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**Ted Striker** · June 16, 2005, 03:13

First of all the Super Size me guy is the ****.

I highly recommend the Super Size Me DVD because it has some nice extras, including an experiment with McDonald's fries.

Regarding the lack of universal health care. It is a joke. This is something we NEED in our country today. People (including myself) don't realize how everything in life becomes 100 times harder when you aren't living healthy. Having your health is the most important thing in your life, and forms the foundation and impacts your level of success more than most other factors. I would say the only other factor that is more important is if you live in a dangerous neighborhood.

I think alot of the lack of universal healthcare has to do with the current privitization whoring and "omg big government will ruin us!" philosophy that is being pushed by the people in charge. Privitization is NOT a panacea.

I think we can build on our private system and build universal healthcare in a way that doesn't bankrupt anybody.

Often times taxpayers are stuck with the bill for uninsured people seeking medical attention, anyway.

Regarding the high costs of medical supplies, I believe most people will say this is because of rising insurance costs. It seems at a first look, that medical malpractice suits are to blame, but at second look, many people, (both liberal and conservative) say that the insurance companies themselves are to blame for skyrocketing insurance costs.

I don't know what to believe. Though I do believe in capping malpractice suits.

**BeBMan** · June 16, 2005, 03:21

Re: '30 Days'

Originally posted by Frankychan
WHY doesn't the U.S. have free medical? Is the medical industry preventing us from having affordable, or free, medical assistance?

That would be pure communism I tell you. And capitalism makes everyone rich, so there's nothing to worry about.

**Ted Striker** · June 16, 2005, 03:25

BeBro sprechen die Wahrheit.

**Frankychan** · June 16, 2005, 04:28

Dudes,

I gotta agree. Lemme tell you this,

I went in to a hospital about two months ago after a surfing incident where I punctured my foot. I took some x-rays. Anyway, I got the bill two days ago and the bill just from the x-rays was

$185.00

Luckily I have medical insurance (government employed), or else I would have been paying my ass off just for the x-rays alone...the hospital visit alone was a hell of a lot. Like the wiseman Ted kind of touched one, the cost of medical malpractice suits have seemingly risen the cost of medical care a lot, but holy f'ing crap. That is ridiculous. If I wasn't covered, I would be screwed...and I'm government insured. Now, how many people in the U.S. alone aren't even insured at all.......THEN we can figure out how much the unseen American taxpayer is being screwed over.

Anyway, watching CNN today I learned that for every U.S. congressman/woman (Representative as well as Senator)...there are 2 lobbyists. And that's where big business blurs with the government.

Pardon my bias, but please explain to me why America (as one of the richest nations on Earth) doesn't have free medical aid to it's citizens.

**Drake Tungsten** · June 16, 2005, 04:35

Pardon my bias, but please explain to me why America (as one of the richest nations on Earth) doesn't have free medical aid to it's citizens.

Because it would be a huge financial burden on the government (on top of the already huge burdens of Social Security and Medicare) and would have an adverse effect on the American economy by raising taxes across the board. Just look at Europe for an example of what we should be trying to avoid.

Dumping SS in favor of a nationalized health care system would be a better idea, but I don't see than being possible politically.

**Rufus T. Firefly** · June 16, 2005, 05:17

He actually stole the minimum wage idea from a Turkish reality show, but that's cool -- I was hoping someone would steal it!

I've read that one of the later espisodes features an ex-military straight-arrow Christian from Nebraska living for 30 Days in the Castro (San Francisco's gay -- maybe that should be "gayest"? -- neighborhood). Sounds great.

But I don't have FX, dammit.

**Pekka** · June 16, 2005, 05:28

So? There is not a country on this planet that makes living on minimum wage comfortable and nice. Even if you have 'free healthcare' you still pay for it in taxes and you pay up to some point of money per year anyway in hard cash to boot it up. If you make minimum wage, you are not meeting that one anyway. In the nation of people going on surgery for fat, diabetics, etc etc, free healthcare will be too costly for you guys, even when it's the richest country on earth. OR it can be done, but it can not cover everything, just the most common basic things. It will lead the healthcare into spiral of things, some negative, some good, but at the end, it'll be the same as now, or little better, or little worse.

right wing hates poor people, left wing doesn't know what can be done in the real world and that there are other scenarios than the flower scenario when you follow rhetorics.

