Sarah Palin: Completely bat****

[Imran Siddiqui]

1. There is NO single payer in any of the pieces of legislation that might be passed. The public option envisioned by the House is expected by the CBO to have ~10 million people by the end of the decade. That is far less than the number of people currently enrolled in Medicare. Even if the public option became the dominant payer in the market, Caribou Barbie would still be able to purchase private insurance to cover her kid (see, i.e. the UK). Or she could pay for the treatment out of pocket.

Not even that (which is all true), but the public option may be on its way out as well, meaning everything will go through insurance companies, via the government, meaning absolutely nothing close to a single payer.

[Kidlicious]

[Q=Kidicious;5661957]

No, the death panels aren't the consultations. The death panels are the bureaucrats who decide from afar which medicines and treatments and patients will get funded.

When there aren't enough resources decisions like that have to be made. For example, when a ship is sinking the women and children get the life rafts first.[/Q]The resources aren't scarce and the ship isn't sinking, not in the US. In Canada and Britain, yes, the resources are scarce because the bureaucrats decided not to pay for enough equipment and medicine and man-hours to treat the people placed in their charge.

Canada's health ministry just announced they've cancelled 6000 scheduled surgeries because they've decided they don't want to pay for them. See how much fun socialized medicine can be?

Resources are scarce. There aren't enough people, medicine or machines to give everyone the health care that they demand. With the free market people are excluded from health care through the price mechanism. Hence, the rising cost of health care.

[KrazyHorse]

at the thought that medical care is a free market in the US

[Imran Siddiqui]

SHHHHH!

Kid vs Straybow could have been epic!

[KrazyHorse]

[Blaupanzer]

No price mechanisms around here, boss. At least not as long as we keep the islamic, terrorist, communist, and liberal guys from actually doing anything they were elected to do. My God!

[Kidlicious]

at the thought that medical care is a free market in the US

Are you a libertarian now or something?

[KrazyHorse]

Are you retarded?

A market where:

1) The government subsidizes employer purchase of health insurance to the tune of 50+% (when you include federal, state, local and payroll taxes)

2) Entry by new participants is controlled by a guild structure straight out of the middle ages

3) Half of the market is composed of direct government purchases

4) There are a whole host of other product market regulations

This is a free market?



Not to say that a completely free market would be ideal; there are good reasons to protect those unfortunate enough to have been born with chronic conditions and those who cannot pay for their own care. But to claim that the medical care market in the US is ANYTHING LIKE a free market is ridiculous on its face. ****.

[Kidlicious]

But to claim that the medical care market in the US is ANYTHING LIKE a free market is ridiculous on its face. ****.

Oh so now it's socialized medicine? Nothing like a free market? You really must be a libertarian. Figures.

[DirtyMartini]

I like the 80 year olds at the Town Halls screaming and shaking their canes "I'll be damned if I want socialized medicine!".

[Imran Siddiqui]

Oh so now it's socialized medicine? Nothing like a free market? You really must be a libertarian. Figures.

You are such a complete ******. I bet you also agreed with President Bush when he said "if you are not with us, you are with the terrorists", since you so obviously can only see things in terms of black and white.

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

I like the 80 year olds at the Town Halls screaming and shaking their canes "I'll be damned if I want socialized medicine!".

Your right but screaming "I don't want any MORE socialized medicine at the expense of MY socialized medicine doesn't have the same hyperbolic ring."

[DirtyMartini]

Your right but screaming "I don't want any MORE socialized medicine at the expense of MY socialized medicine doesn't have the same hyperbolic ring."

You give old crackpots waaaaayyyy too much credit.

[Kidlicious]

You are such a complete ******. I bet you also agreed with President Bush when he said "if you are not with us, you are with the terrorists", since you so obviously can only see things in terms of black and white.

You wouldn't know any other color besides black and white if it hit you in the face. I used the term "free market" to compare it to socialized medicine. I never said it was a free market in the way libertarians use the term. It's incredible that you can't grasp that.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Your right but screaming "I don't want any MORE socialized medicine at the expense of MY socialized medicine doesn't have the same hyperbolic ring."

"I want my patriotic socialized Medicare and don't you be taking it away, Commie!"