..I am a Nurse and I have blue cross blue shield,and I for sure as hell will switch to the government plan!!!ASAP

[buddy2006]

If you are paying for something you can demand good service or choose to leave and take your business elsewhere.

If you receive something for free you lose the right to make demands.

I've been treated at the VA and it was amazing the amount of red tape. I've been seen faster at a regular doctor under my health care plan. When I saw the VA I did not have a health care plan but I felt like I was at their mercy even though it was a part of my final care due to a tour of active duty.

[icebreaker7]

What an effing mess

Republican or Democrat doesn't seem to matter they are all snakes and liars.

[grantchristy]

Look at the European National Health Services. They have good & bad points. A US health service will free industry of the costs & more people will have access but those who have good healthcare today will lose out & the US may lose it's cutting edge in healthcare sciences.

[agnosticautonomy]

"Get your government hands off my Medicare"

Sad people are this easily pursuaded. Gotta do your research or you will end up believening stuff like this.

[BrianTotse]

People living in countries with socialized medicine live longer than us, have lower rates of disease than us and their care costs LESS than ours.

What about that doesn't sound better to you people?

[swampfaye]

Where are your stats? You have none, because this is a falsehood. I don't even know where you got this from. How much longer can you live with cancer in the UK or Canada? The US has the best survivor rate of almost all terminal diseases in the world.

[BrianTotse]

Last I read, we have the best survival rates for Breast and Prostate cancer.

The highest survival rates for (most of) the rest are held by countries in Europe.

Aside from that, the most impressive part of European healthcare isn't that their cancer patients live longer. It's that by percentage, more of their patients are cured of their cancer than are ours.

All these arguments stem from the myth that the U.S. has the best healthcare in the world, which unfortunately, just isn't the case.

[swampfaye]

There are fewer people in European countries. If you took health care state by state and compared them to european countries, we'd find that california and new york suck for health care, and that you should move to Utah if you want to live longer than Japan. Birth rates are down to zero population in most '1st world' countries, so comparing our infant mortality rates to other countries is absolutely ridiculous.

[jerryleejr2008]

wrong I travel all over the world and see sit first hand. You must be talking to Obama...and he is a liar

[BrianTotse]

Funny you say you've traveled.

I have lived in France, the UK, Australia, and numerous other countries with national healthcare systems, and when I fell ill or had an ailment, I was able to get effective and immediate care with zero expense to myself.

You shouldn't tell people to "Look at the facts" if you're against healthcare reform. Looking at the facts will only make Socialized Medicine seem better and better.

[PeekyBooo]

The Media is corrupt so don't trust anything they say.

[princetonbc]

I find this entire debate ridiculous. My mother is from the US and I am in Canada. She is all worried about the "socializing" of health care so we had a little comparison between our system vs hers. I have more rights under my basic medical coverage than she does with her insurance. I can walk into any hospital in my country and get service and that last thing they are worried about is money or insurance. Maybe it is time to start looking at the facts rather than the fear smear of the right

[apostleis]

They treated me very well when I was on vacation. Ambulance, hospital and they never sent a bill.

The US ranks 28th in the world on healthcare(child mortality/length of life).

[jerryleejr2008]

Well get out of Canada and come to florida..It is full of your country people paying out of their pockets for treatment that the either can not get or are on a long waiting list back home..I talk to many of them at the Hospital..There is no line up to move to Canada sorry keep your healt care I like mine

[fastrivers]

Fact: I can walk into any hospital or doctor's office in America and receive health care as well. Fact: The wait is not more than an hour. Fact: If I have a heart attack I'm taken care of immediately. Fact: if I have heart palpitations I'm taken care of immediately. Fact: Our doctors are paid well which means they're happy. Fact: If my arm is broke I'm taken care of immediately. Fact: If I have a cold I'm taken care of immediately.

[Yabbablabba]

Fact: None of the things you listed are actually facts. Your life experiences do not = facts.

[jasonnm72]

I don't know what the average experience is for Canadians. Maybe most of you are happy with your planned system. Maybe its great as long as you're not terminally ill. I don't know. Reports can be manufactured to mislead people either way. I just wonder how well Canada's system would have worked without the medical advancement coming out of the US. When technology is developed here, other nations benefit, including Canada.

[BrianTotse]

Reports ARE manufactured, and people ARE payed to speak to serve a political end.

I have Lived around the world. I have been to hospitals in France, Switzerland, England, Italy and Australia. At all of these hospitals, me, a foreigner was able to receive high quality care for no charge.

Universal healthcare seeks to establish a Healthcare system in America that isn't run by profit margins and cutting costs and paying executives. It will be run with the sole purpose of providing care.

