Kucinich has the only sensible health care plan
Denis Kucinich held a town meeting forum at Phillips Exeter Academy last night. Though he's perceived as a candidate who has no chance of winning and who is supposed to be flakey, his answers to questions were reasonable and he is the only candidate who is taking the sensible position of advocating a single payer system for health care insurance. This is the system that all the other industrialized countries use and it makes sense because it eliminates expenses associated with insurance companies, including administrative costs and profit taking. I'm more inclined to support a candidate who has a better chance of winning, but I'm tempted to support Kucinich simply on this issue alone. I also liked the way he talks about changing America's role in world affairs by moving away from unilitaral military solutions to every problem toward fostering peace by working on problems with other nations. Look at what has been accomplished in recent years in places like South Africa and Northern Ireland, which Kucinich mentioned in his talk. It was inspiring to hear a presidential candidate talking about making America a force for peace in the world. Why not?
Reasonable? Sometimes.Submitted by wstoutin on Thu, 11/29/2007 - 20:58.
I agree that Kucinich presented himself rather well on Tuesday night, but to call all of his answers reasonable is a bit of a stretch. He claimed that for Vice President Cheney to say Iraq had WMD's when he had evidence to the contrary was a war crime. (Obviously there was counter-evidence which later proved force, but still, thought crime, anyone?) He insisted that we negotiate with terrorist groups (Hamas, Hezbolah) that have publicly declared their hate for the United States. Listenning to him talk about the Middle East, the idea that kept coming to mind was: "How is 'strength through peace' any different from 'negotiate with terrorists'?"
As for the healthcare plan, there may be a legitimate argument for it, however wjordan should look more closely: not every other industrialized nation uses a single-payer system, unless, of course, England is not industrialized. Germany's single payer system is sinking into financial trouble and their government is considering options for reform. We can consider nationalizing medicine in America, but it probably will not be the bed of roses Congressman Kucinich wants it to sound like.
As for profit taking in medicine, I had a question for Kucinich and for anyone reading this post in favor of a single payer system: After taxes and malpractice insurance, what is the highest annual salary for a doctor you find to be morally agreeable?