Bacon's Rebellion

Democracy Thrives in Sunlight

WEEKEND READING AND WRITING

—

by

James A. Bacon
in

A lot of unsettling “news” as we approach 11 September but there is a WaPo item some may miss in the Travel section. “Operation Vacation” is a stinging condemnation of the US of A health care system masquerading as a way to mix surgery with sightseeing.

Also here on Bacon’s Rebellion Blog the 4 Sept post “Nathaniel Bacon Vindicated, Gov. Berkeley Shamed” is not just a teaser for Richard Thornton’s column, it has accumulated further insights from Thornton and Jim Bacon.

It looks like there is material here for a sequel here to Jared Diamond’s “Guns Germs and Steel” featuring the slave trade impact on Africa, and the slave trade / demise of agricultural / trading settlements in the Southeastern USA.

Add some details from what the English, French and Spanish did on small Caribbean Islands and the impact of Spanish horses on the Native Americans from around our home town and you have another layer of guns and germs and steel insights that rewrites what we thought we knew about European “settlement” and the “diffusion of knowledge” / civilization.

EMR

Share this article

ADVERTISEMENT

(comments below)

ADVERTISEMENT

(comments below)

Comments

4 responses to “WEEKEND READING AND WRITING”

  1. Darrell -- Chesapeake Avatar
    Darrell — Chesapeake

    What the article concerning medical tourism left out were the growing number of Europeans who seek out such services. These people, who are covered by national health care programs, opt out of such public coverage because of the excessive length of time one needs to wait to receive medical services in their national systems.

    Medical tourism is a growth industry. Once universal standards are recognized, expect American insurers to start offering these services.

  2. Larry Gross Avatar
    Larry Gross

    it’s time to be real about this particular issue.

    do you want a health care system that serves everyone or do you want a health care system that serves only those lucky enough to be wealthy or have a job that provides it as a benefit.

    It’s true, people (rich people) come here from all around the world for our medical care but in our own country – we have folks who do not get even the basic health care that citizens from other countries get.

    our “exuse” is that we have the best medical care in the world – and the implication is that if we tried to provide minimal coverage for everyone that somehow.. it would degrade our ability to be a world-class leader in medical care in general.

    It’s totally bogus.

    we can do both.

    I think it is scandalous for one of the richest and most innovative countries in the industrialized world … to have to set up special programs for kids whose parents do not have access to minimal health care because we want to continue the charade that we cannot have universal coverage and a top notch world-class health care system at the same time.

    right now – we actually hurt capitalism and entrepreneurship in this country by encouraging workers to – instead of striking out on their own – to take a “safe” job with a company that provides health care for his/her family.

    Imagine how many folks would change jobs and/or develop their own small businesses if we have universal coverage….

  3. Anonymous Avatar
    Anonymous

    “These people, who are covered by national health care programs, opt out of such public coverage because of the excessive length of time one needs to wait to receive medical services in their national systems. “

    Correct. So that’s an option that we don’t have. We all like options, as in optional tranportation, right?

    One thing people forget about public health careis that you have the option to go buy private services, if the wait is too long for public ones.

    “…do you want a health care system that serves only those lucky enough to be wealthy or have a job that provides it as a benefit.”

    And the problem with luck and health is that it eventually runs out. If that happens without health insurance, you will no longer be wealthy.

    Health problems are the number one cause of bankruptcy. With people growing older this represents a major threat to the entire economy. If we think we can’t afford healthcare, wait till we see what happens without it.

    RH

  4. Larry Gross Avatar
    Larry Gross

    we have a dumb system that hurts everyone except the ultra-rich and yet we buy the lame argument about … “having the best medical care in the world” without understanding the consequences of a system that puts kids and adults at risk… causes higher health care costs to everyone and puts our companies that sell worldwide at competitive disadvantages… when they have to incorporate the cost of their company plan into the cost of their products.

    No matter how good our auto companies get at making a better product – until we change – they will cost more than autos made in other countries because of the health care costs incorporated into the price.

    And as RH said.. unless you are ultra-rich, you are exactly one medical emergency away from bankruptcy unless of course you’re hanging on to a job “with benefits”.

    we have a system of haves and have nots that has nothing to do with how hard one works for a living or anything else.. other than the “smart” folks do whatever they must … to land a job with “benefits” – and they stay with that job – no matter how much they hate it… for those benefits.

    Imagine.. how many folks would go out and make their own way.. at jobs they enjoyed… if they were not restricted to jobs with “benefits”?

    we need to have the healthc care equivalent of 401Ks…

    We do have HSAs but quess what – you can’t “roll over” what you save.

    Now… why is that?

Leave a Reply

Read More