To blog or not to blog... and health care

...so yeah, this is my first blog. I guess I wrote a few essays back on myspace like 4 or 5 years ago and my nephew, Neil, has always bugged me to jot down the musings of my mind from time to time. So, here we are.

As it's late already, I'm fighting this conjestion, and my main squeeze is bidding me to bed I'll end this quick.

I'm noticing all over facebook everyone clamoring for universal health care. Y'know I have zero problems w/universal health care... if it worked. Most opine w/the examples of Canada and Europe as evidence that universal health works just fine and dandy. I agree that there are many that benefit from these services in these countries. I am familiar w/the health care system in Canada and you're right, it works... mostly. Quirks exist in that system including an amazing increase in people rushing to the doctor's office for minor abrasions, colds, sniffles, and aches and pains. This increase in bogus services that usually can be taken care w/some rest and good diet places a heavy burden on service providers and sometimes waiting times are long. In socialist countries these waiting times are even greater. I'm sure my mother in Norway has plenty to complain about. However, I'm not here to argue that these quirks are the reason why we shouldn't pursue universal health care here in the states. In fact, if we could get it to operate w/the same functionality as it is in Europe/Canada I would definitely support the system despite these quirks I've mentioned.

Rather, my argument stems from a comparison of our country w/those nations people continue to assert in their effort to justify that universal health care would work here. You just cannot make that comparison w/o looking uneducated and not realizing the vast differences in our nation and those of Canada/Europe. First, you have to address the differences in our economies, how they are structured, and how and where are taxes are distributed... those that pay taxes that is. Also, the unemployment rate in our country far exceeds those of Canada and northern/western Europe. Not only is the rate higher but our population far exceeds these nations/countries by millions. These numbers/rates haven't declined or remained steady in decades but have risen astronomically. I recognize there is a dangerously thin line of "political correctness" that must be walked in this area, but it would be foolishness to ignore the fact that our nation hasn't dwindled in the last 50 years because the rich control the resources but because as a nation (including the rich) we've become less... er... industrious. We work less hours, we spend an inordinate amount of time wasting away in front of computers, cell phones, ipods, chat rooms, web pages... getting nothing done (look! by writing this I am obviously at fault as well)... and we still expect great things from our governments... we want to get paid, we want to be tended to, we want to be protected both physically and monetarily. We want educations and degrees so that we can get cush jobs... and the less we have to pay for them the better. We're a nation of individualists and opportunists where individual rights outweigh communal and family rights. Yes, I'm about to say it... We're spoiled little brats. We feel entitled, like this nation owes us something, but we rarely give anything back. Most people fudge on their taxes... over report and under report in order to eek out the best refunds. And now we experience this national economic crisis and we flounder monetarily, but instead of correcting the economic ship we search for more ways of diminishing our funds by implementing systems that would greatly increase our taxes?

I believe in universal health care, but I believe that it's a system that won't work for us until we've fixed the other things that aren't working: insurance problems, ridiculous legal system (sue happy nation of ours... goes back to that whole individualistic "me, mine..." quid pro quo argument), gov't controlled educational system (when can we admit once and for all that gov't run education doesn't work? how many years/decades of dwindling educational returns have to pass before we realize that our gov't should stick its nose into other programs (maybe health care?) besides education?), our national debt, oversized political body (we don't need this many politicians taking our taxes to do nothing... really, the billions we pay these guys each year should yield some returns, right? Why are they getting paid anyway? Political service should be a voluntary service... they're mostly rich judges/lawyers/attorneys/businessmen anyways), and ludicrous economic crisis handouts (billions of our tax dollars) to companies/corporations/people that have proved by their ineptitude and dishonesty that they're not worthy of existing or continuing to exist. I believe is some form of economic Darwinism. Take the car companies for instance. Toyota and Honda did not lose money during this economic crisis. Why? Because they run tighter ships, they produce superior automobiles, and they reward their customers w/superior service. So, our executive branch elects to give out billions to failed motor companies that provide the public w/inferior automobiles, w/greedy execs, and shoddy management. Where does the logic for this idiocy spring? I just don't see how millions buy into this crap. Hey, before you republican pat yourselves on the back. Y'know darn well McCain would have done the same thing. I'm thinking he would have rewarded the car companies and others w/more just to pad his future political contributions and voting quota.

Anyway, we're a sick nation. We've got "gimme" disease, and until we wrench that out, fix the problems we already have I really object to tackling another huge economic glut. WE CANNOT AFFORD IT the way things are. As inhumane as that sounds it comes down to dollars and cents. I know you would rather I said "lives and health", but dollars and cents equates to "more lives and health" in the long run. I have family that would be devastated by even a 10% increase in taxes... absolutely floored. Health care is expensive stuff... I know there are thousands out there that deserve better health care and I wish we could give it to them, and if we could find loopholes to provide it to them, "whoopee!", but we can't sacrifice the hard working/barely surviving/struggling to help a different population. You will only see those numbers (unemployment, destitute, homeless) increase if this system passes. Fix our current problems before moving on to implement new ones. And that's my two cents...