Day: July 27, 2009

We Have The Best Health Care System In The World

Professor’s Classroom

Subject:  Health/Economics

Damn!  That is what many in the GOP is spouting trying to fight off the Obama plan for getting health care to the uninsured.  Representative after representative, senator after senator has got in front of the cameras and told this version of the misinformation.  This is the war cry of the conservatives….that the US has the best health care system in the world…but how accurate is the claim?

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) has ranked the world’s health systems and according to WHO the best ranked system is that of France, with Italy a close second.  But wait!  Does not the conservatives use Canada and France as examples of a poor health system?  Do not hurt yourself….yes, they do.

But where does the US rank with WHO?  The US ranks 37th behind Third World countries like Dominica and Costa Rica.  Oh yeah, just for your information, Canada ranks 30th.  Oops!  That is still ahead of the US.

Is there more?  You betcha!  On health performance, the US ranks 72nd, again according to WHO.  Oman ranks number one.  The US finished behind such countries as Bosnia and Argentina.

Surely the US leads in something as it pertains to health care.  Uh huh, it does.  The US leads in expenditures as per capita…..so we are spending more than anyone in the world and we are basically receive nothing in return.

If your opinion is still that the US has the “best” health system in the world, then you most likely have insurance and believe the hype of the health care opposition.

The Man Of Steele

RNC’s leader Michael Steele has done it again…this time he got his talking points from the GOP that Obama’s plan for health care is an “experiment” that will ruin the country.  That word is so important to the GOP talking points that DSteele used it some 30+ times in one short speech to the Press Club.

Steele also seem to like the word “cabal”,  which by the way means some form of intrigue, my guess that it also is a talking word for the Repubs.  The word implies some sort of secret plan or intrigue.  the RNC has decided to run with Steele’s speech.

Republican officials said they were supplementing Steele’s speech with a round of television advertising designed to oppose government-run health care. The 30-second spot, titled “Grand Experiment,” criticizes recent government aid to the auto industry and banks as “the biggest spending spree in our history” and warns of “a risky experiment with our health care.”

But the Repubs “man of Steele” has his kryptonite and it is the word “policy”.  When asked a question that was not part of his read speech, he said “I do not do policy”  That is pretty telling in my opinion….the GOP has NO policy on health care with the exception of NO.  Their policy is to be in opposition regardless of the consequences for the American people.  Maybe the RNC should look for someone smart enough to actually have ideas on policy.

They are playing a delaying game……it work in the 90’s for health care reform….thew more time that the GOP can delay any vote the better the chances are that their half-truths, misinformation and out right lies will have a positive effect for them.