From: jblaque	Date: January 22nd, 2011 10:38 am (UTC)		(Permalink)
	"Hands Off My Medicare!"

98.4% of the U.S. population is eventually going to become ill and/or injured, requiring extensive medical attention. If health insurance isn't mandated, you & I will end up paying for the uninsured, much like we're doing right now. It's a raw deal foe those of us already participating in the system.

As far and penalization goes, the new regulations cuts loose those with little/no income. And yes, health insurance will, eventually, become much more affordable for everyone, starting with employers (via sizable tax credits for offering coverage to their employees).

Personally, I don't think the bill went far enough. At the very least, the Dems should have pushed the public option through (in lieu of Medicare for all). The problem is that the vast majority of Dems -- starting at the very top -- are basically cowards, frightened to death of confronting/upsetting their political foes...

Gutless, yellow bastards.

	From: guinnevere_b	Date: January 23rd, 2011 04:50 am (UTC)		(Permalink)
	Re: "Hands Off My Medicare!"

Well, you know, I tend to see these things as more sinister than most (since 9/11 my background level of horror and paranoia has grown exponentially). I think Congress is wholly under the power of the shadow government; either bought or threatened into doing what the plutocracy wants. Back when Dubya stole (I think) his first election, the House passed a bill to demand a recount, and not one Senator would sign agreement, when one was all it took.

Then Sen. Carl (Crawl) Levin (D-Michigan, my home state, low be it spoken) had the nerve to tell the news media "We've done the voters of this country a grave injustice." (Gee, ya think, Carl? Where the hell were you when it was time to stand up for your convictions, and our rights?)

Anyway, they've thrown us a bone with this laughable health care bill, but they've filled the small amount of meat clinging to it full of nasty things that will make it very hard to swallow and possibly hazardous to consume. Time will tell whether the public will benefit at all, or grow weaker and sicker under the government's "Tender Loving Care."