What would happen, though, if every left-wing liberal person who is outraged right now in this country stopped pumping money, blogging time, and free ads via signs and stickers into their politician of choice, and started donating their money instead to... -Lions Clubs, that provide free glasses and lasik surgeries to people like my poor grandpa in Key West that just had it done for free -Planned Parenthood, if that is what they believe in -the Make a Wish Foundation
and the gazillion other things like that out there? Why are we putting all the money, the ads and the energy into selling candidates for months from now while right now, TODAY, each and every one of us has people in our town who could benefit if we just shifted our focus? I know it's supposed to be as an investment in a president that will ignite change that will benefit everyone, but what happens if, in the end, the president either A. is not the one they're hoping for, B. doesn't do what they promised, or C. CAN'T do what they'd like because of being veto'd or otherwise held up by all the hooplaw that holds up presidents' good intentions? Then all the money, the time, and the energy went to waste, and the needy are still without help, because when the government can't do it, we hold up our hands and say, "I guess we're all out of luck".
OR, say the investment IS a good one. The new president does INCREDIBLE things and starts up socialized healthcare, raises the miminum wage, pumps money into education. BUT, as a result, companies are no longer sending samples to doctors because they don't have a "product to sell", so doctors no longer have free samples to distribute. People no longer have the freedom to say what care is necessary for them, or when they should get it, or even in some cases to choose their own doctors. The price of everything goes up in response to the raised wages such that we're right back where we started again, like it always has in the past. And we see that, while more money helps schools for sure with some things like paying teachers better and getting supplies that they need, it hardly solves the problems we're having with violence, testing-based curriculums and so forth.
What I like most about capitalist society is my ability to "vote with my dollars". I can boycott companies I don't support. I can spend my money at places I feel good about - the local family owned bookstore, for instance, and tithing, and cruelty-free animal products that will create more of a demand for same at the grocery store. When everything is based on taxes and legislated, though, my ability to "vote with my dollars" is being taken from me, and suddenly I am responsible by law for PAYING FOR everything from unecessary cesareans and routine circumcisions to formula samples and the crap they give (most, I know some programs are improving) WIC moms. While it's true that hospital revenue accounts for some birth policies in the US, it is as bad or worse in parts of Canada where it's socialized. I don't think peoples' ingrained, society-based fears will suddenly go away if healthcare changes, I really don't. Not this generation, at least.
Off topic, but wtf is UP with Nestle's trillions of covert operations? Geez. They own most of the Fl bottled water companies, too. And Lancome, which used to be my favorite (and only) makeup!
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Date: 2008-02-08 07:44 am (UTC)-Lions Clubs, that provide free glasses and lasik surgeries to people like my poor grandpa in Key West that just had it done for free
-Planned Parenthood, if that is what they believe in
-the Make a Wish Foundation
and the gazillion other things like that out there? Why are we putting all the money, the ads and the energy into selling candidates for months from now while right now, TODAY, each and every one of us has people in our town who could benefit if we just shifted our focus? I know it's supposed to be as an investment in a president that will ignite change that will benefit everyone, but what happens if, in the end, the president either A. is not the one they're hoping for, B. doesn't do what they promised, or C. CAN'T do what they'd like because of being veto'd or otherwise held up by all the hooplaw that holds up presidents' good intentions? Then all the money, the time, and the energy went to waste, and the needy are still without help, because when the government can't do it, we hold up our hands and say, "I guess we're all out of luck".
OR, say the investment IS a good one. The new president does INCREDIBLE things and starts up socialized healthcare, raises the miminum wage, pumps money into education. BUT, as a result, companies are no longer sending samples to doctors because they don't have a "product to sell", so doctors no longer have free samples to distribute. People no longer have the freedom to say what care is necessary for them, or when they should get it, or even in some cases to choose their own doctors. The price of everything goes up in response to the raised wages such that we're right back where we started again, like it always has in the past. And we see that, while more money helps schools for sure with some things like paying teachers better and getting supplies that they need, it hardly solves the problems we're having with violence, testing-based curriculums and so forth.
What I like most about capitalist society is my ability to "vote with my dollars". I can boycott companies I don't support. I can spend my money at places I feel good about - the local family owned bookstore, for instance, and tithing, and cruelty-free animal products that will create more of a demand for same at the grocery store. When everything is based on taxes and legislated, though, my ability to "vote with my dollars" is being taken from me, and suddenly I am responsible by law for PAYING FOR everything from unecessary cesareans and routine circumcisions to formula samples and the crap they give (most, I know some programs are improving) WIC moms. While it's true that hospital revenue accounts for some birth policies in the US, it is as bad or worse in parts of Canada where it's socialized. I don't think peoples' ingrained, society-based fears will suddenly go away if healthcare changes, I really don't. Not this generation, at least.
Off topic, but wtf is UP with Nestle's trillions of covert operations? Geez. They own most of the Fl bottled water companies, too. And Lancome, which used to be my favorite (and only) makeup!