Health Means Life; Health Means Freedom

[kentuck]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/george-lakoff/health-means-life-health_b_472469.html?view=screen

<snip>
Life and freedom are moral issues.

It is time for Democrats to talk about health in those terms, beyond just policy terms like health insurance reform, bending the cost curve, types of exchanges, etc.

Health means life. If you get a major illness or injury and cannot get it treated adequately, you could die. And tens of thousands do.

Health means freedom. If you have a serious illness or injury and cannot get it treated, your freedom will be limited in many ways. Your physical freedom: you may no longer have the freedom to move around. Your economic freedom: you may not be able to work or your medical bills may impoverish you. Your emotional freedom: you will not be free to live a happy life.

Health is therefore a moral issue of the highest order. And it is a patriotic issue. Health security is a problem for far more Americans than military security. Your security is far more likely to be threatened by the lack of treatment for illness and injury than by any likely terrorist attack.

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[proudohioan]

1. Excellent point! n/t

[Oregone]

2. Almost everyone and their dog agrees reform is needed

Its wasted breathe to spend more primetime to beat a dead horse. The debate on that is done.

The Democrats should of focused on WHAT reform was needed, and picked a better corner to stand in. Thats the key...not selling "reform", but selling mandated & subsidized private for-profit multi-tiered health insurance.

The only way they would still be focusing on a debate thats already over is if their "solution" can't stand on its own legs.

[annabanana]

4. This is about the *framing* . .

HOW to talk about it.

[Oregone]

5. And it suggests the actual reform sucks

If you have to keep hammering on well known truths (the diagnosis), instead of arguing why your reform (the treatment) is superior (amongst ALL options), then it suggests maybe something is being hidden here with "framing". Everyone can talk until they are blue in the face about how much the status quo sucks, but that doesn't make anything different better by default.

[KingFlorez]

3. That is a correct, but a well-known point

The importance of health care has been talked about for years, it's not a matter of framing the debate anymore, it's time for action.

[RainDog]

6. if we want to encourage entrepreneurs, we'll have universal health care

health care shouldn't be tied to a job.

not all entrepreneurs are 20 yr olds in their parent's garage on mom and dad's health care plan.

some entrepreneurs have families and stay in a job for that reason rather than going into biz for themselves.

Health care is about the freedom to be your own boss.