If socialized medicine is good enough for the troops, why isn't it good enough for the rest of us?

[midnight armadillo]

socialized medicine
A health care system in which 1. The entire population's health care needs are met without charge or at a nominal fee and 2. The organization and provision of all medical services are under direct governmental control. Cf Social medicine.

McGraw-Hill Concise Dictionary of Modern Medicine

The military medical system is completely controlled by the federal government. The feds (via the military) own the facilities and employ the caregivers. If this isn't a socialized medical system I don't know what is.

So I pose the question in the thread title: If socialized medicine is good enough for the troops, why isn't it good enough for the rest of us?

Incidentally, it appears that TRICARE, the military single-payer (with private administration) insurance plan is the most popular plan in the South...where one would probably find the biggest Congressional opponents to any single-payer system.

[baldguy]

1. Because they're communists?

Just like our seniors & our elected officials?

[elleng]

2. Seniors, yes, but NOT elected officials.

Their plan is same as federal employees:

http://www.opm.gov/INSURE/HEALTH/

[Tangerine LaBamba]

3. Ask Bill Kristol -

he stated as much on The Daily Show the other night. Said the VA provides the best medical care available, and then agreed that socialized medicine was a good thing.

Should be available to everyone. Kristol agreed, but let's not forget that he's a douchebag without a clue..................

[theophilus]

6. I believe that Mr. Kristol said that the rest of America doesn't deserve

the same level of care. The troops risk their lives every day so they deserve better than the layabouts here in the U.S. of A. That's what I thought I heard Billy say. Jon was somewhat shocked.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

7. Then Jon pounded him

and got him to agree that it worked, and should be available to all Americans.

Kristol is such a tool.................

[Beartracks]

17. Really?

Well, so do police, fire, other first responders, anyone who works with large, heavy equipment or at great heights, or on fishing boats in the Bering Sea, anyone who drives in rush hour traffic... Sheesh, Kristol *is* a tool.

[femrap]

13. PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEZ

stop insulting the almighty douchebag. Geez

[Tangerine LaBamba]

15. I'm sorry - you're correct - he's still alive, right?

[sharesunited]

4. Because the troops risk their lives for the capitalist colonialist interests

they are exploited just a little bit less.

This is the token gesture extended to them.

But you and me? Bend over for a walletoscopy.

[Selatius]

5. Because no Republican would dare openly go against the troops on such a fundamental issue.

Republicans would be weary of being put on the spot as far as not "supporting the troops" goes.

[salguine]

8. A better question might be, if it's good enough

for CONGRESS, why isn't it good enough for the rest of us.

The troops aren't the ones preventing the rest of us from having it.

[MichiganVote]

9. Actually the mental health for the military sucks. Wish Michael Moore would take on the military.

[johnaries]

10. Isn't that basically the same argument that Jon Stewart made

to Bill Kris-whats-his-face? And got him to admit the same?

YES! Truth is Truth.

The Truth shall set you free.

Some religious leader said that, can anyone help me remember his name? Obviously, he wasn't a Christian, since Christians are so much against everything that guy taught. What was that guy's name again? It's such a shame,because Christians would learn so much if they listened to him and his teachings.....

[femrap]

11. And if 'socialism' is despised so

much, maybe we shouldn't let the nation run the army, navy, etc. Let's just have mercenaries...more Blackwaters.

Privatized Medicine/Insurance: loves to make lots and lots of money off the pain, suffering, and death of people.

I hope the Greedy Insurance and Big Pharma is reading this....BOO! With just a bit of education, you will be living in a refrigerator box.

[Generic Other]

12. My parents charged by the pound for my birth in a military hospital

I had good care as a military dependent. People act like the care is somehow substandard. Funny since most of the civilian doctors I have ever gone to seem to have done a stint in the military to help fund their educations as well.

My mom has Tricare for retirees. It covers what her Medicare doesn't. She can go to any doctors on base or off. She even has a dental plan.

[snailly]

14. I used to feel this way

until I saw what my BIL has been dealing with in Afghanistan. It's truly awful and most Americans are not getting it. My BIL is stateside and injured but going back again. This is his fourth tour. He is 23 years old. He has seen shit and had to do shit that nobody here understands. These are orders. It's awful and ugly but it is war.

[defendandprotect]

16. Also note how privatization of the military is bankrupting us . . .

Kucinich had a few words on the $636 BILLION defense budget passed last night --

took an interesting crack at Murtha --

Murtha and MIC . . . !!!

[bemildred]

18. We are not as worthy as the troops? nt