[jasonnm72]

A health care system is made up of people. Nobody was born for the sole purpose of providing health care for you. I want the people who save lives to profit. Apparently many people from France and Canada feel the same way, because both populations are supporting privatized health care in spite of the fact that they are already paying for government care. I read that 90%, of the citizens in France, own private insurance to cover what their public care misses. That is hardly universal?

[BrianTotse]

You make the claims, I ask for the proof.

Show me documentation of these things. I find it hard to believe that the French and Canadian systems have changed that much since I was there.

And when you say you want the providers driven by profit, you also understand that they cut costs by not paying for certain people, right? The government plan, as stated many times, will cover all diseases, all conditions and all costs of care.

[jasonnm72]

The American Journal of Public Health in 2003 published an article entitled THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM UNDER FRENCH NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE: LESSONS FOR HEALTH REFORM IN THE UNITED STATES. This article, which promotes the French system as a model for the US, states: (cont.)

[jasonnm72]

"The health system in France is dominated by solo-based, fee-for-service private practice for ambulatory care and public hospitals for acute institutional care, among which patients are free to navigate and be reimbursed under NHI. All residents are automatically enrolled with an insurance fund based on their occupational status. In addition, 90% of the population subscribes to supplementary health insurance to cover other benefits not covered under NHI."

[jasonnm72]

A quick search for private health clinics in Canada pulls up multiple articles and web sites that convince me that they exist.

And I wrote that I want the people who save lives to profit, not insurance companies. I think that the very idea of health care insurance is flawed.

[dlwke2]

You idiot. There are questions about whether those private clinics in Canada are even legal. The fact that they sprung up out of necessity tells you everything you need to know.  Besides, these private clinics are not exactly the norm in Canada. WE DO NOT WANT GOVT TAKEOVER OF HEALTHCARE. NO ONE WANTS THIS CRAP.

[jasonnm72]

Apparently, you've misunderstood my argument.

[Plasmon19]

Isn't government supposed to represent the will of the people? So why don't we want the will of the people to take over what the people obviously need? and why is it that people have such big issues with the government? Why not reform the government so that it does good for the people?...It sounds like people look at the government like some sort of monster.

[BrianTotse]

To save time, just post links, not several full comments that nobody is going to read.

Try again?

[jasonnm72]

i've tried to post the link multiple times but I can't get it to work. If you ever think you can spare the time maybe you could read my comments instead. I know it might be too much to ask.

[jasonnm72]

After a week, I guess you decline to respond. That's ok, Brian. Maybe one day you can be a US congressman. They don't like to read either.

[ilovesoup12]

Best in the world? What criteria are you using?

Quality of care available? Sure, it's definitely the best.

But you need to consider the small quantity of the population that can actually afford to receive it.

[fastrivers]

I agree that health care is expensive and that's the true issue. So, the question remains, how will the government lower health care costs by being an insurer? If you truly want to lower health care costs then keep the government out of the insurance business and have them focus on lowering costs. Here are a couple they could easily tackle: Patents on drugs keep drug prices up, and ridiculously high lawsuits for malpractice insurance keep costs high. Focus on those and you have a good target.

[RilwanTHS]

we are 37th, the french are first

[TyredUvBS]

please keep in mind that our government is supposed to represent the will of the people. that is supposed to be why we pay taxes to them. they work for us.

just as it was with the bailouts, the majority of people are against obamacare. our system may not be perfect but it is without a doubt the best in the world so if it isn't broken, why try to fix it, especially when we cannot afford to do so? we slaves are already generations in debt to our masters as it is. the spending must end

[Yabbablabba]

"the majority of people are against obamacare"?

Do you have even the slightest shred of proof to back that up?

[jerryleejr2008]

yes yes yes amen

[jerryleejr2008]

But I dont like the will of the people that dont pay tax, getting their way, since they out number us that do pay Taxes

[Yabbablabba]

Sorry but I'm calling bullshit on you too. Show me a figure that says that the majority of Americans don't pay taxes.

[fjchandler]

Are you afraid to voice your disagreement with White House policy, join a rally, use bumper stickers, wear a politically charged t-shirt, for fear of reprisal by government, police, IRS, FBI, Homeland Security, etc?" The answer is more often YES. Our government is using FEAR tactics to quiet those that disagree. The White House dissenters are called, racist, fear mongers, mislead, anti-government, conspiracy nuts, left wing, right wing, LET THE PEOPLE VOTE ON HEALTH CARE, NOT CONGRESS!

[MrCook]

Greer says, "People want answers..." but they don't really want answers per se, they just want to bring down Obama. After all, wasn't it Sen. Demintt (sp?) from NC that said killing healthcare will break Obama?

[jerryleejr2008]

He needs bringing down, he lied about Rev. Wright and a liar is a liar...sorry