Dennis Kucinich - Universal Healthcare

[Corporations8MyBaby]

Medicare for all. It will reduce the deficit - it will save lives - it will improve care. We don't need for profit insurance... insurance is what you hope you don't use (home, car), doctors are what we need to see more often... more use.

Medicare for ALL!!

[nohealthcare62]

Yes we all know Why U where Banned from Nev. Debates it was CORRUPT GE co. ! You would Of WON Hands Down ! KUCINICH is the BRAVEST MAN IN AMERICA !

[windy39]

What do you think is "equitable"? Everyone's definition is different. If everyone paid the same % of their income. No deductions for ANYTHING. Just a flat rate. Would that be "equitable" in your mind?

[Corporations8MyBaby]

More Aaron Russo mythology. If you actually study what is actually true (rather than claims made in movies), you'll learn that our income taxes and corporate income taxes make up the bulk of what we need to continue as a society.Russo has confused you. What you should be mad about is, after working until Early March (after deductions) to pay your taxes, you get so few services. Our neighbors to the north&south, our previous colonial lords & all our WWII enemies get SO MUCH for their tax money.

[catman1062]

we are not Mexico and Canada we are a Constitutional Republic if you think this is about money you are mistaken,it is about power,the reason you Don't get services is, the Government is to busy blowing up bridges in other Countries and rebuilding them etc. spending hundreds of billions of dollars overseas this has a trickle down affect to the States and cities,I do not like Keynesian Economics which our country endorses,I agree with Austrian Economics.

[Corporations8MyBaby]

You are correct about the military waste of our resources. Trickle down does NOT work. And you have been misinformed as Keynseianism has been suppressed since 1980; we've been getting bad supply-side Milton Friedman voodoo. It made big Corps beyond rich.

To say you prefer Austrian (Mises) Economics over Keynes is basically saying "I prefer invisible faith to practical reality".

Good luck with that. p.s. Ron Paul, a Bircher, also supports judicious use of slavery. Kucinich creates fairness.

[catman1062]

what I am basically saying I prefer limits,Gold makes Congress live within a budget, it eliminates bureaucracy, it calls for a sound monetary system. I understand Keynesism is scientific but I don't trust the scientists. We have a centrally planned economy,lower interests rates causes inflation of the currency which causes malinvestment, malinvestment causes failure,failure causes seizing of good assets by the banks,bad assets to the taxpayers,if you overinflate science tells us to deflate

[catman1062]

deflation causes recession, recession causes people to sell off their remainding assets,this causes the middle class to shrink and a loss of a lifetime of savings. mathmatically there is only so much production in our country,therfore a fixed amount of money earned, therfore a fixed amount of money to pay back loans,inflation(loss of money value) X interest= not enough earned income in the system to pay back loans which means defaults are built into the system= loss of good assets to banks.

[catman1062]

you don't believe in a judicious use of slavery? have you ever read the Constitution?, putting someone in prison for a crime is a judicious use of slavery! Are you saying we should release all prisoners forgive all crimes or are you supporting capital punishment your statement is vague,or is that something you heard somewhere?

[Corporations8MyBaby]

wow. really nice. Ladies and gentlemen check out how "catman" interprets your constitution! Slavery is good!

No wonder he's such a busy troll... too crazy to employ?

[catman1062]

first of all you don't have an audience,Catman does not interpret the Constitution as slavery is good, I see you are simply repeating what you have been told, and you don't understand what judicious use of slavery means ,let me explain there are two questions for you (below).and the point behind them is you also believe in a judicial use of slavery,thats what going to prison is...read the thirteenth ammendment it abolishes slavery except in the case of conviction of a crime.Slavery is immoral.

[catman1062]

I thought so.....

[Toota95]

Are Americans as stupid as I am seeing? How many of you have actually read HR 676? Does anyone understand how this 'free' healthcare is going to be paid? Does anyone care? It's all there, the repeal of the 2001 tax cuts. New income taxes but only on the top 5% that's middle class folks. Increased payroll taxes and self-employment income. Some people WILL be inelegible and creates a HUGH bureaucracy with additional appropriations annually as needed. NO, NO, NO!

[ubuibiok]

People are being denied treatment and almost all of them die at Local Hospitals were the County and State take your Taxes to pay the Hospital cost ANYWAY. No one said it was Free, It's already being payed for, were just trying to cut out the middle man, the "for Profit Insurance companies" that take the money and Deny, Deny, Deny all clams possible until 22 ,000 of us die each year....

Wake up, If you pay rent, the Apartment your renting is being Taxed to Keep your Local Hospital open.

