Is it OK to use unethical methods to accomplish goals that you think are good? Does the end justify the means? Anti-abortion forces are using dishonest propaganda and character assassination in their assault on Planned Parenthood. They have adopted devilish methods in pursuit of goals that they consider godly. They posed as representatives of companies seeking to acquire fetal tissue for medical research and secretly recorded conversations with Planned Parenthood executives. Then they extensively edited the recordings to make it appear that Planned Parenthood was selling fetal tissue for a profit. The accusation is unproven, but their propaganda has convinced a lot of people. Continue reading THOUGHTS ABOUT PLANNED PARENTHOOD
Tag Archives: health care
STICKS STONES AND STEREOTYPES
Election campaigns are under way and the name-calling season is open. Names, labels and stereotypes can influence our opinions and our elections so it’s important to be aware them. Continue reading STICKS STONES AND STEREOTYPES
WILL LOSING IN COURT HELP WIN ELECTIONS?
On the horizon of America’s sometimes bizarre political landscape are two Supreme Court decisions with unusual implications. Most conservatives and Republicans want the Court to rule that states can ban same-sex marriage and that Obama Care can’t subsidize the cost of health insurance in states that haven’t set up their own insurance exchanges. Most liberals and Democrats are wishing for the opposite. It may be that the political fortunes of the two parties will be better if they lose these cases than if they win. If Democrats and Liberals win both cases, then Republicans can continue to demonize the health care law for its imperfections and complain about activist judges who overturned the “will of the people” by allowing same-sex marriage. Republicans seem well prepared for losing in court, but not for the consequences of winning. They have no plan for delivering affordable health care to low and middle-income Americans. It isn’t free. It is a fact that many people of modest means will suffer and die without health care if there is no tax-funded means to help pay for it. Continue reading WILL LOSING IN COURT HELP WIN ELECTIONS?
DOING THAT COULD MAKE YOU BLIND
A South Carolina man is learning that there are some things that feel good at the time but, yes, they can make you go blind. Here’s a recap of his story, much of it from the Charlotte Observer. Luis Lang was self-employed with a good income and a 3300 square foot house worth more than $300,000. He knew that the law (Obama Care) required him to buy health insurance, but it felt good to spend the money on other things. Continue reading DOING THAT COULD MAKE YOU BLIND
DEATH WITH DIGNITY?
Do we humans have a “right to die” and a “right to assistance in dying”? These questions will soon take center stage in the American culture war. If you choose someone to make your decisions about dying in the event that you are unable, will that person be allowed to carry out your wishes? In the US today, that depends on where you live and whether someone powerful wants to intervene, as Governor Jeb Bush and Senator Bill Frist intervened against Terri and Michael Shaivo, forcing Terri’s brain-dead body to function for seven years after Michael authorized removal of her feeding tube. Continue reading DEATH WITH DIGNITY?
Can Republicans survive success in the Obama Care lawsuit?
What happens next if the Supreme Court rules that Obama Care can’t subsidize health insurance premiums in states that did not set up their own exchanges? The pundits are saying that neither Republicans not Democrats have a contingency plan for that. Maybe. But there may be a way for the President to snatch victory from the jaws of a defeat at the court. It might go something like this. Continue reading Can Republicans survive success in the Obama Care lawsuit?
How To Fix Obamacare
If your loved one is seriously ill or injured and can’t pay for health care, should America provide what she/he needs? If health care costs are beyond the reach of many Americans, should government take action? If you answer “yes”, the next steps are about how to achieve the goals; and it’s time for fact based solutions to the problems of American health care. Continue reading How To Fix Obamacare
JUST SAY YES TO MEDICAID
The decision by North Carolina’s governing Republicans (every single one of them) to reject Medicaid expansion will cost the state’s residents $37 billion by 2022. That is roughly enough money to run the entire state government for 21 months. They looked at the money and just said “no”. They looked at uninsured people living in poverty and just said “no”. They looked at hospitals and doctors who care for uninsured people, and they just said “no”. And they just said “no” to unemployed workers who would have found jobs in the Medicaid expansion. Continue reading JUST SAY YES TO MEDICAID
SUPREME COURT LOGIC
In decisions about Obamacare the Supreme Court has ruled that the federal government can levy a tax on individuals who do not purchase health insurance and that it can require employers who do not provide health benefits to pay a penalty (tax). Only a few months later the court ruled that business owners who profess religious objections to some forms of birth control can opt out of that particular portion of coverage without paying a penalty.
Reductio ad absurdum is a Latin phrase that the Court’s Justices surely encountered in their introductory logic classes. It is a method of showing that a decision or argument is absurd because it gives rise to ridiculous or unworkable conclusions. Their decisions imply that five of the justices may have been napping during logic classes. Continue reading SUPREME COURT LOGIC
REPUBLICAN SOCIALIZED HEALTHCARE?
The following words are from House Bill 1181, passed by the North Carolina House and endorsed by Governor McCrory. “It is the intent of the General Assembly to transform the State’s Medicaid program from a traditional fee-for-service system into a system that provides budget predictability for the taxpayers of this State while ensuring quality care to those in need.” Translation: Instead of paying for whatever health care is used, they want to budget a fixed amount and make doctors and hospitals absorb any additional costs. They want doctors to save money by keeping patients healthy more so than treating them after they are sick. If their plan works everyone wins. If it fails, our poorest citizens will bear the burden. Continue reading REPUBLICAN SOCIALIZED HEALTHCARE?