It’s incredibly sad to watch Venezuela crumble. It was once one of the most prosperous and advanced nations in our hemisphere – rich with abundant natural resources and creative people. Now, the ravages of socialism have ground it down into another third world craphole ruled by a despot who clings to power while blaming America for his country’s woes. It is a timely lesson for Americans who look to socialists like Bernie Sanders to solve our nation’s ills.
The economic crisis in this country has exploded into a public health emergency, claiming the lives of untold numbers of Venezuelans. It is just part of a larger unraveling here that has become so severe it has prompted President Nicolás Maduro to impose a state of emergency and has raised fears of a government collapse.
Hospital wards have become crucibles where the forces tearing Venezuela apart have converged. Gloves and soap have vanished from some hospitals. Often, cancer medicines are found only on the black market. There is so little electricity that the government works only two days a week to save what energy is left.
At the University of the Andes Hospital in the mountain city of Mérida, there was not enough water to wash blood from the operating table. Doctors preparing for surgery cleaned their hands with bottles of seltzer water.
“It is like something from the 19th century,” said Dr. Christian Pino, a surgeon at the hospital.
The figures are devastating. The rate of death among babies under a month old increased more than a hundredfold in public hospitals run by the Health Ministry, to just over 2 percent in 2015 from 0.02 percent in 2012, according to a government report provided by lawmakers.
The rate of death among new mothers in those hospitals increased by almost five times in the same period, according to the report.
I also note that Venezuela has the kind of socialized healthcare system that America is moving toward with the enthusiastic cheers of the Left. This is where it leads.
Owen:
Everybody knows you are opposed to the ACA, but what do you propose in it’s place? Be specific, and cite references that prove your proposal. The old system wasn’t working, costs were sky rocketing. The ACA at least slowed down the drastic increasing in health care costs. Folks are still getting healthcare. What do you propose?
And to compare the situation in Venezuela to ACA, or any European system is ridiculous.
They also have socialized medicine in Canada, Denmark, Japan, Australia, Norway, etc., without the “ravages of socialism.”
It’s simple: the healthy must subsidize the sick, or the sick will die.
All those countries have their defense covered by the US.
Stupid fuck.
TfA:
How many military bases does the US have in Canada, Denmark, Norway, Australia, etc?? Facts don’t seem to be an obstacle to you, do they?
Baldy: you state that ACA has reduced growth in medical costs. Show cites which DIRECTLY tie one to the other. We’ll wait….
NP: Unlike the countries you mention, Venezuela has been governed by Communists for about the last decade. (Brazil is, too–and Brazil is only about 5 years from a similar crisis.)
And I hate to tell you this, but sick people DO die. So do old people. ACA ain’t going to stop that. Nor will pixie-dust, rainbows, or unicorns–nor the closet-commie in the Oval Office.
Who cares what you think, pederast?
TfA:
Obviously you do, as you always respond…..
dad:
You will never learn anything if you have others do your homework, but here are a few places to look:
AMA, AHA, Bloomberg, Fact-Check, HuffPost, Washington Post, etc…..
Knowledge can set you free..
To dad29:
Yes sick people die — all of us die.
But lack of treatment can trigger premature death. Just to strip away all the rhetoric, let’s assume a 60-year-old needs quadruple bypass surgery and doesn’t have $150,000 or health insurance (a much more common occurrence before ADA).
Does he live?
Or does he die?
That’s the crux of the issue.
Hey “old baldy”, if you’re not covered under an employer plan – perhaps because you are that old… then you don’t realize that Annual Deductibles have skyrocketed, and that is 100% attributed to ACA. Mine for example have increased from $2600 annually to $6800 in the past three years. That’s across the board for 30,000 employees. Where does that money go? My premiums haven’t decreased – my Max Out of Pocket hasn’t gone down.
The reason this is attributed 100% to ACA – because the insurers state that they increased them to adhere to the ACA guidelines. If health insurance costs were soaring prior to ACA, they have been strapped to a booster rocket since ACA.
