Friday, May 15, 2009

US Socialists: Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines


You know, the US military basically makes up the largest socialist institution in the country. Everything from glasses to health care to training to education is paid for by the government, and it seems to work well. How the hell can the Right be so rah rah about the military being so great and socialism so wrong when it’s practically the same thing? Practically every decision is government supplied. Every need is government supplied. It all somehow manages to work out well, being run by the same government that the righties don’t want to trust with their health care, education or damn near anything other than cops and soldiers.

Sheesh.

2 comments:

Art said...

Of course it works well when you have the ability to kick out anyone who doesn't work out!

Just ask any vet with a serious chronic illness how well that govt healthcare is working for them.

And I'm NOT saying the system we've got is good, I'm just saying if you actually need healthcare (i.e. you have a chronic illness), all these "wonderful" national health efforts you see elsewhere suddenly aren't that wonderful.

- Art

Steve said...

Art;

You bring up a point that is possibly at the base of the right's dissatisfaction with unihealth, AND any other system, and it's detractors. Chronic illness is not good, and you (the sufferer) want someone to make it go away...but they can't. So then you want them to expend substantial, maybe budget busting efforts NOT making it go away, but making you feel loved and cared for, but ultimately to no avail. You will not be a satisfied customer of any system.

What is needed is reasonable healthcare. But who decides what is reasonable? And is what is reasonable for the people whose behavior brought on their chronic illness, reasonable for others to pay for?