Do Republicans Fundamentally Not Understand the Point of Healthcare?

Republicans have found a way to make Trumpcare even worse - and the sickest Americans are going to pay the price.

Now that they've unveiled the latest version of Trumpcare, there is no longer any doubt: Republicans fundamentally don't understand the point of healthcare.

The Commonwealth Fund has already ranked the American healthcare system dead last in the developed world - and if Republicans get their way, it's about to get a whole lot worse.

With a few exceptions, the new version of Trumpcare they revealed yesterday is the same disastrous bill they put forward a few weeks ago.

In one way, however, it's significantly worse than its predecessor.

Thanks to Ted Cruz, it includes an amendment that would allow insurance companies to sell plans that don't include Obamacare's protections and guaranteed benefits - things like paying for hospitalization, for emergency rooms, and for drugs.

Not only does this amendment break the GOP's promises to protect people with pre-existing conditions, it will also - according to many experts and to Blue Cross/Blue Shield - send the insurance industry into a death spiral.

This bill really does keep getting worse and more unworkable the more we go on.

Isn't the fundamental problem for Republicans the fact that they're trying to conform their policies to the lies they've spread over the past 7 years about Obamacare?

Comments

Arrgy's picture
Arrgy 5 years 36 weeks ago
#1

They don't even understand simple, consumer economics!

http://www.occupybanksters.com/images/graphs/reaganomics/reaganomics_02.jpg

wmleidy's picture
wmleidy 5 years 36 weeks ago
#2

in 2016, we managed to elect the worst republican congress and worst president in modern history. is it finally time for america to wake up and take it's country back?

gmiklashek950's picture
gmiklashek950 5 years 36 weeks ago
#3

The true nature of the for-profit "healthcare industry" is showing itself in this debate: human well-being doesn't matter, only improved monetary profits for investors and administrators matters. As a retired physician, I believe that for-profit medical care proviers of any ilk are IMMORAL and should not be allowed to continue their immoral enterprise. Unfortunately, the American public has become accustomed to this abomination and the dark money provided by the healthcare industry is lining the pockets of Republican and Democratic elected officials. Moral outrage should be the only response to the Ameican healthcare industry. I am so glad that I no longer have to participate in this horror. I walked away from my 42 year practice, hounded by administrators for not playing the game and with $1,000,000. in intentionally not collected "co-pays" that the insurance industry demanded that I and my staff wring from the empty pockets of our suffering patients. I have a clear conscience and no retirement but for SS. I can live with it. God help those participating in the healthcare industry. They will have a special section in Purgatory and a long stay there. I loved every single one of my patients and would still be trying to help them, but not in this corrupt "healthcare industry", and not having to work with those willing to put morality aside for their own well-being. There is no excuse for our current healthcare system, better called a "sickness maintenance system". Greeley G. Miklashek, MD (retired)

PhilipHenderson's picture
PhilipHenderson 5 years 36 weeks ago
#4

Republicans hate president Obama more than they love thre peoplewho voted them into office.If they do not wipe out Obamacare then Obama's legacy of providing good health care to millions of Americans will be part of the Obama story. They want to kill every good action Obama achieved so they can say that he did nothing worthwhile. They cannot imagine that Trumpcare will become their legacy if it becomes law. The Republicans in Congress behave as if they are a domestic terrorist organization hell bent on destroying America from the inside. Trump is dismantling the Department of State. There is almost no one there to answer the phones or greet foreign dignitaries. Trump fired all the Prosecuting Attorney, which is not unusual but he has failed to replace them not even nominating replacements. All Trump does is tweet and hang out with Russians. Sick. Sad.

PhilipHenderson's picture
PhilipHenderson 5 years 36 weeks ago
#5

As to your question, do Republicans fundamentally not understand the purpose of healthcare, the short answer is they don't understand and they don't want to understand.They want to build a wall. They want to keep refugees fleeing danger out of our country. They want to get rid of Muslims in our country. They want to burn coal and send coal trains and trains filled with oil criss crossing the country. They want to make certain that every American can easily purchase a firearm even if the person is mentally disturbed or has a domestic restraining order. They want to deny public education for children from poor families. They want to stop women from having abortions. They want to build more prisons and put more Americans in them.

