mikebrah

Frustrated by criticism over his healthcare initiative, President Obama is considering proposing his own legislation. The Obama bill would include a trigger for the much-debated public option, having it kick in after 3-5 years if private insurers weren't living up to their obligations.

" I hope Obama takes the lead on this, and succeeds. It's shameful how we treat poor people in this country in terms of medical needs. Health-care is a national right if we decide that it should be. It's no different in this way than 'freedom of speech'."

This is an appalling (and completely unsubstantiated) statement. There is nothing about health care in the Constitution, or even any statement that could be abstracted to make such a bogus claim.

The idea that individuals who spend 10+ years studying and training, and incur up to $500k in debt should then have their services extorted by anyone with a boo-boo or a tummy ache is as UNamerican as it gets.

Historically, doctors have always been amongst the highest earners of both income and prestige. Our modern health care is turning them into wards of the State and there is a reason why fewer and fewer ambitious, industrious individuals are entering the medical field. Hmmm...10 years and $500k so that one day I can be the State's bitch? Or 2 years getting an MBA and make 6-8 figures as a Stock Jockey? Tough call.

All those would-be doctors are now misguided souls in the banking, law, or accounting sectors. Both the individual and the society gets what it pays for.