[catman1062]

over 100,000 die every year from medical malpractice, I imagine that will increase under health care reform which will include at least 22,000 more deaths,statistics are a funny thing,what happened to the hippocratic oath,under Federal Government reform health care will be more business like and less care oriented with more loss of life.stop insurance lobbyists and government intervention,and let Doctors live up to their oath.

[Corporations8MyBaby]

Nothing "will be more business like" and "less care oriented" than what we have today. 44thousand unnecessary deaths every year because Aetna wants 40c out of every dollar you & your family spend. And you HELP them? Great Job Einstein.

[JrGammel]

Americans should know that HR 676 will cost less and provide complete health care benefits. Workers

will have freedom to change jobs without fear of losing health care coverage, and employers will not be shackled by health care costs. It is the single best thing we can do for our economy.

[windy39]

And...The Easter Bunny will be the head of the new Healthcare system, personally sprinkling fairey dust on anyone with cancer, making it vanish and clearing their complexion at the same time.

[Corporations8MyBaby]

You just don't get it do you? Single payer replaces INSURANCE... not CARE. The care is still private... that's why it is so brilliant.

[catman1062]

no you dont get it,we are going bankrupt as a nation, we do not have the money, we are heading towards a collapse of the dollar and a global currency and global govt. and a loss of our constitutional republic

[Corporations8MyBaby]

What is "having money?" What is money? It represents the monetized value of the productivity of our nation & it's "product" or output. As long as we have people to work and create we "have money" the question is simply this: Do we keep funneling the value of the American Workers into middle men & their Swiss/Cayman Accounts? OR do we direct it to strengthening our citizenry. From your comments, I get the feeling you don't understand economics. I urge you to consider my statement carefully.

[catman1062]

What is "having money?" What is money? It represents the monetized value of the productivity of our nation & it's "product" or output. As long as we have people to work and create we "have money"So my question to you is what product do we put out ? Have you heard of the ongoing job crisis in the U.S. unemployment rates do not reflect how many people are truly out of work,I do not mind Capitalism one bit but what we have here is Corporatism.. I cannot put up with the loss of value of our money.

[catman1062]

continued ...through inflation of our currency cut our defense budget in half and we still are outspending every one else 3 to 1 then we can take care of our elderly and sick i would rather see our money spent that way,but the affect health care reform will have is less Doctors,less care more deaths,more poor people. the more money you create the less value it has.. creating a redistribution of wealth.

Sorry

[Corporations8MyBaby]

I agree with your concerns & we share condemnation of the outsourcing of our nation's production. I find your conclusions to be quite a leap however. We already have less doctors & more (corporate) bureaucrats. There is at least control over the runaway theft of our savings & tax dollars when we "redistribute" our own money away from big business (0.5%) back down to citizens (99%). That's been Kucinich's fight for decades. I proudly support him. If money's so valueless, why are they grabbing it?

[lastfreemaninamerica]

Wendy you say the government as if it's something seperate from us. The government is us, It is you and me. It's we the people. So if we are dependent on the government we are dependent on ourselves. Let's put our heads together and dream the same dream.

[windy39]

You know it is not "Wendy", and you know the Government is not us. Why you choose to play games is beyond me. Being dependent on Government keeps poor people poor. If you are worried about them at all, as you claim, you would want to see them independent, especially of handouts and Governments.

[lastfreemaninamerica]

Why do you want more of the same? Let me guess you're dependent for your position, status, wealth, etc. on things remaining as they are.

[windy39]

Not one bit. I am totally against poor people being kept poor by Government dependency. I am against big Government controlling our lives. The funniest thing is that my livelyhood is not at all dependent on maintaining status quo.

[lastfreemaninamerica]

Windy asks who will make up the tax revenue when 90 miilion people retire. It took me a minute on that one. Well, how about the 90 million young workers who fill their vacant positions and all the extra health care workers we're going to need.

[windy39]

It is obvious you never have looked at census figures. These imaginary new workers will have to come from other countries, because they do not exist in the USA. We will have to increase legal immigration 450% per year for 20 years, or start mass cloning right now. Then, where are the immigrants (Or clones) going to live? What will they eat? Electric, roads, gasoline, sewer, water??? Where will it all come from?

[windy39]

Let's say we find all the immigrants we need. Will they be at the same capacity as our most experienced and highest paid workers who have retired? No. So we can spend billions to train them...right? and who will pay for that? This is the problem. People like the "Last free man in America" continue to spew all this "Oh, it's okay, we don't have to worry" rhetoric, and have no clue about what they speak.

[lastfreemaninamerica]

The truth is that the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer. There is going to be class warfare in this country if something doesn't give. My grandfather had a third grade education and because he belonged to the UMWA he was able to earn a good living and retire with a good pension and health care paid for him and my grandmother for life. What happened to the American Dream? We outsourced it that's what happened.

