Republican True Colors

[Annecy]

I hope the following puts a  on readers' faces
(for more than one reason )
Republican't "TrueColors" ...

[Dayta]

I swear, I fail to see what joy people can gain from causing others' suffering.  It's like he wants to hurt people so bad he's willing to look like an idiot to do it.  Sorry, I guess that should read "as an idiot," there's little question about his capacity. 

Erin

[Deborah]

I swear, I fail to see what joy people can gain from causing others' suffering.  It's like he wants to hurt people so bad he's willing to look like an idiot to do it.  Sorry, I guess that should read "as an idiot," there's little question about his capacity. 

Erin

It gives their base an issue to rally around all wrapped up in religious colors.  It's the oldest story in politics.


Conform and be dull. —James Frank Dobie, The Voice of the Coyote

[cheryl reeves]

I dislike too ask but where in the U.S. Constitution is it worded that taxpayers pay for Transgender or cis gender health care? Remember for free Healthcare and surgeries someone has to pay for it so you can have this care. This is the problem with social economics /socialism expecting those who work to support those who don't work.  When was the last time you thanked a Taxpayer for your free healthcare?

[Deborah]

Well, there you have it.  The worth of a human being is solely dependent on their economic contribution to society.  If socialism is ensuring that those less fortunate are taken care of, then call me a socialist.


Conform and be dull. —James Frank Dobie, The Voice of the Coyote

[Dayta]

I dislike too ask but where in the U.S. Constitution is it worded that taxpayers pay for Transgender or cis gender health care? Remember for free Healthcare and surgeries someone has to pay for it so you can have this care. This is the problem with social economics /socialism expecting those who work to support those who don't work.  When was the last time you thanked a Taxpayer for your free healthcare?

Hi Cheryl, Happy Memorial Day.  It's a leap that because someone is seeking treatment for their dysphoria that they are necessarily not contributing.  Speaking for myself, I do pay taxes, and I do seek treatment, much of which is covered by my employer-provided insurance.  So, is my treatment paid for, at least in part by tax dollars?  Maybe not directly, but I'm not taxed on the value of insurance received, so perhaps in the intricacies of finance, taxes and insurance, I get a tax benefit which could be interpreted as money from the government for my treatment.  There.  Now is it right or fair that someone whose employer provides less comprehensive insurance, or pays less taxes, or lives in a state requiring additional gates before delivery of gender-related services gets less than I do? I find it VERY difficult to say "yes." 

Taking a slightly different perspective, if we consider our competitive position in the world, the U.S. had long enjoyed its status as the provider of the best health care, and hosted one of the happiest, most satisfied populations on Earth.  This is no longer true.  We have been since surpassed on both counts by European liberal social democracies, like Denmark, Norway, Finland and the Netherlands.  Now, if you believe that it's not in our nation's interest to provide the best health care, to everyone, and to provide for a citizenry that proclaims to the world that they are happy and proud of the life they lead, as supported by a responsive government, I'm curious about what kind of measures we ought to be using in order to guide our lawmaking and social systems. 

We are still among the richest of nations on the planet, and in fact, outperform most of those aforementioned countries.  So why are we unable to provide for similar levels of social services to our people.  We're literally protecting our people less well than other nations who are poorer.  If we, as individual citizens, were making this kind of comparison to our peers, we would certainly try to adopt best practices to improve the value received for our money.  Well, if we do that as a nation, we see that the best performing nations provide their people comprehensive health care.  If we choose not to follow that path, we ought to do so recognizing that we are deliberately sacrificing the happiness, and in many, many cases the lives of people in order to hold to some other value.  I personally don't think there is a higher value for us to hold, but I'm certainly listening.  Please take care. 

Erin

[bubbles21]

Completely agree!

Well, there you have it.  The worth of a human being is solely dependent on their economic contribution to society.  If socialism is ensuring that those less fortunate are taken care of, then call me a socialist.


Conform and be dull. —James Frank Dobie, The Voice of the Coyote

[AnneK]

I dislike too ask but where in the U.S. Constitution is it worded that taxpayers pay for Transgender or cis gender health care? Remember for free Healthcare and surgeries someone has to pay for it so you can have this care. This is the problem with social economics /socialism expecting those who work to support those who don't work.  When was the last time you thanked a Taxpayer for your free healthcare?

Where does it state in the Constitution that the way to improve health care is to cut benefits to the poor, while giving personal tax breaks to the insurance company execs?

Also, there are many, many people who go to work every day, but still struggle to survive, due to poverty wages.  Are they not entitled to some help?  Take a look at Walmart.  It's a large multinational company, that's owned by some of the richest people in the U.S.  Yet, they pay many of their employees so poorly that they need state benefits to survive.  One example I read about was Wisconsin, where the average Walmart employee costs the state (read tax payer) some $4000 in benefits per year.  Those people in Wisconsin are being forced to subsidize billionaires.  Seems to me that's part of the problem where on one hand, many people are forced into poverty and then denied needed benefits on the other.

I believe it was Warren Buffet's son Peter, who said that many charities wouldn't be needed, if employers paid living wages.

I've been in the work force long enough to remember the time before "Reaganomics", with the trickle down effects etc.  The main result of this is a serious decline in the standard of living, for the bulk of the population, while the super rich, the so called 1% became much wealthier.

Transgener support is part of health care, just as much as other surgery, psychiatric help and other.

[Annecy]

Regarding the above/interesting social/political debate:
I'm refraining from joining in the debate ...
'cuz @ the core of my above/original post
(which I (still) don't find amounted to a PoliticalAttack )
was how a "politician" publically declared that
the way to balance the budget was
to cut "TransGender HealthCare"
when the politico's state actually provides none

[Annecy]

"I swear, I fail to see what joy people can gain from causing others' suffering.
It's like he wants to hurt people so bad ...
Erin"

Ever since having moved (back) to the USA ... 2½years ago ...
I've repeatedly "sensed" that ...
if/when "someone (seemingly) hates you" ...
what they (seemingly) "want" is ...
for you to become filled with hate ~
which they seemingly/mostly try to achieve
by (trying to) fill you with hate ... for them ...

