Comments on: Olbermann’s special comment on heath care politics

By: Bink

Bink — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 01:48:42 +0000

@Peter

Yes, Petey, I agree with you. How? You see, me snarking at the current health care bill and faith in government in general does NOT mean I FULLY and WITHOUT QUESTION support the current system. That’s only true in one of the tiny, ideological pocket universes in which most people keep their intellects these days.

By: Greg Laden

Greg Laden — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 08:33:54 +0000

Olbermann may or may not have the policy right in a given instance, but he tries very hard to get the facts straight and almost always does, and the passion of this sort of rant, which he does now and then, very accurately reflects the inner feelings of a significant and growing portion of Americans on the left side of the center.

The right wing has had their ranters for a long, long time, and the left wing had … man, I don’t even want to think about what we did not have, or about the mealy mouthed leftitarians who were speaking out a bit more, like Nader. Anyway, we never had a ranter like Limbaugher or O’Real?y, and I think a lot of people on the left felt there should not be one.

But we’ve always needed one, and now we have one. He does it quite well. I summarily dismiss the sentiment that he should calm down.

No.He.Should.Not.Sir. :[

By: Jason Thibeault

Jason Thibeault — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 07:55:47 +0000

He’s unfortunately slightly less influential than Bill O’Reilly (though he’s rapidly catching up). That said, where he is pragmatic and emotional and honest and eloquent and more often than not correct, he is decried by O’Reilly and other talking heads as lefty far-left leftist left-left-left. This despite the fact that he excoriates Dems and Repubs equally when they do what is morally repugnant.

By: davem

davem — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 07:01:54 +0000

Wow! That’s one hell of a rant! Is Olbermann influential in the US? At the moment in the UK, there is a lot of fuss over the spending of Members of Parliament, but the figures quoted here dwarf what our M.P.s are getting. Do Congress members not have to declare their interest before debating/voting?

By: peter

peter — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 03:51:09 +0000

“Have faith in the government!”

If you like, put your trust into the private insurers – I guess they are the same kind of crooks as the banks your government so eagerly threw a trillion and a few dollars at to bail out.
Just do not force anybody else with not enough change to spare to forego a decent health insurance or to choose between their house or their health when there is another option on the table.

By: Bink

Bink — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 02:51:32 +0000

Hey, it’s nothing that a hastily written 1000+ page bill that no one has read can’t solve!

Have faith in the government!

By: Noah David Simon

Noah David Simon — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 01:51:22 +0000

so should the government buy out the health industry now or when the industry collapses from industry finagling? We all know Olbermann and MSNBC has always been emotional and out of proportion, but can they apply their same violin story to the future when one of our biggest national business sectors is asking for a loan again…. …and it will be our luck that it will happen when the GOP takes power again so we can cycle more misery and attack another thriving industry with projected guilt.

By: peter

peter — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 00:24:52 +0000

Watching from Canada, I am quite amazed by the whore who sells herself to American advertisers thrashing the Canuck health care system
Yes, I have to wait for ten montfor my knee replacement.But that knee replacement is paid in FULL by the canadian government funded health care system. And I have not to remortage my house to pay for it.

And yes, when a fucking horse broke both bone above my ankle,
I did go to the hospital, and when I came out, after having received splendid care, I was not presented with a bill.

And when I had my gallbladder removed, I just went, without worry how to pay for it after wards, to the reception and checked in.

The only things I had to pay – and that at affordable prices, because I was self employed without making enough to justify an insurance for non covered treatments – were for some physiotherapy sessions and to try out accupuncture.

At present, my employer has me insured to pay for those niceties, and for continuing income when in hospital.
This way – I do not have to claim unemployment insurance, which otherwise would cover me.

Our system is not perfect, but it works for the vast majority of people, and Canadians do not have to fear to go to the doctor – and maybe hear some bad news, on top of which in the US seems to be added on the worry how to pay for hospital stays.

By: The Science Pundit

The Science Pundit — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 23:47:04 +0000

How do you feel every time you see Senator Kennedy?

Ouch!