Hephaestus's picture
Hephaestus 5 years 36 weeks ago
#6

#3 - Your comment is irrefutable

#4 - Republicans are racists... they demontrate this quite clearly endlessly

Driven by pure unadulterated greed

Apparently, a Christain believers deadly sin

Consider quotations -

"Be it dynasty politics, nepotism, corruption, communalism, divisions in society or poverty, getting freedom from all this is what I mean by a Congress"

"In explaining any puzzling Washington phenomenon, always choose stupidity over conspiracy, incompetence over cunning. Anything else gives them too much credit."

stephensolomita's picture
stephensolomita 5 years 36 weeks ago
#7

Looking at the situation from another angle. The Republican tax cuts, when scored by the CBO, with reveal trillions of dollars in new deficits. The Republicans need the Medicaid savings to offset some of those trillions. As for Republicans' consciences, the Republicans dumped their consciences in a sewer when they decided to fan the flames of racial animus at a time when the nation most needed racial healing.

Riverplunge's picture
Riverplunge 5 years 36 weeks ago
#8

Anybody who votes for this pile of healthgarbage has the heart, mind, and conscience of a mosquito.

bollivar 5 years 36 weeks ago
#9

Dear Dr. Miklashek, Great comment on a rare, care provider. I had to quit med school and manage by Dad's business, but I still worked in the health care field. It is sad there are not many like you anymore. The area where I live, and it is a large area, is deplete of good health care providers. I called Swedish-American an abomination of health care. When I actually needed health care, I found that it does not exist. I have never seen anything like it. Sure there are bad providers everywhere. The small number of good doctors I knew dropped their private practice and became physicians for the Department of Corrections. Good pay and short hours. Can't blame them.

Outback 5 years 36 weeks ago
#10

Republicans vs Democrats. Here we go again! Neither of these parties give a damn about Main Street. It's all about Wall Street. Does anyone here remember Obama's campaigning on single payer? Do you recall his promise to get all the big insurance and pharma executives around a big conference table with a live CNN feed and ask them why we couldn't fundamentally change our health care system? Well that lasted about 30 milliseconds after he was sworn in. Instead, he went behind closed doors and hammered out a deal by which they got 30 million NEW MANDATED CUSTOMERS. Sure, they bought off on getting rid of the pre-existing condition thing, but in exchange for herculean government subsidies (now erradicated by the Republicans, which is why they are folding their tent in state after state). So, to the extent that the government has been subsidizing the insurance industry, there has been a very modest move toward single payer, but it hasn't even come close. The problem is the insurance industry itself, and a bloated for-profit health care system in general that makes proctologists and hospital administrators and insurance executives wealthy at the expense of the middle class, either directly or through taxes to pay for their less fortunate brethern. The harsh reality is that this country is going to have to take away the lollipop of "for profit health care" in order to pull off single payer. Does anyone actually believe that the Democratic Party establishment is behind this any more than the Republicans? They are all slurping the corporate swill.

johnbest's picture
johnbest 5 years 36 weeks ago
#11

If these bastards ram this bill through and succeed in cutting all of our social programs, then anyone who votes yes and anyone who signs it needs to be charged with premeditated murder, and genocide, marched to Leavenworth Prison in Kansas - like Trump's buddy Andrew Jackson marched the Native Americans and dropped them off west of the Mississippi - and put on trial by a military tribunal and hanged publicly in the only mass hanging in American history. We cannot let the GOP make a mockery of our government and our Constitution.

changeX's picture
changeX 5 years 36 weeks ago
#12

Our choice continues to be between dumb and dumber with the exception of Bernie. Will Trumpcare be a TrumpTaxation on the elderly, sick, middle class, and the poor? The current clowns make the zombies in a George Romero film seem friendly.

2950-10K's picture
2950-10K 5 years 36 weeks ago
#13

Never mind that they don't understand the importance of cradle to grave single-payer, more importantly the Teapublicans refuse to honor their responsibilty as our public servants. Thus it's possible they don't understand democracy.

We pay them to represent us, and only 17% of "us" are on board with their tax break program for wealthy Fascists.

So if Trumpcare doesn't cause voter remorse in those who voted republican, then they must be totally brain-dead. There's no other explanation for these washed-up righties. We'll maybe they like Crooked Donny's nothing burgers.

