As every day the hope that there might be any real health reform seems to drift further and further away, today's little headlines helped me form a great debate forum that we need to hold. Hell it would only last a few minutes, but it should be broadcast nationally on prime time TV so everyone who failed to support change despite their true dissatisfaction with our health system today. I would volunteer to be on this panel, and I would invite both Sara Palin and Glenn Beck to join in this discussion. My eight year old daughter volunteered to join with me, she wants to be a vet and has some serious issues with Palin, but I decided to be civil and avoid true public humiliation on national TV. The debate would probably be as follows. Follow along after the fold.
The set up is humorous, the facts are not and all too real today.
Moderator: Good evening viewers, tonight we are proud to bring you a factual discussion on the issues surrounding health care reform, something we in the main stream media have tried to avoid so far, but since Warren Buffet and George Sorros bought out two of the national networks and were going to air the debate, we at Faux News decided as a service to our viewers to join in this national debate. A debate I might add that we have covered fairly and without bias. Our debate participants tonight will be the former Governor of Alaska Sarah Palin! Also we are joned on this august panel by the nationally known radio and TV expert on this matter.......Mr. Glen Beck! A moment of disclosure here Mr. Beck also appears on the Faux News channel with his own news show, though due to a drop in sponsors I understand might be canceled soon? Is that right Mr. Beck?
Beck: (Cries uncontrollably)
Moderator: Finally, appearing on behalf of socialized medicine is Constitutionalist (me), a blogger of no note, and Registered Nurse. Constitutionalist holds a dual Masters degree in Counseling and Psychology, a graduate of Marymount University with a degree in Nursing. A rather fine Catholic school outside of DC. Where did the nuns go wrong Constitutionalist?
Me: Actually Mr. Moderator, the nuns and most Catholic nursing schools strongly favor universal health care. Something called the Christian Ethic was how one nun explain it to me.
Moderator: uhrm....Ok, let's get started. Governor Palin I believe this first question goes to you. Recently the Senate Finance Committee decided to drop the controversial "death panel" provision out of the Senate bill. Would you care to comment on that?
Palin: Why yes! I brought this issue to the national fore front as a pro life supporter I felt it was my moral obligation to keep the government from killing grandma and special needs children like my son Trig. I had a moral obligation to speak out and I am proud to say todayI and all the other freedom loving Americans won a moral victory!
Moderator: Constitutionalist you may respond.
Me: Can I ask the Governor a question as part of my response?
Moderator: That is not the manner in which these........
Me: Governor, since when did my personal physician become a government agent? When in fact have you ever seen a physician come to a house on a house call? Isn't it trueyou supportedsuch things when you were Governor before you decided to make these stories up?If you need a reminder try April, 16 2008 when you issued a proclamation calling that day "Health Care Decisions Day" and you encouraged citizens and hospitals to come togather and discuss these things? The provision in question just allowed for the payment by Medicare and the new health reform bill to pay for these rather then grandma paying for them out of her pocket. Money I am sure she would rather spend on her granddaughter, or donate to her church. Did you make up these lies because the insurance companies asked you to so they would avoid having to pay for such counseling? Why are you against my mother's granddaughter Governor?
Palin: Well that's untrue, and I can prove it. As we discovered in my interview with Katie Couric, I don't read. What makes you think I would start reading with the health care bill?
Moderator: Ok, uhm, let's move on here. Mr. Beck, you recently claimed President Obama was trying to remake this country with health care reform into a socialized "cross between Venezuela, and France" Can you moe deeply explain that?
Beck: (Cries uncontrollably)
Moderator: ....Ok let's move on. Governor, you and other members of the conservative right claim universal health care will result in a rationing of health care and limited services. Could you explain please more explicitly how this would occur?
Palin: Why yes it should be obvious to everyone that if everyone had universal coverage then the lines at the doctors offices would be longer. We would all have to wait. In e4mergency rooms since everyone had health insurance they would all flock there and crowd the place. As that wonderful Congresswoman Michelle Bachman so astutely observed it would increas everyone's "hassle factor" and cause a great inconviance to all! Finally, if our health system is so bad why do people from all around the world come to take advantage of it?
Moderator: Good point. Mr. Beck your thoughts please.
Beck (sobbing uncontrollably) Well look at how unjust that would be! Alcoholics like me would be able to get detox and substance abuse treatment, getting clean and sober and I would have no one to look down on. The AA meetings would be over flowing and I might not get a chance to rant! I might be forced to be confronted about my behavior, and questions about the totality of my recovery would be questioned. Constitutionalist has in the past accused me of being a dry drunk!
Me: You mean your not?
Beck: See! (cries uncontrollably moaning about reoccurring hemorrhoids)
Moderator: Constitutionalist?
Me: Yes, again the right wing has introduced myths and lies. Initially granted there might be a bit longer wait, but health care would change from a disease intervention model, to a healthy prevention model which reduce the need for so many doctors visits. As a result you would probably see a return of many doctors back to medicine who left because of the multiple requirements of individual health plans that required them to spend as much as fifty percent of their time arguing with insurance companies over tests and needed treatments, as well as completing multiple forms. With the introduction of universal care, treatment and testing would be based on a medical scientific model rather then a corporate model focused on profits. As for increased ER visits, the use of ERs would sharply decline, along with ER waiting times because people would be able to see a primary care physician rather then use the ER every time they got sick knowing ERs must treat instead of requiring insurance e first. That cost by the way is passed on to consumers so we already are footing the bill. With the advent of universal care would follow a universal standard of care, not the varied ones we now have based on the plan you have. It would defiantly reduce the need for many of the ancillary staff hospitals and doctors offices need to process paperwork.....
