# Stupid liberal idea of the day **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 20, 2011, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-liberal-idea-of-the-day/579086 "2011-04-20T15:35:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 58
**Author:** ![curlcoat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea5d25/32.png) [@curlcoat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curlcoat)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2013, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-liberal-idea-of-the-day/579086/1141 "2013-07-29T04:10:12Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Because it is cheaper than paying for healthcare to the masses at emergency rooms. Conservatives used to care about cutting costs. I can’t imagine that’s true. As far as I know, I’m not paying for any of the masses to have free care at an ER. ---
**Author:** ![curlcoat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea5d25/32.png) [@curlcoat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curlcoat)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2013, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-liberal-idea-of-the-day/579086/1142 "2013-07-29T04:33:04Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > [A National Health System for America, January 2, 1989](http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/1989/a-national-health-system-for-america) OK, working my way thru this, first thing that really struck me as being different would be “an examination of system abroad suggests that the best road to reform in the US would be to focus on correcting the incentives and regulation of America’s essentially private system of health care delivery and not adopt a new system based on models drawn from such countries as Britain, Sweden or Canada.” I was given to understand that Obamacare is much like the NHS. Next “Americans with sufficient means would no longer be able to be “free riders” on society by avoiding sensible health insurance expenditures and relying on other to pay for care in an emergency or in retirement.” Who are these people? How many are there? This sounds like there are a bunch of folks out there living their whole lives uninsured even tho they have the money to buy it. That’s enough for now - don’t want a wall o’text. ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2013, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-liberal-idea-of-the-day/579086/1143 "2013-07-29T04:38:21Z")
It’s like 2010-2012 didn’t even happen for you. ---
**Author:** ![curlcoat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea5d25/32.png) [@curlcoat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curlcoat)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2013, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-liberal-idea-of-the-day/579086/1144 "2013-07-29T04:42:35Z")
> [@Grey](#): > > It’s like 2010-2012 didn’t even happen for you. Well, that’s helpful. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2013, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-liberal-idea-of-the-day/579086/1145 "2013-07-29T04:57:33Z")
> [@curlcoat](#): > > OK, working my way thru this, first thing that really struck me as being different would be “an examination of system abroad suggests that the best road to reform in the US would be to focus on correcting the incentives and regulation of America’s essentially private system of health care delivery and not adopt a new system based on models drawn from such countries as Britain, Sweden or Canada.” I was given to understand that Obamacare is much like the NHS. Seriously, have you just not been paying attention to anything but the Wall Street Journal and Fox News for the last five years? Obamacare is NOTHING like the NHS. It’s not even “healthcare reform”. It’s “health insurance reform”. There is no public option. There are subsidies, but there is nothing like single-payer. Obamacare was a big sloppy wet kiss to the private health insurance industry, but it was probably the best thing that could have possibly slipped past the Republicans and the Blue Dog Democrats. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2013, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-liberal-idea-of-the-day/579086/1146 "2013-07-29T04:57:44Z")
> [@curlcoat](#): > > I can’t imagine that’s true. As far as I know, I’m not paying for any of the masses to have free care at an ER. You might not know it, and if so it sucks to be you, but you **are** paying for that if you pay any taxes at all, which even vagrants do when they buy things in a store. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2013, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-liberal-idea-of-the-day/579086/1147 "2013-07-29T04:59:12Z")
> [@curlcoat](#): > > Well, that’s helpful. More so than you know, or can. ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2013, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-liberal-idea-of-the-day/579086/1148 "2013-07-29T05:14:16Z")
> [@curlcoat](#): > > Well, that’s helpful. It’s hugely helpful. Go read every thread on healthcare in GD from 2010 to 2012. It isn’t as if large ranging discussions around Canadian, British and various American public health care models are rare as hen’s teeth. ---
**Author:** ![curlcoat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea5d25/32.png) [@curlcoat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curlcoat)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2013, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-liberal-idea-of-the-day/579086/1149 "2013-07-29T05:26:40Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > Seriously, have you just not been paying attention to anything but the Wall Street Journal and Fox News for the last five years? Obamacare is NOTHING like the NHS. It’s not even “healthcare reform”. It’s “health insurance reform”. There is no public option. There are subsidies, but there is nothing like single-payer. Obamacare was a big sloppy wet kiss to the private health insurance industry, but it was probably the best thing that could have possibly slipped past the Republicans and the Blue Dog Democrats. I don’t look at the “news” at all any more. Everything I know about Obamacare comes from here, the Pit. So, I skimmed Wiki and I see that it appears to be, among other things, a sort of extension of Medicaid in that those who are determined to not be able to pay for insurance will get it from the government thru subsidizing. Oh, and they are extending Medicaid. So, it is unlike the NHS in that the government doesn’t run the hospitals, etc but it is like it in that everyone gets coverage and those with more money will subsidize those with less. > [@BrainGlutton](#): > > You might not know it, and if so it sucks to be you, but you **are** paying for that if you pay any taxes at all, which even vagrants do when they buy things in a store. My taxes are going to our private hospitals? ---
**Author:** ![DrumBum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e79b87/32.png) [@DrumBum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrumBum)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2013, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-liberal-idea-of-the-day/579086/1150 "2013-07-29T12:26:22Z")
> [@curlcoat](#): > > \<\< snip \>\> > > My taxes are going to our private hospitals? I believe that those without insurance go to the ER at a city hospital if they are sick or injured. The costs for treating them are then passed on to taxpayer. Were they to show up at a private hospital, they would be sent to the nearest city run hospital for treatment. A few less enlightened opponents of Obamacare think ER is cheaper than a visit to a doctor’s office but some doctor’s [disagree](http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com/2012/07/doctors-group-scolds-cruz-for-saying-er-care-cheaper-than-adding-uninsured-texans-to-medicaid.html/). ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2013, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-liberal-idea-of-the-day/579086/1151 "2013-07-29T12:58:39Z")
