Ben Stein on Fox:  Obama admin. about "social control," hoaxes, and making country a "socialist paradise"

Nah, only about half of it. People like Stein know they can profit from this condition if they can scare those people to the polls.

I still don't have Ben Stein figured out. I used to consider him a reasonable guy, just one who had bought into the right wing economic philosophy, i.e. convincing the average American that if they cut taxes for those making hundreds of times what they earn (like Stein), it will trickle back to them through some sort of pyramid scheme.

Then I watched his film Expelled a while back and Stein seems to be a full blown ,Kool Aid drinking wingnut propagandist. If he's not a True Believer, then he's a very committed businessman.

A

re conservatives proud of the fact that 47 million Americans have no health care insurance, or do they just not think it's a problem?

Well first of all let's clear up this little (big) left wing slight of hand.

A full one-third of the 47mil are people who are eligible for existing government programs (Medicare, Medicaid, S-CHIP) but haven't or wont apply. Nearly half are transitioning between jobs and a fourth are Illegal Immigrants. Now that number isn't as onerous.

if its not them without the healthcare they just dont care about other people,

They'll tell you with a straight face that they are proud to live in a country where "everyone" has the "freedom" to go out, work three jobs, and get health care insurance, and also the "freedom" to "choose" to go without said insurance.

The freedom to lose your house to bankruptcy trying to keep up with medical bills, the freedom to make obscene profits denying coverage, etc.

God Bless America.

You are wrong. There are not 47 million Americans without health care. 100% of people residing within the borders of the USA have health care available to them. What is at stake is coverage for said health care.

In addition, a good majority of the 47 million figure are illegal aliens (maybe half?). Of the remaining ACTUAL Americans, there is an even greater majority of Americans who do not have health care coverage, due to their own choice. 100% of them have insurance plans available to them for purchase. Many, if not most of them have made the conscious choice to NOT purchase insurance coverage, and rather purchase things that are not necessary (i.e. entertainment, travel, simple luxuries, not to mention cigarettes, alcohol, or, in some cases, illegal drugs)

I contend that if people did not ignore health care coverage, and see it as one of life's "optionals", and give up life's true "optionals", they would certainly have enough money to purchase their own insurance coverage.

After all, why would anyone sacrifice anything if someone is going to give them a "no strings attached" handout? (sarcasm intended...)

Ben Stein has spent most of his adult life pretending to be super-intelligent. Not BECCOMINg super-intelligent, just pretending to be. Why on Earth he should be taken seriously by anyone when he discusses ANYTHING other than perhaps acting is beyond me.

good morning retiredinsf - guess I will take a shot at it.

I assume you mean by "implemented in 2013" that it will be at full capacity and functioning as was intended. There are a few steps that need to be taken to reach that goal including the conversion of all medical related documents to a national digital format system. I don't think this will happen overnight and will probably take years to complete.

Then there is also the formation of co-op's if that bears fruit and is included in the final bill. This will undoubtably take a considerable amount of time since private industry will be the providers in the co-op.

Then there is the revising of the existing Medicare System to eliminate some of the redundancy that is currently happening. Formulation of procedures, etc. which will take some major effort.

There is a long list of steps that will need to be taken before the Health Care System is fully reformed and operational. However, before any steps can be taken the bill must be passed, that's step #1.

If you don't understand that Congress doesn't pass tough bills during election years, then that's your failing.

If you don't understand that the rightwing talking point that this initiative hasn't been talked about enough is a total fraud, then that's your failing.

If you don't understand that private healthcare insurance is inept and too costly, and that getting the govt involved to help insure most of the uninsured and get discounts from healthcare providers, as Obama has done, then that's another one of your failures.

I have yet to see you make one lucid and relevant point. And no, I don't believe you when you say you're simply asking a question.

Do you know how long 'simple' bills are? Do you have any idea how complex it is to change healthcare? Are you aware of how many different programs will be affected by these changes, and therefore how much legal language has to be included to protect Americans?

Carping about the length of this bill is a fraudulent rightwing talking point.

I await a reasoned response

No need I will answer you quick. I am not a public option fan. I am for single-payer.

If it is public option like I knew it would be. It needs to be strong and not watered-downed.