Even the most conservative American believes in socialized medicine.

[rateyes]

If a person has an insurance policy through a group plan at work (which most Americans who have health insurance have), then they believe in socialized medicine, because that's what group health insurance is. Everybody in the group pay premiums, and claims are paid out of those gathered premiums. That's socialism. In fact, it's a type of communism---everybody pays in, and the benefit is provided as it is needed.

Just because a corporation makes a profit from it doesn't mean it's not "socialized." So, for those idiots on the RW who scream, "no socialized medicine," tell them to give up their group policies and start paying their doctors' and hospital bills straight out of pocket. That's the only way their health care won't be "socialized."

[liberal N proud]

1. You can explain that to the morons and watch them stand their

trying to equate.

[Cleita]

3. I especially laughed at the moron who said that his mother was

able to get cataract surgery, and hip surgery because it was America. Yes, she had Medicare, a socialized payer health plan run by the US government. Nobody at this little Freeper health rally seemed to want to inform him of it. It was posted here at DU last week. Sorry I don't have a link handy.

[Vinca]

2. And it goes without saying the over 65 wingnuts need to give up Medicare.

[safeinOhio]

4. For those who do not want a public health plan, socialized..

We have great examples of how this works. Of the 30 top industrial nations, only 3 do not have national health care. The United States of America, Mexico and Turkey. With out insurance, don't get sick in any of them.

[Cleita]

5. Even with insurance don't get sick because once you get a chronic

disease that requires treatment they will figure out how to get rid of you.

[Delphinus]

8. And you'll not be able to get in anywhere else,

due to pre-existing conditions.

[many a good man]

6. And the bigger the group, the cheaper the premiums

Try buying an individual plan or something for your small business and you get taken to the cleaners. The idea is to enlarge the risk pool. A single risk pool the size of the United States would make health care instantly affordable.

[unblock]

7. the right-wing, of course, has long since stopped participating in "debate"

and instead simply uses epithets, occassionally organized in phrases of debate to keep the rest of us "debating" instead of counter-attacking.

in this case, they take a term imbued with a negative image in this country (thanks in large part to their own sneering disinformation) and attach it to the plan they oppose without offering any logical connection.

then they stand back and what liberals haplessly argue subtle distinctions and esoteric argument, just like, well, just like i'm doing now, and they laugh because such points are completely lost on the public at large.

what is really needed is to discredit the right-wing, and they've given us a giant head start over the last 8 years. we need to hammer them and constantly remind everyone that these people are idiots who cannot be trusted, and we've tried their way and it failed MISERABLY.

[bemildred]

9. So I guess Las Vegas is socialized luck. nt

[followthemoney]

10. No, because when you lose all your money ...

nobody gives it back to you.

Then if you declare bankruptcy then everybody you owe loses their money.

And if you are big enough then you get a bailout.

[bemildred]

11. How is that differerent from "Health Insurance"? nt

[rateyes]

12. No, it isn't. Gambling is not

a social need or a basic human right. Health care is.