Louis ....... I recall Billy Williams from back in the days when I followed the Cubs more closely. Great athlete! ..... I hope you enjoy the Lionel Christmas boxcar. ....... We don't need national health care. It would be a huge mistake . So what if our health care costs more than other countries? At least, ours actually cures diseases and saves lives. Also, other items such as fuel are less costly in the USA than in other countries. ... ObamaCare had too many failures. Leave our health care alone.
Garry, "great athlete", perfect description for Billy Williams, he was a great all-around player. I wish I could have seen him play more often. The occasional Saturday afternoon game of the week was not enough.
I will enjoy the new boxcar. My plan is to run it behind the tender of my Polar Express set under the living room Christmas tree.
It's true, we do have the highest quality healthcare in the world, if you have access to it and you can afford it. I consider myself lucky. Even when I did not have health insurance I had the cash to pay my way. I'm still alive because I have the cash to allow me to work when I feel good, to eat right and not have to choses between eating healthy or paying bills. Others are not so lucky and I can't forget about them.
As it is now the United States ranks the highest for treating diseases like cancer. On the other hand, we rank 11th among industrialized nations in mortality rates for treatable and preventable diseases. I find that unacceptable.
I relate everything to sports. When a team consistently ends up last it's time to learn from what the others are doing. The one thing all 10 of those industrialized nations that have a lower mortality rates have in common, national healthcare.
The ACA was not intended to be the "be all, end all" for healthcare, It was a starting point. Instead there were those of us who worked endlessly to tear it down, rather than to build on it. As it turned out not even a republican majority could agree on what to do. Now, thanks to "just say no" we have Republican care. If you haven't noticed President Obama has been on vacation for the last few years.
"Leave our healthcare alone" I expect that will be the least likely thing to happen. It was you who pointed out we can't financially sustain what we are currently doing. Personally I think cost is not the priority, for me saving lives and improving the quality of life will be worth the cost. I just want us to be efficient in how we do it.
By the way, it's not up to me. There are millions of more people far more progressive than me. The tide is turning, the republican party is shrinking as we speak. The democratic party is as well, just not as fast. Independent voters will decide this issue if we don't.
We can sit on the sidelines, but the game will still go on, with us or without us. I'd much rather capitalists like us have some say in what happens next. I believe there is a compromise we can all live with, but we all have to participate in the debate to make that happen. Just say "no" never works.