Protestantism

» Brian Tubbs - Movie, Sicko, Opens Today

In response to Movie, Sicko, Opens Today posted by pink101:

It's not available on DVD yet. I'm not sure how many theaters it's released in right now. But it will probably be another 2-4 months at least before it gets to DVD. Has Al Gore's "Inconvenient Truth" made it to DVD yet? It was on PPV just a while ago. (Usually movies go from A-theater to B-theater to PPV to Cable to DVD).

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» Brian Tubbs - Reviews of Moore's Film

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn...

http://movies.ign.com/articles/791/79165...

http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?i...

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» redback - Time in the Past

In response to Time in the Past posted by BrianTubbs:

I sorta agree. Yet the Royal We being used here despite my aversion to generalising, confuses.

I am not of the view 'we' should ignore the past for some of the reasons you articulate and far more. I come from a more pragmatic place. I believe in not taking shortcuts until the main road is known...and tis a principle that values history. Back in the 1980s, when I was involved in developing a social welfare policy for the 1990s, history back beyond the 1950s was relevant.

Incremental advances over time accept reality. But I'm still impatient with the pace and nature of changes to health care. Etrenched unwanted behaviours require more drastic measures that may be unpalatable. Bow to complaint vs meet the greater good.

Let me say pure history for history's sake was a lecture room/lifetime-ago stage of my life. And the context here is about health care??

I have no problem with your interest in and focus on, history. I just assume though any "combat" needed within the suite101 pages excludes me. Kinda like when posters here felt the need to protect me from fundamentalism and liberalism alike. And requiring me to defend a position I wasn't taking. I take the bait...I can't help trying to explain ad nauseum...a part of my baggage. I thought you express a similar problem on occasions with Pink?

I forgot to mention we also don't get excited about our Constitution nor its amendments. Does that really mean Australians care less...or are historically perceived by the USA to care less about our 'moral compass'? My worldview includes the USA, Europe and Asia etc but some would have me (falsely?) believe the USA's worldview is limited to what lies within its breached borders. OR does it mean your society CAN learn things from us?

The Hippocratic Oath's famous (and paraphrased) 'first do no harm' requires external support. Doctors can't operate in a vacuum when it comes to rights AND responsibilities. And churches may wish to stop prayers to all the gods and goddesses...and doctors want to charge fees now despite the classic version's call.

Lessons? The lesson I've learned from my variable health care is it's too important to leave to others.

You ask: "What lessons can we learn..." For balance, is anything conceded? How do we measure if a society learns anything. Who/what is society's weakest link?

-- posted by redback

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» redback - High Ground

In response to High Ground posted by Migisi:

Thanks, Migisi and apologies, Brian, for my long response which I have profound hope you'll read.

Briefly, the rate of change in OZ which doesn't go into ethnicity:

Our population increases by one person every 1 min 45 sec. This is based on official ABS calculations of one birth every 1 min 56 secs, one death every 3 min 59 secs, and a nett migrant gain of one migrant every 3 minutes 15 secs.

The 21 millionth person came by birth...at 9:32:58pm last night, statistically speaking.

-- posted by redback

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» pink101 - Time in the Past

In response to Time in the Past posted by redback:

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I forgot to mention [Australians] also don't get excited about our Constitution nor its amendments.
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Only very few Americans get excited about their Constitution and or its amendments either. They, generally, have no idea of how any of it impacts their life. I doubt that any 95 out of a 100 Americans can explain the concept of Habeas Corpus at all. Most Americans (more than half of us) look to some person for leadership and they follow what ever that person tells them is correct.
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You've heard it said that some people doesn't value their valuables until they have lost them, I'm sure.
.

-- posted by pink101

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» pink101 - Dumb Erata

In response to Time in the Past posted by pink101:

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Erata there on the use of doesn't where don't would have been the appropriate word.
.

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-- posted by pink101

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» Migisi - Time in the Past

In response to Time in the Past posted by redback:
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OR does it mean your society CAN learn things from us?
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I don't know about my 'society', but ~I~ can learn things from you. I'd like to hear about how your present health care system works, how it's paid for, and where you think it needs the most improvement. If I was charged with designing a national health care system here, I'd want to examine those programs that already function in other countries.

-- posted by Migisi

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» redback - Time in the Past

In response to Time in the Past posted by Migisi & Pink:

Pink reminds us that there may be no insight until we lose something ourselves. I sorta agree with the inherent risk of it but some of us do learn something..from another's history..some of the time. Crikey, we don't all need to put our finger in the power socket...at least in OZ..do we?

When I suggested you could learn from us, I recalled Pink suggesting you guys needed to know what was going WRONG elsewhere. Brian talks about the need to learn from the past and it all got to me thinking per my last post:

"What lessons can we learn..." For balance, is anything conceded? How do we measure if a society learns anything. Who/what is society's weakest link?"

When we have 36% of our population being non-Christian and a hefty migrant base in the complex mix, exactly what is the lesson unlearned in Australia and when did the challenge pass unanswered. We may all come away from a lesson with a different expectation, different way to move on.

Do people's motivations count when judging their actions? And what are history's lessons on this. That pure motives can lead to bad actions OR that the badness of actions must be overstated if the motives were really good.

Soome nebulous ideas need to stand still long enough to me to recognise.

-- posted by redback

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» redback - Aussie stuff

In response to Time in the Past posted by Migisi:

Our national health system has existed for around 60 years...musta known I was on the way. ABC

Here's an overview:
http://www.health.gov.au/internet/wcms/p...

It doesn't mean there are doctors waiting around just in case you call or a public transport system that takes you to their door 24/7, 100% recovery etc etc. But we do have a reciprocal agreement with nine countries (not USA**) so qualified visitors can access it depending on each country's agreement. We pay a Medicare levy income-based so many in fact don't pay. Consolidated revenue and GST foots the bill via creative funds transfers to the States.

Medicare gives: free public hospital treatment; subsidised pharmaceuticals to a safety net then no cost or a greatly reduced cost. Free treatment by private doctors who 'bulk bill' or we pay a subsided rate. I recently had a plastic surgeon, nerve conduction test etc...all at no cost (taxpayer aside of course).

Medicare is the 'flagship' but it is linked to a range of others such as compulsory workers compo, a pharmaceutical allowance and specific allowances for disability, tax concessions and tax rebates for pribvate insurance. Even covers costs for travelling in from defined "remote" areas. These are not discretionary handouts to "deserving" people...if the law allows it, people demand it and get it.

** As I understand it, the USA went a different path, wanted its pound of flesh from the FTA with us eg was chasing ways for US pharmaceutical companies to profit. BUT "The Government has delivered on its commitment that the price of prescription medicines will not increase as a result of this Agreement"

There's a range of supervisory functions that help to "keep the bastards honest" to quote the famous Don Chipp.

-- posted by redback

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» Migisi - Surgeon General blasts Bush Adm.

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Bush's Former Surgeon General Blasts Administration
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2007/07/10...
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Like the Food and Drug Administration, the Surgeon General's Office has become a sham. Corporate and political interference (Carmona called it "malicious, partisan, vindictive, and mean-spirited") seriously threatens the public health. Listen to these two videos. It's inexcusable!

-- posted by Migisi

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