Comments on: The glories of socialism http://www.neptunuslex.com/2006/03/15/the-glories-of-socialism/ The unbearable lightness of Lex. Enjoy! Fri, 10 Feb 2012 06:48:26 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: lex http://www.neptunuslex.com/2006/03/15/the-glories-of-socialism/comment-page-1/#comment-4264 lex Thu, 16 Mar 2006 16:20:36 +0000 http://www.neptunuslex.com/2006/03/15/the-glories-of-socialism/#comment-4264 I dunno Ivan - I still remember the nightmare tales of VA hospitals after the Vietnam war, when everyone just wanted anything to do with the military to go away for a while. While I salute the fact that the VA gets high marks currently, it only demonstrates that government health care can be done right on a limited scale, with patients who the public and elected officials have emotional ties to. Whether that same degree of passion will adhere if "all of us" are under the same system is something I wonder a great deal about. The example of our closest cultural cousins in Great Britain and Canada leave wondering. Bottom line? You get what you pay for. I dunno Ivan – I still remember the nightmare tales of VA hospitals after the Vietnam war, when everyone just wanted anything to do with the military to go away for a while.

While I salute the fact that the VA gets high marks currently, it only demonstrates that government health care can be done right on a limited scale, with patients who the public and elected officials have emotional ties to.

Whether that same degree of passion will adhere if “all of us” are under the same system is something I wonder a great deal about. The example of our closest cultural cousins in Great Britain and Canada leave wondering.

Bottom line? You get what you pay for.

]]> By: Ivandenisovich http://www.neptunuslex.com/2006/03/15/the-glories-of-socialism/comment-page-1/#comment-4260 Ivandenisovich Thu, 16 Mar 2006 13:55:36 +0000 http://www.neptunuslex.com/2006/03/15/the-glories-of-socialism/#comment-4260 I am a middle of the road type of guy. I can see the arguments of both sides and determine each case on its merrits, not spout out some party line. I say this regarding health care: I separated from the Navy after 8 years in 1994 having reached the high rank of Lt. Now, I am self employed and pay my own health insurance for my family of four. In the last 3 years, my insurance rates have gone up 56%. I am now paying more every month to my HMO than I pay for the mortage on our house. It is sick. As far as the actual health practitioners go, they are adequate. Nothing more, nothing less. Here is a shocker... the number one rated health care system in the country right now is: The VA. Yes, that's right, the Veteran's Administration hospitals get very high marks. That is as is should be. It also proves that government health care can be done right. I am a middle of the road type of guy. I can see the arguments of both sides and determine each case on its merrits, not spout out some party line. I say this regarding health care: I separated from the Navy after 8 years in 1994 having reached the high rank of Lt. Now, I am self employed and pay my own health insurance for my family of four. In the last 3 years, my insurance rates have gone up 56%. I am now paying more every month to my HMO than I pay for the mortage on our house. It is sick. As far as the actual health practitioners go, they are adequate. Nothing more, nothing less. Here is a shocker… the number one rated health care system in the country right now is: The VA. Yes, that’s right, the Veteran’s Administration hospitals get very high marks. That is as is should be. It also proves that government health care can be done right.

]]> By: Kris, in New England http://www.neptunuslex.com/2006/03/15/the-glories-of-socialism/comment-page-1/#comment-4259 Kris, in New England Thu, 16 Mar 2006 13:36:36 +0000 http://www.neptunuslex.com/2006/03/15/the-glories-of-socialism/#comment-4259 "...it shows how even the best and brightest can become addicted to welfare." I hadn't read the story on the French students when I first saw this post - don't really like the French so why waste my time, right? Well, after a bracing cup of coffee, I decided to plunge in and see what the ruckus was about. Wish I'd stayed away as originally planned. The more I hear about the "worldly, sophisticated European", the more I'm convinced that being American isn't merely a fault of geography, it's a state of mind and a way of living. And one that I fully embrace and would never give up, flaws and all. “…it shows how even the best and brightest can become addicted to welfare.”

