Very nice addition Oscar!! Exactly the point I was trying to make on my post a couple of pages back. Those who complain in such an irrational way are clearly not attempting to help solve any issues this country may be facing.
Why not direct some of that negativity into positive "action" to help their own community instead of stand on the sidelines and accuse, attack, bitch and moan about what they feel is not right. It takes more than one person and time to help rectify a long history of poor judgement(s) and snafu's in this nation.

This to Scrooge...please read my post a little better. It isn't a matter of money in regards to universal health care in the US it's about infrastructure. We simply don't have the hospital beds, doctors nurses or medical technicians to support universal healthcare effectively. It takes years to train doctors and nurses, and there is also the issue of switching from a free enterprise system to a socialized flat fee for services type of system. It just doesn't happen with the wave of a wand and a small tax increase.

Interesting that this evolved into a discussion about healthcare. It happens to be my area of expertise. (Politics and history are just hobbies) I liked the posts about the challenges of introducing universal care in the USA. If it does happen, and I think it is just around the corner. Americans will have to deal with some good and some bad. First, the good. I think we will all be "medicare" patients soon. In the USA, for our foreign readers, that is the name of the federal program that is paid for through payroll taxes and takes care of the elderly(>65) and the disabled (an expanding category). This could be done overnight with a stroke of the pen after a quick vote and debate by congress. The good part is no more having to choose with plan to buy or whether your doctor is on this plan or your drugs are cheaper on that plan. One size fits all. Economies of scale, as it were. OK, now a the bad. America, get ready to hurry up and wait. Get in line. More forms. More federal red tape. Get ready to here the word "no" a lot.
Can I have my gallbladder out tonight? No, we'll try to do it next month. Can I have a CT scan today? No. Maybe next week. There's a new cancer treatment I read about. Can I sign up? No. No government approval. Medicare bean counters will have more control than they do now. The only way to serve more people and not go bankrupt as a nation is to RATION medical care. You will be turned away from the ER if your situation is not critical. You will be not get heart or lung surgery if you refuse to quit smoking. If you are very old, aggressive measures to save your life will not be undertaken. You will learn a new concept as a healthcare consumer/citizen: "cost/benefit analysis". Spending $1 million to 1% of patients will be considered too expensive. Think of it like pot odds, only instead of losing a hand, your life or health is on the line. Suing a doctor or hospital if something goes awry. Sorry, we're all federal employees and we have sovereign immunity. Welcome to our brave new world. Remember the stupid, out of touch, mean conservative who predicted it here on gpokr.

congrats... in the time of economic crash.. the president not only holds a billion or better party.. has the people of america pay to go aswell... um.. not saying he or any president can't, but wouldn't it have been nice to put that money to better use? i like this change so far it's really starting to bennifit the american people.. take take take... oh by the way there's a party.. $100 a head to watch 1 man be sworn in.. whop - de- friggin- do... gimme something that is more job secure... D/R/ or even I all stand for the same thing.. fill you up with all our hopes and promisses, then bend u over and give it to ya the way each of them do.. real nice.. there's your politics.. sorry but the trueth hurts :)

and also... i dunno who most of you think became president.. he is but only 1 person...it's not a plural word.. but i know we have come so far.. that i'm sure this will be considered racial... this isn't it just applies to every american/illegal alian who ever... that just haven't taken the time to embrace their schooling... oh yeah and aren't you so glad to be paying your taxes... for illegal alians to get their drivers license and free medical... wholy cow.. just goes to show ya what is really going on.. and it's only a slight of hand... oh well we let it happen.. voice my rear... no one cares what we think.. we are just peons in their sick little game.. minipulate everything how they want us to see it.. other then that we are all swept under the rug and not givin another glance... i love my back asswards country