John_mulkins123's picture
John_mulkins123 5 years 36 weeks ago
#14

Thom, gerrymandering is not undermining our democracy. The founders did everything they possibly could have to limit representation. Futhermore, the famous checks and balances were there to prevent democratic outcomes. I have quite a lot of information on this forgotten history if you need a remider. Or you could read Levinson and Klarman etc
On healthcare, I find the only relevant question is this. WHY SHOULD CONGRESS HAVE BETTER HEALTHCARE THAN ANY OTHER AMERICAN? That none of you are asking this question hard and every minute of the day, makes it look as if you think congress is entitled to better converage or you are also brainwahsed when it comes to the role of the people vrs the representatives they elect, the constitution vrs the power of the people to alter or even abolish their governement, etc should they so need to.
By any ones count, we have FAR exceeded the number of reasons necessary to totally replace our governement with a democratic one, which we want. If you can't understand that our citizens have that power and can use it to solve the current constitutional crisis and current gloabl catraphoies, then you are simply buying the oppoisition time.

We are tirred of the old arguments Thom, We all need to get real. There has been a coup. Financial institutions are running amok. War is spreading. Unequality is spreading. Global meltdown is in view. This is an emergency, so we had better be talking as if that were actually the case.

Democracy begins with THE PEOPLE

Marcia63's picture
Marcia63 5 years 36 weeks ago
#15

I'm not sure why anyone can argue for a bill that will take a service necessary for the health and well being of a society and render it useless. The citzens of this country are going to perish from stress related disorders brought on by the fact that if you get sick you might just be out of luck...how does that work? How can anyone live with themselves knowing they have brought this to even one person....Like Trump, the Republicans live in their own little bubble....take care of themselves and the heck with anyone else as long as they have theirs. Makes me sick.

John_mulkins123's picture
John_mulkins123 5 years 36 weeks ago
#16

The founders did everything they possibly could have to limit representation. Futhermore, the famous checks and balances were there to prevent democratic outcomes. I have quite a lot of information on this forgotten history if you need a remider. Or you could read Levinson and Klarman etc
On healthcare, I find the only relevant question is this. WHY SHOULD CONGRESS HAVE BETTER HEALTHCARE THAN ANY OTHER AMERICAN? That none of you are asking this question hard and every minute of the day, makes it look as if you think congress is entitled to better converage or you are also brainwahsed when it comes to the role of the people vrs the representatives they elect, the constitution vrs the power of the people to alter or even abolish their governement, etc should they so need to.
By any ones count, we have FAR exceeded the number of reasons necessary to totally replace our governement with a democratic one, which we want. If you can't understand that our citizens have that power and can use it to solve the current constitutional crisis and current gloabl catraphoies, then you are simply buying the oppoisition time.

We are tired of the old arguments Thom, We all need to get real. There has been a coup. Financial institutions are running amok. War is spreading. Unequality is spreading. Global meltdown is in view. This is an emergency, so we had better be talking as if that were actually the case.

John_mulkins123's picture
John_mulkins123 5 years 36 weeks ago
#17

Thom, gerrymandering is not undermining our democracy. they possibly could have to limit representation. Futhermore, the famous checks and balances were there to prevent democratic outcomes. I have quite a lot of information on this forgotten history if you need a remider. Or you could read Levinson and Klarman etc
On healthcare, I find the only relevant question is this. WHY SHOULD CONGRESS HAVE BETTER HEALTHCARE THAN ANY OTHER AMERICAN? That none of you are asking this question hard and every minute of the day, makes it look as if you think congress is entitled to better converage or you are also brainwahsed when it comes to the role of the people vrs the representatives they elect, the constitution vrs the power of the people to alter or even abolish their governement, etc should they so need to.
By any ones count, we have FAR exceeded the number of reasons necessary to totally replace our government with a democratic one, which we want. If you can't understand that our citizens have that power and can use it to solve the current constitutional crisis and current global catastrophes, then you are simply buying the opposition time.

We all need to get real. There has been a coup. Financial institutions are running amok. War is spreading. Inequality is spreading. Global meltdown is in view. This is an emergency, so we had better be talking as if that were actually the case.

changeX's picture
changeX 5 years 36 weeks ago
#18

Yes, Republicans do seem to fundamentally understand the point of healthcare. It seems the point is to make twice as much profit this year than last year and then transfer that wealth right back to the top - where it belongs.

