During our discussion in class today something, actually many things dawned on me. Professor Bailey mentioned that if it is difficult for us to imagine not being able to talk a stand and so through the tough times to get what we want, it is the result of certain elements in society that are used to keep those who are unsatisfied from being able to affect meaningful change. I guess no matter how intelligent or independent we think we are, there is still this fear of The Man.
The issue of healthcare is a very important one. Watching the clip from Sicko in which patients were dumped on Skid Row made me think that one day, if the current trend in healthcare in America continues, despite all me desire to help people, I may be working in a hospital or place where the people who I want to help and who inspired me to go into medicine will be rejected and not given the care they need. In the list of various countries’ rankings in quality of healthcare, as many people pointed out, many of the 36 countries above the U.S. are capitalist societies and yet they have much better healthcare for their citizens. So if it is not the economy, then what is keeping us from implementing a plan that would provide healthcare to all people in the United States? Is it greed, fear, the idea of the self made individual who should not rely on others, apathy, complacency, discouragement, all, or some of the above? We are relying on time to solve this issue but time will do nothing but pass as we think and talk about what needs to be done. A person should not have to decide whether to put food on the table or pay for insurance or healthcare. No person should have to perform any type of surgery, no matter how minor, on themselves. We have become so used to quick fixes and looking at things in the short run that is has affected the way we approach making changes. Sure in the short run what ever plan our country decides to take will be costly, annoying, etc. But in the long run the benefits will be much greater. More people will be able to share load of running/maintaining the society without the fear that any mishap could put them out of commission, and the costs will go down for everyone. These things all seem like common sense to us, but as many of you pointed out bureaucracy makes something that should be oh so simple, unnecessarily difficult.
Disability and the issues affecting healthcare access in America are somewhat similar. In many instances a person with a disability or no healthcare is immediately judged by the qualities they lack. The issues facing both matters have come to be seen as burdens which should be dealt with in a private, family by family manner. Yet both are in fact very public issues in which the consequence of actions taken affects everyone.
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I completely agree with your comment about how Americans have gotten used to quick fixes. Socialized healthcare is the most effective way of making healthcare affordable for all. A generalized socialized healthcare system is not such a great departure from the Medicaid and Medicare systems that are already in place. However, people are unwilling to compromise their current situation even if a generalized healthcare system would work to their advantage. America has to come up with a plan that works for us. While great models do exist, such as Canada's healthcare system, in the end America is a radically different and unique country. This has to be take into account while formulating a potential healthcare plan. This will also require Americans to be willingly to engage in this new system in order that all can receive the benefits. Basic healthcare is a right and it is about time that it was treated this way in America.
I also agree with you about getting accustomed to quick fixes and not thinking about long term effects. This is not only prevalent in health care policy and disability policy, but also in beauty industries. As we discussed in class, how many times a day do we see or hear ads saying "lose weight quick and easy" ? We also see two-in-one, three-in-one, power, make-up foundation formulas. We prefer throwing everything in one trash can than recycling appropriately? In our consumerism-based society, short term, quick profit. is what many companies strive for these days.
In the video clip "story of stuff" there was one person who was responsible for starting the idea of linkage between consumption and self-worth. Slightly out of topic, but in Sicko, we were told that one politician was responsible for starting universal health care in Canada. I'm sure there are always good group of supporters around an excellent leader. But in both of these examples, it took one person to make both negative and positive change. We learned that many of issues we dealt in class is related to our pace of life. And we are the ones who drive that pace of life. Is it possible that it will not take army of people to start change in our pace of life?
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