You think getting x-rays is cheap? in here you are lucky to get an x-ray, why, because it costs. So if you have pain somewhere, better give you some pain killers instead. When doctors are there also to save money, you get ****ed up situation where no one gets treated anymore but thrown out on any excuse. That's seriously not taking care of everyone in need. That's when no one gets treated, rich or poor. So at the end, you end up paying for it the full amount

... even the lefties in here knows it, because it's not something I'm making up or urban legend, it's the 100% reality and truth.
Oh but you have the money for it, so it won't be a problem.... no you don't.

**Pekka** · June 16, 2005, 05:42

but can it be done on any level? Sure... But what must be understood that it's not the holy grail. If you say well I'm all for taking up everyone, well that's good, so am I. But when you say that and it's not what will happen, then what good was it anyway than nice words? So.. it can be done, but if anyone thinks they will still recieve quality service for free is simply living in lalaland. You get treated for small things, the common things, but everything else that requires more than 10 minute face to face with doctor, you pay the same private sector money. So isn't that still a good thing? Maybe yeah.. but the poor people will still be screwed at the end.

**Ramo** · June 16, 2005, 06:39

I gotta agree. Lemme tell you this,

I went in to a hospital about two months ago after a surfing incident where I punctured my foot. I took some x-rays. Anyway, I got the bill two days ago and the bill just from the x-rays was

$185.00

Luckily I have medical insurance (government employed), or else I would have been paying my ass off just for the x-rays alone...the hospital visit alone was a hell of a lot. Like the wiseman Ted kind of touched one, the cost of medical malpractice suits have seemingly risen the cost of medical care a lot, but holy f'ing crap. That is ridiculous. If I wasn't covered, I would be screwed...and I'm government insured. Now, how many people in the U.S. alone aren't even insured at all.......THEN we can figure out how much the unseen American taxpayer is being screwed over.

I've had a similar experience. My sandals had lost their grooves due to overuse. So, one rainy day at school, I slipped on some stairs and fell several steps lower. And then I got up, and slipped again and landed right on my back another few steps lower.

So, I decide to go to my school's health clinic, and they do some x-rays (luckily nothing broken/cracked), and they charged me around $150... And apparantly my mom's insurance was too ****ty to cover UT's halfassed services, and I had to pay the whole thing out of my pocket (and even though I work for one of the profs part time, I don't get any insurance coverage from the school). Loans.

**Frankychan** · June 16, 2005, 07:04

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten

Pardon my bias, but please explain to me why America (as one of the richest nations on Earth) doesn't have free medical aid to it's citizens.

Because it would be a huge financial burden on the government (on top of the already huge burdens of Social Security and Medicare) and would have an adverse effect on the American economy by raising taxes across the board. Just look at Europe for an example of what we should be trying to avoid.

Dumping SS in favor of a nationalized health care system would be a better idea, but I don't see than being possible politically.

Come on, man. Ok, I dunno about you, but I'd rather take a 50 percent cut in SS for a 100 percent coverage of medical aid. Just imagine if the government paid the bill for your medical expenses, LEGITIMATE though.

All these fat ass American's complaining about back problems wouldn't get a lead cent...obescety doesn't count in my book....eat a fricken salad. But for real reasons. Sure, I'll pay an extra dollar for taxes just to know that IF I ever need medical assistance, it'll be there.

But again, freeloaders need not apply. I'd rather dump their ass on the street than give them a free ride. Obescety-related illnesses wouldn't count towards the 'free medical aid'.

**Drake Tungsten** · June 16, 2005, 07:14

Come on, man. Ok, I dunno about you, but I'd rather take a 50 percent cut in SS for a 100 percent coverage of medical aid.

I would too. Doesn't mean it has any shot of happening though, which it doesn't. Not while the baby boomers are still alive and voting, at least.

But again, freeloaders need not apply.

You say that, but I doubt that's how it will work in practice. Freeloaders always manage to get theirs, particularly with massive government programs like the one you're proposing.

**Ramo** · June 16, 2005, 07:27

The single payer systems that the Canucks and a lot of the Euros have are far more cost efficient than the rediculous mess that we have.

**Drake Tungsten** · June 16, 2005, 07:31

Which is why I'm not so opposed to a national heath-care system if we ditch the ridiculous mess we have right now. But on top of that mess? Hell no...

**Ramo** · June 16, 2005, 08:32

I don't see how SS has anything to do with this... And medicare is already a single payer system (for old people).

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