I just recently watched Sicko.

[Mythsaje]

I know... I like to wait until the hype's died down for stuff like that. Gives me breathing and thinking room. Plus I'm already part of the choir. It gave me more details about stuff I already knew. I can argue the SHIT out of it. I'd almost pay money to be allowed to be on something like Real Time or even the Daily Show or Colbert. I'd even let Colbert pretend to make fun of me (though it would drive me nuts).

Single Payer WORKS. And it sure as hell seems to work better than what we have. By a very wide margin. This is all about profit for the few. Period. Everyone else--from the average worker to the small business owner, even to the corporations--are getting screwed. The fact that the insurance and healthcare industry (primarily the insurance companies, but there are parts of the healthcare industry making out like bandits as well) are sucking the rest of us dry and getting a pass from the corporate media and entirely too large a segment of our so-called "leadership" really, really pisses me off.

I feel the same way about higher education. The debt wracked up by college students and those with serious medical conditions is damaging the economy. People who are in debt don't have money to spend, they don't grease the wheels of the economic engine, and all of us suffer as a result.

My father was griping about how our elected officials seem to believe they get to use our tax money any way they see fit, even though we never actually gave them the green light to do so (he's still worried about SS), and how WE the people should be in charge. (I've explored the premise of direct democracy and I wince when I stop to consider that some 30% of the American population is more or less batshit and, as I pointed out to him, they're often the loudest group of all).

I figure that about 30% is fuck-all insane, a roughly equal number is clear-eyed and conscious, another ten to fifteen percent have their heads up their asses and can't figure out what's going on any given day, and the rest either don't give a shit or feel so powerless that they'll put up with just about anything.

I'm not sure those numbers make direct democracy a particularly palatable option. We'd probably be out brawling in the streets within a year. If nothing else, the elected "representatives" act as a buffer so we can scream at someone other than each other. We sharpen our knives metaphorically rather than physically.

We probably have the technology for DD to work, but we don't have the communication skills, or any real middle ground on which to attempt to meet.

One good thing--the batshit crazy brigade has been bad enough lately that even the heads-up-their-asses crowd can see how loony they are.

Thank gawd.

[pome2]

1. sicko

sicko owned by simon?

[Lorax7844]

2. everyone should watch it

it is the most infuriating/heart breaking movie.

If you look you can watch it for free online, MM said he was fine with people sharing it.

[lostnotforgotten]

3. We Must Demand Single Payer, Not For Profit Heath Care - For Profit Insurance Must Go

eom

[maildjjs]

4. ...!!

GuD Movie


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