I’ve tried to stay out of the political debate on health care over here in the US. No one will be surprised by my position on this one. I’m not going to comment on the Obama speech or even the stupidity of Wilson. No, I won’t. I want to scratch a little bit deeper here. Deep down to a little thing known as personal responsibility…
So you are against universal health care. Or the government option – or whatever the hell you want to call it. Let me get this straight…
You are against government providing health care to those who can’t afford it or those who the private insurance companies deem as too costly to cover. Better to let them die, right?
Look, the current system isn’t working – we can all agree to that. The problem is that your proposal doesn’t address any of the fundamental challenges of the system – covering the poor and those in need. If I lose my job today then I lose my health care coverage as well. Except if I have the money to pay through my neck for it while I don’t have any income. Doesn’t sound right, right?
Let’s agree on one thing before I rant – cut some of the crap being covered by health care. Obesity? Stop eating crap. Obesity isn’t a disease. Cancer is a disease. Way too much shit is covered by health insurance. Plastic surgery? 90% are crap. Only those with facial defects and burn victims should be covered. A new boob job because you want bigger boobs doesn’t count. Whiter teeth? Go British I say. Cut the fat off coverage and only cover stuff that is really pushing people to their death.
Blame the pharmaceutical companies for lobbying for crap to be covered. They create “medicine” that will address these social “diseases” and then lobby the hell out of (mostly) Republicans for these to be covered. Why? Not because they want to address the real health issues but because they want to make a bigger profit from growing some hair over that bold spot of yours or magically make your beer and Mickey D laden fat go away.
While I’m on obesity. Yes, we carry the burden of that in the US and most developed countries. Stop eating crap and start going outside. If you get a heart disease because of your diet? Make sure you have good funeral coverage. I’m sick and tired of people being covered by health insurance for things that they do to themselves. Over and over again.
You shot yourself in the foot with your own gun? That’s stupid so pay up yourself. You want to carry a gun them suffer the consequences…
Back to the point though. So who will care for those who lost their jobs and can’t afford health care insurance? Or those who the insurance companies judge as too risky or too sick to cover? Let me give you an alternative to the government option.
You.
Yes, you. I’m talking to you Mr and Mrs I’m-Against-The-Government-Option. You should be paying for it.
Why? Because you claim to be on the side of America and the Christian right. That’s just stupid. It’s not an answer it’s just empty words of fake patriotism. America and Christianity is about solutions and not just about shooting your mouth off.
You can’t open your mouth without giving some form of solution. The health care system in the US is a failure. No one can argue against that. We all know it and we all accept it. Private industry is not the answer. I would love for them to be the answer but, in this case, they are not. They are generally the best answer when it comes to making cars (huh?) or computers or televisions or other crap we don’t need to survive. Oh they can make the medicine and medical equipment we need better than any government. But they have proven to be a complete failure when it comes to dealing with our actual health coverage. Especially when it comes to the poor and those in need.
So what alternative are you offering here? Some wishy-washy plan that will NOT result in those people being covered? I’m not interested in making your insurance any cheaper. (Or mine for that matter.) I’m interested in how we deal with those in need. Let’s assume for a minute that we won’t go for the government option. Let’s think of a plan that will help those people in need in another way.
And this is where you come in…
You can’t be American (or anything else) without taking some level of responsibility. You can’t open your mouth against something if you aren’t willing to offer up some form of solution. You do this way too often.
You are against abortion. But you are not willing to take in the unwanted kids. Or those born with disabilities. Or those born with alcohol syndrome. Or those born through rape. Or where the mother died because of the birth. I don’t see you rushing forward and claiming these babies. You shout from the side and walk away when someone holds up the results of your actions and stupidity. Here is my advice to you…
Man up or shut up…
I’m sick and tired of us having to pick up after you. I am sick and tired of having to clean your mess. You spew stupidity and we liberals have to live with the mistakes of your actions and empty words. Yes we do – why do you think those who work for charities looking after unwanted babies, HIV/Aids patients, battered women, the environment, animals etc are almost always a bunch a liberals? Because someone has to fix the crap you created. And I am sick and tired of cleaning your mess.
