Many people do not want Medicare for All because they do not believe healthcare is a right and because they feel no responsibility for the sick who ‘brought it onto themselves’ according to them.
Medicare for All opponent: Sick did it to themselves
There is a sect in America that has a very individualistic streak. They have the false belief that they can do it all by themselves. They think any policy that is collective in nature is somehow an infringement on their freedom or on what they’ve worked for. They see policies like Social Security, Medicare, Medicare for All, or welfare as socialist policies that they should not have to pay for. Of course, their tune usually changes when they are the ones in need.
A caller to Politics Done Right recently tried to give a rationale for the above-mentioned tenets. He is not as bad as some who I have heard.
“I do have a problem with socialized medicine,” the caller said. “I don’t have a problem taking care of the person hit by the drunk driver. But I have a big problem taking care of the drunk driver.”
I understand that sentiment. Of course, his thought process is not open to evaluating why we have drunk drivers. Are they medicating pain? Are they influenced by corporate-driven ads? They may be sick as well and the affordability of healthcare prevented them from getting healed. That would be a humane interpretation.
But the statement he made was more concerning. He said just watching the people waddling into Walmart is proof why we should not have Medicare for All. Why? Because the products that they are buying and eating are what’s making them sick.
I gave a detailed explanation indicating that many of these people’s activities and consumables have been dictated by a corporate structure that entices them to buy their products. In fact, the beef industry, milk industry, pork industry, snack food industry, and others use clever marketing and at times lawsuits to ensure their product enticements get to the consumers unabated.
Please watch the video as the case is made in a manner that even corporate-driven conservatives will get. It is an important message for those who like to blame the downtrodden.