LETTERS

Take health care out of hands of politicians

Posted 4/25/17

To the Editor, Washington elites and the official state media and punditry, who wax eloquently about anything inconsequential, have apparently learned little from the last election. Americans did not vote for more wars, weapons systems or fabricated

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LETTERS

Take health care out of hands of politicians

Posted

To the Editor:

Washington elites and the official state media and punditry, who wax eloquently about anything inconsequential, have apparently learned little from the last election. Americans did not vote for more wars, weapons systems or fabricated political theatre — but for representation and change.

Congress never talks about budget deficits when they give billions in corporate subsidies or spend trillions bullying, bombing and occupying Third World countries. Congress speaks only of unsustainable debt when it comes to ‘entitlements,’ as if they are gifting to us (“the takers”) something that belongs to others.

The U.S. is the only industrialized society without a national healthcare system, and is one of only four countries worldwide without paid maternity leave. Our privatized system of health care costs more than 17 percent of GDP, and 28.5 million are still uninsured. We spend 50 percent more than France, whose universal health care is ranked No. 1 by the World Health Organization. Europeans are dumbfounded to learn tens of thousands of the uninsured die unnecessarily and prematurely each year.

The profit-driven healthcare and pharmaceutical industries have not only corrupted and bought Congress, they have captured the regulatory structures and distorted the science that supports treatment modalities and protocols, all in service to higher profits.

The system needs to be nationalized, and taken from the hands of bought and paid for politicians on both sides of the aisle. But it will never happen unless we demand it.

John St. Lawrence

Johnston

Comments

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  • JohnStark

    Great idea! I'm sure that heightened government involvement would result in better consumer service at a lower cost. Much like public education, RMV, and VA.

    Wednesday, April 26, 2017 Report this