Anton's Ideas

What an awful shame that the US has so many private insurance sharks that the genuinely needy in its society cannot be guaranteed proper health care when they need it without bankrupting themselves. President Obama had the right idea when he decided to nail the colours of his presidency, and how it would be judged by posterity, to the mast of the good ship ACA. – mind you, I suppose he had to justify his Nobel Peace Prize somehow! But I really do believe that he cares about his flock and wants to ensure that they are cared for when ill and not made worse by financial worries. But if he cares this much, and cannot stand for another term in 2016, he really should be telling his fellow Americans that there is no place for selfishness in caring for the sick. Because that is what the debate in the House was all about last night. Rich, or reasonably well off, Americans can pick and choose how they insure themselves on the basis of what they want to afford and not what their share of insuring everybody should be. In Britain our NHS is paid for out of National Security Contributions and income tax and everybody has to pay what the government  demands. They cannot opt out. That is what Obama should do now with his Health Care Bill. Really raise the compulsory contributions from all citizens who are able to pay something, each being assessed according to their wealth. That could soon send the private Insurance sharks packing. Also I would love to see the federal side of US government really given teeth in this matter and the whole issue taken out of the hands of individual state legislatures. National defense is what it says; NATIONAL. Health care should also be NATIONAL and a few more oligarchs in governorships brought down to size and forced to obey the President. I often wonder why there is a President if his only really effective power is one of veto – ie. defence – and not enforcement – ie. attack. Still by January 2nd so many people will have become so uptight about the issue I should imagine they will all be running to sign up to ACA in order to get free treatment for the heart conditions which their selfish  worries have brought upon themselves.