Why am I not surprised.  I got into an argument a few months ago with some idiot who was trying to convince me that Cuba had a better health care system than we do.  I was like really?  Why don't you do some research into that...

@firetyger -  was i the idiot??  i dont recall,,, i cant really imagine defending cuban health care,,, never been there,,, i have reliable hearsay,,, other than that,,, cuba is kinda like a black hole info wise...

fidel is a hero to them so I dont see them shriniking back from it.

@firetyger - This is the line that several members of the Congressional Black Caucus are pushing out.   One who was quoted as saying " Ok.. yes.. I am a socialist".  They set up a meeting down in Cuba and they were wined and dined and taken to the elite facilities that the average cuban will never see in their lifetime.  And because these members of the CBC are just that naive, and hate America that much, they have come back and given speeches about how great the health care is in Cuba. 

And of course we also can't forget Michael 2-ton Moore who also spreads the drivel.. because he too is a Marxist. 

@SecretNeverTold - This comment is too close to dinnertime for me here on the East Coast....wish I never SAW it!!!

@SecretNeverTold - As diligently as I'd avoid doing anything that might get me sick, were I in Cuba.

@SecretNeverTold - That might be the case if it were just true of Castro and Cuba. But the fact is- it's not. EVERY totalitarian/ dictator of the last century has implemented some form of governmental control over health care. When you see a pattern in history forming where a is therefore b, then when you recognize a in the present it is only logical to conclude b. It's not a scare tactic to learn from the failures of history and warn people when they are trying to repeat those failures. THAT'S WISDOM.  Perhaps liberals are the ones being inconsistent. Inherent in government-run/ controlled healthcare is the philosophy of planned scarcity.

From C. Everett Koop: "The worldwide experience of the last generation seems to show pretty clearly that when government economic controls are applied to health, they prove- in time- to be detrimental. The controls are based on planned scarcity and lead to an erosion of quality, innovation and creativity.

"I think it ironic that at a time when socialist regimes are collapsing all around the world and American disenchantment with politics and government seems at an all-time high, so many Americans clamor for the government to take over the health-care mess."

The stigma of socialism is that it has been and can be and is a slippery slope into communism. Did you know Karl Marx was a Satanist and didn't care a lick for the prolitariat? Read Richard Wurmbrand's "Marx and Satan" bearing in mind that this man grew up in and suffered as a missionary to communist countries where the people were immersed in communist literature. Communism comes from the pit of hell and I don't say this as a fanatic but as one who has learned to discern the subtilties of Satan. He likes to make people think he's charitable and kind and cares for you but he's always only drawing you into a trap. God didn't call his people to be blindly supportive of government. Do you really think the Apostle Paul approved of Nero?

Again capitalism can be dangerous when unchecked by justice (the proper role of government), but as a whole it lends itself to a freer and safer society. No thought police. No artificial classes of people. You can go from rags to riches back to rags again and it's not a matter something someone spoonfeeds to you but what you make of the resources and time and energy God has given you for your life. Any system of government that forces blind allegiance and total reliance of the people upon it is a dangerous system because it sets itself up as a god. (Hence God disspelled Babel).

Have you not read the implicit warnings at the end of Genesis where the people sold their very lives to the Pharoah for food? The first part of Exodus is a classic reminder of the unneccesary woes of totalitarian/ authoritarian governments. Learn a lesson and depart from such iniquity.

It's OK. Breathe. If you're so right, there's no reason to get all up in a tizzy about it.

The scripture stated (before Marx was born) that there is nothing new under the sun. No philosophy, no political ideology — nothing. Keeping that in mind, maybe you know that correlation is not causation? Because if you insist correlation is causation, let's talk about why, then, the divorce rate and domestic violence rates are higher among professing Christians than any other faith (including atheists and agnostics) in the U.S.

I do have a point.

Marx didn't invent socialism, and his status as a Satanist has nothing to do with the viability of socialism as a part of political solutions. Just as any capitalist's status as...ANYTHING has any bearing on capitalism as a part of the solutions. It is a correlation, not a "because this, therefore this" (that fallacy is referred to as post hoc ergo propter hoc. In case you ever need to debunk that illogical process).

