American Healthcare Crisis: A Perfect Storm

The growing proportions of this crisis put all Americans at risk. Fewer and fewer employers can even afford to offer insurance. Insurance that is offered is often inadequate, and in many cases unaffordable at todays wages which have failed to keep up with the growing cost of even the barest neccessities. Follow the link to one writer's perception of the problem and what extremes may need to be reached for the American voter to make this a priority. Please post any comments, articles or personal experiences you would like to offer.
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Patrick Lannigan - Winter 2004

A perfect storm is in the forecast. 43 million Americans have no healthcare, a tsunami of baby boomers will retire in the next 15 years, and health costs are soaring. Yet - Americans sleep soundly at night. On occasion, there is a wakeup call but the groundhog sees no shadow, hits the snooze button, and goes back to sleep. Is this sustainable? Will Americans continue spending their hard-earned tax dollars on vote-getting missions to Mars or Iraq - versus that of life itself? Are Americans that cruel?

I say no. The America I lived in, (Massachusetts), rallied to the misfortune of a neighbour, or a crisis, with as much passion as a Canadian would. So why, then, do Americans not rally around the healthcare cause?
Healthcare as a Taboo Subject.
I discovered that when you break bread with Americans, and bring up the subject of national healthcare, the debate loses all life support when those in opposition paint images of wait-times and higher taxes. In some cases the feedback I received would make the late Senator McCarthy proud. "Socialism", they say. "Big Government", they protest. I quickly got the message. National Healthcare was a Do-Not-Discuss item at the lunch or dinner table.

Americans face a terrible dilemma. On one hand they're a great nation that has faced and survived many a crisis. Yet, they have a disdain for anything that smacks of Big Government and Government Control of their lives.
Healthcare Bill: Do Not Resuscitate
Is there a solution in politics? Is there some visionary politician that could mobilize support for a healthcare system that wouldn't turn suffering people away? Unfortunately, the last real attempt at material change (Bill and Hillary's health bill) died on the operating table. Furthermore, opposing politicians spray-painted DO NOT RESUSCITATE graffiti all over capitol hill.
The telegram for most politicians?

DO NOT TALK ABOUT FIXING HEALTHCARE. STOP.
TALK BAND-AID FIXES ONLY. STOP.
NEVER IMPLY RAISED TAXES. STOP. OVER.

Will change ever occur? I believe it will, but the crisis will have to worsen. If the number of uninsured Americans were to pass the 100 million mark, then we're talking real vote power. Politicians will have no choice. As much as I love Arthur C. Clarke, the proposed social-science-moon-base-project may have to wait.
A certain segment of Americans I spoke to, had a me-vote-Republican
'cause-me-want-low-taxes approach to their political views. Lower taxes was all that mattered to them. Death and suffering could change that. There's nothing like the death of a father, mother, uncle, or brother, who just happens to be uninsured, to help change somebody's outlook.