George Carlin on Education and the owners of America

[Danzig]

i don't pretend to know the answer on how to fix the problem. i know there is one, and the current way of doing things isn't working. but i don't think the answer is for the govt to take it over. with the rampant fraud and waste they already have in other programs, the beauracracy involved in every facet of govt, i just don't think that would be a solution-i think it would just be another bad way of handling something.
the problem begins with people failing to recognize that health ins is a must-have. but how do you force people to apply for the coverage offered at work? you can't.
but then those same people find they need it, too late. then they have a mound of bills (that they wouldn't have had they gotten the offered insurance), and that they can't pay. so those of us who do have insurance pay higher premiums and our ins co's pay outrageous bills, and we pay the deductibles and copays, because we are also paying for all those who don't/won't/can't.

[SCUDSBROTHER]

Originally Posted by Danzig

i don't pretend to know the answer on how to fix the problem. i know there is one, and the current way of doing things isn't working. but i don't think the answer is for the govt to take it over. with the rampant fraud and waste they already have in other programs, the beauracracy involved in every facet of govt, i just don't think that would be a solution-i think it would just be another bad way of handling something.
the problem begins with people failing to recognize that health ins is a must-have. but how do you force people to apply for the coverage offered at work? you can't.
but then those same people find they need it, too late. then they have a mound of bills (that they wouldn't have had they gotten the offered insurance), and that they can't pay. so those of us who do have insurance pay higher premiums and our ins co's pay outrageous bills, and we pay the deductibles and copays, because we are also paying for all those who don't/won't/can't.

LOL..You can't do worse than what we now have for a healthcare system.We spend a lot more on it than other countries do,and we get much less(because lawyers,insurance company CEOS, and some types of doctors are ripping everybody off.) There are some things in society where a service needs to be provided without somebody trying to make a fortune.

1)fire protection

2)police

3)military

4)education

5)healthcare

You can add energy(#6) to that,too.Countries who have it run by state run companies are getting much better services than the private energy companies here.They've just butchered the typical American(along with politicians like Bush helping them.)Energy is too important to allow C.E.O. S TO GET 400 MILIION A YEAR,AND companies pocketing 10 billion a quarter.That money should be going right into healthcare,education ,military etc. Enron raped California (with BUSH' help) back in 2001.You can't do worse than this monoploy.Private industry does a very poor job(just screws everybody as much as they can get away with) with the 6 things mentioned above.They are too important to have pigs at the trough ripping everybody off.That's exactly what oil and energy companies have done(rip Americans off.) The Government does a good job running the 4 (out of 6) things mentioned above.People complain about the public education system,but teachers can't make people value the education they are offering .They offer it,and if people don't make their kids learn,then don't blame the education system.If you want to blame somebody,then blame people making kids that are brothersbyanothermother.Public school teachers are not the problem.

It is a bit of a double edged sword in many sectors.

Private companies bottom line is profit, so they are
willing to break rules and screw people if they can
turn a profit. Even if it is short term in many cases.
This does happen. But there are companies in business
for the longterm that have provided innovation the
government could not have possibly accomplished.
And have made peoples lives better, especially in
medicine. A huge % of new drugs to help all sorts of
illnesses are discovered and produced in the US. A bit
of government help is also involved.

The government provides very little incentive for workers
to actually do a good job though. The government does a
horrible job at many things requiring vigiliance of others
money and efficiency. There is no incentive for running a
tight ship in many cases. But in some cases, especially local
governments, police, fire, and other services are quite good
because it is done locally and with pride.

It is a complex problem that will always be debated.
How much of a role does government need to play in
providing various services to the people who the government
represents.

I would also argue on the whole the public school system
does work in middle class to affluent areas. But in many
urban and some rural areas, its very poor. And it is completely
understandable. What teacher in their right mind wants
to go into a war zone where parents put their kids on
the bus so they can be done with them. And some rural
areas might be dominated by people (usually older folks)
who are unwilling to help fund public schools so they
have to drag "teachers" off the streets because the pay
is just above a Whataburger.

[SCUDSBROTHER]

I think the key is to ask yourself if something is a necessity for a country's citizens.If it is a necessity.then it's much cheaper for the Government to do it than the private sector.Look at the oil companies.They are charging the American People 10 billion a quarter(often) in profit. Even if the government kept gas prices high(to reduce consumption) it could use those billions for many necessary things(healthcare,education,etc.) the government workers(in the long run..with decent pensions etc. that private industry won't pay) cost more,but people aren't noticing that you cut out the business owners who isn't around to pocket billions.I am talking about necessary services and products.Not anything that could be considered optional....fire,police,military,education,healthc are,energy(oil etc./solar/agri-fuels.)

[timmgirvan]

Diogenes is still lookin.......

[skippy3481]

More people should have healthcare, but the government should not run it. Name one country where socialized medicine has ever worked? I won't give you much time beacause there isen't one. Thats why canadians stream across the border to get medical help if something really goes wrong. Just ask yourself one question, If you had rare form of cancer..... what country would you seek medical treatment in?

[Mortimer]

The country nearest the Tropic of Cancer.








( I believe it's him....right? )

[SCUDSBROTHER]

Originally Posted by skippy3481

More people should have healthcare, but the government should not run it. Name one country where socialized medicine has ever worked? I won't give you much time beacause there isen't one. Thats why canadians stream across the border to get medical help if something really goes wrong. Just ask yourself one question, If you had rare form of cancer..... what country would you seek medical treatment in?

As a country,we spend more on healthcare than those countries with socialized medicine.They underfund it(which is what politicians do to programs they don't agree with.)If you don't fund it properly,then of course it isn't gunna be satisfying .To answer your question,if I could get treated anywhere I want,it would be Germany,Switzerland,or Scandinavia.I don't know where the idea comes from that says it's more efficient to pay a middleman huge profits for services to citizens.It doesn't make any sense.It's stupid.If you ever just looked at what you're talking about,you would see that it's cheaper to provide a service if you aren't trying to make a billionaire a billion more dollars. Simply look at PGRDN'S school district.They are out to do what? Make profit? No,they are there to provide a service.Nobody is getting rich off that school district.If it was a for profit school district,then they would have worse healthcare for teachers,and worse pensions for them(if any.) That's how they would afford to pay some guy a 10 mil a year for owning it.Well,just ask PGRDN why he doesn't teach at a private school.