I’m starting to recognize that I have a problem: the avoidance of discussing this topic with idiots. I’m getting tired of being told that I don’t understand because I haven’t seen “Sicko”. Sooooooooo, I decided to watch Sicko. 2 minutes and 29 seconds later, I decided I’d rather work on my thesis that watch this P.O.S.

“It’s an aweful feeling, to just…try to…put a value on your body,” laments a woman whose husband lost the tips of two fingers in a table saw accident – in his own home garage, mind you.

Sooooooooo, you’re saying that you don’t think you should have to put a value on your body? Then please explain to me WHY THE HELL ANYONE ELSE SHOULD BE CONCERNED WITH WHAT HAPPENS TO YOUR BODY!  Am I completely missing the point here? You want to have a table-saw for your garage? fine. You don’t want to pay for healthcare because it is expensive, but you’d rather spend a few grand on a new car than pay out of pocket to get your fingers sewn back on? Call me unswayed.

I agree that there are some big problems with health insurance companies. Yes, healthcare costs too much. And here’s one reason why that is so:

I’d rather spend the next 2 hours writing my thesis than watch Sicko, and the next moron who tells me that I can’t make this argument because I haven’t seen it can kiss my ***.

This was originally a huge long rant and I decided not to post it due to lengthiness. So in effort to try and be concise…

One of the key issues for me in determining which presidential candidate I will vote for is healthcare. I don’t know a whole lot about the proposed healthcare reforms, but I am adamant in my opposition to socialized healthcare, not just because I don’t think it will work, but because I think the principle is ludicrous. I had an argument about this with a family member who argued that healthcare is a basic human right, and the fact that people are forced to go without adequate healthcare is unethical.

Ok, sure. But having a right to something doesn’t equate with being provided with that thing for free. furthermore, the argument of what is and what isn’t ethical will be very, very difficult if you have to consider a person who is responsible for their own condition e.g. homeless drug addicts or chronic substance abusers who contract conditions due to their usage. You get the point, of if you don’t, allow me to explain. There are qualifying and disqualifying conditions in ethical arguments. A person can disqualify their argument by certain actions or inactions, because rights are to be exercised. Any action that counters the action of exercising the right or that counters the principles or values upon which the right is based will invalidate the person in stating that their right is being wrongfully withheld. It is also a key understanding that the exercise of a right implies wanting that right. a person can give up a right, intentionally, and unintentionally.

Case in point: if it is discovered that a person has consumed alcohol while on the waiting list for a liver transplant, they will be found ineligible to receive a transplant and taken off the list. This is unfortunate for the poor soul who drinks while on the list, grievous for their family, and their death will still be tragic, but the action is ethical: a person is on the transplant list because they want to become healthy by getting a new liver. but a person cannot want to be healthy while also knowingly making himself unhealthy at the same time.

Rather than ramble on about what is and what isn’t ethical and the basic definition of a right, and why I’m right and such-and-such opinion is wrong, I’m going to post the abbreviated version and get back to lab. If you’re interested, I suggest reading up on ethics and what the ethical definition of “having a right” really means. Remember, just because something is ethical, doesn’t mean it is moral, and it also doesn’t mean it should feel right. If I’ve learned anything from arguing with the fam, it is utterly impossible to have an argument with someone when you are arguing with logic and ethics and they are countering you with feelings and emotions.