If we treated national defense like we do health care - where would we be?

[The Straight Story]

Or if we did the same with infrastructure?

Would Obama be on the TV telling us the buck stops with him and that he would make sure we got things together and fixed it all (in his defense on that whole 12/25/09 thing - he inherited a freaking mess - I don't blame him)?

I don't fear some guys in Yemen so much, not nearly like I do the guys at the dentist/doctor offices who tell me my daughter cannot get the care she needs (X told me today that she called some dentists and even with her sliding scale state insurance they would not see my daughter - insurance goes away at end of month..., and her getting into the hospital for a few days...yeah, that is gonna happen. Fuckers).

My daughter is not going on a plane again anytime soon (though she has some in the past) - so my worry is not some jerk with a bone up his ass for religion setting his underpants on fire - no - MY WORRY is centered around a system (won't blame dr's/etc here, bigger problem) that tosses her to the curb over circumstances she cannot control.

Sorry about her luck, next life maybe she will be born to folks with more money.

I keep hearing how afraid I should be - how we need more intrusions into our personal lives so that we can be more safe. Spend more money on big brother and keeping an eye on you and your neighbors and you will be safe.

Safe? The only damned threats I am facing right now relate to health/work - for both me and those I love. From mental and physical health, to being able to eat/have a place to live.

You want my money to save you from a few folks overseas???? And then you tell me I am some sorry ass loser/whiner because I want our tax dollars to REALLY save lives from a REAL threat to people here????

How in the HELL is it that you see me as the bad guy looking for a handout?

WTF happened that we made folks wanting to save the lives of fellow Americans seem like a bad thing? How is it that helping our fellow citizen and the kids here is now seen by some as a bad thing?

I am not against you being wealthy, not against profit, but it seems like you are against things on one hand but not the other. Hell, at least I am consistent in wanting to protect our citizens.

You? You protect the war machine in the name of peace and our health and well being, then you bail....

And I am the problem???

[stray cat]

1. Some DUers think we should

[EFerrari]

2. I thought we pretty much do treat real security and real infrastructure like that.

Lots of money thrown at cronies; results, not so much.

Look at it this way: a guy's UNDERWEAR defeated the billions we've spent on national security. :shrug:

[Sebastian Doyle]

3. The DLC traitors would demand that we turn everything over to Blackwater

And force all of us to pay for it.

[The Straight Story]

5. ROFL

For some reason I don't think you are far from the truth....

[StarfarerBill]

4. We'd have a hellacious public healthcare system...

...if we threw the money and resources at it that we do at the military and its suppliers.

[xchrom]

6. What happened? Coining the phrase

'welfare queens' and 'death taxes' and electing Ronald Reagan.

We've had centrists coming in the side door defending both since then.

[Blue State Blues]

7. We'd hear speeches like this

My fellow Americans, some of you receive protection through your employer's payment of private security companies. Some of you must hire protection in the individual market. And far too many have no defense at all.

If we were starting from scratch, I would create a national system of defense where taxes would pay for armed services that would be charged with protecting the safety of all Americans. But that would be disruptive to the system we have now. So instead of that, you must each have personal responsibility for the safety of our nation. So, soon, each American will be required to purchase defense insurance. We will establish an exchange where you can compare bids of many defense contractors. Competition for your contract will force them to lower their prices to get your business.

If you like the defense you have now, you can keep it. If you don't have defense now and cannot afford it, the government will provide you with subsidies to purchase defense from a private contractor.

Critics will say that this system will cost more while providing less protection than a public defense option ... and they will say that this plan takes tax dollars that currently are paid disproportionately by the working and middle class only to divert that national wealth into the coffers of profitable companies and the bloated salaries of the highest paid executives ... and, well, honestly, I guess they're right.

Hmm.