> [@curlcoat](#): > > I can’t imagine that’s true. As far as I know, I’m not paying for any of the masses to have free care at an ER. It’s neat that you argue things while acknowledging you don’t know about them. [Hospitals are required to provide emergency care to anybody, regardless of their ability to pay.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emergency_Medical_Treatment_and_Active_Labor_Act) Do you not believe that the costs are being passed on to you when you receive medical services? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2013, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-liberal-idea-of-the-day/579086/1152 "2013-07-29T14:09:19Z")
> [@curlcoat](#): > > OK, working my way thru this, first thing that really struck me as being different would be “an examination of system abroad suggests that the best road to reform in the US would be to focus on correcting the incentives and regulation of America’s essentially private system of health care delivery and not adopt a new system based on models drawn from such countries as Britain, Sweden or Canada.” I was given to understand that Obamacare is much like the NHS. The UK’s NHS is a system where the doctors work directly for the government. The ACA is nothing like that. ---
**Author:** ![BigAppleBucky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigapplebucky/32/178_2.png) [@BigAppleBucky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigAppleBucky)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2013, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-liberal-idea-of-the-day/579086/1153 "2013-07-29T16:08:23Z")
> [@bup](#): > > It’s neat that you argue things while acknowledging you don’t know about them. > > [Hospitals are required to provide emergency care to anybody, regardless of their ability to pay.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emergency_Medical_Treatment_and_Active_Labor_Act) > > Do you not believe that the costs are being passed on to you when you receive medical services? That may be the law, but hospitals work hard not to comply by transferring non paying customers away or creating long wait times. ---
**Author:** ![rogerbox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/76d3ee/32.png) [@rogerbox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rogerbox)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2013, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-liberal-idea-of-the-day/579086/1154 "2013-07-29T16:56:30Z")
> [@curlcoat](#): > > My taxes are going to our private hospitals? I remember you saying you don’t work, so no. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2013, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-liberal-idea-of-the-day/579086/1155 "2013-07-29T17:01:32Z")
> [@curlcoat](#): > > My taxes are going to our private hospitals? Those that accept Medicare, yes. It’s not entirely accurate to say that you are paying for it (leaving aside your personal tax situation), since the indigent emergency care mandate is unfunded; it’s a condition of Medicare reimbursement eligibility. However, the hospitals pass on the cost to paying customers/insurers, so your money is going to pay for the care. ---
**Author:** ![Oldeb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ea666f/32.png) [@Oldeb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oldeb)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2013, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-liberal-idea-of-the-day/579086/1156 "2013-07-29T19:47:22Z")
> [@curlcoat](#): > > I was given to understand that Obamacare is much like the NHS. Out of morbid curiosity, what’s your take on how Romneycare works? Keeping in mind that Romneycare (aka the Massachusetts Health Care Insurance Reform Law) was once promoted by the Republican party and signed into law by a Republican governor seven years ago? ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2013, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-liberal-idea-of-the-day/579086/1157 "2013-07-29T20:12:01Z")
> [@curlcoat](#): > > I don’t look at the “news” at all any more. Everything I know about Obamacare comes from here, the Pit. :smack: Oh, dear sweet Og … ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2013, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-liberal-idea-of-the-day/579086/1158 "2013-07-29T20:16:30Z")
In the film _Defending Your Life_, the “prosecutor” examining Albert Brooks’s worthiness to advance to a reincarnation on the next plane (rather than a return to Earth), prepares to play a clip of an interaction he had the evening before, right there in the Afterlife Judgement Center, in an effort to demonstrate that Brooks had not learned to transcend his fearful nature. All previous clips had been of episodes that took place while he was still alive. Brooks’s “defense attorney,” played by Rip Torn, objects, saying, _“I was told we’re not doing that any more”_ (examining post-death episodes). To which one of the judges on his panel replies: _“No, you weren’t.”_ > [@curlcoat](#): > > I was given to understand that Obamacare is much like the NHS. No, you weren’t. I’m not actively accusing you of lying, but nobody _gave_ you to understand that. You may have _taken_ it, but that’s entirely on you. It’s difficult to imagine how anyone paying the slightest degree of attention could have come to that perception, absent a great deal of wishful thinking. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2013, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-liberal-idea-of-the-day/579086/1159 "2013-07-29T20:51:13Z")
> [@curlcoat](#): > > I don’t look at the “news” at all any more. Everything I know about Obamacare comes from here, the Pit. > [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > :smack: Oh, dear sweet Og … Says it all, doesn’t it? > [@Clothahump](#): > > No, they haven’t. All that has happened is that all you libs stand up and scream “IT AIN’T SO!” instead of actually facing reality. Your post is a perfect example. Oh, and I see Clothahump is still living in Lalaland. Good for him. Clothy’s reaction to anyone who says anything, however calmly, that disagrees with his preconceptions of reality, is that they’re screaming. That alone tells you a lot about the validity of his point of view. ---
**Author:** ![curlcoat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea5d25/32.png) [@curlcoat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curlcoat)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2013, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-liberal-idea-of-the-day/579086/1160 "2013-07-30T00:49:54Z")
> [@DrumBum](#): > > I believe that those without insurance go to the ER at a city hospital if they are sick or injured. The costs for treating them are then passed on to taxpayer. Were they to show up at a private hospital, they would be sent to the nearest city run hospital for treatment. As far as I can tell, we don’t have any city hospitals. Our county hospital closed about 10 years ago but it is possible that another taxpayer funded one has been opened - how does one know? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-liberal-idea-of-the-day/579086.md?page=57) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-liberal-idea-of-the-day/579086.md?page=59)