U.S. HEALTH CARE IS A "SECURITY RISK", JUST AS IS STOPPING A TERRORIST ATTACK
Gary Ater
July 09, 2009
…A US Soldier providing security overseas
Since the 9/11 terrorist attack in America, the government has taken great strides, and has gone to great expense, in attempting to ensure the security of all Americans.
However, I still continually question the lack of success of the previous administration in dealing with the monitoring of our seaports and the closing of our borders with Canada and Mexico, which today, are still totally open. In addition, the country still hasn´t decided on how to find, or what to do with its millions of illegal immigrants. For the so called "security focus" of the previous Bush Administration, these major failures seem to be some pretty big holes in their "focus" on America´s safety.
I have also previously made the statement that "health care for all" is a constitutional right for all Americans as part of every American citizen´s endeavors for the pursuit of "life, liberty and happiness". But in reality, for everyone to have universal health care is much more than just something for every American´s life-style pursuit.
"Providing health care is as important of an American ´security issue´, as is dealing with the threats of an enemy terrorist group or any other threatening military organization."
Just ask yourself, "What is more threatening to any American than that of potentially losing one´s life, or a family member, due to a catastrophic illness, and of not being able to afford the necessary medical coverage for dealing with such a life-threatening issue?"
To emphasize the point, over the past two "de-regulated" decades, other than the recent home mortgage crisis, the number one reason for US mortgage foreclosures has been for individuals that have lost their incomes due to having cancer or other catastrophic illnesses. Being unable to work and to pay for their medical bills is the number one reason in the US for a home owner to lose their life savings, their retirement and eventually, their homes. (Please note: This is a "non-issue" in other industrialized countries.)
Up to this point, since the Republicans had been running the country, they had no problem in going into an unnecessary war or spending vast sums of taxpayer dollars on so called "American defense and security programs". But the concept of providing medical coverage for individual American families with serious health issues has been totally ignored.
Under the Bush presidency, it was OK for trillions of dollars to be spent on a "war of choice" in the Middle East. But if any American happened to contract cancer, they were all on their own.
And if that cancer victim was lucky enough to have insurance coverage, and if they were successful in fighting the cancer, they had better not have lost their job or their insurance. This is because, due to the insurance companies´ "pre-existing conditions requirements", that cancer survivor would no longer be insurable.
No other major industrialized nation in the world has these medical restrictions on their citizens. And all of the citizens of these other countries have universal health care. Therefore: "Why is the US, the wealthiest nation in the world, the only modern country whose citizens can, and have, lost all of their savings, their retirement and their homes, solely due to a catastrophic illness….?"
This is the ultimate example of how health care is just as big of a "personal American security risk" as is a potential "terrorist attack".
"Today, the risk of dying from an American health issue is a million times higher than that of being killed in a terrorist attack." And yet, up to today, the GOP members in the US Congress are hell-bent on NOT approving either "single-payer" or a "public health care plan" for all Americans.
Apparently, the reason for this totally "American problem" is due to our allowing strong and wealthy US lobbying companies (Which are not allowed in Great Britain or Canada.) and the lack of publicly funded national and state elections. In other words, the powerful, corporately funded lobbyists virtually "own" both houses of the US Congress due to their donations to those elected officials.
In fact, according to all of the statistics, US drug company lobbyists have never lost a fight in getting their own way when dealing with both houses of the US Congress.
And also according to the stats, the medical insurance companies´ lobbyists have only lost some "minor battles" in dealing with the elected members of Congress.
Today, billions of lobbyist dollars are being spread around in DC in order to keep the "status quo" of America NOT having a "public health care plan".
At this time, the Democrats, President Obama, and even the GOP members of Congress, they ALL have their own "public health care plans" that, we as tax-payers, foot their health care bills. I am today hoping that these individuals will all finally realize and understand that ~80% of the voting public have declared that they also want (and deserve) a "real public health care plan".
In addition, it has been documented that if the current and rising health care costs are not brought under control soon, within ten years, America´s health care costs will be the number one expense item within the US economy.
I´m hoping that everyone lets their Senators, Congresspersons and President Obama know with phone calls, e-mail and letters that without providing a real "public plan" for America, they will NOT get our votes in either 2010 or 2012.
Here are the ways to contact the White House, your Senators and Representatives:
White House e-mail: http://www.whitehouse.gov/CONTACT/
White House Phone #´s: Comments: 202-456-1111, Switchboard: 202-456-1414, FAX: 202-456-2461
White House Mail:
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Senators and Representatives: Go to this web site and follow the instructions: http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml
It´s time to say; "I´m mad as hell, and I´m not taking it anymore!"
Power to the people……Now please!
Copyright G.Ater 2009
Follow me on Twitter: gater01
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