Great article. I went without insurance for 8 years, post divorce, because I refused to pay high premiums for a high deductible plan. I crossed my fingers and prayed that nothing would happen. Thank goodness I’m now old enough for Medicare. I still hope nothing major happens.
That's definitely the approach that many Americans play. Did you have any moments where you were very worried things might not work out? Very glad to hear that everything stayed above water. If only that were the case for millions of others!
Thanks for your thoughtful article, exposing these data more broadly might help promote change. I left the US with family more than 15 years ago to escape the 'pre-existing condition' issue which could at that time threaten a sick individual with death and their family with bankruptcy. The ACA, implemented in 2010 after we left, had beneficial outcomes but falls very short of the kind of healthcare coverage framework you argue for. (For information I am a resident of France.)
I'd quibble on two points: (1) It is flattering to call how healthcare is managed in the US a 'system', unless the binding element in calling it thus is 'capitalism.' (2) You write, "Healthcare should be about providing a safeguard for the sick." In many of the other 32 countries your article refers to it is not just about people who require treatment; it is also about proactivity in screening, testing and vaccinating to prevent sickness in the first place. There is, of course, an obvious link when discussing healthcare to regulatory matters, such as workplace safety and the gun violence epidemic in America.
I became Medicaid eligible a few years ago, while working a part-time tutoring job at our much touted community college. Thankfully, our past Republican governor, John Kasich, smartly accepted the Medicaid expansion offered by the federal government. Now, I signed up for what appears to be a good Medicare ( dual coverage - meaning both Medicare and Medicaid) plan as of July 1. It is inexplicable that some of the states who rank worst in poverty and just about everything else, refuse to accept federal money to help their most vulnerable citizens. I’ll be writing about this issue, from m a slightly different angle... soon! Thanks for a superior post on perhaps the most vital issue we face as a country!
Glad to hear you'll be covering this issue too - very excited to read it and share it out broadly as well! And even more glad to hear you got the coverage you needed.
"Parasitic Capitalism and its Parasitic Capitalists, in time - literally Kill and Destroy ALL they touch and infest, for the Lust and Greed of the Authoritarian Parasitic Capitalist Fascist POS "Few" and their Evil “Vile Maxim!" ...
Parasitic Capitalism and its arrogance, corruption, abuse and insatiable evil greed is a disease, an addiction.
Parasitic Capitalism and the Authoritarian Parasitic Capitalist Fascist POS "Few" are the Real Evil Plague of and upon Nature, Wildlife, the Planet, "the People" (Humanity Globally) and All (biological) Life and (*both) Must be (completely) Abolished." - (aka) “PolarBear”
*Parasitic Capitalism and the Authoritarian Parasitic Capitalist Fascist POS "Few"
“He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is cooperating with it.” - MLK
In the (True) words of Malcolm X: "Show me a Capitalist and I'll show you a Bloodsucker."
"Social murder is a term coined by Friedrich Engels in 1845 in one of his seminal works, 'The Conditions of the Working Class in England'.
“When one individual inflicts bodily injury upon another such that death results, we call the deed manslaughter; when the assailant knew in advance that the injury would be fatal, we call his deed murder. But when society places hundreds of proletarians in such a position that they inevitably meet a too early and an unnatural death, one which is quite as much a death by violence as that by the sword or bullet; when it deprives thousands of the necessaries of life, places them under conditions in which they cannot live – forces them, through the strong arm of the law, to remain in such conditions until that death ensues which is the inevitable consequence – knows that these thousands of victims must perish, and yet permits these conditions to remain, its deed is murder just as surely as the deed of the single individual; disguised, malicious murder, murder against which none can defend himself, which does not seem what it is, because no man sees the murderer, because the death of the victim seems a natural one, since the offence is more one of omission than of commission. But murder it remains.” Engels used the term social murder to describe how living and working conditions of English workers caused their premature death. Engels argued that since those responsible for these conditions – the ruling class or the bourgeoisie – were aware of the conditions that caused premature death, they were therefore committing social murder."
“You assist an evil system most effectively by obeying its orders and decrees. An evil system never deserves such allegiance. Allegiance to it means partaking of the evil. A good person will resist an evil system with his or her whole soul.” - Mahatma Gandhi
In the (True) words of Malcolm X: "Show me a Capitalist and I'll show you a Bloodsucker."
"The Republican and Democratic parties, or, to be more exact, the Republican-Democratic party, represent the capitalist class in the class struggle. They are the political wings of the capitalist system and such differences as arise between them relate to spoils and not to principles." - Eugene V. Debs
"Capitalism’s concept of competitive man who seeks only to maximize wealth and power, who subjects himself to market relationships, to exploitation and external authority, is anti-human and intolerable in the deepest sense" - Noam Chomsky
In the (True) words of Malcolm X: "Show me a Capitalist and I'll show you a Bloodsucker."
