Canadian Socialized Health care is superior to American Health care. Right?

No actually, it stinks miserably and thoroughly.

Here's a former proponent of Hillary's Socialized Health Care who learned better.

Canadian Health Care(less)

I have a sister-in-law who lost her mother to cancer.  It was truly an awful experience with a lack of proper care and - keep this firmly in mind - doctors who didn't give a flying leap about the patient.  They didn't really have to.  You see, they didn't work for her, they worked for the government.  And they had no incentive to offer better care to any patients. 

She told me her mother was treated abysmally by the doctor's the government chose for her. But she couldn't change doctors. And she couldn't pay for better care. That's illegal. It was her civic responsibility to die miserably and needlessly.   My sister-in-law will never, ever support socialized medicine.  Especially while every American city has free health care for any patient who walks through the door of the local municipal hospital.

The next time you're at the DMV, consider that you're life was in their hands.

That's Hillarycare.

sharp

The New York Times and the Brookings Institution are no friends of the Bush administration, as they point out in this article.  But they also state what many have been unprepared to acknowledge, at least publicly. 

The surge is working.

NYTimes article

And if Iraq becomes a successful democracy, then what?  Here's what could happen:

1. Terrorism could lose a vital launching ground and passage in the Middle East
2. The Iranian government would likely be overthrown by citizens too close to a free country - and this without a shot being fired or a drop of free blood spilled
3. American prestige on the world stage would rise sharply
4. Terror would be seen as defeatable, which is critical in any conflict

The turning point seemed to be quite interesting.  It was when Al Qaeda and Al Sadr overplayed their hands.  The imposition of Sharia Law (as the article notes) brought intense resentment among the population.  And the sense that they were being used by their "allies", the terrorists, as pawns in a battle for terrorists' power, has intensified that resentment.

The things spoken of in this New York Times article have been written about for weeks by Michael Yon on his blog as he continues to imbed with troops in Iraq. 

The changes are real.  And long overdue.  Though far from won, this is a war that is clearly worth fighting.  And ending as soon as possible.

sharp

I appreciate folks coming by to post on this blog. I've never actually blocked anyone before.

But when you offer nothing more than a stream of hate - you're not welcome here. Toadie has been blocked. You can visit him on his board for any further dialogue, but frankly, everyone here pretty much ignored him anyway.

His diatribes interfered with the other bloggers, who frequently passionately disagree with me, but do so in a decently respectful way.

This blog is for debate and for fun. And heated aruments are welcome.

But not hate.

sharp

This is a question for the next Democratic debate. Now that Hezbollah has announced they're prepared to attack Israel. And now that Iran has poured resources into Hamas in Gaza for the same thing.

It's coming. It's not hypothetical.

Are they anti-war to the point of watching Israel be incinerated and doing nothing?

sharp

Megachurches are a playground for the devil, in my opinion. I know that sounds odd, but they breed pride which is the enemy of a godly spirit. The pride in the buildings, the programs, the music the benevolence ("look at what we gave to the victims of Hurricane Katrina", "look at the great things God is doing through us").

But Jesus was clear in Matthew 5-7 that Christian life is having a broken spirit (not proud); being a peacemaker (not going on TV to condemn New Orleans or homosexuals or anyone); mourning for their sins (not boasting about their accomplishments).  And he goes on to say that you should not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.  Then you won't be so proud of the numbers. 

And it leads to the most heinous thing of all.  It leads to the members being told (and believing) that everyone who disagrees with them is from Satan. 

The solution?  Throw off worldly possessions.  Instead of building a mega-softball field or a mega-fellowship hall, give your money to the poor.  Then you'll be blessed by God.  Otherwise, you will reap what you sow (as in Jim Bakker; Jimmy Swaggert, Pat Robertson and the Colorado guy).

Were these bad people? Of course not.  But they were enticed by their earthly empires and believed that it meant God was for them and everyone else was less than them.

If you're in a mega-church, the next time someone says "Satan is trying to stop me from doing this thing or that", tell them to listen again.  It might be God they aren't listening to.  And then leave and go about being a Christian.

sharp