Inconvenient Truths For Republicans

-by NOAH

The other night, I channel surfed over to the padded cell station on my TV (“FOX News-- You’re Padded Cell On The Air”) and I saw the RNC’s titular lead goofball, Michael Steele, sharing my TV screen with Sean Insanity. It was a bizarro thing to behold. I swear I saw propeller beanies capping each of their heads. The propellers spun wildly as the studio air blew through their empty craniums. Dali could not have painted a more surreal and disturbing picture. It was an event that gave new meaning to the phrase ‘Boob Tube’. OR, was it ‘The Vast Wasteland’?
 
When Steele opened his mouth and spewed out the lie that “Obamacare will have our federal government paying for abortions on demand”, I also thought of the recent NBC poll that showed that millions of lied to and misled American citizens sadly believe that the proposed health care reform legislation in Congress will represent a government takeover of health care, free health care for illegal immigrants (especially, you know, those illegal brownish ones from incomprehensibly strange i.e. non-white lands), Death Panels, etc.
 
So, I thought that, although much truthful info is available in uncounted articles about health care reform, it might just be very practical to simply gather it up and compose a list of FACTS, not Republican “facts” or lies as rational folks call them, but FACTS. Presented in this JUST THE FACTS FORM, they could be useful to readers who encounter crazies at the water cooler, at town hall meetings, or in Congress itself. Why, you could even mail it to your own Congressperson, whether they are sane or not. If your Senator is a Republican, you could even go over to your local airport and plaster the men’s room stalls with it. If you are having family over for any Labor Day festivities and your family suffers the shame of having a Republican in its midst, it might also come in handy for such an occasion. Come to think of it, though, you might mention that you are surprised that a Repug celebrates Labor Day.
 
Here you are: JUST THE FACTS:      
 
1. Our country has been trying to develop a national health care plan since Teddy Roosevelt split from the Republicans and formed the Bull Moose Party in 1912.

2. According to the World Health Organization, the US is the 37th in overall quality of health care in the World.

3. 78% of Americans with no health care are full-time workers.

4. 22,000 Americans die every year because of delayed medical treatment.

5. Insurance companies make their profits by denying care to those who most need it, AFTER they’ve paid their premiums, of course.
 
6. The rest of the civilized world regards health care not as a market commodity, but as quality of life issue.

7. Under our current system, Americans live about 3 years less than the French do. It’s not just the wine.

8. 46 of the 50 states in the US have single insurance monopolies. For instance, Blue Cross/ Blue Shield covers about 90% of all people insured in North Carolina. This situation does not bring NC citizens the lowest prices for health care. Capitalism thrives on competition, doesn't it? How about a Public Option!

9. There are no co-pays for preventative care. Preventative care saves money and wear on you just as it does for your car.

10. End of life decisions and living wills were mandated to all hospitals in the US by a bill that passed in the Congress and was signed into law by Republican President George H. W. Bush. The only difference in the currently proposed legislation, is that counseling on these issues now could be reimbursed by Medicare. Republicans call this process a Death Panel. Rational folks call it getting money back.

11. The Medical-Industrial Complex is spending $1.4 million PER DAY on 1000 “lobbyists” (bribers) to STOP health care reform and keep things just as they are. Works for them! You? Not so much.

12. Big Pharma’s profits now stand at $90 BILLION per year. They make their money by denying your claim, not by helping you maintain your health.

13. Insurance Company profits grew 42% from 2000 to 2007 while the wages of middle and working class Americans stagnated or declined AND co-pays increased. Hmmm, who was President then?

14. If you want the uninsured to just go to emergency rooms as Dubya suggested, consider the price of the uninsured. It amounts to a HIDDEN TAX of approximately $1,700 per couple per year. That’s $42.7 BILLION per year. If you enjoy paying such hidden taxes, fight for the status quo, just as those who make millions running the Medical-Industrial Comlpex and their lackeys in Washington want you to. 

15. Paying for it all: Bush’s war in Iraq is still costing over one BILLION per week. Projected cost for 2009 is $87 BILLION. That’s $87 Billion that could go a long way towards improving our health care system. And, you can bet that the cost of health care reform would be less per week! We can also repeal the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy Top 2%. Soak the rich!

16. The United States has the highest infant mortality rate of any industrialized nation.

17. The United States has the shortest longevity rate of any industrialized nation.
 
18. The United States has the highest incidence of no-communicable diseases, such as obesity (that one’s pretty obvious), diabetes, heart troubles, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, etc., of any industrialized nation.

19. Approximately 1,800 more of our fellow citizens will have died due to poor health care in just the time that the Harry Reid led Senate has been on recess.

20. Here’s one of my favorites and most staggering: We in the USA spend 50% more per person per year on health care than the citizens of the nation with the next most expensive health care. And no, spending more does not equate to better, no matter how advanced we may be.

