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| Home Front: Culture Wars |
| The Miracle of Dick Cheney |
| 2010-07-16 |
| The money quote... Oil baron, draft dodger, professional paranoid, and all-around Blue Meanie, Cheneys miraculous longevity is nothing so much as the happy product of the heavily tax-subsidized and regulated American health-care system, exhibit A in the argument for intrusive and overarching government programs to ensure the publics health. Though the free-marketeers would argue the exact opposite—that the invention of such sci-fi devices as the LVAD are the product of unfettered capitalism—this completely ignores the reality of how such inventions are tested, monitored, and reviewed. Devices are studied in hospitals propped up by Medicaid and Medicare dollars organized by doctors funded by federal grants. Patient safety is assured by government bean-counters spread throughout windowless Washington offices via a process that is noticeable only when it fails—when, for example, a pacemaker is found to be defective, or a medication proves toxic. Cheney is alive today despite a lifetime spent trying to deprive the needy of basic human rights such as health care. Yet his continued survival shows both the impotency of his attempts and the potency of the American health-care system, a lumbering bureaucracy no doubt, but one that blindly cares for big-hearted Joes as well as heartless Dicks. Kent Sepkowitz is an infectious disease specialist in New York City. He has contributed to The New York Times, Slate, and, oh-so-briefly, O Magazine. He also writes academic medical articles that are at times pretty tough sledding. Nice compassion there, doc. Maybe you can find out where he is and go up and step on his oxygen lines. Any comments, Dr. Steve? |
| Posted by:tu3031 |
| #14 "Kent Sepkowitz" is a pathetic little man. And I use the term "man" very loosely. >:-( |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2010-07-16 19:41 |
| #13 "a Martian Overlord" Not quite. But at least now he SOUNDS like Darth Vader. (rimshot) |
| Posted by: Omolush de Medici1656 2010-07-16 18:59 |
| #12 Chainey is a Martian Overlord. Deal with it.' |
| Posted by: Shipman 2010-07-16 18:11 |
| #11 Isn't it obvious by the flocking a patients worldwide to the countries with their bureaucratic managed national health services for the latest and best practices that such a system is superior. /sarc off File under the leftist rants about evil American in the face of millions of illegals seeking part of the good life. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2010-07-16 15:40 |
| #10 High-five to Barb! |
| Posted by: gorb 2010-07-16 15:37 |
| #9 Which amendment to the Constitution is that? If you ask the Donks, he has traded them all for Obamacare. See? Aren't they wonderful? |
| Posted by: gorb 2010-07-16 15:28 |
| #8 "Which amendment to the Constitution is that?" Constitution? What is this Constitution you speak of? /Leftists |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2010-07-16 15:27 |
| #7 Gotta love the way these people have injected the concept of health care as a "basic human right" into the national consciousness as if it's right up there with free speech, freedom of religion, free press and right to bear arms. Which amendment to the Constitution is that? |
| Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305 2010-07-16 15:22 |
| #6 I have a policy of not wishing for the deaths of ordinary, law-abiding Americans, including politicians, even if I despise their opinions. Too bad Dr. Sepkowitz doesn't get that. I took an Oath. I live mine. |
| Posted by: Steve White 2010-07-16 14:02 |
| #5 Oh, and I forgot to mention: So it's overly regulated, and Obama's answer is to increase regulation, eh? Oy ve, I think my logiculator just popped an O-ring. No wonder they're not getting anywhere. According to Carter, America's problems were just too big to solve, too. It would be nice to have another Reagan right now, but anyone who wasn't a RINO or would probably work. |
| Posted by: gorb 2010-07-16 12:39 |
| #4 Cheneys miraculous longevity is nothing so much as the happy product of the heavily tax-subsidized and regulated American health-care system, exhibit A in the argument for intrusive and overarching government programs to ensure the publics health So it's heavily subsidized, eh? And Obama sez it's too expensive, eh? And the good liberal will remove those subsidies, eh? And somehow that's going to make healthcare less expensive, eh? Oh well, at least you get to bump up everyone's taxes and increase the size of useless government bureaucracy. Fortunately, all of this is made up for by the increasing the national debt, both in the present and for as long as Obamacare is in place. Or we run out of other people's money. |
| Posted by: gorb 2010-07-16 12:35 |
| #3 Being a Doctor does not make him competent in helthcare just as being able to drive a tank does not make you competent on providing the fuel who makes it run. Also, am I the only one who thinks this guy suffers from Cheney Derangement Syndrome? |
| Posted by: JFM 2010-07-16 12:33 |
| #2 Clipped it for greater accuracy: "Kent Sepkowitz is an infectious disease." |
| Posted by: Iblis 2010-07-16 12:20 |
| #1 Not to worry, when Zero get the heath care implemented Dick will be denied, or tied up in red tape till he dies. The Marxist/Lenninist/Obama way. |
| Posted by: 49 Pan 2010-07-16 11:47 |