I’m looking at possible alternatives that would be supported politically. Do you honestly think that Americans will cut poor people off completely? Not ruddy likely, because most folks don’t think about the Constitution. Why not work with what we have? The set up with employers providing health insurance has been around for 70 years. Do you think that we’ll be able to change THAT within one presidency or a even a Senate term?
I get your point. Even our hopes and dreams are circumscribed by the horrible False American Republic that FDR created for us. It’s sad, pathetic really.
Mostly I don’t think we’ll be able to change anything, I think we’ll descend slowly, until we reach the level of Brazil, if we are lucky. South Africa if we are not.
Do you honestly think that Americans will cut poor people off completely?
It’s not now nor has it ever been a matter of cutting poor people off completely. It may not even be a matter of cutting them off at all. Obviously, we’ve got to figure out what “poor” is and how to verify it case by case. Maybe it becomes a state issue. And it won’t be “Americans” who do the cutting but a Congress and executive branch designated by the voters to solve the problem. Simplistic? I don’t think so. So far, even the idealistic freshman House members have failed to make the case for responsible governing—especially where healthcare’s concerned. Insofar as returning to corporate healthcare plans, sure, fine. But we can also change the law—force competition among ALL carriers (like life, house, car insurance), cap damages, penalize both plaintiff and his counsel for wanton suits (not necessarily loser-pay all but perhaps loser & counsel pay all or something equally prohibitive for ambulance-chasers); automatic, graduated penalties up to and including loss of license & disbarment for fraud (including waste & duplication) by caregivers, hospitals, insurance carriers, drug- and health-equipment manufacturers AND THEIR counsels and accountants; encourage health professionals (docs, hospitals, clinics, drug-mfrs., etc.) in cooperation with state agencies and/or private charities to devise payment schedules (& price-lists) for uninsured, often emergency, patients. Little if any of this needs federal cash or supervision.