21. The United States is the only industrialized nation that does not provide universal health care. So, are those who say we can’t do the same just defeatists? Do they think America can’t do health care better than them damn foreigners; you know, like those dreaded Frenchies, or, God forbid, the Germans or the Swedes?

22. In the European Union, health care is defined as a right, just as President Obama said in the debates. His decrepit, crotchety, surly opponent claimed it was only a privilege. America chose Obama, so what are we waiting for?

23. American families deserve the same level of health care as not only our federal employees and Senators and Representatives, but as our prison inmates, such as Bernie Madoff and Charles Manson have. Congresspersons, crooks and murderers have even more in common than meets the eye! 
  
24. Costs of health care for small businesses are a serious drag on hiring and therefore the growth of small businesses.

25. 40% of small businesses are unable to afford health care for their employees at all.

26. The health care costs of the average American family will double in the next 9 years. What do you spend now? Can you afford not to have a reformed, more efficient health care system? Do you really think your pay will rise along with your health care costs? Are you ready to gamble with your family’s health just because you’ve bought into the lies of those who only want to preserve the status quo of making millions for themselves while downsizing you into oblivion and making sure you can’t afford to educate your kids thus tying them to a life of back-breaking, life-shortening manual labor at starvation wages?
 
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OH, CANADA!


The Republikooks like to bitch about the Canadian health care system that they know nothing about, so, how about a list of facts about Canadian health care, too?

1. The Canadian system distributes health care at the provincial (state) level. Most of the money is federal, but each province also kicks in money. So, if you live in the wealthy provinces of British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario, there is less “rationing” (meaning you get non-critical services more quickly). Non-critical service is slower in the poorer provinces. But, if you have a serious or acute problem you are seen and treated immediately. 

2. There are no death panels in Canada. 

3. There is no paperwork for patients in Canada. You show your Social Insurance card and that’s it.  All the paperwork is between the doctor and the government. There are NO DEDUCTIBLES OR CO-PAYS, and the insurance covers dental. But, it does not cover prescription drugs until you are 65. Then, coverage is 100% (drugs are free). However, Canada negotiates with big pharma and drug prices average 35%- 40% less than in the US, so until you are 65, you pay less. After 65, you pay nada.

4. Yes, there are fewer doctors and hospitals in Northern Canada, because it’s sparsely populated.  But, if you do live there and require hospitalization, insurance even covers the cost of FLYING YOU TO THE HOSPITAL!

5. As a comparison, in the US doctors and hospitals are more prevalent in urban areas and rich states, so people in Alabama or rural Idaho, for example, have the same problems Canadians have and, in the US, the patient has to pay to get to the doctor.
 
6. Canadian health care is not socialized. Doctors are in private practice and people choose whatever doctor they want. Some hospitals are private and some are public, just like in the US.
 
7. Canadians (92%) are happy with their health care and wouldn’t trade it, especially for the US system and no Canadian government would ever try to limit the program. 

8. The Repug “horror stories” about Canadians not being served and coming to the US in droves are more propaganda. There are people, however, who, if they have the money, will come to the US for elective, not critical procedures. They will sometimes do this rather than wait in their home province, or they might come to the US to see a particular specialist or hospital for a unique condition. Chances are, though, that you will be allowed a longer recovery stay in a Canadian hospital.

9. Canadian health care began in 1947 with Saskatchewan government leader Tommy Douglas. He is now regarded in Canada as a national hero, complete with statues. Ironically, the “father” of Canada’s single payer system could be said to be Lyndon Johnson. Back in 1964, LBJ proposed a dream single payer system. Canadian Prime Minister Lester Pearson, not wanting to be outdone and embarrassed by his neighbor to the south, successfully rushed through his version of LBJ’s dream proposal. LBJ had to compromise with the Repugs of the day and ended up with a scaled back co-payer plan for senior citizens called Medicare. Pearson did not have such Repugs to bargain with. Pearson is also regarded as a HERO in Canada.

10. Canada’s health care system is between 30% and 60% cheaper than ours for procedures, medications, and hospital stays. If you like paying more, then, by all means, keep screaming like a loon at town hall meetings or following deviant cult leaders like Hannity, Beck or Limbaugh.  
 
So, there you are. While vacant-eyed Republican zombie women are accusing openly gay Jewish congressmen of being Nazis and pro-Hitler and not even noticing a scintilla of irony in their batshit crazy thoughts, and while the ironically named Dick Armey goes to Hollywood to pal around with Hollywood stars in liberal Hollywood and dance all over healthcare reform while more people suffer and die needlessly, you will now have a handy checklist of real, honest to goodness facts about the state of healthcare. You can even turn it into flashcards for your intellectually impaired Repug acquaintances. Hell, if I owned a coffee shop or diner, I’d laminate it and use it for placemats while serving up some of President Obama’s prized recipes for human baby meat that I’m sure we will be hearing about on FOX any day now. The possibilities are endless; even free thorazine for Glenn Beck. 

There is nothing substantive against the public option except the Insurance Lobby: