Rant ...semi on topic

On Dec 19, 10:32*am, "Tom Littleton" wrote:
"Giles" wrote in message

... *In point of fact, providing state of the art health care to

all citizens of any country is sort of a nonsensical

idea.......wouldn't you say?

yes, I would agree. However, talk to folks, and you start to get the idea
that is what everyone wishes for.

Everyone also wishes for a long healthy life, leavened with moderate
to great wealth, notable physical beauty and vigor, numerous
trustworthy and steadfast friends, and eternal true love. But I don't
think I've ever met anyone who thought that he or she was going to
accomplish many of those things that he or wasn't already blessed with
(except perhaps the last.....just about everybody thinks their going
to get that, it appears.....and they are almost universally
disappointed in that), and I know I've almost never heard anyone
express the belief that anyone should provide them with all these
fundamental human rights. And I have absolutely never heard anyone
say that he or she needed or deserved "state of the art" health care
or that it is a fundamental human right or one guaranteed by the
constitution of the United States.


What people want is decent and affordable health care, with affordable
to be understood in the same sense that it is when speaking of
groceries, fuel, transportation, toiletries, car wax and all the other
ordinary day to day (which is how people actually live) expenses
incurred in an ordinary life.

Or, viewed another way, no one wishes to
give up a single possible surgical, diagnostic or pharmaceutical option,

Bull**** and arrant nonsense. The vast majority are stupefied and
petrified by the vast array of incomprehensible options with which
they are constantly confronted in health care. And this is no
accident. The system was deliberately designed that way and is
continually and deliberately "improved" to make it ever more so. It
has long been known that the easiest path to an eternity of bilking
the public is to keep them terrified, confused and bemused. This way
to the egress--

and
those same folks then puzzle at why heathcare costs go up.

Some of them, to be sure.....the ones who wonder how the garage
managed to jump into the middle of the driveway while they were
backing out. Most, though, are not as stupid as you think they are.
They know why costs keep going up.

Oh, and sure, we all change, evolve, whatever with time and age. But, you
seem to imply that I've had some sort of *sea-change in terms of attitude,
self-respect or whatever other silly terms you throw in, at various times..

I don't see anything at all silly about self-respect or attitude as
such. To be sure, one's rationalization for assuming he or she
deserves the former can be downright silly.....or perverse, obscene,
itiotic, or what have you. And I guess that a particular attitude may
be silly depending on various definitions, criteria, and perceptions,
but this does not materially affect attitudes in general.

Sorry, no such radical change has happened.

Well, you'd know.....right? I mean, it's like when you have a major
stroke or get knocked into a coma or something......you suddenly sit
up and say, "Wow, I just had a major stroke or got knocked into a coma
or something. Hey, did any of you notice?".....right?

Too bad that you see it otherwise,

Too bad? Why?

but like most folks making guesses about others outlooks,
intellects or intentions, you are far off reality.

O.k., outlooks, intellects and intentions. Got it. What about fears
and expectations? What about puzzlement? What about heebie-jeebies?
What about interest in options?

Finally, where I am on the issue of healthcare is pretty clear(you mused as
to where I stood....):

May be clear to you. Then again, maybe you just think so. On the
other hand, like most folks making guesses about what is clear to
others, you may be far off reality.

What the nation should have is a single-payer system,
similar to the setup of Medicare, that covers all citizens from birth to
death.

And chocolate......LOTS of good chocolate. But I suspect there will
be some disagreement about that.

And, like Medicare, there should be reasonable limitations that can be
overcome with supplemental coverage to those who desire that sort of thing.

O.k., that sounds easy enough. Consider it done.

The second part of the equation is a reworking of how we educate and later
compensate physicians and other critical health personnel.

Heck, that sounds even easier.

We cannot put doctors in a half-million dollar debt hole by age 30,and then
NOT expect them to seek compensation down the road.

Actually, we can expect ANYTHING. Meanwhile, I've known many people
who were (and are) still paying off student loans ten and fifteen
years after graduating from college. Not ONE of them is a doctor or
other health care professional.

g.
so, is anyone interested in how to to bring about substantial reform
in health care in america......and why it isn't going to happen in the
forseeable future? anyone? go ahead.......ask.