Just A Thought
DIH is no policy wonk, Lord knows. But events of recent weeks have prompted a few questions.
Let's see. Ted Kennedy's (D-MA) cancer was diagnosed, what, three weeks ago? Four, maybe?
Yesterday he was in North Carolina for special surgery. It was deemed a success.
Here's my question: how would this scenario have played out if the Dems got their wish and we had Canada-style health care?
Diagnosis: early May.
Further tests: June.
Appointment to schedule surgery: July.
Surgery: Early August. And not in North Carolina. Somewhere closer to home. Mass General, maybe. Or Martha's Vineyard Hospital. What, they don't have the same cutting-edge services there? Tough tumors, Ted. This was your idea, remember?
Late August: nothing. Everyone is on vacation. It's in their contract.
September: all right, all right, quit whining, we'll take the bandages off and see what's going on.
it never ceases to amaze DIH that the people most willing to sing the praises of socialized medicine have no clue what kind of care that would mean. Or maybe I'm wrong-maybe they do know, and just exclude themselves from their plans for the rest of us.
Same with education. Hillary Clinton sings the praises of the public schools and the teachers' unions that fight vouchers tooth and nail. But she sent her daughter to Sidwell Friends School (current tuition $27,900 per year). And where do the Obama girls go to school again? No matter- Mrs.O. says she shells out ten grand a year on ballet lessons. You don't hear much about ballet lessons in public schools.
This is all old ground, of course. But when Teddy K is the beneficary of lightning-speed American healthcare, you have to wish the other Dems would notice there might be some discrepancies between their theory and their practice. And learn something for once, dammit.
Let's see. Ted Kennedy's (D-MA) cancer was diagnosed, what, three weeks ago? Four, maybe?
Yesterday he was in North Carolina for special surgery. It was deemed a success.
Here's my question: how would this scenario have played out if the Dems got their wish and we had Canada-style health care?
Diagnosis: early May.
Further tests: June.
Appointment to schedule surgery: July.
Surgery: Early August. And not in North Carolina. Somewhere closer to home. Mass General, maybe. Or Martha's Vineyard Hospital. What, they don't have the same cutting-edge services there? Tough tumors, Ted. This was your idea, remember?
Late August: nothing. Everyone is on vacation. It's in their contract.
September: all right, all right, quit whining, we'll take the bandages off and see what's going on.
it never ceases to amaze DIH that the people most willing to sing the praises of socialized medicine have no clue what kind of care that would mean. Or maybe I'm wrong-maybe they do know, and just exclude themselves from their plans for the rest of us.
Same with education. Hillary Clinton sings the praises of the public schools and the teachers' unions that fight vouchers tooth and nail. But she sent her daughter to Sidwell Friends School (current tuition $27,900 per year). And where do the Obama girls go to school again? No matter- Mrs.O. says she shells out ten grand a year on ballet lessons. You don't hear much about ballet lessons in public schools.
This is all old ground, of course. But when Teddy K is the beneficary of lightning-speed American healthcare, you have to wish the other Dems would notice there might be some discrepancies between their theory and their practice. And learn something for once, dammit.
I can't pile on Kennedy. My aunt just died on May 13 of a brain tumor that manifested itself exactly the same way as Ted Kennedy's did.
ReplyDeleteI'll just try to keep him in my prayers.
(And she got surgery right away, too. Not that the family had any money for it or any of the other treatments she got - insurance didn't cover a lot - but she was treated. And well.)
I so agree with you Sue!
ReplyDeleteI read yesterday that when Uncle Ted didn't agree with the way his daughter's lung cancer was being treated at John Hopkin's, no less, he pulled her out of there and put her somewhere else.
I feel bad for him, I really do, no one should have to bear the tragedy's that family has had. However socialized medicine is NOT the answer to anything.
I don't think this is piling on, any more than pointing out, say, that the German people allowed their guns to be taken and thus couldn't defend themselves when we're talking about gun control.
ReplyDeleteNow, if you'd posted this BEFORE he had gotten some help...that might be a bit crass. But a timeline of probable care under his proposed system, when it can be compared to the current, not so much.
I'll be praying for him for the chemo-- my mom had a very low impact radiation treatment for her breast cancer, and it knocked her over.
Ah, but if the Usual Suspects were able to actually learn something from what happens here (on Earth) as opposed to Washington, DC or Albany or Sacramento...they wouldn't be where they are.
ReplyDelete-J.