[windy39]

"The rich are getting richer". Cliche' hogwash to incite hatred of those who have worked to better themselves, by those who believe everything should be given to them by virtue of a birthright. Class warefare is used by elitist people to gain power, calling on the ignorance of the poor for their own gain.

[lastfreemaninamerica]

In the 1960s Michael Harrington wrote a book titled The Accidental Century. Find a copy of this book and read it.

[windy39]

Watty Piper wrote a book called "the little train that could". Not that it is any more relevant to the discussion than your book reference, but you should read that. Because it has nice pictures of trains.

[lastfreemaninamerica]

You're nut.

[windy39]

More than you could possibly know.

[lastfreemaninamerica]

Watch the following video on YouTube Wendy then tell me what you think: Ross Perot 1992--2nd Debate-on Health Care and who owns it

[windy39]

I equate Ross Perot to an "Ass Hair". I do not know why they exist, either of them, and do not care.

There is a youtube video called "Jorg3" by "Dark3zz". You should see it because it is funny as hell and the music is cool.

[lastfreemaninamerica]

You don't get it Windy. These people are going to have money to spend in retirement just as they do now. We could have a national sales tax to pick up the slack where it is needed. Taxes are not a bad thing if we derive direct benefit from them. Paying tax for health care is no different than paying a health insurance premium. Except that with a single payer system costs can be better controlled. If you think the private sector is working for health care wake up.

[windy39]

I do get it. The "Last free man in America" wants to be JUST THAT. Let's take everyone's freedom away and make them dependent on the Government for everything. Yes, PLEASE "wake up" and stop these socialists from taking away your freedoms.

[lastfreemaninamerica]

Ladies and Gentlemen I present to you Wendy an obvious lobbyist for the health insurance industry. They don't want us to know the truth. I say we all should pay and we all should benefit. Share and share alike. We have enough for our need but do we have enough for our greed? No American left behind!

[windy39]

I have no affiliation with any form of healthcare. The easiest way to try to discredit me, is to say I am somehow an industry insider. You could not be more wrong. That is the difference between you and I. I want you to finally look at the truth.

[lastfreemaninamerica]

Any potential tax increases would be more than offset by huge savings in health-care costs. Currently, family premiums average more than $11,000 a year. Under H.R. 676, a family of three making $40,000 a year would spend only about $1,600, a savings of over $9,000 per year.

[windy39]

Government bureaucracy will always increase costs. The Government does not know how to efficiently run anything. I challenge you to show me one program taken over by the Federal Government that has become more efficient and cost effective. HUD has still not paid July invoices (Over $1 Billion), the FAA wants to charge user fees because it can not afford to do its work. FEMA...do I have to?

[windy39]

1/3 of the entire population of the USA is eligible to retire within the next 20 years (90 mil out of 301 mil). Those people will stop paying income tax and collect Social Security and Medicare. a 300% increase in both. You want to talk math with me? Give me figures. Who is going to make up the tax revenues that 90 million people give now, and wont give all too soon? We already have entitlements we have to pay for, who will pay for new ones?

[windy39]

You do not seem to get it. There is a wave on the horizon bigger than any you have seen. A fiscal tsunami coming at full speed to the shore to wipe out the budget as we know it. Are there any lifeguards pointing to the wave and warning us? Not one candidate running for President in '08 has uttered one word. I am looking for a life boat, but all I can do is pray.

[windy39]

Welcome to the new American Financial Titanic. The band is playing loud and long, but the ship is sinking fast.

[lastfreemaninamerica]

You say government buraucracy will always increase cost. Medicare costs only 3 percent to administer while the administration costs of private insurance runs form 15 to 30 percent.

[jazzpoets21]

It's my god given right as an American to pay 1000's of dollars for my health. Why should i get something for free? i hate the idea of being able to go to a hospital and not pay up the ass prices.

[windy39]

Think about it. The U.S. Government is not known for ever making anything cost effective or efficient. So you are asking us to turn over a very screwed up system of ineffiency, to the worst possible group of people historically, where finance and bureaucracy are concerned. Can you possibly be serious about this? Name one thing the Government has taken over that is less convoluted and more efficient.

[thedrax]

The Government runs Medicare for 3% and the insurance companies run health care at 31%. They provide many of the same services but the cost efficiency is vastly different. I'm willing to take a chance on the Gov. with this one. But thanks for your worst case scenario ideas.

