B* plans for second term re. healthcare

[JPJones]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=2026&ncid=2026&e=14&u=/latimests/20040722/ts_latimes/bushhintsatwhatheddoinanotherterm

Besides somehow twisting this to reward Republican donors and hasten the demise of the middle class, while simultaneously hastening the rapture - we should take this healthcare 'proposal' very seriously. Mark my words, this will be an issue that resonates with 'voters' (i.e. those who make more informed decisions voting for the next American Idol than President of the United States).

"In a half-hour address to 7,000 Republican donors, Bush promised a "new era of ownership" that would give Americans more control over their health insurance and savings plans and make healthcare less expensive. Though he offered few specifics, it was the president's strongest suggestion yet that he would forge ahead with a plan to create private retirement savings and health accounts."

"During the next four years, we'll help more citizens to own their health plan, to own a piece of their retirement, to own their own home or their own small business," Bush said. "We'll usher in a new era of ownership in America with an agenda to help all our citizens save and build and invest so every person owns a part of the American dream."

[WindRavenX]

1. His plan: Don't Get Sick

Let's be real. W has no plans for expanding health care.

[JPJones]

3. Agreed, it's a plan for shrinking health care

disguised as a plan for expanding health care.

This is probably what it will be: All you ungrateful cube slaves who we can't outsource, we're going to stop paying for health insurance, but instead give you an account. You can purchase your own health insurance, without the benefits of pooling! You'll pay more so that we can pay less.

But somehow, this will sound real good to your average Murkin.

[WindRavenX]

5. How many people have lost health coverage under his term?

A lot, I recall. A bloody shame that the richest nation on earth doesn't have all its citizens health insurance :argh:

[izzie]

8. Well these people still have homes they could sell off for care.

This could be a good profit for rich people to get a hold of. There are places that we have not thought about that some one could milk some money from.

[DemBones DemBones]

2. Great. Private health accounts require you to use a crystal ball

and try to predict how much insurance you need. Think you can accurately guess what medical problems you'll have in the future? I had this system explained to me years ago by a Republican who's a sweet guy but completely clueless about some things. "For instance," he said, "Pregnancy is a choice, so you can plan for it." :eyes: Yeah, no one ever gets pregnant without choosing to. . . :eyes: :eyes: :eyes:
Of course, I did my best to set him straight.

And letting people take their Social Security money and invest it themselves is a great way to insure some people will end up broke at retirement age and the rest of us will have to a) watch them starve, or b) pony up more money to support them since they stupidly spent theirs on bad investments. :mad:

[JPJones]

4. Yes, if you want to invest in the stock market for retirement

then invest in the stock market - with your after tax income. Social security is intended to keep sales of dog food depressed.

[Jackpine Radical]

11. ...or be FORCED into bad investments

á la Enron, where you were forbidden to sell your shares from your 401k while Kennyboy was dumping his.

[ClintonTyree]

6. Bush.............

is going to get his ass kicked on any health care "initiative" that remotely looks like privatization. The public clearly wants the government to handle it, not some private company only interested in profits for their stockholders. Take the Medicare prescription drug program that was forced upon Seniors. Few like it, they're confused by the entire process, and they're finding out that it's not saving them much if anything. The billions earmarked for this debacle are going directly into the coffers of the pharmaceutical companies.

I think Americans are waking up to the neo-CONS snow jobs and aren't going to want to revisit the same level of bullshit when it comes to their health care and Social Security.

[laura888]

7. doesn't "owning" your own plan...

...mean that you pay for it, rather than your employer?

how can this be attractive to most americans?

[LittleApple81]

9. A wise DUer caught the use of OWNERSHIP as the new RW meme.

And as with everything they say, it means exactly the opposite. This DUer was trying to search for the COUNTER MEME and somebody suggested dispossession.
What ideas would you have to come up with an effective counter-meme to this new lie?

[Jackpine Radical]

12. Owning your health insurance

is like owning your own black hole.

[FlaGranny]

14. Owning your own anything

means you have to have the money to buy it. Has anyone checked the cost of food lately? Surely, a poor or lower middle class family will buy food before they buy health insurance or retirement.

[Deja Q]

10. People need to think. Traitor* has been on vacation for so often,

he's been shirking his duties.

I don't think he is able TO think either.

If people fall for it, then we get what we deserve. They don't see republican influence and open acceptance of what corporate america is doing to us.

Even * has openly supported corporate foreign outsourcing, he's as much a traitor as the corporations who engage in this economy-ruining activity. (A $7 retail job is no replacement for a $30+/hr job, DUH. Assuming you can even get it despite the constant "HELP WANTED" signs they all show... :eyes: Not when the liveable wage is close to $14/hr for just one person to reasonably live off of, $16/hr would be needed if ONE child is involved!)

This isn't an American Dream. It's an American NIGHTMARE.

[Neshanic]

13. Have you ever sneezed? Uh oh...pre-existing, that will cost ya.

Translation of the simian:

You will own your own health insurance, if you can obtain it. All HMO's will be able to pick who they want and not want. All health issues for your entire life will be pre-existing back to the cut of the cord. Therefore you will own your own health insurance, but it's gonna cost you. BIG!

The HMO's will then use their profits to make grass field pretty commercials and try to squeeze every penny out of care by having a $100,000 a year in-house personal care overseer in every hospital, having no medical background, who will make the choices of your ownership.