On Sat, 19 Nov 2005 03:51:23 GMT, "Wayne Harrison"
wrote:


"rw" wrote in message
link.net...
The cost of one day of the war in Iraq could pay for one year of health
insurance for 400,000 uninsured children.


it's a disgrace, and a nightmare.

Now think about that statement a second. It isn't, "the cost could pay
to provide necessary, even life-saving treatment to a lot more than
400,000 children," it's framed in terms of paying for _insurance_ for
400,000 children. Sick or injured children who have no insurance
coverage don't need insurance, they need medical care, and healthy
children obviously don't need care - if you insure 400,000, some will go
without, but if treat those who actually need, more could be
accomplished.

but where are the children warriors, who drove lbj out of office?

Mostly, they're worried about other things - building up their IRAs,
buying the latest and greatest, be it a home, car, insuring rather than
treating, or (obROFF), new co-o-o-o-l FFing equipment. And since there
is no draft and they are well above the age to go IAC, there's nothing
to spur them to self-interest. And, of course, being a "hippie" isn't
nearly as appealing as it once seemed.

they, and their parents, ourselves, are cowering in the fog of
internet message boards.

Oh, you meant those in their late-teens to mid-twenties now...OK, let's
take a poll (OH, GOODY! A POLL!!):

(All questions based on 16-20 year olds)
1. What percent would you guess have cell phones?
2. What percent would you guess have tastes well beyond their means?
3. What percent would you guess have parents whose tastes are well
beyond their means?
4. What percent would you guess are taught some social responsibility?
5. What percent would you guess think looking and being able to act
like insert idiotic celeb here is one of the 3 top priorities of their
lives?
6. What percent would you guess would be satisfied with having hair
like John, Paul, George, and/or Ringo as opposed to having a $400,000
car, lots of gaudy "bling," and being a "gangsta mofo" just like Enema M
or 50 Nocents (and that's just the girls...)?
7. And for those with kids from 12 years old and up, what would you
guess that an objective observer might answer if the above questions
were limited to your kids and their friends?

this nation is on its way down.

IMO, being the eternal optimist, probably not, but when even those who
think of themselves as social liberals think of problems like sick kids
in terms of not having insurance, it's just another problem...

your friend, currently in the magnolia stat...er, iowa,
R