Trumpcare makes me sick. It just may deserve the ugly green Mr. Yuk stamp of approval identifying it as a poisonous healthcare scam against the people of the United States of America.

Legend 5 years 36 weeks ago
#19

It is all about the 1%.

deepspace's picture
deepspace 5 years 36 weeks ago
#20

Dr. Miklashek, as well as so many others have during the course of this conversation, is making the only sensible case for a better healthcare system: one based on morality, not money.

His words are self-evident -- he is not speaking merely from an intellectual standpoint, casually musing philosophically as a partisan ideologue might when pushing a premeditated outside agenda, an abstract ideological structure manufactured by severly limited thought processes, several steps removed from the actual living of life. He expressed it very simply, very elegantly, when he said he loved his patients. That is everything! He lived it and paid the price, sacrificing himself to help others with their most basic need, which is to be healthy ...to live! What is more important than that?

Morality, that natural sense of right and wrong, comes from the heart, not the head. It cannot be taught and learned over time; it is that mysterious, instantaneous spark animating us as we meet day-to-day challenges. The essence of this miracle we call life is purity, unstained by selfish pursuits, and must be felt deeply to be understood -- which is always possible when we don't block it with petty, self-centered thoughts.

Morality is also something we must share; no one can lock it away in a vault and call it their own. Likewise, hoarding material wealth, and all the insanity and cruelty that goes with it, only blinds people to the simplicity and priceless richness of life itself -- a timeless, ongoing moment always here in the dynamic present, never in the nostalgic, dead past or in the unfulfilled, fantasized future, as the forces of ruthless ambition would have us believe. If we but realize that truth, nothing is more valuable or more powerful!

Even in retirement, Dr. Miklashek has offered us the best diagnosis. The world is a better place for all he has done and is still doing. Thank you!

jibaro01's picture
jibaro01 5 years 36 weeks ago
#21

Yeah, things are getting worse. We are on a downward spiral and it will end when the US goes broke, like it happened to the USSR. Meanwhile Republicans, dominated by their owners, send us down that rabbit hole while the Democrats, dominated by their owners, don't do a thing about it. They just appear to be doing something. They say that they are doing something because a lie, when repeated continously, particularly when the person repeating it seem to have authority, can appear to be the truth.

Tell me something, is there such a thing as false news? Is the media trustworthy? If it isn't and I have heard you say that it isn't, then, why doesn't the leaders of the Democratic Party say so?

Radical's picture
Radical 5 years 36 weeks ago
#22

Dear Dr Miklashek Thank You for your great comments . They are right on the money

Salome 5 years 36 weeks ago
#23

Thom gave a good explanation of "risk corridors" and how Sen. Rubio added it to "must pass" legislation. What Thom didn't explain:

-Are Democrats so dumb that they don't understand that Republicans play dirty?

Or

-Are Democrats so dumb that they don't read legislation before they vote for it?

Or

-Are Democrats so dumb they don't know how to instruct their staff to read legislation and notify them of changes and additions to bills?

Or

-Are Democrats so corrupt that they were bought and paid to ignore the Rubio addition, and pretend they didn't see it?

Thom should stop making excuses for Democrats.

And now that McConnell has unveiled his real goal, total repeal of Obamacare, all the rest was smoke and mirrors to make it look like Republicans care. If/when it passes, there will never be a replacement, not in 2 years, not in 20 years, as long as Republicans can stop it.

Ronin's picture
Ronin 5 years 36 weeks ago
#24

I think Republicans AKA "Repigs" understand healthcare.. the sad part is they don't care.. it's mind over matter... IE they don't mind and we the people don't matter. Until we shut down that 'whore house" we call "Congress" nothing will change. In the immortal words of Antonin Scalia: My duty as a Supreme Court Justice is to see that nothing happens for the first time. A "first time" would be that marketing collateral we call The bill of Rights becomes implemented in law... specifically, we are all "endowed by our creator" not just the Calvinists we euphemistically call "Republicans."

