Universal Healthcare Debate 12: Closing Remarks, part 2 (12/12)

The motion: "Universal health coverage should be the federal government's responsibility"

Moderator: John Donvan

Speaking for the motion: Art Kellermann, Paul Krugman and Michael Rachlis

Speaking against the motion: Michael F. Cannon, Sally C. Pipes and John Stossel

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• intelligence
• squared
• u.s.
• iq2
• debate
• universal
• healthcare
• uninsured
• health
• crisis
• insurance
• medicare
• medicaid
• commentary
• analysis

[TracyII77]

Believe what you want about Stossel, but I've lived through AMERICAN government care. You are deluding yourself, if you think that you will get better care. I've been denied basic care by our illustrious government because I was living in the wrong area to qualify. In order to see a specialist, I had to "sell" myself to my primary care physician. It took a few years. I am not disagreeing that our current system stinks, but nothing will change w/our government, except cost the public more.

[saucy05]

Don't you think you are contradicting yourself by saying it's very close, and then saying one side clearly won?

Anyways, i got a question to people knowledgeable on this subject, why can't we have both private and universal health care together at the same time? If people think the service is inadequate or the wait time is too long, they can go the a private provider and pay for it.

overall great debate, i wish we had this kind of debate televised on national tv.

[SuperGuitarman69]

@orgasmicide2 Income taxes will not go to healthcare. This is where i have huge problem with our general population. They do not understand government and the scams that are vast and unregulated in GOVERNMENT. Income taxes go directly to pay the interest on the debt to the federal reserve. NOT one dime is appropriated for anything else. So when you say soak the rich? It is meaningless. Always has been. Surplus has NOTHING to do with taxes. It has to do with bubbles and less spending. FACT!

[johammbass]

Krugman wants France? He is an idiot. Just look at how people vote with their feet. Who emigrates to France? Non productive Arab welfare mothers. Who emigrates to the U.S.? People who want to achieve something. France is a failing nanny state that attracts non productive loosers

[SuperGuitarman69]

@GeneralJakass he would have had another seizure, lapsed into a coma and possibly died. Sorry, I was there. I seen how there emergency and hospital rooms had hooks for saline bags and the while look of the room liked like they were treating WW2 soldiers. Seriously like right out of a movie. Universal healthcare will destroy medical treatment for everyone. We do NOT have the money for it we are bankrupt from all the other entitlements you leftist have. Math isn't the leftist strong suit agenda is

[SuperGuitarman69]

@GeneralJakass I am a professional musician. You visited these countries? I have to be over there because of my job. A lot. We have 280 million people in this country with privately owned incredibly wonderful healthcare. I was in France last month. My co worker had a seizure. The idiot doctor said it was caused by stress and dehydration. I argued with him and told them it looked like a diabetic seizure. As soon as we got home he went to a REAL doctor. They said in less than a week... P1

[GeneralJakass]

@SuperGuitarman69 Actually I just returned from Germany (Munich, Frankfurt) and France (Versailles, Paris) and their health system is remarkable compared to the US, so I know just as much as you do.

Watch the Frontline with T.R Reid. And also if you pay attention to public opinion polls, you'll realize that fewer and fewer employers are offering health care

Gallup's recent poll, "U.S. Employer-Based Health Coverage Continues to Decline" exploits the inequities of a purely privatized system.

[GeneralJakass]

@saucy05 Australia's health care

I hate how they limit the debate to just Canada, when Australia's is more friendly.

[SuperGuitarman69]

@GeneralJakass No. We know facts and empirical evidence. We are bankrupt. The healthcare in socialist countries its deplorable. I know this first hand. Obama care will be repealed. I see the leftist falling more and more to an informed public. Common sense, and integrity is inherent in normal people. Not the leftist

[GeneralJakass]

@SuperGuitarman69 lol since the "liberal" side won, it must have a liberal bias!

[Syphalis1]

@paranormal17 took hold, they were no longer able to sustain themselves. So what happened? Big Conglomerates stepped in and started buying up hospitals. Now we have hospital "chains", further reducing competition, further inflating costs... and people now get turned away.

Now we have politicians saying they can solve this problem by forcing everyone and every business to get insurance, even though it is just buying in to a broken system, and doesn't address any core problems.

[Syphalis1]

@paranormal17 a check up, they no longer knew what their doctor was charging, and they didn't care. So doctors continued to raise their prices, since they knew patients would not leave them since they only paid set co-pays and didn't care about the actual costs.

This also had an effect on hospitals. Not that long ago, most hospitals were non-profit, often operated by Churches. They turned no one away, gave quality care, and kept prices low. But as the inflationary effects of GOV intervention...