Shut up or pay up.
You are big enough now. Time for you to take responsibility of your own empty words and actions.
You want abortion to be banned? Then fine. You take care of the unwanted babies. The sick babies. The disabled babies. Because remember, you don’t want government to interfere either now…
You want to carry a gun in the open or hidden? The fine. You take care of those kids and innocent people getting shot by their mates by accident. You take care of what your actions resulted in. Remember, you don’t want government to intervene…
You want to stop people suing others because of defects in stuff they bought or doctors who didn’t do their jobs properly? Then fine. You take care of those people who lost their jobs and income when they got injured and hurt. Remember, you don’t want government to interfere…
You want to be able to cut down every forest to dig for oil and coal? You want to be able to dump your crap anywhere you please? Then fine. You take care of the… oh wait. We are all going down on this one. Here’s my solution. We’ll take that gun you like to carry so much and shoot you. I’ll even dig your grave myself. Hell, you are busy digging mine with your policies and actions. That way we can claim our bit of oxygen left as you wasted yours with hot air – in more than one way.
Man up or shut up.
You can’t just spew stupidity without coming up with a workable solution. You can’t be anti everything. Not when what we are trying to fix is all fucked up. You are either part of the solution (any solution) or you are part of the problem. It’s not working stupid. Fix it. And it you don’t like my plan then come up with a better one. Take responsibility for your stupidity.
It’s easier to say what is wrong with a specific part in a proposal than come up with a workable solution yourself. But it doesn’t solve the big problem standing like an elephant in the corner waiting to walk all over all of us. Someone is going to get hurt and I will be damned if it is me and my kind again.
Let me put it this way.
If we had to write into law the current state of health care. Guess what. We will all be against it – you and me. The current system doesn’t work and what is proposed by the Big O is better. Not perfect but at least better. And if you don’t like it? Then either come up with a better plan or take responsibility of your own position and stupidity.
Man up or shut up. Own up or pay up.
Until then – grow a pair of balls and stop shouting from the sidelines.
…
And one more thing…
This Christian thing you claim to have going on your side…
God stood for very few basic things. Actually, it all comes down to a single concept – love for all (remember that bit? You should love others like you love yourself and as much as what you love God blah-blah-blah…) Dammit you must hate yourself a lot if that part is true. And I believe it is true.
Because if you did love your neighbor… Let me ask you this. Letting a person die because they can’t afford to pay for health care and you knowingly supported them NOT getting any help. Is that the way God will want you to love? Letting someone die from cancer because they lived in a community where some mining company dumped their crap and now they can’t even afford their health care – and you knew about both of those. Is that the way God would want you to love?
So stop giving me the Christian crap. I think we might be serving a different God here. My God is ashamed of you. I know my God actually cares about everyone and cares for everyone. Ask yourself this before you open your mouth – What would God do? Would he be proud? Would he help those who needs help? Or would he walk away? If you pick this last one – here’s something to think about… He walked away from you a long, long time ago…
Own up or pay up. Man up or shut up.
I’m not cleaning your mess anymore.
Angry African on the Loose™ 
September 12, 2009 at 2:55 pm
Excellent post. You certainly makes some points that I have not considered before.
September 13, 2009 at 11:10 am
@Terrant – Thanks! It’s a bit of a rant but was trying to thet the point across of person responsibility and being consistent with what one proclaims to believe. We have to take responsibility of our own actions. That’s what I’ve always admired about America and Americans. But it seems that people today just want and not take any responsibility. There might be a better solution out there but someone has to come up with one!
