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Bill Maher Explains the Healthcare Crisis
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In just under two minutes, Bill Maher breaks down the reality of why America shouldn't be afraid of a government run Healthcare system. Taken from the March 6 episode of his HBO show Real Time with Bill Maher. For more info visit healthcare-now.org.
Mar 11, 2009 8:41 PM
Re: Bill Maher Explains the Healthcare Crisis
Don't be afraid of it USA, the only people telling you that government Healthcare is bad are the people who are making money off it.
By: Thebenzz
Re: Bill Maher Explains the Healthcare Crisis
Can't help but agree. I'm in Canada, and anything I've ever needed has been covered, including a couple surgeries, as well as treatment after vehicle crashes, incidents at work, whatever. It's a HUGE peace of mind knowing that no matter what happens to me, they'll do their best to put me back together again, without asking questions first, or sending me a bill after.
By: duffguy
Re: Bill Maher Explains the Healthcare Crisis
[Sigh...]
Sounds nice. The conservatives in America can't open their mouths these days without parroting their party's warnings against "socialism." OOOhhhh! Scary red-scare era word of DOOOOM! Really, they're playing off of the ignorance of the average citizen regarding what 'socialism' really is, and that's despicable. What's sad, though, is that thus far, all it's taken is that fear and a couple descriptions of over-crowded waiting rooms to hold off any serious discussion regarding our very broken health care system.
I don't know why government run (or at least government subsidized) health care should sound any crazier than government run law enforcement, or government run fire fighting. Especially when private health care is turning out to be as ineffective and dangerous to the common good as privatized fire fighting did at the end of the 19th century. (Or private law enforcement in the mob controlled cities during the first half of the 20th century.)
The state provided surgery and emergency care for you, and probably at the expense of richer people than you. But what everyone in Canada gets out of that is one less person in financial ruin because he's paying for a surgery he couldn't afford. What everyone gets is one more worker who can contribute to building the GDP, rather than taking from it by taking unemployment.
I've never asked for a dollar in my life I didn't earn, but as someone who has a rather physically intense means of making a living, I'm one sprained ankle or a broken wrist away from being on the dole. Wish me luck.
Sounds nice. The conservatives in America can't open their mouths these days without parroting their party's warnings against "socialism." OOOhhhh! Scary red-scare era word of DOOOOM! Really, they're playing off of the ignorance of the average citizen regarding what 'socialism' really is, and that's despicable. What's sad, though, is that thus far, all it's taken is that fear and a couple descriptions of over-crowded waiting rooms to hold off any serious discussion regarding our very broken health care system.
I don't know why government run (or at least government subsidized) health care should sound any crazier than government run law enforcement, or government run fire fighting. Especially when private health care is turning out to be as ineffective and dangerous to the common good as privatized fire fighting did at the end of the 19th century. (Or private law enforcement in the mob controlled cities during the first half of the 20th century.)
The state provided surgery and emergency care for you, and probably at the expense of richer people than you. But what everyone in Canada gets out of that is one less person in financial ruin because he's paying for a surgery he couldn't afford. What everyone gets is one more worker who can contribute to building the GDP, rather than taking from it by taking unemployment.
I've never asked for a dollar in my life I didn't earn, but as someone who has a rather physically intense means of making a living, I'm one sprained ankle or a broken wrist away from being on the dole. Wish me luck.
By: Oh-Deeh
Re: Bill Maher Explains the Healthcare Crisis
I love pointing out that policies like universal health care have nothing at all to do with socialism. It's almost as fun as finding a dictionary and showing people what socialism actually means.
By: i8ursandwich
Re: Bill Maher Explains the Healthcare Crisis
And for the record, I love your point that Americans praise how well the guberment manages our military, our policemen, our firemen, etc but somehow tries to have us believe we can't manage our docs just as well? Um...no. That makes no sense.
Of course, if our elected officials support universal healthcare, that's seen as a dangerous step away from their true goal of privatizing all those aforementioned military (Blackwater, er, Xe), policemen, and firemen just as they've done with our prisons.
Not to mention the fact that *the US already has taxpayer-subsidized free healthcare.* It's the healthcare our Senators and Representatives enjoy at our expense while they try to find ever new and lamer reasons to deny us the exact same coverage that they get for free from us.
Of course, if our elected officials support universal healthcare, that's seen as a dangerous step away from their true goal of privatizing all those aforementioned military (Blackwater, er, Xe), policemen, and firemen just as they've done with our prisons.
Not to mention the fact that *the US already has taxpayer-subsidized free healthcare.* It's the healthcare our Senators and Representatives enjoy at our expense while they try to find ever new and lamer reasons to deny us the exact same coverage that they get for free from us.
Re: Bill Maher Explains the Healthcare Crisis
What are you like 10? Have you BEEN to Canada? Do you want to sit on a waiting list for 2 months to have an MRI?
By: faxis2k
Re: Bill Maher Explains the Healthcare Crisis
There's that warning of long waits in the waiting room! Thanks for proving my point. When I was in the Army, I experienced government run health care. Funny thing is, when I fell off a cliff and essentially bent my knee 90 degrees forward, I got immediate access to the MRI. Don't get me wrong; I was as shocked as you are! But the head of radiology pointed out that they just got that new MRI machine, and it pays for itself a little more every time they use it. That is to say, when the hospital isn't worried about profit margins and insurance claims, they actually have an incentive to grant more access to the equipment.
By: Oh-Deeh
Re: Bill Maher Explains the Healthcare Crisis
"But the head of radiology pointed out that they just got that new MRI machine, and it pays for itself a little more every time they use it."
