Are you aware that 50% of the personal bankruptcies and 50% of home foreclosures are due to medical costs?
I'd rather live in a country that spends its money on health care than war. How about you? BTW, the US is currently 38th in the world in terms of the effectiveness of its health care but NO 1 in terms of its military.
You conservatives seem to love war but hate taking care of the neediest of out citizens. How do you support that belief using Christ's teachings?
Amazing isn't it! BUT, did you know that most of these which occurred in the recent past HAD and TRUSTED their comprehensive medical insurance.... but exclusions, exceptions, copays, delays in reimbursements for excess out of pocket expenses failed them when they counted on it (excepting this recent contrived economic crisis designed to complete the dissolution of our sovereignty and absorption into the NWO... um.... now called the globalist agend.... you know... a rose by any other name.... still smells).
Well, that may be your ideal..... but if your country chooses to go to war.... then no matter what you prefer... your taxes will be spent as your government determines its desires.... and you may have no choice unless YOU MOVE. As for 'the effectiveness' ..... give us a source, please.
Actually, our country is doing a better job than is reported by the media, in taking care of its 'needy' citizens. We have programs for childrens health coverage for families who can't afford insurance. Our senior citizens with failing health are also 'needy' but, however inadequate some may feel their care is, they have health care programs provided through medicare and medicaid.
For those who complain about this coverage..... well, most of those who are retired now and dependant on these complusory programs, were taxed during their working years when these programs were being developed ...... and saw their options for continuing private insurance being dissolved while the government promised more coverage through these programs...... worked and paid for what they thought was promised..... and are now being threatened that these programs will be reduced or subject to 'rationing' to enable broader medical care to cover all ....including ILLEGAL ALIENS.....people who aren't supposed to be here to begin with.
=====an aside:=====
A real story about government sponsored health care:
A 20yr airman in the military went to the medical facilities (not a hospital) on his airbase for an out-patient procedure: It was laproscopic removal of his gallbladder.... an out patient procedure if all went well. As his family sat just outside the doors, the medical officer proceeded with the operation but inadvertantly nicked the aorta. Now the aorta is the major trunk of arterial blood which pumps oxygen to the body.... in descending order of need... to the heart and head, upper limbs and thorax, to the kidneys and adrenals and as it descends, it bifricates to serve each leg. By the time the surgical staff realized what had happened and sent out an urgent and loudly pronouced call for blood..... the man's legs were already dying. Now, though this happened on an airforce base... just imagine the helicopters and planes present.... as well as emergency transport vehicles.... IT TOOK 5-6 HOURS before transporting by air to a hospital to complete the man's care. When he woke up...... his family consoled him with 'but you're alive' when the gallbladder removed resulted in the double amputation of his legs to save his life. (His legs died without getting oxygenated blood.) It is a rare thing to successfully sue the government.... but THIS WAS GOVERNMENT HEALTH CARE. It was done in, no doubt, a low cost, minimally supplied medical facility, possibly with staff in various levels of experience and training, but lacking in some areas of assessment, and emergency response. Had this occurred within the private sector of health care.... such as through a third party payee... insured either by private or medicare/medicaid... the many standards of care which lapsed during this medical procedure would have subjected the staff and the facility to legal suits.... and resulted in improvements in training, assessments, emergency response and readiness... and the very chance of being at risk for a law suit might have placed risk assessment at the forefront of medical care delivery and planning and might have prevented the multiple mistakes made in this case.
=====return to subject====
As for foreign aid:
Regarding sending our money to other countries to help them with their health care....... THIS IS A JOKE. Many of the third world countries who receive our aid.... have such budgetary problems and corruption within their own government that if the aid gets to the people who really need it... not just those privileged to already have care.... then it is often small percentage.
If one is going to give to help others in foreign countries.... either for food, or medical care, or comfort needs for the poor or for children.... find a church based ministry with credible accounting procedures and foreign missionary activity... or a reputable charity and donate through them.... and then follow them regarding how they safe guard the distribution of supplies to the people. In some cases, and this cannot always be avoided... supplies are hi-jacked or stolen. Missionaries acquainted with these problems in their areas, while challenged, are often adapting to conditions, may have a low profile of attention to themselves and their provisions and often exercise great care, even if inconvenienced, to protect and provide supplies to those for whom it is intended.
Some of the larger charitable agencies.... with varying degrees of credibility..... like Red Cross and WHO, frequently have such a high profile that, while in some cases are provided guards and protection... in other cases stand out like a beacon to those who would sabotage, steal, or destroy supplies before they reach and serve the people for whom they were intended.
Regarding the teachings of Jesus Christ:
He gave us (the church) the charge and the great commission to take the gospel into all the world. However we minister to the needs of the poor, the hungry, the children, the sick and dying, those in prisons, the weak, and those in bondage to sin.... and any others which I might have missed..... He gave the charge to the church: He did not give it to us to delegate to others. Not all churches are large enough to respond to all areas of need... but all churches are large enough to be used where they are if the body within is willing to be used and controled by God. The authority God has given the church is his command and our obediance. We have no right to delegate his commission to any other..... nor can any other be a substitute. If the church is not clean and pure enough to be just in what it does for Christ Jesus..... how can we expect unwashed unredeemed people and organizations (to take what God has given us to share), and distribute it fairly to others with out corruption, control, and power?
I like what I saw on some thread or read somewhere: We are free because God made us that way. We have rights because God gave us the right to choose for ourselves. While our rights are good.... not all that is good is a right: Many of the services which we now depend on the national government to provide, should be provided at the local or state level and not funded by the federal government. Just because something is good for a people doesn't make it a 'right'. Health care is good, but choices regarding how we take care of our bodies and what health care we want is our right.
War vs Health Care? Apples and Potatoes? You really think WE have a choice regarding either?