"In the moral calculus of currently prevailing state capitalism, profits and bonuses in the next quarter greatly outweigh concern for the welfare of one’s grandchildren, and since these are institutional maladies, they will not be easy to overcome. While much remains uncertain, we can assure ourselves, with fair confidence, that future generations will not forgive us our silence and apathy." - Noam Chomsky
"A basic principle of modern state capitalism is that costs and risks are socialized to the extent possible, while profit is privatized." - Noam Chomsky
"Under capitalism, we can't have democracy by definition. Capitalism is a system in which the central institutions of society are in principle under autocratic control." - Noam Chomsky
"Capitalism is a system in which the central institutions of society are, in principle, under autocratic control. Thus, a corporation or an industry is, if we were to think of it in political terms, fascist, that is, it has tight control at the top and strict obedience has to be established at every level. [...] Just as I'm opposed to political fascism, I am opposed to economic fascism. I think that until the major institutions of society are under the popular control of participants and communities, it's pointless to talk about democracy." - Noam Chomsky
"Capitalism’s concept of competitive man who seeks only to maximize wealth and power, who subjects himself to market relationships, to exploitation and external authority, is anti-human and intolerable in the deepest sense" - Noam Chomsky
“He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is cooperating with it.” - MLK
“You assist an evil system most effectively by obeying its orders and decrees. An evil system never deserves such allegiance. Allegiance to it means partaking of the evil. A good person will resist an evil system with his or her whole soul.” - Mahatma Gandhi
In the (True) words of Malcolm X: "Show me a Capitalist and I'll show you a Bloodsucker."
"The superior man does what is right; the inferior one, what is profitable" – Confucius
Great article. I went without insurance for 8 years, post divorce, because I refused to pay high premiums for a high deductible plan. I crossed my fingers and prayed that nothing would happen. Thank goodness I’m now old enough for Medicare. I still hope nothing major happens.
That's definitely the approach that many Americans play. Did you have any moments where you were very worried things might not work out? Very glad to hear that everything stayed above water. If only that were the case for millions of others!
Nothing happened that I couldn’t afford to pay out of pocket. Thank goodness.
Thanks for your thoughtful article, exposing these data more broadly might help promote change. I left the US with family more than 15 years ago to escape the 'pre-existing condition' issue which could at that time threaten a sick individual with death and their family with bankruptcy. The ACA, implemented in 2010 after we left, had beneficial outcomes but falls very short of the kind of healthcare coverage framework you argue for. (For information I am a resident of France.)
I'd quibble on two points: (1) It is flattering to call how healthcare is managed in the US a 'system', unless the binding element in calling it thus is 'capitalism.' (2) You write, "Healthcare should be about providing a safeguard for the sick." In many of the other 32 countries your article refers to it is not just about people who require treatment; it is also about proactivity in screening, testing and vaccinating to prevent sickness in the first place. There is, of course, an obvious link when discussing healthcare to regulatory matters, such as workplace safety and the gun violence epidemic in America.
Finally, my modest contribution to the debate is found here: https://leavingamerica.substack.com/p/it-doesnt-have-to-be-this-way-healthcare?r=1u1uw5
Prevention is definitely important
I became Medicaid eligible a few years ago, while working a part-time tutoring job at our much touted community college. Thankfully, our past Republican governor, John Kasich, smartly accepted the Medicaid expansion offered by the federal government. Now, I signed up for what appears to be a good Medicare ( dual coverage - meaning both Medicare and Medicaid) plan as of July 1. It is inexplicable that some of the states who rank worst in poverty and just about everything else, refuse to accept federal money to help their most vulnerable citizens. I’ll be writing about this issue, from m a slightly different angle... soon! Thanks for a superior post on perhaps the most vital issue we face as a country!
Glad to hear you'll be covering this issue too - very excited to read it and share it out broadly as well! And even more glad to hear you got the coverage you needed.
"Parasitic Capitalism and its Parasitic Capitalists, in time - literally Kill and Destroy ALL they touch and infest, for the Lust and Greed of the Authoritarian Parasitic Capitalist Fascist POS "Few" and their Evil “Vile Maxim!" ...
Parasitic Capitalism and its arrogance, corruption, abuse and insatiable evil greed is a disease, an addiction.
Parasitic Capitalism and the Authoritarian Parasitic Capitalist Fascist POS "Few" are the Real Evil Plague of and upon Nature, Wildlife, the Planet, "the People" (Humanity Globally) and All (biological) Life and (*both) Must be (completely) Abolished." - (aka) “PolarBear”
*Parasitic Capitalism and the Authoritarian Parasitic Capitalist Fascist POS "Few"
“He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is cooperating with it.” - MLK
In the (True) words of Malcolm X: "Show me a Capitalist and I'll show you a Bloodsucker."