*howls*
Want cancer? Visit your local MRI scan*.
* For best results, visit again and again. May take years for effects to become noticeable, but even one visit dramatically heightens an encounter with this most pleasant bodily visitation called cancer. Many thousands of customers already happy. Some testimonials included.
-- Wendy from Kansas City: Hi y'all I am just 25 and me and my Stevie that's my baby of one year old is now as bald as a coot, I don't even have to buy shampoo for him ain't that cool! and you ask is that all? no that isn't all because as for myself I can't make babies anymore and Mike saves thousands on condoms and no pills for me whooohoooo! that's like very handy and trendy me and my shopping friends all love it and want to go to the MRI too!
-- Mike from upstate New York: Just do it. I dumped my job and drove all the way from the forest to the big towns south o'here. Was worth ev'ry penny I didn't even have to spend. Just got drunk one night and a coupla gorillas beat me up pretty bad in some alley. The doctors even threw in a free glass eye. Man, this universal healthcare is way cool! Back to chopping wood now and hope to chop up me leg as well. Won't be hard with dis glass eye of mine and the other stares at the sky most of the time -- unless a hot chick passes me by but that happens not that often in the woods and I can't blame them. Pray to God I don't axe off my own wood haha! Anyhow, would love to really get (message becomes too garbled at this point; was found underneath a stack of bones).
David from Salt Lake City: Highly recommended, this MRI stuff. Everyone should try it, especially we Mormon men. Our magic underwear protects our balls, and the radiation blasts away all the rest. Even in the head, which is almost too good to be true. Man, I don't even want to have a head, except for the ladies, of course. Nothing beats burying your head between some soft thighs eh? If I could save a few brain cells for the alien overlord we think about every other minute of the day, and the other minute is reserved for sex naturally (haha we Mormons are funny as hell, whoops I misspoke). Yes, go to the MRI and get cancer. Get at least three women first so you can lay in bed all day long and don't even have to shave. They will do the rest. Of course, the universal healthcare thing was a blast, too. Terrific. That's why I voted on the negro of course. That guy knows what's best for us. No gays and he ships many of the negroes overseas. Just swell. Too bad he didn't get started on the Jews yet. Got to have Barbara and the other gals (can't even remember their names oh no matter) wash my magic underwear now. Pity the only thing it can't do is wash itself.
*howls*
Want cancer? Visit your local MRI scan*.
* For best results, visit again and again. May take years for effects to become noticeable, but even one visit dramatically heightens an encounter with this most pleasant bodily visitation called cancer. Many thousands of customers already happy. Some testimonials included.
-- Wendy from Kansas City: Hi y'all I am just 25 and me and my Stevie that's my baby of one year old is now as bald as a coot, I don't even have to buy shampoo for him ain't that cool! and you ask is that all? no that isn't all because as for myself I can't make babies anymore and Mike saves thousands on condoms and no pills for me whooohoooo! that's like very handy and trendy me and my shopping friends all love it and want to go to the MRI too!
-- Mike from upstate New York: Just do it. I dumped my job and drove all the way from the forest to the big towns south o'here. Was worth ev'ry penny I didn't even have to spend. Just got drunk one night and a coupla gorillas beat me up pretty bad in some alley. The doctors even threw in a free glass eye. Man, this universal healthcare is way cool! Back to chopping wood now and hope to chop up me leg as well. Won't be hard with dis glass eye of mine and the other stares at the sky most of the time -- unless a hot chick passes me by but that happens not that often in the woods and I can't blame them. Pray to God I don't axe off my own wood haha! Anyhow, would love to really get (message becomes too garbled at this point; was found underneath a stack of bones).
David from Salt Lake City: Highly recommended, this MRI stuff. Everyone should try it, especially we Mormon men. Our magic underwear protects our balls, and the radiation blasts away all the rest. Even in the head, which is almost too good to be true. Man, I don't even want to have a head, except for the ladies, of course. Nothing beats burying your head between some soft thighs eh? If I could save a few brain cells for the alien overlord we think about every other minute of the day, and the other minute is reserved for sex naturally (haha we Mormons are funny as hell, whoops I misspoke). Yes, go to the MRI and get cancer. Get at least three women first so you can lay in bed all day long and don't even have to shave. They will do the rest. Of course, the universal healthcare thing was a blast, too. Terrific. That's why I voted on the negro of course. That guy knows what's best for us. No gays and he ships many of the negroes overseas. Just swell. Too bad he didn't get started on the Jews yet. Got to have Barbara and the other gals (can't even remember their names oh no matter) wash my magic underwear now. Pity the only thing it can't do is wash itself.
Re: Bill Maher Explains the Healthcare Crisis
I'm also from Canada and can add onto duffguy's comment. In Alberta you used to have to pay premiums (IF you could afford to) on healthcare, but they completely eliminated that and the end of 2008. This covers your basic surviving, but Dental is something separate, and can be quite expensive. Only flaw i can think up off the top of my head with the system in my province is they charge you $250 bucks for an ambulance ride :-P.
By: MurroMan
Re: Bill Maher Explains the Healthcare Crisis
As soon as you get in the ambulance in the US, it's $1500. Then you get charged per mile to hospital.
By: luclonde
Re: Bill Maher Explains the Healthcare Crisis
You do realize that under no circumstances will you be turned away from healthcare in the United States even if you have no insurance right? I can personally attest to this having used it many times. If universal healthcare means I'm going to have to get on a waiting list to see my doctor, then it is a stupid idea.
By: faxis2k
