No. Their health care is the same health care for all federal employees, no more, no less (this is not discounting whatever "extra" care they pay for with whatever wealth they may have). It's not really "socialized" since they work for the federal government. ~String
Tax payers. I also pay for postal employees and military enlistees. It's not considered "socialized" until it's national. Any good employer should pay for the health care of its workforce, the federal government is no different. ~String
So basically the Republicans use taxpayer money for their own healthcare but do not want the same benefit extended to the people. Is that correct?
Yes. That is correct. They also "use" the tax payers wealth to do a lot of things, like pay their own salairies and pay for roads. The Republican party does not believe that it is the government's job to pay for the health care of non federal employees, elected or not. I do as well. Most Americans are averse to the idea of socialism. Spin it all you like, but there's also a sizable Democratic faction that also opposes socializing medical coverage. Health care is a privilege, not a right. Earn it and you get it. ~String
So that means his proposed cut in healthcare for Americans will not personally affect him. Taxpayers will still pay for his healthcare, but he will reduce theirs. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122315505846605217.html?mod=special_page_campaign2008_mostpop
I don't know where McCain's health care comes from. He's very wealthy, I'm betting he pays for it out of pocket. And, since you asked, I would take his plan over Obamas. Again, SAM, I know this is hard for you to intellectually swallow: socialization is not necessarily a good thing. I don't believe in it and I don't believe in increasing federal control over my daily life, especially in an area as important as health care. ~String
What part of the fact he's employed under the federal government aren't you getting? This is an employer-employee relationship versus a government-citizen relationship in the case of socialized health care. When we say we don't want taxpayers to pay for other people's health care, we mean in the latter sense.
Yeah, I know, Americans would rather give a 700 billion dollar check to corporations than health care to Americans.
Yeah, but it seems odd to me that a man who says : do you really want the government to pay for your healthcare?????? *wink* *wink* *nudge* *nudge* gets his healthcare from the government. Now if he followed that up with, I personally do not touch federal healthcare, it would make sense
But they don't say that. McCain doesn't say the government will pay for your healthcare, because that might seem too appealing. They frame it as the government making choices for you that you should be able to make yourself. So, freedom is a more positive message.
You're still divorcing the employer aspect though. It's not as if he's some random beneficiary. He's, in a sense, providing a service to the federal government and in return he's getting health care benefits, no different than the relationship I have with my own employer. It would be more weird if he said "do you really want your employer to pay for your healthcare?" It's no more odd than his salary or his pension (although I think the congressional pension program ought to be scrapped).
A matter of definitions The problem with that is the question of what constitutes "earning" health care. Plenty of people work their asses off and still can't afford it. And I doubt you would propose sending children back to the mines. Maybe increase their coverage in response to their GPA? ("We know you're sick, Tommy, but you just have to do better and work harder. Get healthy, get your grades up, and then we'll cover your illness.")
It's socialized if it's provided by the government. The health care that Federal employees get is socialized medicine, absolutely. It is paid for by the government, not private individuals or corporations. If you want to privatize McCain's health care, his own plan provides a fine non-socialist model: Give him a 5000 tax credit, and turn him loose to buy health insurance on the noble private market.
