Health Care Reform, Persistent Rumors?

THEPATRIOT

New member
A good idea, but how do you prove that people are spreading untrue facts? Many of those against health reform honestly think that the lies they spread are true. You can not legislate for stupidity.

Great link by the way.

I am always amazed how many Americans seem not to be aware about the issues with healthcare relying on FOX and other sources to spread misinformation about the healthcare system of the USA and those abroad.

First of all, Obama wants to make insurance more available to all and change the system so that it is cheaper. He also wants change so that the insurance companies find it harder to get out of paying for treatment. The system he is proposing looks similar to that which works in Holland and Switzerland where private companies are involved in providing insurance.
Second, of course universal health-cover sucks. That is why we in Western Europe have it. We think, hmm, our healthcare system sucks. I know, lets keep it. I guess that is the same with Japan and Canada as well.
Third, Obama campaigned on reforming the healthcare system. He said he wanted to make insurance more available and he was elected by the American people to do this.

FACT - the US has higher death rates for kids both for kids aged under one and those under five than western European countries with universal health coverage.
FACT - American insurance companies push up prices and work to stop paying out claims on those they cover.
FACT - the USA spends more on healthcare PER PERSON than any other nation on the planet.
That means that a dead American four year old would have had a better chance of life if they were born in Canada, France, Cuba, Germany, Japan etc, all of which have universal health coverage.

Last of all if you do not like the policies that Obama was elected to bring in, he can always be voted out of office in 2012.
 

TimothyS

New member
Journalists are taught to research things thoroughly prior to presenting them as facts. If a news outlet is found to have knowingly promoted statements as fact, that they know to be false should be punishable by law?

Example: http://politifact.com/truth-o-meter/rulings/pants-fire/
 

wendyc

New member
You are talking about REPUTABLE journalism practice. Good journalists do follow this.. but there is no law relating to this. They cannot be punished, if they have not broken any law. I've listened to some of the stuff coming out of Fox news, and it is stunning, how people fail to see how much is false.
What much of this comes down to.. politicians are desperate to stop what they don't want to happen, and will say anything. The problem is people believing them. You run into the idea of free speech, which allows anyone to speak an opinion.
And we won't even talk about the internet, where people can write ANYTHING THEY WANT.
 

THEPATRIOT

New member
A good idea, but how do you prove that people are spreading untrue facts? Many of those against health reform honestly think that the lies they spread are true. You can not legislate for stupidity.

Great link by the way.

I am always amazed how many Americans seem not to be aware about the issues with healthcare relying on FOX and other sources to spread misinformation about the healthcare system of the USA and those abroad.

First of all, Obama wants to make insurance more available to all and change the system so that it is cheaper. He also wants change so that the insurance companies find it harder to get out of paying for treatment. The system he is proposing looks similar to that which works in Holland and Switzerland where private companies are involved in providing insurance.
Second, of course universal health-cover sucks. That is why we in Western Europe have it. We think, hmm, our healthcare system sucks. I know, lets keep it. I guess that is the same with Japan and Canada as well.
Third, Obama campaigned on reforming the healthcare system. He said he wanted to make insurance more available and he was elected by the American people to do this.

FACT - the US has higher death rates for kids both for kids aged under one and those under five than western European countries with universal health coverage.
FACT - American insurance companies push up prices and work to stop paying out claims on those they cover.
FACT - the USA spends more on healthcare PER PERSON than any other nation on the planet.
That means that a dead American four year old would have had a better chance of life if they were born in Canada, France, Cuba, Germany, Japan etc, all of which have universal health coverage.

Last of all if you do not like the policies that Obama was elected to bring in, he can always be voted out of office in 2012.
 
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