Wednesday, July 11, 2012

WILDFIRE FIGHTERS & HEALTH CARE

Don't know if you noticed that the people fighting those horrendous fires in Colorado and elsewhere were given the chance to be a part of the federal workers health insurance plan because before that announcement today, these folks would spend weeks and months on the front lines of voracious fires risking their lives for others and yet because there aren't necessarily fires to fight all year long were considered part time workers and therefore their health challenges were their problem. Until today.

Does it strike anyone else how absurd it is that we expect all kinds of sacrifices from all kind of workers in this country and yet deprive them of healthcare for various inhumane reasons because the USA, the wealthiest country in the world, can't compete with England or France or Latvia or various Asian countries etc. How strange this land has become when it comes to understanding the basic needs of our fellow humans.

I'm lucky I have health insurance so I could see my doctor today, but there were many years when I was younger and raising my older kids when I couldn't afford health insurance. After visiting and having friends in countries like Canada and England and France and Japan etc. where healthcare is universal and yet cheaper than it is here, once again its clear that the entity that matters most in our society these days is corporations, not individual humans. God bless "Obamacare" for beginning the process to make healthcare more widely available.

9 comments:

Robert G. Zuckerman said...

We've come a ways, but have a long way to go. Like you say "obamacare" is an essential first step.

JIm said...

What part of bankrupt do liberals not understand. Already 4 towns in California have gone bankrupt. The liberal states of California and Illinois are on the edge. We have the Wisconsin fix or the bankruptcy solution. Liberals seem to be in favor of banructcy.

Robert G. Zuckerman said...

Putting people out of work and unable to live with decency and dignity is not s solution.

tom said...

Sadly, Robert, it is a solution for some folks. And I notice that he says nothing about the causes of these cities going bankrupt. Bank... perhaps the key word. But, like the photos going around facebook steal a bottle of water go to jail, rob millions by bad banking and lies and stay free. Think I'll listen to Christy Moore singing Ordinary Man. Good reminder of the real problems in this country.

JIm said...

Tom. The answer is pensions and work rules.

Robert G. Zuckerman said...

That's more jive talk.

JIm said...

Robert, your mind is impervious to facts.

tom said...

Oh, that's right - I forgot, blame the public workers. Why is it that pensions weren't a problem before. Blame the fireman, blame the police, blame the secretaries, blame the teachers, but don't blame the banks.
Might as well toss in the cafeteria workers and the custodians, and water departments, etc, etc, etc.

Same old conservative line.

Robert G. Zuckerman said...

Jim says I'm impervious to facts, a rather outrageous utterance from one so clearly and completely disconnected from reality, with apparently no ability to acknowledge it. His verbal flatulece takes no account nor offers no solutions for good, real people feeling real hunger, suffering real pain, fear and vulnerability.