Went to a bake sale today....

[Bigmack]

... a benefit for an 9 year old girl with cancer.

The bake sale proceeds will go toward the medical bills.

The family has no health insurance.

Then I went home and watched a nuclear missile sub go out of Hood Canal. One of 8 berthed at Bangor. There are 1600 nuclear missiles at Bangor. 24 MIRVed missiles on each sub...192 warheads.

I wondered.... how many kids with cancer could be cared for with the money we are pissing away on a weapons system without a mission?

[southernyankeebelle]

1. It is mind bloggling. But congress and the senate don't give a shit about any 9 yr old.

B

[Politicalboi]

2. They're more concerned about

A 9 week old fetus than a real living and breathing 9 year old.

[ErikJ]

13. "concerned"... for votes from their "compassionate" constituents.

[n2doc]

21. They are mostly concerned about getting campaign contributions, and cushy jobs for relatives

and 9 year olds generally don't provide those.

[Sekhmets Daughter]

3. It's immoral the way we ignore the needs of real people to feed the MIC...

200 years from now historians will look back and write that our fall was written in our prosperity and how poorly we used the prosperity.

[WHEN CRABS ROAR]

36. With nuclear weapons there might not be any historians

200 years from now.

[harmonicon]

4. Healthcare is a human right.

The especially sad thing is that it's not about either/or. It's entirely possible to have all of these needless weapons and healthcare for all. The US spends more per capita while covering the care of a minority than many countries do to cover their entire population. Sure, the money used for those weapons could probably be better spent, but it's not even needed for healthcare. All that's needed is a rational, humane, first-world healthcare system to ensure that families won't have to suffer financially, beyond all of the suffering they already go through emotionally and physically while dealing with an illness.

[area51]

16. +1 n/t

[xtraxritical]

5. Right to the point.

[PoliticAverse]

6. every warship launched, ... signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger"

"Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children. This is not a way of life at all in any true sense. Under the cloud of threatening war, it is humanity hanging from a cross of iron." - Dwight D. Eisenhower

.

[SammyWinstonJack]

7. Why do you hate 'Merica?

Some one should ask those in D.C. that. Those who deny the rest of us affordable heath care while enjoying tax payer funded health care that they mandated to themselves.


Never mind single payer health care, we can't even have what these congress critters give themselves....


Good enough for them, but not for us? s

[mountain grammy]

8. "fundraisers" are the right wing's answer to no health insurance.

I've been to many, contributed time and money to raise enough money for one hour of chemo, or rehab, or surgery, or some other need of a person with "no insurance." Isn't it wonderful how we all get together to help each other? Yes, that's the way it should be done, ask any Republican. No need for government to step in, we private folks have it covered with our silent auctions and bake sales. I swear, if we ever got medicare for all, the social life of this town would come to a screeching halt!
Ah ha, that's why the Republicans don't want Medicare for all; no more do good, feel good, parties to raise a pittance of the money needed to take care of someone's medical need.
And what about the people without the do good friends. Oh well, someone's gotta sacrifice.

[dotymed]

28. Many of our Dr.'s became so for the money.

With Medicare for all, IMO, our health care will improve dramatically. The "Dr." I see now, obviously has never even read my medical records. He is a member of a large (in this area) "health care" network. They all overbook their patients and are poor Dr.'s. All ex-military, osteopaths. I wait in one of his examination rooms for usually 45 minutes. He comes in wearing blinders and in a rush. I just got my annual physical. The insurance (1 free well check annually) paid him $280 for 5 minutes tops. No blood-work, no vision test, nothing. He informed me that for my pain meds. (TN) I would have to start seeing a pain management Dr. When I chose him (I am terminally disabled) I showed him my meds and told him how long it took (and I suffered) finding the right combinations for me. He said that maintaining my meds would not be a problem. TN. HAS passed some (DEA) laws about regulating these meds, but that takes time....
My great physicians in Indiana have told me to return, it is a 7 hour drive. My Son is going into his Senior year and my family (Mom especially) is here. Pain Dr.'s (in my experience) are sociopath's who want to control your life. I know people (in their 70's) who are required to go there twice weekly for a "pill count." My insurance will cover very little of this. I really may have another heart attack from all of this stress....