Again, calm down. You're going off the deep end over the proposed bill(s). Have you even READ their contents, or even a summary of the one already passed? It does not control the health insurance industry nearly as much as you're letting on, or being led on. Those who just ADORE their health insurance plans can stay with them, and even (ZOMG!) get a TAX CREDIT for paying for their own private insurance. That doesn't sound like the government is at all trying to eliminate private competitors OR my ability to choose my plan, to me, does it to you?

I agree with you: socialism in its pure form can indeed lead to negative consequences. Socialism in even a diluted form can, just as capitalism or republicanism can. Which is why we must remain ever vigilant and not so defiantly protect a document crafted by fallible men as to blind ourselves to its faults and shortcomings. I've already shown you a large number of programs in your own town that are federally funded, including volunteer fire departments, public roads, public libraries, police departments, and even most of your non-profit service/relief organizations (including the Salvation Army and the Red Cross). If you're so opposed to socialism altogether, be consistent: get rid of the funds that help keep those things in business, and then let's see how things work.

That said, neither I nor anyone is proposing an absolutely socialist state. Talk about a slippery slope: you're making a logical one. Legislators are proposing the implementation of socialist principles in certain areas where it makes sense and has been proved to work (Britain, France, Spain, Switzerland. None of these is a "socialist state," although they all have socialized health care in some form or another."). If we were talking about pure socialism, then yes, of course, by all means, let's learn from history.

"You can go from rags to riches back to rags again."

And what gain are riches? Most people would be satisfied to just have enough: a job, good health, a place to sleep and some food. Look around: do you see classes of people? Because they're there. Everywhere. Capitalism does not eliminate classes, and "class" in a capitalistic society is not a good indicator of a person's merit. Many of my most brilliant, productive, hard-working and great-hearted friends live in the lower economic classes. Money is an artificial adjudicator, so stop trying so desperately to protect it.

My dear, if you've read much of anything on my blog, you should know very well by now I do not even come close to blindly supporting government OR its Constitution (speaking of idolatry — many conservatives do idolize and even threaten to kill over the Constitution). I even have ethical/moral problems with reciting the pledge of allegiance for Pete's sake, because I don't think a government or a country deserves my allegiance when I've already pledged it to a higher authority. There is none who will criticize the government so harshly as a journalist. And I do have my fair share of concerns with the proposed legislation (am very thankful Stupak's amendment passed, but worry it will be dropped from the final legislation. Am worried about how they think it will pay for itself. Am worried about some components in the bill), but my concerns are of a different and more specific nature than yours. Instead of blindly rejecting the legislation and the idea behind it because I was raised a conservative Republican and went to Hillsdale, I've taken a lot of time in the last year or so to study, talk to people, learn what the real struggles are, investigate and read statistical analyses of not only our system, but others that seem to have higher rates of success and satisfaction.

Last: Joseph AND his family were blessed greatly by both God and Pharaoh for his wisdom in planning for the Egyptian famine (see: Gen. 41-47). God sent him a dream specifically so he COULD solve the crisis with (I know, I know, this is really inconvenient for you) government planning and organization. Nowhere in Genesis does it say the Israelites sold their lives for food. They moved there to be closer to Joseph and to the food, but they sold nothing. The reason Pharaoh came to oppress them was because they were ethnically different and numerous and it scared the Egyptians, for they feared being outnumbered. They preemptively struck by oppressing and enslaving them. So no, I didn't see the implicit warnings against what Joseph did to save lives. Would you mind showing me exactly where you found them?

Criticism of Cuban healthcare system is really just throwing smoke and mirrors up man.

This is the United States, we have far more resources than that Island nation.

Also, you fail to account for healthcare systems that are all around the world. Japan, Australia, France, Norway, Sweden..etc etc.. showing bad examples of a few countries' healthcare systems. doesn't really reflect anything but those countries.

@CustomDesigned - Since when does debt mean we lack resources? Last I checked this country had more steel, more gold, more money, more food than Cuba..etc etc

If Cuba had even a tenth of our resources they would not have had the problems they have had with their economy. Even with the mountain of debt the United States have, we are by far nowhere near being a poor nation.

@Paul_Partisan - i meant the other one- the newest one on my blog. it will explain better than just this quote. it's long but if you just focus on what's in bold you'll get what i'm aiming at.