Right now, there is a debate going on over at my flickr page, on a specific photo that I posted of the new NYC sponsored condoms. While I know that there are varying opinions on whether or not the government has a stake in providing either health care or public health services to the people of this country, I honestly wonder; why can’t there be a happy medium? I mean, seriously, if you think government sponsored prevention programs are a bad idea, then you obviously don’t understand the impact that they have on health care. If you can prevent disease, you don’t have to treat it! (hence why I think the NYC condoms are such an amazing and awesome idea and execution of that idea!)
Most of the people that argue against public sponsored health care and public health services don’t believe that there should be any government support. A lot of people that are in the opposite camp, who are for those services, think that they should be available to everyone. I want to ask, why can’t there be a solution that falls somewhere between all and nothing? Sure, socialized medicine in theory is a great idea; everyone is taken care of. But, as dave, and others that believe what he believes about socialized medicine correctly point out, there are inherent problems when the government tries to take over and control something that it doesn’t really know how to do. Case and point: medical services for troops and veterans. Talk about a huge fuck up. And that is not what we want for everyone in the country.
Unfortunately, those fuck ups are then used to smear the idea of having any assistance from the government for public health services, and that is something I don’t understand. The main reason I don’t understand it, is because if you look at the countries that have socialized medicine, while it may not be the best possible solution, they far exceed our mortality rates, infant deaths, life expectancies and so on. It is obvious, that overall, government involvement in providing public health services does have a net benefit. So why can’t we take what we know (the government can fuck it up) and use that to come up with a happy medium that isn’t all (everyone must use government sponsored health care), or nothing (fuck em if they can’t afford it on their own)?
I wonder this, because my own personal views of public health and government supported health care come from a place of extensive education and research. I work for the top government public health organization, and have a masters degree of study that was mainly focused on public health. In addition to that focus, my masters degree focuses even more on what happens when the application of that public health means well, but goes wrong, or, in even worse situations, when it is ignored, and not provided at all. Speaking as someone who is very well educated in the subject, I think that it is ignorant to think that the government does not have any stake in providing people with some public health and health care services. Currently, the services that are provided are good in many respects, but are really awful in other areas. I think that it wouldn’t be very difficult to have governmental support in the areas that are bad, and that would provide for those that need the support. This does not equal total government support in the least; what it does do, is it helps those that need it get it.
Isn’t that what society is for? If everyone went around with the attitude of, “me, me, me, me!”, then we wouldn’t be able to function as a society. With specific regards to public health and health care services, the government does provide some services, and SHOULD, because if you want to support and maintain a society with a thriving economy, you must consider and support the health of the people that a part of that system. If you rely solely on charitable support for your health care, you will never get anywhere near what people truly need, as most of the people that have the money to give large charitable donations will never give enough to adequately cover what tax dollars can cover. Everyone can benefit from a government sponsored public health and health care services plan, which would include things like insurance changes, regulations on doctor fees, lowering of prescription prices, and so on. I just don’t see why a happy medium is such a bad thing.
The only people that I can see that would be so against this happy medium that I am suggesting (which again, does NOT include forcing everyone to have government sponsored health care), are people that don’t care about anyone other than themselves. It is interesting to me that these are the people that usually tout charitable donations as the solution (sorry to call you out dave), because being so selfish obviously means you wouldn’t be giving charitable donations. It is like saying, the solution would be to color it red, and you are the only one in the room with a red crayon, and you are unwilling to share it, or color it red yourself. That is not only selfish, it is undeserving of being a member of society in my opinion. We have to sacrifice things to be a part of society, sacrifice things to the one body that can govern and protect us. That body is the government, and while I too don’t agree with what all of our tax dollars go to, I think that public health is one of the most critical and substantially important places that money should be going to, and some sort of government involvement in that is not only required, but expected. To suggest otherwise is negligent, in my opinion.