Ronin's picture
Ronin 5 years 36 weeks ago
#25

Democrats are as "smart" as Republicans, they just ignore any real commitment to their stated ideals. Like Al Franken for example... sort of a Donald Trump clone... he reads the script and acts out his part, it's all about his success... tenure... like Joe Biden before him... Al parties with his Republ;ican friends.. notability Jeff Sessions.. they meet.. kick back and laugh as one played a "gotcha" ... as Session would put it.. "y'all got me on dat one Al" laughing "all the way to the bank." Until we real democrats (lower cased D) gte togtehr and establish a legitimate third party, nothing will change. All elected officials play the game... like actors.. they deliver polished performances according to thhier script.. and live a comfy life off teh US taxpayer. Sadly, they do not have to live under economic dislocations like those of us that pay thier way via taxes paid by the rest of us.

Ronin's picture
Ronin 5 years 36 weeks ago
#26

All Americans should never forget.. that all orgainizations from the PTA... AARP.. all the way to the US Congress... all are ran for the benefit of those that run them...and by doing so, ruin it for the rest of us.

harry ashburn 5 years 36 weeks ago
#27

thom Please interview Angela Davis! thank you

Outback 5 years 36 weeks ago
#28

In case anyone is still on this thread, a friend sent me this earlier today. I believe this article profoundly states the problems we face. Please read it:

http://m.truthdig.com/report/item/donald_trumps_greatest_allies_are_the_liberal_elites_20170305

deepspace's picture
deepspace 5 years 36 weeks ago
#29

Now that the latest effort by Republicans to condemn untold millions of defenseless human beings and fellow citizens to a life of needless pain and suffering and early death has failed, it is imperative that Democratic leadership boldly step up and fill the vacuum with the single most important issue at the forefront of the electorate's collective mind: affordable healthcare. Republicans may be licking their wounds for awhile, but they are a criminal organization and will N-E-V-E-R give up their ultimate goal of throwing as many poor people, sick people, and old people off the for-profit insurance rolls.

Instead, Chuck Schumer curled into the fetal position and meekly offered to compromise with the genocidal maniacs rampaging through the halls of Congress. He just set the stage for yet another humiliating, and well-deserved, defeat in 15 short months by being a mealymouthed coward. "Abandon all hope, ye who enter here."

The rest of the world has proven beyond all doubt that affordable healthcare cannot be achieved by compromising with those who seek to enrich themselves with the suffering of others. Even more ironic, we have proven it to ourselves over and over; yet, our purported political "representatives" keep repeating the same mistake, each time expecting a different result -- Einstein's definition of insanity.

For all it's positive effects, that's what the Affordable Care Act is -- a compromise, a three-bank-shot giveaway to the almighty gods of greed infesting insurance companies, hospitals, providers, Wall Street, and the donor class of wealthy elites. Trying to keep these blood profiteers in the game is at the core of virtually every unsolvable problem and vexation inherent to our ridiculously expensive, failing healthcare system.

If the Democrats are searching for that one cakewalk issue and winning strategy -- to be for something positive for the American people rather than only being against Trump and the Republicans -- universal single-payer, or more simply "Medicare for All," is the bumper-sticker slogan they need to repeat without let up. The naysayers will always fall back on their disingenuous, defeatist argument, "Oh, but it can never pass with a Congress full of corporate-sponsored sell-outs in both parties who always find clever ways to compromise their morals."

Of COOOUUURSE !!!

That's the whole point! All the polling continuously shows that the majority of people by large margins are absolutely on board with a Medicare-for-all system, and they need to know that whoever they vote for is on the same page. That's how you change the dynamics in Congress -- vote the bums out; or better still, don't vote them in. The People can't just sit on the couch and complain; they also need to step up boldly and demand that their politicians legislate on their behalf and pass Medicare for all. Let a president veto it at his or her own peril.

Why are Americans so timid and docile?

https://fixithealthcare.com/watch-the-movie/

Outback,

Thanks for your link! Very fitting.

Outback 5 years 36 weeks ago
#30

And thanks for your comments deepspace. Right on the mark, as usual. I may post that link again, when appropriate. I believe the article hits the nail on the head. As long as we (the dimwitted people) persist in playing the "good guy - bad guy game" vis a vis the Republican and Democratic parties, we are playing right into the hands of the real villains, who could care less about which party is in poewr. I only wish Thom would get off this bipolar kick. He certainly has the brains to see through it.

