There's debate - and then there's insanity!

I've been pretty much silent on this whole "universal health care" thing. As expected, I'm on the fence (or didn't you notice the name of this blog?), trying to weigh the good with the bad. And then I saw the ugly.

Currently in the Detroit market a universal-health-care-right-now-we-don't-care-what-it-costs advocacy group is running an ad of a middle-aged black woman in a medical clinic white cloak rapping about how we have to have this RIGHT NOW! Does she know how ridiculous she looks?

But I think what really got me to write about this is the line "it's our RIGHT - take it out of our TAXES!"

WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT??????????

Okay, it's not like I get mad often, but c'mon! What kind of insanity is this?

First of all, if you are one of the "working poor" who doesn't qualify for medicaid, and can't get insurance through your work, and can't afford to buy it yourself, YOU DON'T PAY TAXES!! You have little withheld to start with, and you get it all back in April. You might be in the 10% bracket -- maybe.

Secondly, since when is health care a right? I suppose you think you have a right to a new Escalade as well? And "government" should pay the insurance? Who, exactly, do you think government is? Guess what -- it's you. That's right -- this is a government "of the people", so if you get something from the government, it will cost you something. You didn't think that cheese was really free, did you?

And last, why do you think the government will run health care better, or cheaper, than anyone else? You think HMOs will try to cut coverage -- just wait until you can't get an MRI this year because everyone has to be vaccinated for Hepatitis G. [I'm sure the cancer can wait another year before detection.]

If I sound cynical, well, too bad. I wasn't going to take sides on this one, you know, so I wouldn't have to get down off the fence. But dangit, this is ridiculous. Part of me will always be socialist, but this time I just can't see it.

So good work, stupid commercial-for-a-website-for-a-cause. You managed to push me all the way to the other side!