Now, I know you are itching to, so go ahead and rip me a new one. I know that you may disagree, and that is fine, these are our opinions after all. We are entitled to them. This is mine. It isn’t like what is said here will become the policy of the government, even though I hope that some form of what I have stated could eventually find its way into our current policies. To be quite frank, I also think that it is a good thing that these opinions will not become policy, with specific regard to the thought that government has no place in providing public health services! I write this, because I truly don’t understand how the richest and most powerful nation in the country can turn its back on the citizens that live here. Those people are not entitled to anything more than anyone else, but they are also not to be denied anything that everyone else may have (and do have) a better chance at receiving. If you believe that everyone has the ability to get whatever they want (the “American dream”), then this argument is falling on deaf ears, because you have decided to tune out what is really going on in this country (and throughout the world) long ago. I only hope that one day, each side of this argument can find a way to come together and simply provide what is needed. THAT is what will make for stronger society. That is what will make for better and more robust economy. And that is what will make us stronger and better as a nation.
Continuing to go in the direction of wealth, power, and destruction at all costs, even the cost of our own citizens, will ultimately be our own demise. We will not need terrorists to destroy us, we will destroy ourselves. We are already doing it. And that is scary, but real.
Giving away goodies is not a proper function of gov’t, but it’s a small price and it helps maintain public health. Uncle Sam should give out beer, too, and say “I WANT YOU…to get lucky!”
Alright, Mr Sarcasm. Public health is vital to our economy, if people are sick, they can’t work. Did you know that the number one cause of foreclosure is injury? If people were covered, they wouldn’t have to lose their homes and their entire savings. I just don’t think that it is right to turn your back on people when we, as a society, do have more than enough money.
And I agree, mostly b/c it is a small dollar amount. Sometimes it’s hard to buy condoms b/c they are locked away behind glass (Krogers). This means there is concern for shoplifting, obviously by teenagers. So yes, give ‘em out for free.
BTW, speaking of injuries, there was (last week) this dude at the intersection of Lenox Rd and Buford Hwy limping back and forth in the median with a sign saying “got injured, lost job, please help”. His limp made him look pathetic. People (liberals) were forking over cash for him.
The next day, I see him on the side of the road with the same sign. Someone (perhaps his girlfriend) calls him over to the other side of the street. This guy dashes across the street with no limp at all, and again with no limp he walks away with this fat chick.
This is why I have never, ever given money to a beggar. Most (not all) are some sort of con artist, undeserving of my money. Let charities figure out who the deserving are.
Bugboy, while I know that there are many cons out there with regards to homeless people, do realize that a bunch of those homeless people are troops that have served our country. Don’t turn your back on everyone that is in need, they might have been dodging bullets a few months before they ended up living on the street.
Duane — you’re very much correct about healh care. Health care is a good with both public and private aspects to it. On the one hand, you can take a great deal of responsibility in taking care of yourself — exercising, maintaining a balanced diet, etc. On the other hand, contagious diseases can still spread to you no matter how well you take care of yourself. Even if you don’t get a flu shot yourself, you still benefit from other people getting flu shots — therefore, you pay for a portion of that flu shot through taxes.
In any case, even a completely stone-cold bastard with absolutely no sense of empathy or compassion should be able to understand why a totally market-based solution is a bad idea. Then again, “should be” rarely translates into “is.”
I don’t think handing over cash will solve any problem but rather perpetuate pre-existing problems. I’d rather leave that up to a church or charity. I’ve had too many experiences with hobos to ever think that direct help from me in the form of a handout would solve anything.
I’d give them a condom, however.
There was a great write-up today (Thursday April 5, 2007) in AM New York on the NYC Condoms. You can see the article at http://www.amny.com/news/local/wire/ny-bc-ny–nyccondom0404apr04,0,5622490.story The only objection the article mentioned came from NY Catholic leaders. As in the past, they reasoned that condoms promoted promiscuity and immoral behaviour. Fortunately Mayor Bloomberg defended the condoms and the health department’s initiative, saying it was not an issue of faith but a “real world” solution to a health crisis.
Amen!