Why national healthcare is as important as a strong military

From a thread on Fark

redneckgeek: I missed the part where the founding fathers said I had to take care of your sorry ass.

Rob.D: That’s what citizens do. That take care of each other in bad times.
That’s why someone’s granddad died in Manila in 1943.
That’s why you should be willing to take care of someone if they get the C.
Most of you have forgot about being citizens and simply consider yourselves taxpayers.
Link

It’s nice to see an non-financial based argument regarding nationalized medicine. Too often, the focus is on the cost of national health care or a feeling of entitlement. It is not an individual entitlement for a citizen to receive health care, it is a responsibility of a citizen to ensure that all people receive the help they need.

The more I hear about Joe Biden, the more I respect him

Biden on 9/10/01 warned the ‘real threat’ may come in ‘the belly of a plane’

“We will have diverted all that money to address the least likely threat while the real threats come into this country in the hold of a ship, or the belly of a plane, or are smuggled into a city in the middle of the night in a vial in a backpack.”

I’m shocked that I haven’t heard this quote before. Especially in that Condoleezza Rice received so much criticism for ignoring the “Bin Laden determined to attack” memo. Wouldn’t it be nice to be forward looking instead of locking the barn door after the horse has been stolen? Now we’re pushing missile defense again.

Sigh…

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

“I deplore… the putrid state into which our newspapers have passed and the malignity, the vulgarity, and mendacious spirit of those who write for them… These ordures are rapidly depraving the public taste and lessening its relish for sound food. As vehicles of information and a curb on our functionaries, they have rendered themselves useless by forfeiting all title to belief… This has, in a great degree, been produced by the violence and malignity of party spirit.”

Thomas Jefferson to Walter Jones, 1814. ME 14:46

There is a sickness in our nation.  A sickness bred in false patriotism.  A sickness nourished by our national media.  The sickness is acceptance.  We accept anything that is spoon fed to us.

What has the media become? No longer is it liberal.  No longer is it conservative.  No longer does it serve the people. It now only serves itself.

The national media has become so terrified of losing market share that it no longer publishes anything that might offend a viewer or reader.

Why is the following not the headline of every newspaper and on every news channel.

US occupation now being confronted by Iraqi democracy
Reductive analysis: Pullout likely to be fixed but flexible
Iraqi PM demands ’specific’ U.S. pullout timeline

Why is this not the biggest deal in the world?  The Democrats and many republicans have been calling for an exit strategy for years.  All the while, they’ve been called cowards, traitors, and appeasers by the Neo-cons. Now suddenly, an exit strategy is OK?

I’m not saying anyone needs to cry sour grapes or complain that we should have pulled out years ago. All I ask, is that the media asks the questions and publishes the answers so the electorate can learn from it’s mistakes and elect someone competent on the next go around.

Apparently the last hope for democracy is in the comments on random blogs.