Thursday, September 10, 2009

The Ayn Randers and HC Reform

I was on a couple web sites today, the Mayo Clinic Health Policy Center's and Ezra Klein's, and looking at the comments is so disheartening. That people who consider themselves good people (Christians, secular humanists, whatever) can swallow the Ayn Rand crap and not have their heads explode from the cognitive dissonance is amazing.

One particular line of attack that disgusted me was this smug argument that food is necessary for life, why don't we have national food insurance or some similar drivel.

My response on Ezra's blog:

The difference between food and health care is several orders of magnitude.

I don't see patients in my ICU beds due to lack of food, but due to lack of access to care. People rarely lose their homes, their cars, or file for bankruptcy due to food costs.

We have, as a nation, decided to help those in hunger with food stamps, WIC and other programs, we decided in 1965 that allowing the elderly to die and suffer without access to health care was no longer acceptable, and in 1935, we decided allowing the elderly to really suffer in poverty and hunger was not acceptable.

We are the only modern nation that still seems to believe, based upon our lack of action, that our poor do not deserve access to good quality health care on at least a comparable footing with the rest of us.
Go find a physician or a nurse and have a laugh with them with your comparison. Nearly all will be aghast at your callousness. You will find some who support you, but their numbers are thankfully dwindling. Those in the leadership of medicine KNOW that we must advocate for high quality health care for all Americans, not just those who can afford it.

I've compiled a list of physicians organizations advocating for health care, to give you an idea of how cold your statements are to those of us in the front lines actually taking care of those "undeserving sick."

And some anecdotes for you and your friends to have a laugh about.

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2 comments:

Nick said...

I keep coming by here to find that we're exactly on the same page -- for some reason, Objectivism (the Randers) is disproportionately popular on the internet -- and I also think particularly popular among the type of under-30 white male that is at the height of their independence and economic potential. (I have never seen an 86-year old Objectivist. Nobody who can't get up to change the thermostat thinks that sharing resources is moral slavery).

Anyway, I did two little blog entries on one of the Objectivist front organizations, called FIRM:

http://publicoption.blogspot.com/2009/08/gunk-club.html

http://publicoption.blogspot.com/2009/08/gunk-club-redux.html

Unknown said...

I ask you to please read my personal account of my 24 year old daughter in-laws death just three weeks ago. She was 7 months pregnant and left behind a 2 year old daughter and her husband. She did not have health insurance and went to a for-profit hospital ER where she went undiagnosed. Please take the time to read this. Healthcare is a right and not a privledge.
Jens Story...
http://www.womensinternationalnews.com//30/51/One-Family-s-Insurance-Nightmare/