I hadn’t read the story on the French students when I first saw this post – don’t really like the French so why waste my time, right? Well, after a bracing cup of coffee, I decided to plunge in and see what the ruckus was about.

Wish I’d stayed away as originally planned. The more I hear about the “worldly, sophisticated European”, the more I’m convinced that being American isn’t merely a fault of geography, it’s a state of mind and a way of living. And one that I fully embrace and would never give up, flaws and all.

]]> By: Kris, in New England http://www.neptunuslex.com/2006/03/15/the-glories-of-socialism/comment-page-1/#comment-4257 Kris, in New England Thu, 16 Mar 2006 13:04:59 +0000 http://www.neptunuslex.com/2006/03/15/the-glories-of-socialism/#comment-4257 British healthcare is an oxymoron. We have dear friends who live there and have this story to tell: Uncle Joe, age 63, had a painful, degenerative hip problem. He called his Dr. to get an appointment to start finding out what could be done. Took 2 months to get that appt. After a cursory exam wherein the good Dr. said "you have a hip problem", Uncle Joe was referred to a specialist. Took 8 months to get that appt. By the time Uncle Joe saw the specialist, he was in a wheelchair. The specialist did a cursory exam and said "you have a hip problem". Surgery was scheduled, but since Uncle Joe's condition wasn't considered critical - despite the fact he was now in a wheelchair full time - it took 6 months to get a surgical appt. By the time poor Uncle Joe had surgery for the hip replacement, it had been almost 18 months since he scheduled his first Drs. appointment. (The surgery went well and Uncle Joe was back in top form after about 6 months post-op.) Our British friends envy our healthcare system with all the choices we have and access to Drs., even if the price staggers them. America DOES need to do more to make healthcare affordable for everyone, but PLEASE don't let the powers-that-be force us into a national health system. British healthcare is an oxymoron. We have dear friends who live there and have this story to tell:

Uncle Joe, age 63, had a painful, degenerative hip problem. He called his Dr. to get an appointment to start finding out what could be done. Took 2 months to get that appt. After a cursory exam wherein the good Dr. said “you have a hip problem”, Uncle Joe was referred to a specialist. Took 8 months to get that appt. By the time Uncle Joe saw the specialist, he was in a wheelchair. The specialist did a cursory exam and said “you have a hip problem”. Surgery was scheduled, but since Uncle Joe’s condition wasn’t considered critical – despite the fact he was now in a wheelchair full time – it took 6 months to get a surgical appt. By the time poor Uncle Joe had surgery for the hip replacement, it had been almost 18 months since he scheduled his first Drs. appointment. (The surgery went well and Uncle Joe was back in top form after about 6 months post-op.)

Our British friends envy our healthcare system with all the choices we have and access to Drs., even if the price staggers them. America DOES need to do more to make healthcare affordable for everyone, but PLEASE don’t let the powers-that-be force us into a national health system.

]]> By: RPL http://www.neptunuslex.com/2006/03/15/the-glories-of-socialism/comment-page-1/#comment-4249 RPL Thu, 16 Mar 2006 03:17:55 +0000 http://www.neptunuslex.com/2006/03/15/the-glories-of-socialism/#comment-4249 That was the most depressing article that I have read in a long time, and that includes the presentation on Iran and the coming conflagration that you put up a couple of days ago. That was the most depressing article that I have read in a long time, and that includes the presentation on Iran and the coming conflagration that you put up a couple of days ago.

]]> By: SGT Jeff (IRR) http://www.neptunuslex.com/2006/03/15/the-glories-of-socialism/comment-page-1/#comment-4242 SGT Jeff (IRR) Thu, 16 Mar 2006 00:11:52 +0000 http://www.neptunuslex.com/2006/03/15/the-glories-of-socialism/#comment-4242 Disgusting stuff. The American system ain't perfect by a long shot, but it sure seems better than any of the alternatives out there. Disgusting stuff.

The American system ain’t perfect by a long shot, but it sure seems better than any of the alternatives out there.

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