September 13, 2009 at 12:04 pm
You are right on! Unfortunately, this country is a country filled with folks who believe that “Instant gratification takes too long.” also, we need to grow up and take part in this PARTICIPATORY DEMOCRACY. Yep, it ain’t easy but it’s what we’ve got and we’re all responsible for the success and future of this great nation.
I was at a party recently with some big-time fundy Christians who didn’t believe that healthcare was a inalienable right. When I asked what would Jesus do, they couldn’t answer then tried to change the subject about how we have a Muslim president. Depressing.
keep up the good work!
September 14, 2009 at 6:35 pm
wow. for once i disagree. but only partly. healthcare is important. all of it. and the burden should be carried equally and NOT FOR PROFIT. trust me. it works.
here’s where i disagree. your proposed healthcare denies to self inflicted disease/injury. where do you draw the line? not to obese people, because they did it to themselves? not to alcoholics with liver disease because they did it to themselves? smokers with lung cancer? anybody with bowel diseases caused by lack of fiber, poor dietary choices? how about trauma? a sky-diver, who’s chute didn’t open…they knew the risks? the worker who carelessly fell off the scaffolding? how about a motor vehicle collision…only the person not at fault? where do you draw the line? i have to disagree. healthcare needs to be universal. and it needs to take care of the fallen, regardless of how they got there.
September 17, 2009 at 2:32 pm
Man sometimes you tick me off. Yea I want people who don’t like gov care to pay for health care for the poor. The problem is that there won’t be a government or a constitution or a military to defend rights if we do this government health care. We’re going to go bankrupt the country. Obama says that health care by government will cut the crap and make stuff cheaper. That is not what I am seeing in the summaries of the house bills. Medicare increase from the projected cost by 400 percent. The government can’t do this. Especially since it is the same plan and what the insurance companies do. Find another payer. BY the way, my parents are upper middle class. They could be outright rich if they didn’t give 10 to 20 percent of their money to charities. And if they weren’t helping me through collage. I plan to “grow ” up and do likewise. There is no free clinic near by to donate to. There is no option to help people in local areas with health. There is no system where you have a mini clinic ( two docs or even two RN practitionars and a touch screen kiosk.) where you can just walk in talk to a doc explore what options you have and tell you where the nearest hospital is. This alone could save money. Also getting rid of the drug seekers might help. Yea the system is broken. But not all conservitives are jackasses as you seem to say. I wanted to respond and say all liberals are jackasses. Unforntuately I think we are all thinking about those power hungry jerks in Washington. And yes I support tea parties.
September 24, 2009 at 1:50 am
Brilliant post AA. It seems that when one watch CNN, Fox, CBS etc that you only hear the voices of those on the far left and the far right. Why are these guys getting so much coverage with their moronic views?
October 5, 2009 at 1:10 am
Excellent post! these are my sentiments as well.
October 8, 2009 at 12:53 am
Uh also, do you have an e-mail? Just curious.
October 14, 2009 at 4:34 pm
With all due respect, Obama plans to cut millions from Medicare to fund his healthplan. Talk about robbing Peter to pay Paul! And the fact is that more than 85 percent of Americans already have some form of health insurance. Joe Wilson was right on the specific point, that the Healthcare Bill does not exclude illegal aliens.
Sorry, but Obama is not telling the truth!
October 18, 2009 at 2:32 pm
@Jules – Keep asking those questions!
@Shawna – WHAT? We don’t agree on everything? VERY ODD! But there is truth in what you say. But it shouldn’t become an excuse to keep on abusing ourselves.
@EnergyEngineer – Agree, not all ar asses. But you know I generalize to make a broader point.
@SA Expats – I don’t know. Everyone thinks I am way left but the honest truth is that I just want personal responsibility and that is pretty much middle fo the road! No good newspapers or telly here. Everything must be controversial or else it just won’t sell.
@Peter – You missed the point though. The basic message of the piece is to get away from what you just said, “The other side is wrong.” Fine, now what the hell do YOU propose. Stop blaming and pointing fingers and start coming up with answers!