Why Barack Obama is (almost) the next US-President (health care article)

[Mika]

Why Barack Obama is (almost) the next US-President

As we said it before: There are many pro and cons for special interest news media to give an explicit recommendation concerning US presidential elections. As editor you may lose those readers, who don't agree to your advice. But in the case of shooting star Barack Obama we at LifeGen.de decided to say what we think a few months ago - and would like to repeat our message now: Mr. Obama should become the next president of the United States - and we guess, he will. Here are the reasons why: To his antagonists, Obama is delivering only the big show, with no idea how politics really works. And looking inside the huge political machine seems to confirm this presumption: Almost every law emerges from the needs and interests of many lobby groups. They are powerful, and they dislike social changes – fearing a loss in profit or, even worse, loss of power. (photo: Center for American Progress Action Fund on Flickr.com)


by Vlad Dan Georgescu

As an example, let’s take a closer look to the American healthcare system. Compared to the British National Health Service (NHS), the United States has nothing similar to be proud of on this field. People die in the US because they can’t afford the best medicine, or even the physician they deserve. No money, no healthcare benefit.

But there are alternatives like the NHS. The British NHS Direct offers a “forefront of 24-hour health care” - delivering telephone and e-health information services day and night direct to the public. This is far more than a telephone health line. NHS Direct has an authoritative health website, and 2004 saw the addition of the NHS Direct digital TV service - one of the largest interactive services in the UK. Over two million people now access NHS Direct every month. What count more: All of them benefit from the state owned healthcare system – by paying taxes, everybody in UK is contributing to the effective system.

Even Cuba has more to offer then the United States. Because according to the World Health Organization (WHO), only seven out of 1000 children in Cuba are dying at five years of age or younger - while this rate is 8 per 1000 in the US. WHO also reports that Cuban males have a life expectancy of 75 years, females reaching an average age of 79. In the US life expectancy is 75 and 80 years for males and females, respectively. Also better then the US counterpart is Cuba's infant mortality rate: 5 deaths per thousand in Cuba vs. 7 per thousand in the US. Take a guess why Cubans are living so long. Cuba has nearly twice as many physicians as the United States: 5.91 doctors per thousand people compared to 2.56 doctors per thousand, according to WHO.

Is there any natural law for things to remain like this? Is it really that way Hillary Clinton puts it on the race – explaining that politics does not work by only promising change?

The next President should understand whom to trust when listening how to act on crucial fields like healthcare system, stem cell research, genetics, or science in general. Most editors agree Hillary Clinton is the one to explain better, knowing more and even being involved deeper on these issues. “Inspiration vs. Substance” wrote Joe Klein in TIME – Barack’n roll we reply at LifeGen.de.

Senator Obama is fighting for change, and this means: Only Obama will be able to change the old structures in medicine, science and research - without needing to be an expert himself on these fields, but by listening to his advisers.

Big pharmaceutical companies for example could face a new public understanding of science: Are their pills und drugs really worth the money they cost? Should private companies decide who is able to get the best therapy, instead of letting Universities and governmental agencies work on this field? Moreover: Delivering therapeutic drugs to all people in the US by establishing a state owned healthcare system like the NHS could become a real challenge – and change.

Changing minds could also become crucial on other issues. The american president George W. Bush started the war against Saddam Hussein's Iraq almost five years ago by telling the world a well scripted story about weapons of mass destruction. What has never been said: Most of the biological and chemical programs in Iraq had been supported by Western and American companies before –almost every deal had been considered as dual use project. Mr. Obama has the chance to tell the world the truth, by this showing the Arab world that the West made mistakes itself. "Pecunia non olet" has been the driving force for many years - the news president will have to deliver new ideas: Make money, but keep fair.

Barack Obama has the power to make the giants on the market understand such things. Growth under his presidency should be connected to global social responsibility – the comeback of this old American characteristic would be appreciated worldwide. The question is not “Inspiration vs. Substance”, but Change and Substance. That’s the reason why Barack Obama deserves his chance. And that’s why we at LifeGen.de think he should become the next US President.

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[Prophet 451]

1. K & enthuasiastically R

I live under the NHS. It's not perfect by any means but it is bloody miles better than the US system.