August 28, 2016 – Sunday 3:50 AM Italy Time
I woke this morning in Italy, preaching the gospel of Universal Health Care to myself. All the smart people in Florence are asleep. I was dreaming about that subject, Universal Healthcare, and woke on fire about how stupid we are in the United States to leave health care in the hands of greedy, uncaring people; that would be the drug companies and the insurance companies. Here I am in a country where NO ONE, rich or poor, goes bankrupt from illness. The whole country shares the cost of each illness, creating the most stable insurance pool ever. They pay a higher tax rate than we do but the positive benefits of shared burden far outweigh the inconvenience of higher taxes. This seems to me to be the ultimate Christian value; to care enough about your neighbors to make the sacrifice (taxes) insuring that they can get the care they need. Where did I read that famous old quote, “Love your neighbor…”
Think about the horrible earthquake about 250 miles south of Florence in Armatrice; the people there have suffered devastating losses but NO ONE will go bankrupt over injuries suffered there. Now consider our situation with the healthcare issues that will be related to the 1000 year flood in Louisiana; who is there to take care of our own uninsured??
Remember seeing that map of Italy when studying world geography? It is the country shaped like a boot. From this point on, when you see that map of Italy, think, “Italy is kicking America’s ass on healthcare”! Wake up America – we can do better!