Dianereynolds's picture
Dianereynolds 5 years 36 weeks ago
#31

@ #23

Ribio and obamacare is an oft repeated lie told by leftie/socialists. The story was written by the NY times and they later printed a retraction on Jan 15, 2016

All this comes down to funding and how money was to be allocated. In the democrat party's desperate to get a healthcontrol bill through congress they, and the White House, were sloppy with how they were going to pay for it. Leftie/socialists refuse to reflect back on all the stalls, special exemptions, and delays that then president Obama kept adjusting as obvious funding issues became more transparent.

"The Pinocchio Test

Success always has many fathers, but Rubio goes way too far in claiming credit here. He raised initial concerns about the risk-corridor provision, but the winning legislative strategy was executed by other lawmakers. He certainly had a more central role in the immigration bill from which he has distanced himself — which may be a reason he is trying to elevate his role in this case.

We wavered between Three and Four Pinocchios, but Rubio’s claim that he was responsible for inserting the provision tipped us to Four. He needs to adjust his rhetoric to acknowledge that the key plays were made by other Republicans — and the news media should not so credulously accept his claim."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2015/12/23/rubios-in...

deepspace's picture
deepspace 5 years 36 weeks ago
#32

"...oft repeated lie..."

Let's examine:

What Diane is really saying is that a lying Republican liar named Rubio was a despicable liar, like most lying Republican liars, and that the media made their usual mistake of believing a lying Republican liar in the first place. ("Oh when will they ever learn, oh when will they ever learn?" -- Peter, Paul, & Mary)

During his campaign, Rubio the Liar falsely took credit for "saving $2.5 billion" in legislation that prevented the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) from using their general fund to compensate insurance companies when they fell short, called "re-insurance," for taking extra risks by insuring everyone qualified under the ACA exchanges, instead of just cherry-picking young and healthy people, as was their normal, get-rich-quick scheme before Obamacare was enacted to keep them honest.

The ACA mandate to offer insurance at a reasonable cost to potentially unhealthy people was dubbed "risk corridor," but the extra funding was only to last a few years, until the markets adjusted to all the new customers, and insurance companies figured out the right premiums to charge accordingly. Basically, companies who profited too much over their 20% limit due to high rates were required to kick into a special fund that would pay out to companies losing money due to low rates.

Unfortunately, or by design (?), when the Republican liars on the Supreme Court ruled that it was okay for states to opt out of the ACA's Medicaid expansion provision (Right on cue, 19 mostly red states jumped off that cliff like a mindless pack of lemmings), more unhealthy people than originally anticipated were thus thrown onto the federal exchanges, skyrocketing the risk, and far outweighing whatever money was available in the special fund.

Now comes Rubio the Liar's great idea -- yes, it was his idea originally, and by pushing it hard, he inspired other Republican lying gobshites to take up the torch -- which was to introduce legislation that would prevent the government from making up the difference from any other available funds, thereby causing numerous insurance companies to abandon the markets in high-risk sectors (again, mostly in red states -- go figure). Rubio the Liar initially introduced his evil rot as a stand-alone bill that ultimately failed. Sad.

His more underhanded compatriots, however, succeeded later in slyly slipping a Rubioesque poison pill into a general spending bill. So yeah, technically Rubio the Liar lied by taking credit for the final passage, as one would expect a lying Republican liar to do, but his overall subversive efforts were nonetheless the primary driving force that led to one of the most infamous (there are many) lying Republican sabotages of the ACA, in the hopes of collapsing the markets and hurting, in many cases fatally, their poor, sick, and old constituents, in addition to the helpless children of these hapless families.

All those problems caused by all those lying Republican liars and all their lying lies -- do you detect a pattern? BTW, expect insurance companies to sue up the yingyang for being lied to "big league" and royally double-crossed. Boo hoo.

Since óinseach seldom includes the key facts of whatever story she twists into a pretzel and then priggishly harps about, here's a few links to the more complete picture:

http://www.politifact.com/florida/statements/2015/dec/07/marco-rubio/rubio-says-he-prevented-25-billion-obamacare-bailo/

http://www.theblaze.com/news/2015/12/15/fact-check-marco-rubio-might-be-stretching-the-truth-when-he-claims-he-singlehandedly-saved-taxpayers-from-more-obamacare-downfall/

http://www.salon.com/2017/03/22/how-republicans-quietly-sabotaged-obamacare-long-before-trump-came-into-office_partner/

changeX's picture
changeX 5 years 36 weeks ago
#33

deepspace outback 2020 roar applause.

