We Live in Different Worlds

by Art Woolf

Senator Sanders has long been a supporter of a single payer health care plan.  He got to introduce it as an amendment to the Senate's health care bill, but was forced to pull it due to parliamentary maneuvering.  He called this

an outrage.

More importantly, he said that he believed that the U.S. will have a government run health care system

when Congress has the “courage” to stand up to those who “profit off human sickness.”

I, for one, am glad we have people who "profit off human sickness" just as I am glad we have people who profit off humans' desire to have food, shelter, and clothing. 

I'm glad that people who grow oranges, wheat, apples, and soybeans make a profit so that people can avoid hunger.  I'm glad that my local builder and also large real estate developers make a profit so that people can have housing.  I'm glad that General Electric and Siemens and other companies make a profit when they build CAT scanners and MRI machines so that people can get quick and accurate diagnoses of potentially fatal diseases.  I'm glad that pharmaceutical companies make profits so that we can have the medicines that enhance the quality and length of our lives, and enable some medical problems to be solved by popping a pill instead of through invasive surgery.   I'm glad that Medtronics makes a profit from selling pacemakers so friends like Geoff Norman and strangers who I don't know can live long and healthy lives.

Profit, far from being the equivalent of a four-letter word, is what gives us the standard of living that we enjoy.  

In a You Tube video, (corrected URL) Milton Friedman has a nice discussion of the moral issues involved with an articulate student.

Comments

[Lazarus Long]

Bernie's tantrum was priceless.

[GreggB]

Remember most of VT loves Bernie. He is doing a great job representing the wishes of the majority of his constituents. Tantrums against all things nice, new, or free market play well in the hills of VT. Can't argue with a politician fighting for what his people elected him for.

[the Gooch]

Here's a proper link to the Friedman YouTube video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_gU50mfehI&fmt=18

[Glenn Eno]

Gregg,
The other great part is we can have dissention without fear.

I know the comeback to this statement but: if out of state students were to vote absentee in their own state as opposed to residents of a state they have no interest living in when they graduate, things would be much different. Bernie had the support of the majority but his act doesn't play as well for those of us who remain here.

I'm glad we have people like Art to point out realisms instead of conjecture. If Bernie TRULY believes what he rants about his first target would be the congress he serves in.

Bernie, if you want fair, if you want equality, if you want what you preach, should you not demand the same from yourself? Join the healthcare you want to force onto us. Pay into a Social Security system that is going bankrupt. Tax the hell out of yourself, as you wish to do to anyone successful.

You think you are the solution. Senator, you are part of the problem. You are "outrageous"

[DCH1950]

Bernie profits from his rhetoric, it's what got him elected and re-elected. His rants play well with his supporters because that's what they all want to do; scream loud and get people to listen. Frankly, he's like the salesman that won't go away until he gets an order. Bernie has been ringing the doorbell in Vermont since the 1960s and (un)fortunately he keeps getting enough orders to survive.

[Lenore Broughton]

Well, if Bernie has his way, profits will soon be a thing of the past and we'll all be barterers. I wonder how healthy and long lived everyone will be then?

[GreggB]

I don't know any real numbers but I can't imagine Bernie's victories are driven by college student votes. How many 'nonresident' college students does VT have? 50,000 at the most? Despite all the talk college students turnout is usually around 10%. Need to find a VT polysci geek to know for certain, but I suspect that Bernie and his belief system are supported by the majority of adult VT residents. As sad as that may seem to most Tiger readers.

[Bill]

He does not care how many people he impoverishes to get the control and power he wants. Of course, the poverty will be the fault of greedy big business, not the fault of a burgeoning socialist, confiscating nanny state.

[G. Cross]

Greg B is correct, Bernie is elected because he represents the greatest number of voters. For whatever reasons this site represents the lesser number of voters. End of story.

[Larry]

George makes a good point. Bernie brings out the voters that share his views. And, as George says, even the mighty Tiger can't seem to do that. It seems that most present day adult Vermonters don't realize or care that they've been dropped off a bridge just like a bag of unwanted kittens and that they're headed down into the endless and bottomless river of excessive taxation. It's time to man the lifeboats boys and girls. There is dry land out there. It's just not called Vermont.

[Vermont Woodchuck]

Which is why businesses leave, conservatives leave and take their money with them.

Let the Progs pay the taxes. One only has to look at the current situation to see the result of Bernie's platform and policies.

Obviously, it has upset Mr. Cross, that people has opted out of Vermont's bankrupt policies; he has so stated here. Well it is his wallet, not mine, to bail the state out the mess.

[DCH1950]

George, puh-lease... this site does not represent anyone; certainly not in the same fashion that a Senator does. Bernie is the elected representative of Vermont, a capitalism nay-sayer, one that is destined to bite off his own hand because there will not be enough hands otherwise.

[bob zeliff]

Art and other should be well satisfied. Bernie's plan to cut heath insurace cost was pulled. The current senaate plan will be so profitable to insurance companies, on friday their stock reached an all time high.
Ofcourse, we who buy that insurance will be paying that bill, paying for those profits, and bonuses. We pay the most for health insurance in the world, we are rated, not 1st for health care but 16th or lower. Our health insurance industry, Pharma industry, and for profit hosiptal are all doing extremely well. Check out what our own Vt Blue Cross president made. Remenber this when you write your insurance check and thank people like Art.
Our system is working for them, the owner class(5%), but is NOT working for those who do not own part of the healh care system, but just pay the bills.