In Sickness, In Pizza, and In Health - A Healthcare Manifesto

"The measure of a life is a measure of love and respect
So hard to earn, so easily burned
In the fullness of time
A garden to nurture and protect" ~ Neil Peart

Dear Powers That Be:

The United States of America is one of the richest countries on the planet, yet we are one of the only industrialized nations that fails to adequately insure its people with basic healthcare needs.  With the looming 2014 deadline for the Affordable Care Act to fully take affect, I’m seeing more and more rich CEOs wanting to cut back on staffing and/or cut employee hours just to not have to extend them healthcare insurance.  Well, fuck them!!! 

The rich have gotten free rides for a very long time in this country and are used to pulling the strings of government to work for them.  Now it’s time they get back to working for US!!  The rich only care about themselves and their bottom line.  They don’t give two shits if we live or die – just as long as we keep buying their shit!!!  We can’t boycott all of them, but we can sure turn the tide on them when we storm the gates in Washington and let our Senators and Representatives know that WE are in charge – not the corporations, not the rich millionaires/billionaires, but the working class who built this country with our sweat and blood.  Remember – it’s WE THE PEOPLE!!! 

As an American, we can do better for our people.  Here is what I demand:

• An affordable national healthcare system, or Medicare For All.

With this new system, I demand that no religious organization or religious person have any say on the new system. With that I demand:

• No restrictions on Birth Control for women.
• Easy access to abortion.

With this new system, I demand no exclusions for any of the following:

• Age (including Senior Citizens), race, gender, sexual orientation, Military status, pre-existing medical condition, mental health status, HIV status.

With this new system, I demand:

• No child be turned away – no matter of citizenship status.

With this new system I demand:

• Affordable prescription drugs for all.
• Limited Patents on all drugs.
• The Federal Government will have powers to negotiate lower drug prices (thus eliminating the need to import from Canada for the same exact medications made here in the USA).

With this new system, I demand:

• No one with mental health disorders be turned away or left on the streets.
• People with mental health disorders be treated with dignity and respect.
• More education and awareness for those with Autism and related disorders.

With this Manifesto, I demand from my Government:

• A law passed giving the people an allotment of paid sick days by employers.
• A law passed increasing the Minimum Wage as the cost of healthcare will no longer be a burden on employers and can now pay employees a living wage.
• A law passed to ensure employees are guaranteed vacation time – a well rested employee makes productivity rise.

Now that this has been said, here is a graphic of some of the companies who are going to cut employee working hours just so they won’t have to provide health insurance to them:

Graphic via The Everlasting GOP Stoppers

Now some might cry “it’s Socialism” – and you know what???  Who cares!!!  I call it caring for one another.  If you are too stupid or selfish and don’t give a shit about your fellow citizens, you can fuck right off!!!  You don’t like it – move!!!  But good fucking luck with that – you’ll have it almost anywhere you move (via):

Norway  - 1912 –  Single Payer
New Zealand –  1938 –  Two Tier
Japan –  1938 –  Single Payer
Germany –  1941 –  Insurance Mandate
Belgium –  1945 –  Insurance Mandate
United Kingdom –  1948 –  Single Payer
Kuwait –  1950 –  Single Payer
Sweden –  1955 –  Single Payer
Bahrain –  1957 –  Single Payer
Brunei –  1958 –  Single Payer
Canada –  1966 –  Single Payer
Netherlands –  1966 –  Two-Tier
Austria –  1967 –  Insurance Mandate
United Arab Emirates –  1971 –  Single Payer
Finland –  1972 –  Single Payer
Slovenia –  1972 –  Single Payer
Denmark –  1973 –  Two-Tier
Luxembourg –  1973 –  Insurance Mandate
France –  1974 –  Two-Tier
Australia –  1975 –  Two Tier
Ireland –  1977 –  Two-Tier
Italy –  1978 –  Single Payer
Portugal –  1979 –  Single Payer
Cyprus –  1980 –  Single Payer
Greece –  1983 –  Insurance Mandate
Spain –  1986 –  Single Payer
South Korea –  1988 –  Insurance Mandate
Iceland –  1990 –  Single Payer
Hong Kong –  1993 –  Two-Tier
Singapore –  1993 –  Two-Tier
Switzerland –  1994 –  Insurance Mandate
Israel –  1995 –  Two-Tier
United States –  2014 –  Insurance Mandate