So, why don’t you cite some specifics – otherwise you’re full of shit.
jason:
I did, you didn’t. And as always, you are still a class act.
I know for an absolute fact that there was no such thing as health care inflation before ACA and that premiums never ever, never, ever, never rose beyond the rate of inflation until ACA was passed.
You didn’t cite a fucking thing, Baldy.
Good thing you’re heading to a prison camp next year.
Annual Deductibles have skyrocketed, and that is 100% attributed to ACA. Mine for example have increased from $2600 annually to $6800 in the past three years.
Gee. I wonder if that could be a reason for the reduction in the rate of increase of policy premiums?
Prolly too hard for Baldy to figure out, though.
And Pike, old fellow: you define “premature” any way you want to? 100 years ago–even 50 years ago–that sucker would have been dead. The world would go on.
Northern:
I guess we are just wasting our time trying to talk sense to the willfully ignorant. Up for a round of skeet?
Dad29: Yes, fifty years ago that patient would have died. Today his life can be saved.
Are you suggesting that his life should not be saved and that advances in medical technology are only for those who have the ability to pay?
And Baldy, I’m not sure we’re talking about ignorance here. They strike me as intelligent people who really don’t care whether the medically indigent live or die. They view medical care like lakefront property. Those who can afford it can buy it. Those who can’t, tough luck.
Fuck you
Northern (Esox):
I disagree to a degree. dad is a long-time proponent of ignoring the obvious and common sense. The intelligence they possess goes only as far as what they hear from the far right squakers, or in T f A’s case, from the great orange goblin.
.
We know Baldy didn’t write that retort. Was probably his wife’s boyfriend. Cuck life!
Are you suggesting that his life should not be saved and that advances in medical technology are only for those who have the ability to pay?
Yes.
There is, of course, personal charity; you may assume responsibility for someone else’s medical bills, if you want to. But I have no “right” to your money, nor your time or skills.
dad:
That is pretty christian of you, let all the poor die.
Deliberately misrepresenting Dad’s comment.
Cucks gonna cuck.
tfa:
Deliberate: Yes.
Misrepresentation: No.
Reading comprehension isn’t your strongest quality, eh?
My reading comprehension is just fine, Cuck. Maybe you can get your wife’s boyfriend to read it for you. I’m sure Tyreese isn’t doing anything useful at the moment.
So it’s just another discussion of Baldy shouting from the soapbox with no facts or supporting sources. What a waste of time.
There has been no misrepresentation of Dad’s comment. He agreed that medical care should be based on ability to pay and is willing to accept the consequences, even if it means the patient dies without care. What part of “yes” don’t you understand?
I have grudging respect for Dad. He said openly what many conservatives really believe but couch with double talk because it would horrify that vast majority of the populace.
Yeah. Baldy the Cuck running his mouth without any facts. That’s a day ending in “y.”
If Baldy the Cuck would some time in the gym or providing for his family, he wouldn’t be a bald, broke fat ass. No wonder his wife has a boyfriend.
tfa:
Your envy is showing again..
Is that the best you could muster, Cuck? Or is Shitavious plowing your wife distracting you?
Northern Pike… your case study makes the assumption that there is an infinite amount of money to pay for every person to have advanced and extremely expensive medical care. And that takes us back to Owen’s original post and article… Venezuela is now a sliding backwards with hundreds and thousands of peoplease dying from simple issues because there is no more money. This socialistic approach has brought about their economic ruin. Rather than learn from it … it seems you want to follow them.
MP: define “premature death” for us.
(We are in general agreement that ‘healthy people’ should assist the sick, although you prefer that assistance be given at the point of a gun and I maintain that it should be personal charity–a debate that can be held later.)
So let’s get back to your assertion that there is such a thing as “premature death.” Define that for us!!
tfa:
No. but it is far more than you deserve….
dad:
So how do you reconcile you position on only the wealthy getting healthcare,
Question: Are you suggesting that his life should not be saved and that advances in medical technology are only for those who have the ability to pay?