[windy39]

You want worst case? 1/3 of the American tax paying population is eligible to retire within the next 20 years. Most of the tax revenues the Federal Government sees comes from these people. These are the people you would normally depend on to pay for entitlements like UHC. But instead of paying tax, they will be collecting Social Security. Who will pay for UHC?

[windy39]

1/3 the revenue wil most likely vanish, while a 300% increase on Medicare, Social Security and other government funded programs will take place. This fiscal tsunami is fast approaching the beach...and YOU are willing to give the government, the ones who are not talking about this issue, a chance. Good luck.

[thedrax]

Streamlining and consolidation will save billions, not to mention the taxes on the rich, more billions. The money is there it just needs to be redistributed more efficiently. We, The People will save plenty, not paying for TV and magazine adds and not going bankrupt. "For Profit" needs to go. People that know already realize this. Now wake up and join us.

[windy39]

You mean drop my head, act like a sheep and follow your line of BS. Sorry, I know too much. The 50 mil people who are claimed "Poor and without" are 10 mil illegal, 17 mil make over $50k, and 14 mil who are eligible for Federal assistance but don't apply. Your whole ideal of UHC is built on distortions and ignorance. This whole capitalist country is for profit. You can always move to a socialist country.

[thedrax]

Sheep is what we are now lining the pockets of insurance and drug CEOs and smiling about it. Take just the profits of the  drug and insurance Co. and you already have more than triple the 18 billion that the French are in debt for. Stop subscribing to conservative BS like Glen.

[windy39]

So, I should subscribe to the liberal BS instead?

[thedrax]

Beck is a conservative, of course he's going to say that. Conservatives don't like the idea of Universal Health care for some reason. Health care in and of itself is a universal need and anyone that doesn't want to include any of my fellow Americans in it is not a friend of mine or America.

[windy39]

It is a shame you can not be friends with people you disagree with. The reason I do not like UHC is many fold. It keeps poor people dependent on government. It shifts personal responsibility. It punnishes wealth. It is going to require new taxes for new entitlements in a time where we are losing 1/3 of the taxpayers.

[windy39]

You still did not answer my question. Should I subscribe to Liberal BS, instead of what you term as Conservative BS? I do not subscribe to BS in my opinion. I listen to what they say and draw my conclusions based on my own perspective. Is that wrong?

[lastfreemaninamerica]

Let's just face it Windy conservatives are selfish and self-centered. What's wrong with everyone pulling together for the benefit of all? Why should there be profit for health insurers when this money could be used to provide care? Also, taxes don't scare me. My health insurance is going up by over $600 for this year. That's a pretty big tax if you ask me. The private sector be damned. All they care about is amking money.

[windy39]

That is the assumption. Conservatives are selfish, Liberals care. Right? How is keeping poor people dependent on the Government caring? How is a rich lawyer like Hillary, better than any other rich person? Because she tells you she cares? She wants you to have to come to her for everything. That gives her power. Do you not get that? Everyone says that all politicians are liars, then they say Democrats will fight for them. They only fight for power for themselves.

[windy39]

A liberal says they are compassionate, you believe them. A conservative says they are compassionate, you say, "Yeah, right". Both have equal capacity to be campassionate, yet you believe one over another. Only because they know how to sell you. Operate on the assumption they are all full of it, and ask the pertenent questions, and believe yourself, not someone else.

[lastfreemaninamerica]

Well put Wendy. For the record, I don't have much faith in the Democrats/liberals either. However, one needs only to examine conservative/Republican policies to know that conservatives seek to redistribute wealth upward. There is a book you can read for free online. It's titled The Conservative Nanny State: How the Rich Use the Government to Get Rich and Stay Richer. Type this title into your search engine and you can read it online for free.

[thedrax]

If you actually read about it and not just assume financial armageddon will happen, you'd know that costs, with a Universal System, would actually go down. Paperwork, overhead, taxes for the top 5% raised (the filthy rich), We already spend more than double the amount of any other country in the world and with worse results in a lot of cases. There is plenty of money and you act as if no one will be replacing those retiring.

[windy39]

Look at this youtube video. Type in: /watch?v=mU-U2ovFc0k after the dot com address for yourtube. It deals with costs. You have a problem with the wealthy, since you call them "Filthy Rich", you think of them as evil, so somehow they should pay for you to have health care, as if they owe you. But they don't. There is not plenty of money. 1/3 will retire. Where is the money going to come from?

[thedrax]

I watched and the fact that you're listening to Glen Beck explains a lot. The clip was worthless and biased. Oh and no I don't find rich people evil, you assumed that. Filthy was an adjective I was using for "very", not evil. The money is already there, we already pay double any other country. We already have it and more.

