Hamas War

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

It's Not Enough To Buy The Book; You Have To Read It

Hat tip AJG

When I was an EFL English Teacher, I was always reminding my students that touching a list of words translated from English to Hebrew wasn't going to make them automatically transferred to their brains.  They had to work hard and study the material.

Now, when I read all these optimistic, self-congratulatory articles about Obama's healthcare bill being passed, Americans who are expecting their medical care to now be easily affordable and available to all...  It's like those kids thinking that the necessary English vocabulary would magically go from paper to fingers to brain.

Americans, you don't know if the healthcare bill will do the job, or just end up being modern snake oil.  Even though the long convoluted bill does include a schedule of stages, just like any major government project, there will most likely be delays and cost-overruns.  The public and politicians will discover that passing the bill was the easy part.

Wait before blowing up the balloons and partying.

5 comments:

Unknown said...

As far as most American citizens who will be subject to ObamaCare are concerned, we will celebrate once it is repealed. Of course, it might take until January 20, 2013 to be repealed, since Teh Wun (sic) will veto any attempt to make it more sensible and I do not know that the Republicans would get veto proof majorities Next November.

I do not know if American citizens living abroad would be able to avoid the extra taxes and penalties, even though they would not be eligible to get ObamaCare.

It is good to see that Congress may have lost their current health care plans even though the new plans will not take effect until 2014 (in order to make sure that Obam can try to win a second term).

Batya said...

I don't think it'll be so easy to repeal it, sort of like trying to cancel Jerusalem's lightrail as it rips up Jerusalem streets.

Expats won't be taxed. that part was removed from the bill.

Anonymous said...

There won't be any health tax. Obamacare legally obligates you to have health insurance coverage, whatever that means.

And if you don't, the IRS can swoop in on you and ruin your day/year/life.

Sabba, come home!

Batya said...

My guess is that it will be a requirement to get emergency care.

Hadassa said...

Shalom!
Shy Guy, the Israeli government requires you to have health insurance too. It's called the National Health Plan. Don't you remember having to choose a kupat holim? However, the current Israeli system is much better than anything Obama is going to cook up.
For years America has had a very bad combination of inefficient socialist medical plans, like Medicaid, and a highly restricted expensive "free market" for medical care. The worst of both worlds, which Obama is going to exacerbate.