Translation/Relevance:
Maybe the Republican in question above
(for whatever reasons) "hates" "non-CIS" human beings ...
and wants to stir hate those hated

[staciM]

^ I'm sorry for this, but even though you might have some very interesting and compelling things to say, I'm really having a hard time reading them since every one of your posts uses multiple colours and text styles etc.  Would it be possible to just use standard colour and formatting?

[AnneK]

^^^^
+1

I was tempted to send her a PM to say the same thing.

[Annecy]

"^ I'm sorry for this,
but even though you might have some very interesting and compelling things to say,
I'm really having a hard time reading them since every one of your posts
uses multiple colours and text styles etc.
Would it be possible to just use standard colour and formatting?"

I personally cannot (manage to) read
some of the most common posting styles found @round the WWW ...
For example:


I simply cannot keep my place/line# straight ...
when trying to read posts that are as wide as the computer screen
and sometimes/almost one endless run-on block of text ...

No one of us can write in such a way to please everyone ... can we

[AnneK]

^^^^
Perhaps the thing to do is just leave things at the defaults, as most of us here do.  That will produce text like mine.  Do you have trouble reading this?

I agree there's a lot of hard to read text out there.  It's usually because someone likes to get fancy with styles, fonts, colours etc.

Bottom line, if people find your writing hard to read, as at least two of us here do, your posts will be ignored.  Your choice.

[Brooke]

I have a few problems with the current state of health insurance in the states.

1st. Typically insurance is optional coverage you can buy to cover a what if/maybe will maybe won't happen.
Every single person will need healthcare at some point in their lifetime. Can we really call this type of optional healthcare an "insurance"?

2: our healthcare insurance is intrinsically connected to an employer. Problem is many of the people who need it worst are unable to work. It also limits options severely for those self employed.

3: Coverage should be based on the best available medical evidence and what is determined to be medically necessary care by said medical expert/provider and the patient.

4. Most of the arguments here don't take into account for people born disabled or become disabled mid career. As someone who has dealt with both (and paid taxes for years) i can say say it leave much to be desired.

So yes, I think if people are genuinely disabled and motivated to get better and are compliment with the care prescribed for them I believe they should have coverage for medically necessary issues that may not be directly connected to the issues that are preventing them from working.

I also believe that every person that holds a full time job should have a living income, and access to comprehensive healthcare.

But, I'm definitely biased here (obviously). So maybe I'm completely off base. ;-)


~Brooke~

[AnneK]

I live in Canada, where health care is available for all.  In Ontario, we used to have premiums, but they were abolished years ago.  This covers basic health care, though not most prescriptions or dental.  Private insurance is available to cover these and extras, such as private rooms in the hospital, glasses, etc.  According to what I've read, the U.S. has the most expensive health care in the industrialized world and many people are still left out.  Private insurance coverage here is often provided by employers, but may also be obtained individually or through some group.  For example, I'm eligible for a group plan through the college I went to and also the auto association.  Probably elsewhere too.

This morning I had some blood tests, as requisitioned by my doctor, and I just had to provide my health card to have them covered.

Why does health care have to be so difficult in the U.S.?

[Dayta]

1st. Typically insurance is optional coverage you can buy to cover a what if/maybe will maybe won't happen.
Every single person will need healthcare at some point in their lifetime. Can we really call this type of optional healthcare an "insurance"?

Thanks, Brooke!  I do believe that the discussion can be driven by the concept of insurance, which we accept in almost all circumstances as an option (think home, apartment, life, travel, etc...).  Perhaps a reframing of the issue as simply "healthcare," as something that we receive from the government just like we accept many other things, such as road maintenance, receiving mail, air, use of public parks, ...without having to pay a specific fee for. 

Curiously, we seems to have accepted, as a society, the necessity for paying for auto insurance as part of the responsibility of driving.  Given the necessity of healthcare, as you stated, I don't understand the near-violent opposition to the healthcare mandate under the previous administration.

Erin

[AnneK]

I don't understand the near-violent opposition to the healthcare mandate under the previous administration.

My take is that a big part of the problem was not the plan, but the fact that it came from Obama.  If GWB had implemented the exact same program, we wouldn't be hearing anywhere near the objections.  In viewing U.S. politics, from this side of the border, I get the impression that many of one party consider anything from the other to be evil, regardless of what it actually is about.

[staciM]

My take is that a big part of the problem was not the plan, but the fact that it came from Obama.  If GWB had implemented the exact same program, we wouldn't be hearing anywhere near the objections.  In viewing U.S. politics, from this side of the border, I get the impression that many of one party consider anything from the other to be evil, regardless of what it actually is about.

I agree.  This administration has attacked anything and everything with Obama's name on it....sometimes I don't even think they read the legislation but the signature.

[Tessa James]

Political posturing and misinformation by a politician using transgender surgery as a "red herring" need not require an angry, partisan or polarizing response here. 

Like AnneK we can ask why the USA as a whole, is unable to see health care as a basic right rather than a privilege for those with $.  A healthy populace is simply more productive, happier and adds immeasurably to an improved quality of life for all of us.  A national health care care plan for everyone is hugely less expensive and the distribution of resources far more equitable.  We can move that direction now.  It takes political courage and the will of the people.

Our current practice of deciding what group of people or what preexisting condition is left out will always end up with winners; usually the rich and losers; usually the poor with just name a disease.  Community and cooperation beats brutal competition every time.