Comments Posted By Bald Ninja
Displaying 11 To 20 Of 77 Comments
'THE COST OF DYING:' FALSE CHOICES OR THE FUTURE OF AMERICAN HEALTHCARE?
What does a will or a living will have to do with compassion? Or a government overlord?
Look, you find a form online, or you go to your lawyer, and you answer a bunch of difficult questions. And then when you get sick or die you don’t shove all the decisions off on your wife or your kids.
The lack of compassion is shown by some 90 year old bankrupting his family so he can cling to life for an extra two weeks. Or forcing his distraught family to argue and fight over what his wishes might have been.
You’re going to die, Ninja. We all die. So take an afternoon and do the grown-up thing and work out a living will and a regular will.
I'm support people getting living wills and dealing with end of life issues before the end of life approaches. My snark was mostly in reference to your trust of government over doctors and you're only angry display at those who've chosen not to do what you have done.
What I don't support is putting this sort of planning - or 'encouragement' of planning - in the hands of government. Doctors don't need laws to tell them to encourage patients to do this and laws shouldn't exist forcing people to do this.
Comment Posted By Bald Ninja On 24.11.2009 @ 10:41
michael reynolds Said:
5:26 pm
It’s staggering in a country full of people who claim to believe death is just a ticket to eternal life that people are such pussies about death. When I die I expect I’ll cease to exist. (By the way, I answered, sure: starve me. At least I’ll die thin.) So why is it I can face it more easily than all the paradise-bound Christians?I hope that our government bureaucratic healthcare overlords are more compassionate than you.
Comment Posted By Bald Ninja On 24.11.2009 @ 07:11
michael reynolds Said:
5:11 pm
If someone else is making a decision on when I need to die and I have the following choice of decision-maker:a) A guy who will make more money and have more job security if I die fast and cheap.
b) A politician who may want my family and friends to support him in the next election.
I have to go with (b.) You really don’t want to leave that decision in the hands of someone whose stock options rise in value if you die.
Yeah - we've go to keep an eye on those foot-rustling, tonsil-digging doctors. Good thing we've got the compassionate government bureaucrat in our corner! /SARCASM
Comment Posted By Bald Ninja On 24.11.2009 @ 07:08
One thing that can be done was removed from the House bill because of Palin’s fearmongering; family doctors being paid to sit down with their Medicare patients to discuss living wills, end of life options, and educating their patients on the death process. The number of people who are unaware of these simple, common sense options are staggering. The idea that this is somehow cruel or would lead to doctors recommending that patients simply allow themselves to die was idiotic when the argument was made and, if you watch this segment closely, even more idiotic now.Doctors can't do this unless the governments involved? The issue that Palin raised is that the government should not be setting up any standards or 'recommendations' which doctors adhere to in dealing with end of life decisions. If doctors need the government to do their job - and I don't see why a doctor cannot raise these issues during already occurring visits with a patient - then we've got bigger problems that cost of healthcare.
The "involvement" of government was that Medicare would pay for the doctor's visit - once every few years. That's it. Period. No instructions to the doctor to tell them how to advise their own patients. No death panels. It was pure fear mongering and a bogus, fallacious slippery slope argument.
ed.
Comment Posted By Bald Ninja On 24.11.2009 @ 07:03
JUST LIKE THE BIRTHERS ONLY WORSE: LIBERAL CONSPIRACIES ABOUT HEALTH CARE REFORM
Apparently 'astroturfing' by the right is so evil that it warrants these reasonable responses - people who oppose ObamaCare are:
(1) Racist: http://hotair.com/headlines/?p=48163
Comment Posted By Bald Ninja On 7.08.2009 @ 09:09
(2) Terrorists: http://minx.cc/?post=290648
(3) Need to be opposed by strong-arm tactics and unions: http://michellemalkin.com/2009/08/06/seiu-and-the-persuasion-of-power/
Chuck,
"If the current private insurance system was adequate, then we wouldn’t be having this discussion. But, that system is designed to serve only itself (not necessarily by serving it’s clients either as one might argue, I have great experience with this).
There is a solution, and private health insurance isn’t it. That’s why they are fighting so hard and throwing so much money around. They’re scared because they suck and everyone knows it. Business that suck are destined to fail. It’s the American way."
You may know more of the inner workings of health insurance than I do but I'm not convinced that private health insurance isn't the way to go. Does the way things work need to be re-worked? Sure - but I think an actual free market solution is the way to go. The alternative to non-private health insurance is government health insurance and I've yet to see a company that made more in 'profit' than the government confiscated in taxes to try to 'offer' the same service. Part of the problem, I believe, is that the Federal government has involved itself in so many issues that businesses twist the democratic process through corrupt politicians to get laws enacted in a way that benefits them. I don't necessarily fault companies for this as the government is going to pass a law regulating them anyway so of course they will want a say in it....the point I'm trying to make is that while we have lots of 'private' insurance these private insurance companies are centered around a system of the governments creation. We need a real free market in healthcare to reduce costs and generate real competition and expose insurance companies to the same consumer pressures that other industries face that tend to drive down costs and provide better service.
Comment Posted By Bald Ninja On 6.08.2009 @ 17:28
Neo,
I do find it funny that conservatives consider the Republicans too disorganized to mount a good counter-point to Democrats and liberals consider the Republicans so crazy organized that they can call upon instant protestors and agitators and other dark powers. Though curiously the GOP didn't seem capable of this during the election and decided to unleash their full organizational fury at a moment like this instead....very curious.
Comment Posted By Bald Ninja On 6.08.2009 @ 13:46
Chuck,
I'd agree with you if you define sides as Republicans and Democrats. Not all Democrats and Republicans fit your description but most do. Though I do think there are several Republican proposals on how to improve healthcare that seem like really good ideas (that don't increase the influence and involvement of government and don't cost more money).
I'd say this is also one reason NOT to doubt the anger seen at townhalls. I think people are getting fed up with government that is corrupt.
Comment Posted By Bald Ninja On 6.08.2009 @ 13:41
Do you know how I know the whole notion that most or even many of these agitated voters are astroturfers? Because the Democrats say they are. If this really were a super-massive astroturf campaign then the Democrats could easily ignore it as it would have no affect on the upcoming 2010 elections. If the outrage is really fake then they have nothing to worry about - the voting public will keep them in office to keep doing what they are doing. Democrats are spinning as fast as they can to demonize people who are expressing outrage at a government that has lied to them and is still lying to them.
Comment Posted By Bald Ninja On 6.08.2009 @ 11:59
Mike,
Freedom of assembly and speech and to redress grievances should be limited to those who have an ID? Great idea.
But it's still racist to ask that ID be provided at voting centers right?
Comment Posted By Bald Ninja On 6.08.2009 @ 10:58
