Hello John,   
      
   >LL>Is access to affordable health care a human right?   
      
   >JM>No.   
      
   >LL>Most of the world says it is.   
      
   JM>Most of the world saying it is, are the one who are not paying for it.   
      
   Ever society in the world pays for access to affordable health care.   
   However, our society does not do it very well, as it continues to deny   
   access to quality health care for many.   
      
   >LL>According to the most widely accepted international human rights   
   >LL>treaties, it is.   
      
   >JM>Then the treaties are wrong.   
      
   >LL>The US is a signatory to those treaties.   
      
   >JM>Medical care is a commodity.   
      
   >LL>The right to life is an unalienable right, not a commodity.   
   >LL>Having no access to quality health care is a death sentence.   
   >LL>Therefore, your premise is wrong.   
      
   JM>The right to life is a right.   
      
   Of course it is.  And denying access to quality health care   
   would be a denial of the right to life.   
      
   JM>The medical expertise and everything else used in modern day   
   JM>medical practice used to extend that life is a commodity   
      
   A "commodity" for those who are not rich enough to pay for services   
   that should be free for all?  You can't have it both ways, John.   
   Either the right to life applies to everyone, or the right to life   
   does not exist. So which is it?   
      
   >JM>You can not receive that care unless some one else provides   
   >JM>it to you.   
      
   >LL>Our "health care for profit" system should be scrapped.   
      
   JM>And replaced with what?   
      
   A health care system that works for all, not just for some or many.   
      
   JM>You will still have the same problems.   
      
   The problem of people dying needlessly?  That problem would be   
   solved by having a health care system that makes it possible for   
   everyone to have access to quality health care.   
      
   >LL>The sooner, the better.  Life itself is a right, not a commodity.   
   >LL>And we should do all in our power to protect that life.   
      
   JM>So far so good.   
      
   President Obama's Affordable Care Act is a step in the right direction,   
   although it is not a cure-all.   
      
   >LL>Not benefit from somebody else's misfortune of getting sick.   
   >LL>For those who cannot afford to pay for access to quality health   
   >LL>care, it is imperative for society (taxpayers) to pick up the   
   >LL>tab.  It is the least we can do.   
      
   JM>It's the least YOU can do.   
      
   It is the least our SOCIETY can do, and should do.   
      
   JM>I can do a lot less and you do not have the right to tax me to   
   JM>help pay for anyone elese's anymore than I can beat the hell out   
   JM>of someone and call it free speech.   
      
   Society has a shared obligation to ensure that everyone has access to   
   quality health care.  Those who benefit the most from our system should   
   pay more.  And that means the wealthy in particular.   
      
   >JM>What about that persons right to be compensated for ther service   
   >JM>or product?   
      
   >LL>Should doctors be compensated for their service?  Absolutely.  But   
   >LL>how much compensation is enough?   
      
   JM>Shouldn't that be between the doctor and the patient?   
      
   A doctor should be more interested in the well-being of his/her   
   patient than the love of money.  Much more interested.  In fact,   
   that should be his/her only concern, money being of absolutely   
   no importance.   
      
   >LL>Should a heart or brain surgeon be paid megabucks for performing   
   >LL>a 15-minute operation, whan a far lesser amount but be more than   
   >LL>sufficient?   
      
   JM>Who gets to decide what is sufficient?   
      
   The doctor's concern should be for his/her patient,   
   not how much the doctor should get paid for his/her   
   services.   
      
   JM>It should be the Doctor   
      
   Why?  So that only rich folks could afford to get sick?   
      
   >JM>If you believe  you have a "right" to "free" health care , you must   
   >JM>think it's OK to rob someone else to pay for it.   
      
   >LL>Where did I say that doctors and nurses and other health professionals   
   >LL>should not be given fair compensation for their work?   
      
   JM>Nowhere, you just want to tell them how much they can make   
      
   What is the cost of a human life?  How much should folks be   
   forced to pay because of some unfortunate event?  Many of the   
   victims in the movie massacre have hospital bills they cannot   
   possibly be able to pay, and may not be able to pay over the   
   course of a lifetime.  Our society should place a limit on   
   how much doctors and hospitals can make, and also place a   
   limit on how much patients can be forced to pay.  That is why   
   I much prefer a medicare for all healthcare system than the   
   Affordable Care Act system promoted by President Obama.   
      
   JM>The problem is you have never said where you are going to   
   JM>get the money to pay for it all.   
      
   Ask Lyndon Baines Johnson.   
      
   >>> Continued to next message   
      
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