[mountain grammy]

31. The only doctor I have a good relationship with is my Medical Marijuana Doc.

My pain is managable with the right use of cannibas. I am so lucky! I don't smoke to get high anymore (ok, once in a while) but use a vaporizor to help me cope with arthiritis and other issues.
My family physician barely knows my name, but offered me a menu of pain meds, with a once a month visit for a refill for what I will eventually be addicted to. No thanks, my drug is cannibas. I can grow my own, thank you, and here in Colorado, legally.
My Med MJ Doc spends 30 minutes with me, instructing me on what strains work best for my problems, and conducting a real exam and medical history. My visit costs $75 a year to renew my license. I bring him my yearly blood work results from the local health fair, and we're doing ok.
Like I said, I am so lucky!

[paleotn]

9. Guns or Butter.....

...as the old economics adage goes, or in this case, guns or healthcare. This country really has some screwed up priorities.

[matt819]

10. Whenever I see these things, I think how backward we are

That we have to have bake sales to pay for cancer kids medical bills or treatment for traumatic brain injury or any number of other events in communities around the country. This is a crime.

[classof56]

11. I see your point and could not agree more. Well said!

Would also like to remark that you live in a gorgeous part of Washington. Used to live near there, and have enjoyed many a beautiful view along Hood Canal.

Very sad about the youngster with cancer. Sad, too, that WA does not have a health care system that meets her needs. Kudos to those who organized the bake sale and those who contributed.

[grilled onions]

12. It's The Modern Version Of "Let Them Eat Cake"!

It's obscene in so many ways. Mega millionaires who only want more and not give a dime to those who have nothing. The Critters who make the laws,insist on halting entitlements even when the only ones truly getting entitlements is them. They get the money,they get the healthcare. We get the bake sales and I'm surprised they aren't complaining about how we should put a halt to such sales because 1) they are unhealthy and 2) the mega box stores may be losing a few pennies to such competition.
They want our money, keep their money and expect us the tax payers to bail out of all the troubles that many find themselves in(losing their homes,losing their jobs,not having health insurance) by selling cupcakes!

[maindawg]

18. it will come

when wallmart is searching for another penny to squeeze out of the populace. Bake sales will become ilegal, or they will enact such onerous laws requiring a license /permit at such a cost that we will remember when we had bake sales. They already have made it nearly impossible to play music in public without paying BMI and ASCAP, the local teenager has no venue to express themselves and play their original songs for fear they may play some cover song or even a copyrighted melody line.
We will be reduced to selling our blood to raise, oh wait, they are patenting that too......

[dotymed]

29. We must have paid permits

to have a yard sale. Only 3 a year..

[chervilant]

26. In my early years of advocacy for abused children,

I helped organize a fundraiser, sacking groceries to raise money for children who are sexually assaulted.

People on food stamps or with limited resources gave us as much as they could. Yet, one of the richest guys in town whipped out a money clip packed with hundred dollar bills, and refused to give anything.

I've never forgotten that.

[HughBeaumont]

14. America's Moral FAILING. America's DISGRACE.

It's a DISGRACE that ANYone in this country has to do this when CEOs make 354 times their average worker.

This country needs Universal Health Care RIGHT NOW.

And to all of those who say "Why should I pay for someone ELSEs hea" BECAUSE I"D PAY FOR YOURS. BECAUSE I"M NOT A MORAL FAILURE AS A HUMAN BEING. BECAUSE IT'S A HUMAN RIGHT. YOURS. MINE. EVERYONES. THAT's why.

But hey, we can't help people. Because lazy (insert racial slur here)s and . . . Mao or Stalin and everyone's gotta go sometime. Or something.

Small Gubmint Right wingers are fucking pigs. THEY'RE the reason we're not moving into the 20th century, let alone the 21st.

[dotymed]

30. People in TN die daily

because hospitals, Dr.'s, will not perform expensive (life saving) surgeries unless you have good insurance or cash up-front...I know a 52 y.o. who died last week because of this...

[A HERETIC I AM]

15. Here's the funny thing....

(OK, not really funny)

Think about this;

Just about every single one of the people that built that sub and those missiles are union workers with excellent health care programs, paid vacations and good pensions, ALL of it paid for by US Tax dollars.

