ChonkyOwlbear comments on The corporate party vs everyday people

[–] ChonkyOwlbear@lemmy.world 1 point 2 months ago (4 children)

Between the ACA, Medicare expansions, pre-existing condition coverage requirements, VA funding, and medication price reduction, Democrats have ensured that tens of millions of Americans have healthcare. Republicans have done their best to strip this away.

Democrat states usually do not have "right to work" laws that weaken union membership.

Democrats heavily pushed for a move away from fossil fuels, subsidized the expansion of electric car use, increased protected lands, and strengthened environmental laws. Republicans have undone most of this.

Democratic support of Israel is rapidly waning under public pressure. Republicans have not weakened their stance an inch.

Democrats funded and supported international aid across the world to generate soft power. Republicans have pulled this back and replaced it with threats and military force.

Dems are not perfect, but they are closer to your ideal by an immense amount.

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[–] thethrilloftime69@feddit.online 2 points 2 months ago* (3 children)

I think the difference between us is that I think the Democrats can at best accomplish half measures that don't fix the fundamental structure of the system. The ACA hands more power and money to insurance companies, it doesn't fix the fundamental problem. The Democrats support of Israel is "waning" but that hasn't really altered anything on the ground or even stopped the money from flowing.

Republicans have pulled this back and replaced it with threats and military force.

You're acting like Obama didn't endorse more drone strikes than any president in history.

Like sure they are "technically" better but not in any of the ways that matter.

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[–] ChonkyOwlbear@lemmy.world 1 point 2 months ago (2 children)

Half measures add up if you keep doing them. If you go half way 3 times you are 87.5% of the way there. You know what I mean?

I don't think we should refuse to help people unless we fix the underlying problem. It's not like we should have waited to end slavery until we eliminated racism, right? Expanding healthcare to another 50-60 million makes a hell of a lot of difference to those people. I would say that is better "in a way that matters".

You're acting like Obama didn't endorse more drone strikes than any president in history.

That we know of. Trump stopped reporting the numbers, so I wouldn't bet on that record holding.

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[–] thethrilloftime69@feddit.online 1 point 1 month ago (1 child)

Expanding healthcare to another 50-60 million makes a hell of a lot of difference to those people. I would say that is better "in a way that matters".

But letting corporations raise the price of insulin hurts in a way that matters, especially to people who already had insurance. (I'm an American doctor btw) I can't tell you how many of my patients had to ration insulin despite having insurance. Sure 50-60 million sounds great but you're giving them access to a system that will still bleed them dry. Plenty of patients with insurance still have to pay hundreds of dollars for blood thinners. An emergency room visit is still hundreds of dollars. I have great insurance and I just had routine blood work done and the bill was still close to $300. They just created another problem that gave people access while making things more expensive for everyone.

That we know of. Trump stopped reporting the numbers, so I wouldn't bet on that record holding.

The "we don't know whose killed the most brown people" argument doesn't really help the argument that "the Democrats are drastically different than the Republicans"

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[–] ChonkyOwlbear@lemmy.world 1 point 1 month ago

You and I both know why medical costs are inflated. It's not just greed. It is to pay for all the people who go in for emergency care but can't pay and the people who go bankrupt and don't pay. We are all subsidizing each other's care one way or another and I agree it's stupid that we just don't have universal healthcare. The thing is, til we get there, the more people who are covered, the cheaper it gets for everyone (or it should if insurance companies don't just pocket the difference).

You don't just throw your hands up in the air and give up because you can't return a patient to perfect health, right? Sometimes you have to accept a less than perfect outcome is all that is available right here and now.

Biden's Inflation Reduction Act included a cap of $35 a month for all Medicare part D plans and limits part B copay for insulin to $35 a month. Just the part D portion covered 3.3 million diabetic patients. It's not perfect, but it's a step closer. It's harm reduction. The bipartisan INSULIN Act which would cut the price for everyone was introduced in March and has been held back from a vote by the Republican leadership.

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/4189/text

Tell me honestly if you really think if Harris had been president we would have been "killing brown people" in Iran right now.

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