I had a bit of a bummer today at work, one of my good buddies at work got layed off today. He knew it was coming however didn't think it would be for another week or so. What stinks is they just had a baby not too long ago and he hasn't found another job yet. The whole situation reeked of corporate stinkiness. Imagine the higher ups going through everything you did during a day with a fine tooth comb just to come up with enough dirt to justify them laying you off to save money. Thats basically what happened. Basically they're trying to widdle down our staff to about 7 to 10 I'm guessing and we're at 11 right now. My beef with this is they hired someone about a month ago, and then began pushing to lay off three people.
What stinks is we were all sort of hired under false pretenses, though I guess everyone is in one way or another. The job's responsibilities have increased a 100 fold since I've been out of training with more work to come soon apparently. Basically they find something no one else wants to do and give it to us. I'm not trying to complain, just trying to explain how it is.
But it stinks cause my buddy was the guy I talked to most of the time I wasn't working. But I guess the show must go on.
In other news, the pulse had a great article about the dangers and folley of socialized medicine... just another reason not to vote Democrat! I mean if socialized medicine were to be inacted you can bet my job would be gone pretty quick, as well as millions of other people employed by the healthcare industry.
Posted by holtonian at September 15, 2004 11:14 PM | TrackBackSo how do we solve the health care crisis? The status quo is immoral. The big corporations have proved to have no regard for the public.
Posted by: Nat at September 16, 2004 08:05 AMI do not think there is a health care crisis in America, nor do I not see anything institutionally immoral about corporations. That's not to say that corporations have never engaged in immoral acts, but the economic system behind it is not immoral. I think your response, while motivated by compassion, is largely misguided by the entitlement mentality that most Americans hold (whether they know it or not).
Read this article, because 1) I am short on time; and 2) this man says it better than I can anyway:
BTW: I have read Frederick Bastiat's The Law, which is mentioned in the article's credits. I highly recommend it. Also check out Henry Hazlit's Economics in One Lesson and F.A. Hayek's The Road to Serfdom.
Posted by: Scott at September 16, 2004 08:43 AMwell, I wanna know the hard numbers on who doesn't have health care, and who CAN'T GET healthcare when the really need it (like medicare, calcare, etc. etc.), then we can figure out if its a crisis.
I think most of the "crisis" is folks like you can me, who can, to some degree or another, afford healthcare getting ticked off at rising health costs. Now is that rise wrong? Sure, 'cause big healthcare is in some extent corrupt, but is it the same moral shame as the folks who can't GET healthcare? No, and I don't think its right to conflate the two.
Posted by: JosiahQ at September 16, 2004 09:16 AMI agree with Scott, as I have argued here before about the pharmaceutical industry (a part of the "corrupt" big healthcare).
http://www.chattablogs.com/holtonian/archives/015116.html#comments
The entitlement mentality is serious problem, especially in regards to innovation and development. That's not to say that we shouldn't have a safety net for the least fortunate, but when we discuss poverty levels, and then realized that deeper study revels that a large percentage of those below the poverty line have color t.v.'s and microwave ovens, we may need to rethink our understanding of these definitions. The difference of priorities may play a role in the lives of these individuals also. In no way, take what I'm saying as covering all poor people, but the raw numbers that Josiah is looking for, although good to start from, may not give all the information.
Nice selection of books Scott. Don't forget Milton Friedman's "Capitalism and Freedom."
I have also had some comments on recent numbers coming out of the Canadian healthcare system over at my home:
http://therantinghaze.com/index.php?title=some_of_the_keeds_say_i_m_slooow_just_be&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1
Posted by: Haze at September 16, 2004 01:27 PMSpeaking of F.A. Hayek, there is a great article over at Tech Central Station about decentralization of authority and blogging (and a guess as to what Hayek's opinion would be).
Posted by: Haze at September 16, 2004 03:11 PMThe AMA, Pharmacudical companies, and ambulance chasers...pick your enemy...but each one of them serve a purpose...a balance of power sort of. If you're raised as a spoiled middle class bleeding heart who failed to grow up...part of growing up is and leave the bubble and realize no one owes you anything...including health care.
Posted by: obscene gene at September 17, 2004 10:36 PMHow obscene
Posted by: holton at September 18, 2004 01:08 AM