And a 9 year old with cancer needs a bake sale to help pay for her care!

If a child of one of the workers at Electric Boat gets sick, do you think they need to do a fundraiser?

[dsc]

22. actually before Obama care they might well have

remember even insured dealt with limits and pre existing conditions etc.

[cantbeserious]

17. America, An Empire In Decline

eom

[midnight]

19. Bigmack this is the kind of question we need to continue to ask until we no longer

have to worry about paying for health care....

[The Wizard]

20. We're getting hosed

when 19 guys with box cutters can bring the greatest military force in world history to its knees. Eisenhower warned us.
When Eugen McCarthy (the good McCarthy) was a freshman congressman he noticed the Department of War became the Defense Department. The Department of War was only fully funded in a declared war. The Defense Department is fully funded in times of peace. As George Bush the lesser was wont to say, If want peace you have to have war. This double speak would make Orwell proud.
Since the transformation from War Department to Defense Department we've been on a permanent war footing, squandering resources to defense contractors that bribe legislators to exact favorable contracts from the federal government in the name of fear. And it also seems we've been in a constant state of war. The time to shrink our military footprint was with Eisenhower's warning, 53 years ago.
Bake sales for health care is far too primitive and immoral. How about bake sales for military waste?

[mother earth]

23. TY for this OP. It must be shouted from the rooftops everyday. We can do better than this

nonstop military industrial complex allows...we could so so much good if we spent half of what we do on the death machine.

Why are we unable to do the right thing? The thing that makes sense? TY, Bigmack.

[SaveAmerica]

24. I recently thought how sad it is that there are fundraisers to

help children and others get necessary medical care. I love that people do it, but how sad is it and how much of a testimony to this country is it that it has to be?

Something very wrong here.

[SaveAmerica]

25. And does the sub activity have anything to do with the child's cancer?

Is that something else to consider?

[WHEN CRABS ROAR]

38. And does this activity have anything to do with all our cancers?

Click on the map to see a timeline of nuclear tests around the world.

http://www.projectforthectbt.org/hashimotomultimedia

This is what we have done to ourselves.

[barbtries]

27. it's a good question.

so many things don't make sense.

[CrispyQ]

32. 53¢ of every tax dollar goes to the military

Next time you hear someone complain about social security benefits for seniors so they don't have to eat cat food, or about their taxes being spent so school kids can have a hot lunch, make them watch this 4 minute video.

President Eisenhower warned about the military industrial complex. The MIC currently gets 53¢ of every tax dollar & they want more. Talk about entitlement!

We are not a civilized nation, in spite of all the pounding on chests & chanting "We're number one!" A government "of, by & for the People" would provide the following for ALL people:

three hots & a cot
education through college
health care
child/elder care
decent public transportation everywhere

My list is growing.

[JDPriestly]

33. Thanks. The national security bureaucracy just keeps reproducing itself.

It's like a copy machine gone wild.

[CTyankee]

34. A bake sale: health care in America

A few years back we went to a party given by friends of a woman whose insurance covered her cancer surgery but not her follow up chemotherapy. We helped scrounge up items for a raffle and we bid on items and bought them, as well as paid for the ticket to the party (a little restaurant volunteered some food and the party was held at a local Elks Club hall). I get depressed just remembering that party...

[baldguy]

35. How many kids with cancer could be cared for the price of one nuclear missile sub?

All of them.

[Curmudgeoness]

37. Just about every week, there is at least one fundraiser in my area

for someone who does not have the money to treat their illnesses, even some who have insurance but are not covered for whatever reason for the treaatment that they need.

I have a spaghetti dinner next Sunday for a man with insurance who needs a kidney transplant. It saddens me.

I figure with all the money that I spend on fundraisers, they might as well increase my taxes and use that money for health care for all. Just don't think of buying anymore bombs. We can only blow up the whole Earth one time, we don't need enough to blow it up ten times.

[dotymed]

39. Most of the people that I know, do not have the luxury

of a yearly exam. They usually do not find out about their illness until it is too late.

[piratefish08]

40. 'Murica

fuck yeah.