Bernie needs others like the both of you to have intelligent debates with in 2020; not Tim or Joe please. I must bookmark this post and come back to fully review the great points made and their corresponding links.

Seer's picture
Seer 5 years 36 weeks ago
#34

Someone please pick this up and run with it...

US Taxpayers are, in essence, paying for this (via subsidizing miltiary spending). Meahwhile children in the US go without health care. Trump should be shown this as well: needs to be asked my Israel's children come before American children.

Emphasis added.

From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Healthcare_in_Israel

Health care in Israel is universal and participation in a medical insurance plan is compulsory. All Israeli citizens are entitled to basic health care as a fundamental right. The Israeli healthcare system is based on the National Health Insurance Law of 1995, which mandates all citizens resident in the country to join one of four official health insurance organizations, known as Kupot Holim (קופת חולים - "Sick Funds") which are run as not-for-profit organizations and are prohibited by law from denying any Israeli citizen membership. Israelis can increase their medical coverage and improve their options by purchasing private health insurance.[1] In a survey of 48 countries in 2013, Israel's health system was ranked fourth in the world in terms of efficiency, and in 2014 it ranked seventh out of 51.[2] In 2015, Israel was ranked sixth-healthiest country in the world by Bloomberg rankings[3] and ranked eighth in terms of life expectancy.

changeX's picture
changeX 5 years 35 weeks ago
#35

July 2017
Health Care Research Paper Delivered to Congress
by The Sanders Institute and National Nurses United

https://www.sandersinstitute.com/blog/health-care-research-paper-delivered-to-congress

harry ashburn 5 years 29 weeks ago
#36

re: the 3-part "Plutocracy' series... thom...if you havent seen it yet... PlutocracyIII is on tonite 8;30 ET on FSTV ... harry

harry ashburn 5 years 18 weeks ago
#37

Hey Thom! new radio interview w./Phil Proctor/Firesign Theater HERE! http://www.psiopradio.com/

harry ashburn 4 years 50 weeks ago
#38

RE Closing chat room: Thom..Please dont close the chat room! four of 9 will volunteer to moderat it ... we all will be lost without the chat room. Youtube is only good during the show, and more than a few of us dont use facebook. thank you! harry ashburn

Four oF Nine's picture
Four oF Nine 4 years 50 weeks ago
#39

Indeed so. I would indeed volunteer as I'm in and out here most of the day anyway.. Many of us have been here over a decade and have formed a close knit community. Youtube chat is inadequate as a replacment, and some of us do not have nor have any intention of registering with FB.

We are a good progressive community that doesn't deserve to be uprooted and cast aside.

Thank you for your consideration.

harry ashburn 4 years 50 weeks ago
#40

re: chat room... Marion Delgado set up a stand-alone chat room for us... it would help if you help us notify the chatters of new location...thank you. TH Chat https://discordapp.com/channels/433770240829030431/433770240829030435

straykarma's picture
straykarma 4 years 48 weeks ago
#41

Dear Thom: People in your chat room are concerned their room will be closed. Long time chatters have been there over 10 years. We have sent you a letter with some of our best suggestions on how to how we can keep the chat alive. With your consent, we are happy to take full responsibility for it. We understand you, Louise and Shawn recieve hundreds of emails every day, but we hope you can find and take time for read our letter before it's too late. We don't want our Hipchat room shut down. Thank you. Gloria S.

antiGOP's picture
antiGOP 4 years 48 weeks ago
#42

yes Thom we heard the hipchat is closing NOT sure if that is in cement or what yet ...... but there really is nowhere else to go . YouTube is very confusing with the pace of comments (some of which are disturbing)...some of the older folks dont like or do F B ..specially with the most recent F B admissions . So IS THE hipchat room closing ? And if so what can be done to keep it open ? Thanks Thom and keep on, keepin on

Thom's Blog Is On the Move

Hello All

Thom's blog in this space and moving to a new home.

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