[windy39]

Who do you term as credible? Beck is on CNN, not the dreaded Fox network. Using a term like "filthy" to describe rich people gives the impression of evil intent. Like somehow they could not have come upon their wealth in a clean and wholesome fashion.

[thedrax]

Well if you're religious, I can see how you would think that way and it would be great if you could bring up a point other than that I used the word "filthy" to describe a state of being rich. I'm doing all the work in this conversation please do your part too ok.

[windy39]

I am more than doing my part to treat you with the respect you deserve. I have not resorted to anything disrespectful. I am somewhat religious, but not like you probably think. I am not a Jesus worshiper.

[nextdoornorth]

Without question the solution is 'single payer'.

Multiple payers of medical services (insurers)naturally require profits to survive. Trouble there, is that to do so also requires reducing provision of services where possible and all too often unfairly and tragically. Profit and provision are conflicts of interest. If the U.S. society were to begin to genuinely look after each other and truly leave no one behind, it would witness a stunning drop in crime and a national pride based on substance.

[lulusolomon]

Go Kucinich!

[webwalker13]

Make Congress Hear You! America, do not give your vote away. Make Presidential Candidates earn your vote. How? 1) Republicans/Democrats need competition for our votes; dissolve the 2 party control & consider third party candidates. 2) Notify, Presidential Candidates their promises & words will not win votes. Make them win your vote, by standing "Today," before Nancy Pelosi, Congress & the Senate to demand the will of the people be heard. Impeach Bush now. Start removing troops thereafter.

[Revere1776]

So, pharmaceutical company 'A' develops a single shot that cures AIDS. Kucinich won't let them make a profit off of it? Are you kidding me? What would be the incentive for any company to develop a drug at all? Socialism is failing everywhere it's being tried. Europe is suffering from stagnation and rampant unemployment. Let's get real people.

[MisterMynona]

Kucinich could run with Gravel. I don't think Paul could run with either democrat. While there are only 3 honest candidates, Paul's ideals are largely incompatible with Kucinich's or Gravel's.

[groens]

you have my vote, dennis. labour rights, human rights, animal rights--- everything i believe in as a liberal vegan buddhist. i will be donating to your campaign, & i encourage everyone else to do the same!

[cliffshill]

medicare fraud in the US accounts for 20% of russia GDP and you want to expand it.All the russians in the US will surely support you

[Strangeholm]

Go medicare!

[corvinusrex]

It is so sad, the choices for candidates we have. In a world where it seems that the average person has difficulty discerning between the lies and the truth, I hope America looks closely at Kucinich and understands that he is quite possibly the closest thing we've had to the REAL DEAL in a long time.

KUCINICH 2008!

[angel48]

the only way they can do that is if they open their eyes and stop listening to the main stream media. this country isn't going to change for the better unless we can get someone like kucinich in office.

[corvinusrex]

Agreed. In the meantime, it's like everyone is sleepwalking. That scares me more than the so-called threat of terrorism.

[madbcc]

PLEASE AMERICA wake up and vote for someone whos actually decent

[briggsmedia]

I got the chance to interview Kucinich for my Manchester NH Policy-Watch access-television show and was totally impressed by his energy, vision, grasp of the issues, commitment, and integrity. I would love to see Kucinich and Paul in the room together.

[Truthiness231]

That's my wish too, to have the best two candidates together and have them debate it out. What would be fantastic would be to have the two going head to head in the primary election; I wouldn't care too much who wins at that point, knowing that either way we'll have many positive changes.

[briggsmedia]

I am not sure who I like better in foreign policy - Paul's hands-off, strict constitutionalist position takes care of situations like Iraq, but might be a little too isolationist. I believe that he wants to cut all foreign aid not excluding Israel, but that he would do nothing to address the apartheid going on there. I think Kucinich might want to take a more structural role. I am interviewing Paul June 6 so I will ask him.

[freddocazzo]

Interview Kucinich too......

[briggsmedia]

I did - he was awesome! Searh 'briggsmedia' on youtube and you will see the Kucinich interview broken into two parts.

[foxh8er]

u cant compare him to mr. k...

[jenniferkimchi]

when you interview him could you ask him to get his flunkies to quit posting about him everywhere?

[nienna67]

truthiness, I rather like the idea of the "unity" ticket...Dennis and Ron.

[ElCarcho]

Dennis and Ron are far different! it is downright foolish to think they could run together!

[johnlepo]

This means we get to live beyond 60!

[wiskawind]

I really like this man and his ideas. America is the richest country in the world but our government is so stingy with OUR money they won't provide health care for everyone. I wouldn't mind my taxes being used for that instead of Bush's war. America spends more on destroying lives than helping to save lives. God have pity on America.