Response: Yes.
with your position on abortion. In both cases innocent folks die. Or are you in favor a woman having control over her body?
jason: Making the connection between the economic disaster in Venezuela and “socialized” medicine is a stretch by any standards. “Socialized”medicine works just fine in most of Europe. Venezuelas problems are due to irresponsible government, not the health care delivery system.
Cuck Baldy is fat, bald, broke and has low T. He needs your money to pay for his healthcare. He feels he’s entitled to it.
Survival of the fittest. This guarantees that Cuck trash like baldy doesn’t pollute the gene pool.
Baldy…
Be specific, and cite references that prove your proposal.
jason:
I did, (see above). If I do all of your homework you will never learn anything. Or is that the plan?
Answered like a true Cuck. Didn’t do his research because his wife is chatting with DeShawn online.
Baldy, I simply copied and pasted your line from the very first reply in this discussion (Old Baldy May 17, 2016 at 8:04 am).
Here, I’ll even properly cite it for you, since you’re such an egotistical prick.
http://www.bootsandsabers.com/2016/05/17/health-crisis-in-venezuela/#comment-8540
Damn you make this easy.
jason:
So your point is exactly what? That you can’t/won’t do your own homework? Or that reading comprehension isn’t your strong point? Or that plagiarism is OK? I gave you multiple places to look up information. If you pass up the opportunity you are the only one that loses. Knowledge can set you free.
Not surprised in the least that you’re clueless. Must be hard going through life feeling that way all the time.
jason:
You have given me all the clues I need. Thanks.
True Cuck – makes you do all the work and he sits on his fat ass.
That’s why his wife is banging Shawntel.
…with your position on abortion. In both cases innocent folks die…
You’re smart enough to know the difference. But my question was first, so answer it. What’s “premature death”?
dad:
No dad, I am smart enough to know that in both situations innocents can die. Now if you have a conflict as to what is justifiable and what isn’t, please enlighten us.
The premature death question should be addressed to Northern Pike, not me. So it is your turn to answer…
You’re not smart, Cuck.
OK. In everyday usage, the term “abortion” refers to the act of killing a pre-born human being. There is no “act of killing” in the case where someone dies because they do not have medical care.
Your ‘control of their own bodies’ canard is just that. It’s a shiny object which ignores the facts known to every MD and all other rational human beings.
I’ve been gone for a couple of days, but the definition of premature death in the context of this discussion is very simple.
If a person is denied life-saving health care based on inability pay and then dies, that person has died a premature death.
dad:
Well, your double standard shines through all the BS. Mighty christian of you. Keep up the hypocrisy, the humor is appreciated..
And the Cuck makes idiot comments while his wife gets railed by Trayvon.
NP: Your definition is circular, which is less than I expected from you.
So let’s try it this way: 92-year old has coronary, is insured, hospitalized, and dies after 3 days of excellent medical care. Is that death “premature”?
dad:
Let’s try this one:
The recently fired 34 year-old UW engineering professor develops a severe (but treatable) medical condition that requires immediate and expensive treatment. Since the new trump/walker administration got rid of the ACA the man has no health insurance and not enough personal wealth therefore is denied treatment. He passes away within 3 weeks.
Premature? Maybe.
Avoidable? Yes.
Cuck is angry because his ACA doesn’t cover his TRT. That’s why DeMarcus has to bang his fat wife.
The recently-fired prof is eligible for Medicaid, of course. So what will he miss?
dad:
Not under all scenarios. You argument is circular (whatever that is supposed to mean). Quit making excuses and admit you are against abortion and OK with poor folks not receiving medical treatment.
Cuck being a Cuck above.
OB, I did that a long time ago. Keep up with the combox.
NP and OB: I note that ObozoCare is–in your terms–going to cause the “premature death” of cancer patients.
http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2016/05/23/cancer-obama-administrations-executive-rule-to-impact-medicare-cancer-patients/
Hmmmm.