The video below is an audio clip of Ronald Reagan speaking out against socialized medicine, about 20 years before being elected president. I believe the bill hes referring to in this video is what went on to become Medicare.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYrlDlrLDSQ

 

I found this in my bookmarks from where I watched it a few months ago, and thought it might be relevant and worth posting with the current debate on national healthcare in the United States.

 

He was definately gifted at giving speeches.

I don't see the big deal about Socialism. Canada is partially socialist and we didn't exactly have our freedoms taken away. People are just confusing socialist with communism and it creates misconceptions about what it truly is.

I wouldn't want socialized health care, but a basic socialized insurance policy would be good.

Ronald Reagan is probably the most misidentified brand in American history. He's known for tax cuts and less government, when he increased taxes, merged government and corporate power more than any leader in US history, he increased the deficit/debt more than anyone other than George Bush II, he made our trade deficit to what it is today, fueled modern terrorism, etc etc. I could go on and on about the worst President in history, but I'll stop there.

The bill that the legislature just passed is a farce. Forced privatized health care FTW? If you go to the emergency room and they find out you don't have a plan, then you can get fined for like $3000. All it does is jack the insurance companies off.

 

Dumb [wagon]. Our country is going to [cabbage].

The bill that the legislature just passed is a farce. Forced privatized health care FTW? If you go to the emergency room and they find out you don't have a plan, then you can get fined for like $3000. All it does is jack the insurance companies off.

 

Dumb [wagon]. Our country is going to [cabbage].

 

Wrong on a few counts. First on the fine aspect, it's not that high no matter which bill you're talking about. Second, that's not how the fine would be imposed. Third, we don't have a bill yet; they have yet to be merged.

 

I'll agree with the last part of your post, though: our country is simply not governable anymore. The sad reality? This is more or less the bill I was expecting, although I did expect a public option with a trigger. Take away the triggered PO, and it's more or less the best bill I saw possible in the Senate. When you're required 60 votes to pass anything, and you have 40 members not interested in governing, any one of those 60 has veto power.

 

Just wait for climate change legislation, that should be fun! (I hope that they'll go through the EPA rather than try and impose Cap and Trade...just tax carbon, it's better economically and environmentally).