Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Bastille Day

220 years ago, a mob of Parisians and revolting soldiers overwhelmed the Bastille Prison in Paris. There were only seven prisoners in the prison at the time, and 98 of the attackers died, but that really didn't matter. It was the effective end of the rule of King Louis XVI. Within four years both Louis and his young wife, Marie Antoinette, would be dead, heads chopped off by the guillotine.

"Let them eat cake" has never been a viable public policy in a democracy (and yes I know Marie Antoinette never said that -- but the sentiment certainly would not have been disagreeable to her). A democracy must reflect the will of the majority of its people, or else it will be overthrown and a new government installed which better represents that will. Only a tyranny can long force upon a people a system which results in the unneeded deaths and suffering of 30% of the population that has either no or poor access and great uncertainty and probable impoverishment to any of the other 55% of the population that is subjected to it, and that system is our current healthcare system here in the United States. The majority spoke in the November 2008 election, and said to a young charismatic politician from Chicago, "fix this shit" -- and installed a Congress of the same party with the majorities to do it.

The people have spoken. They demand universal health care without the uncertainties and cruelties of the current system. "Let them eat cake" is not a viable policy to any of us who cherish our necks. Note the "us". I am in the top 10% income bracket, and it is my neck on the line too. Yet there are still idiots who shout, "you would have us pay for your health care!" (no, you cretins, *I* will be paying for *your* health care, since you're too stupid to be in the top 10% of income). There are those who shout, "there is no right to health care!" (Note to cretins: In a democracy, if the majority wishes to create a new right, they can do so -- and did, in November 2008). They shout "Personal responsibility!" as if it were possible for anybody other than a millionaire to pay for the $1M for leukemia treatment, only the pooled resources of a large number of people can possibly pay for treatment in a modern medical system and there is nothing "personal" about that. They would defy the will of the majority of Americans and continue to impose a system that is bankrupting the nation and causing grave harm to the mental and physical health of the nation. They are, in sum total, as undemocratic and dangerous a minority as the minority of nobility and royalty in France in 1789, who hate the will of the people with a passion that Marie Antoinette would have understood well.

And let us not mince words here: If these people have their way -- if they kill any meaningful effort to bring true universal health care to the United States of America -- the majority is not going to go away. The only way to continue forcing the current evil system upon America and Americans is via tyranny and force, and that cannot go on without an explosion that would make the storming of the Bastille look like a kindergarten playground scuffle. In the end, a sensible person must acquiesce to the will of the majority, even if the majority is in his opinion a bunch of boobs and morons who would rather elect a dry drunk chimp to the Presidency than a sincere and good man who had the misfortune of being an intelligent man in a kingdom of morons. The alternative... ah yes. Let us ask King Louis XVI and his young wife Marie Antoinette about that, shall we? For those of us who value our necks, that is a sobering thought.

-- Badtux the History Penguin

15 comments:

  1. À la lanterne!

    And a very happy Bastille Day to you, my friend.

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  2. In the chaos that followed Bastille Day, 30,000 Frenchmen (and women) lost their lives to Madam Guilotinne. Mob rule is not rational or fair.

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  3. And that is why it is important that a government listen to the will of the people rather than ignore it. Fewer Frenchmen lost their lives to the guillotine than had been killed by the ruinous policies of the royals and nobles, but if the government had simply acquiesced to the demands of the majority rather than oppose them, none of these people would have died.

    When 75% of Americans want universal healthcare according to most surveys, only a fool would oppose it. Unfortunately, there are far too many fools amongst our ruling class here in the United States, which makes my neck itch.

    - Badtux the Upper-middle-class Penguin

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  4. Just like Canada, when America has universal health care, the poor will be stuck waiting 6 months for an MRI (many dying in the process) while the rich will jet off to whichever country still has a functioning (read 'profit-driven') health care system. If you think the rich (including Congress) will subject themselves to the same systm the plebes use, then you are the stupid one, even if you are in the top 10 percent of earners.

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  5. ObamaCare is similar to the Japanese and Swiss systems, not the Canadian system. Japan and Switzerland have more MRI machines per capita than the United States, as well as *many* more physicians per capita than the United States (not that this is hard to do -- the US only has 2.7 physicians per 1,000 population, only Britain and Canada amongst OECD nations are worse).

    In short, your argument, "Mark", is a straw man, dishonest fear tactics driven by ignorance. Please do not repeat it here again, any comparison of ObamaCare with Canada's health care system is stupidity and further stupidity will be deleted (see my ground rules). If you wish to compare ObamaCare to the system in the Netherlands, Switzerland, or Japan -- systems which it resembles far more -- fine. But only the Penguin is allowed to be a dishonest ass here.

    - Badtux the Health Care Penguin

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  8. As I stated, "Mark", stupidity will be deleted. The House reform bill was officially introduced yesterday, and can be found here. It is quite similar to the previous draft which was released June 16 and which I reviewed on this blog. Your ignorance is hereby noted. Please read the bills before posting further stupidity -- I will, and do, delete any stupidity you post that does not reflect the actual contents of the above bill.

    - Badtux the Healthcare Penguin

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  10. Read my lips: If you wish to have an honest discussion about the contents of the above bill, fine. If you want to throw out stupidity and assholery, it *will* be deleted.

    -- Badtux the "I'm the only ass allowed here" Penguin

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  12. Mr. Tux,
    I, unfortunately, am not nearly smart enough to be in that sublime 10% class. (my IQ is even lower than Bartcop's) So I would like to express my gratitude for your most kind offer to pay for my health insurance. We can cut out the middle man (government) and you can mail me the check directly.
    Thanks again......Dave

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  13. I don't know you. You could be a grifter, a scammer, or someone else. I need someone who can evaluate whether you're actually in need, or just a deadbeat who wants to take advantage of me. Hmm, what could we call that person... oh yeah! "Government"!

    - Badtux the Cautious Penguin

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  14. Wow -
    You are not a penguin of idle threats. And isn't Mark's original point jusy bull shit, as well? Is there any validity to the meme that Canadian's have over-long waits for rationed coverage, and die in the process? Isn't death by nontreament a lot more likely to happen here, due to lack of coverage?

    JzB the inquisitive trombonist

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  15. Yes, I've addressed Canadian wait times before. The fact is that ten years ago, Canadian wait times increased alarmingly and it became a scandal. As a result, their governments had to scurry and do whatever was necessary to fix the wait times problem or else get kicked out of office -- which they did. Here is the results -- now 50% of surgeries get done *immediately*, and wait times for most others are minimal (as vs. infinite for the uninsured in America).

    But the fact remains that Canada's province-based single-payer system is utterly irrelevant to the ObamaCare bill that was introduced into Congress, which doesn't create a Canada-style system at all. The majority of Americans will continue to receive their healthcare through employer-provided health insurance under HR3200. I politely asked Mark to remain on-topic and compare the actual HR3200 bill to comparable foreign systems such as the Netherlands, Japan, Switzerland, Germany if he wished to do international comparisons. He refused to do so. So be it.

    - Badtux the Healthcare Penguin

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Ground rules: Comments that consist solely of insults, fact-free talking points, are off-topic, or simply spam the same argument over and over will be deleted. The penguin is the only one allowed to be an ass here. All viewpoints, however, are welcomed, even if I disagree vehemently with you.

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