"Social murder is a term coined by Friedrich Engels in 1845 in one of his seminal works, 'The Conditions of the Working Class in England'.
“When one individual inflicts bodily injury upon another such that death results, we call the deed manslaughter; when the assailant knew in advance that the injury would be fatal, we call his deed murder. But when society places hundreds of proletarians in such a position that they inevitably meet a too early and an unnatural death, one which is quite as much a death by violence as that by the sword or bullet; when it deprives thousands of the necessaries of life, places them under conditions in which they cannot live – forces them, through the strong arm of the law, to remain in such conditions until that death ensues which is the inevitable consequence – knows that these thousands of victims must perish, and yet permits these conditions to remain, its deed is murder just as surely as the deed of the single individual; disguised, malicious murder, murder against which none can defend himself, which does not seem what it is, because no man sees the murderer, because the death of the victim seems a natural one, since the offence is more one of omission than of commission. But murder it remains.” Engels used the term social murder to describe how living and working conditions of English workers caused their premature death. Engels argued that since those responsible for these conditions – the ruling class or the bourgeoisie – were aware of the conditions that caused premature death, they were therefore committing social murder."
“You assist an evil system most effectively by obeying its orders and decrees. An evil system never deserves such allegiance. Allegiance to it means partaking of the evil. A good person will resist an evil system with his or her whole soul.” - Mahatma Gandhi
In the (True) words of Malcolm X: "Show me a Capitalist and I'll show you a Bloodsucker."
"The Republican and Democratic parties, or, to be more exact, the Republican-Democratic party, represent the capitalist class in the class struggle. They are the political wings of the capitalist system and such differences as arise between them relate to spoils and not to principles." - Eugene V. Debs
"Capitalism’s concept of competitive man who seeks only to maximize wealth and power, who subjects himself to market relationships, to exploitation and external authority, is anti-human and intolerable in the deepest sense" - Noam Chomsky
In the (True) words of Malcolm X: "Show me a Capitalist and I'll show you a Bloodsucker."
"In the moral calculus of currently prevailing state capitalism, profits and bonuses in the next quarter greatly outweigh concern for the welfare of one’s grandchildren, and since these are institutional maladies, they will not be easy to overcome. While much remains uncertain, we can assure ourselves, with fair confidence, that future generations will not forgive us our silence and apathy." - Noam Chomsky
"A basic principle of modern state capitalism is that costs and risks are socialized to the extent possible, while profit is privatized." - Noam Chomsky
"Under capitalism, we can't have democracy by definition. Capitalism is a system in which the central institutions of society are in principle under autocratic control." - Noam Chomsky
"Capitalism is a system in which the central institutions of society are, in principle, under autocratic control. Thus, a corporation or an industry is, if we were to think of it in political terms, fascist, that is, it has tight control at the top and strict obedience has to be established at every level. [...] Just as I'm opposed to political fascism, I am opposed to economic fascism. I think that until the major institutions of society are under the popular control of participants and communities, it's pointless to talk about democracy." - Noam Chomsky
"Capitalism’s concept of competitive man who seeks only to maximize wealth and power, who subjects himself to market relationships, to exploitation and external authority, is anti-human and intolerable in the deepest sense" - Noam Chomsky
“He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is cooperating with it.” - MLK
“You assist an evil system most effectively by obeying its orders and decrees. An evil system never deserves such allegiance. Allegiance to it means partaking of the evil. A good person will resist an evil system with his or her whole soul.” - Mahatma Gandhi
In the (True) words of Malcolm X: "Show me a Capitalist and I'll show you a Bloodsucker."
"The superior man does what is right; the inferior one, what is profitable" – Confucius
read: comment / not call Mint (that would be just saw your artwork)
i'm a naturopath--
improve parkinson's
never a cold nor flu
**omicron➡️ long covid ⤵️
= $49 K on cards : have yet to meet a Medicare deductible
Who decided 3000 year old MEDICINE is "ALTERNATIVE" to
150-200 yo rx? not i; not my Maker
who "put every seed bearing herb and plant we need on the face of the Earth"
next time you by say 'preservision'
Look up benzene/benzoic acid &
call MINT here on why you did not put it in your eyes...
Sure I'll contact Rubio, Smith, even my guv desenseless: naturopathic physicians are not legal in Florida
but we DO have a municipal
Citizens' Bill of Rights the likes of which any free state wd keep a secret! ( check it out)
Glad to hear it! How was your process of getting Medicaid? I'm guessing you live in a Medicaid expansion state