Paline: There you see! It would decrease employment resulting in higher unemployment!
Me: Calm down Governor, as I was saying, it would reduce the need for ancillary staff. This includes those hired by insurance companies who often make health care decisions for you and me with no medical training, only a set of guidelines designed to save insurance companies money.
Moderator Thank yo........
Me: No Mr. Moderator I am not finished. The health reform issue is much more involved then the right wing sound bites you and others use to confuse and scare the public. Governor, let's say your daughter while playing soccer breaks her foot. She is in a lot of pain and crying but you and the coach realize it's not a life threatening injury so you load her up in the car and drive to your local ER. Today under our current system you would register and then have to wait in what would probably be an over crowded waiting room. There you would find many uninsured who unable to see a general practitioner were waiting to see a doctor.
Palin: But my daughter has a broken foot and it's a real emergency!
Me: That's not the way the system works. When you go to an ER they triage you in order of severity of illness. Your daughters injury would be no greater then a child or adult that had a 103 degree fever, was throwing up for the past two days etc. In fact as for the ladder the person throwing up for two or three days based on their ability to receive medical care might be a greater emergency then your daughter. The folks with the fever might have anything ranging from the simple cold to flu and even the swine flu. But you and everyone else must wait your turn, in order of arrival. Then you run the risk of yourself and your daughter being exposed to a concurrent infection often called a nosocomial infection.
Palin: But you said my daughter had a broken foot not something wrong with her nose!
Me: Never mind, to answer Governor Palin's last concern with respect to the quality of our current health care system, did you realize the the United States is ranked 49th out of fifty countries in terms of longevity? It is 39th out of that same fifty countries in infant mortality. That means that France, Germany, Canada and England all are ranked higher then us in quality care an outcomes of care. Yes people from other countries come here because our health system is based on a for profit model as opposed to a care system model. That means if the dictator of North Korea decided to come here for treatment, because he had his country's resources at his disposal, he would get preferential treatment over you or me because he could pay more. Regardless of whether you or I had health insurance. We have great doctors and hospitals. Many are world leaders in medical research, yet often times treatment is denied to many Americans because they just don't have the insurance coverage or if they do they can't afford the copay!
Moderator: We are almost out of time here, I would ask that all three of you offer a closing argument. We will start with Governor Palin, then Mr. Beck, concluding with Constitutionalist. Governor?
Palin: Thank you Mr. Moderator. As I have said the democrats and President Obama want to reshape this country into a socialist, communist state. He wants to destroy this country like his terrorist buddy Bill Ayers did in the 60's. Capitalism is what made this country great, and the insurance companies of today have sought to force improvements on our health care system. Look at where we are (wink wink)! To introduce health care reform which really is a code word for socialized medicine is a farce. Look at the horror stories from our neighbor Canada of long waits or denial of care. We must fight against Obama and the democrats to keep America free and strong. My son in Iraq is not risking his life to bring about socialist change to our country. He like our Founding Fathers want a democracy we can all thrive in providing we work hard to better ourselves and further our Christian values.
Moderator: Mr. Beck?
Beck(crying uncontrollably): I.....I....defer to our esteemed health care expert Mr. Limbaugh (moans about reoccurring hemorrhoids)
Moderator (whispers quietly): Can someone please shut off his mike? Finally Constitutionalist, your parting thoughts?
<div style="text-align: justify;">Me: Thank you. Folks we must look more closely at the facts not the sound bite scare tactics employed by the conservative right wing. How can you have compassionate health care when you must first look at the cost factor? Whose to decide whether your spouse is worth the cost of a procedure or my daughter? Aren't they both alive and special? Governor Palin and the right wing toss out labels like socialism and communism, words that many equate with the denial of Christianity. But doesn't Christianity teach us to care for the sick and injured? Didn't Jesus himself take the time to cure many Lepors? Governor Palin and Mr. Beck would have you believe that the changes purposed by President Obama are socialized medicine. She brings up the fact that her son is bravely serving his country in Iraq. What she leaves out is that her son while on duty with the military gets "socialized" medicine. That's right, Aetna or United Health Care don't regulate his medical coverage, the government does. When he gets out he will continue to be eligible for "socialized health care" regulated once again by the government. That will come through the Veterans Administration. Many in the town hall meetings that try to disrupt the discussions because of their fear instilled in them by right wing conservatives are beneficiaries of so called "socialized" medicine. Medicare. Ask them if they want you to mess with their coverage and you will get the same treatment
Congressman Rastenkowskie got in 1989. Frankly, I'd pay good money to se that if the Governor and Mr. Beck were the focus of tha......
Moderator: Thank you Constitutionalis.............
Me: I am not through. All to often the right wing has introduced the specture of how our Founding Fathers would be spinning in their graves should we get universal health care. Thomas Jefferson must have seen into the future and saw this debate for he left us this that appears to have direct bearing on this topic when he said; "The laws of humanity make it a duty for nations and individuals, to succor those whom accident and distress have thrown upon them."
Moderator: This concludes our debate. Thank you for tuning in.
Note: It has now become imperative for Mr. Obama and the Democrats to directly confront those politicians who are spreading their lies and distortions of the truth. That includes those within the Democratic party such as Senator Baucus. Failure to do so will be a bill Congress and all politicians are so adept at passing that do no good and our meaningless, but in the end, cost you and me, the American taxpayers millions, if not billions.
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