Why won't politicians who say they don't want "socialized medicine" explain what they mean by that?

[Postman]

Why is it left up to the viewer/listeners imagination to comprehend what they mean?

Are these same politicians against "socialized police forces" and "socialized fire departments"?

Are they against "socialized roads" and "socialized schools"?

Are they against a "socialized military"?

It would seem to me that spreading the risk over a large pool of people in order to lower the cost of health care would be a smart thing that actually would benefit businesses in the US...

[PDJane]

1. Yes, of course........

but that means that they'd have to pay taxes.

That's what this is all about, and always has been.

[Runcible Spoon]

2. It's code for "Big Pharma Donated a Lot fo my Campaign"

or..."I said something that vaguely sounds like Communism woooo scary!"

Yep, it WOULD benefit businesses in the long run and in general but unfortunately the lobbies that put the money into message control propaganda have large vested interests into keeping health care private, inefficient, and massively profitable for the select few. And they've spent billions making sure the legislators in their pocket see things that way, too.

[sam sarrha]

4. ...that should be. "Big Pharma " bribed me with $2,000,000 to screw you and your children, stupid

peasants.. i got mine, go die in a ditch..

[DBoon]

3. because they would have to admit they don't care if people die

They would have to say something like,"If you can't afford private health care in the free market, then obviously you were meant to suffer and die. Suck it up, loser"

[sam sarrha]

5. they redefined what Socialsm means, they dont want you to know the truth, a gov for the people by th

people of the people

[ColbertWatcher]

6. I know why: because the GOP-controlled media doesn't call them on it.

The GOP politicians can be as vague as they want to be as long as their ideological brethren in the media don't demand any explanations from them.

[elehhhhna]

7. my drunkee neighbor who RAILS about this is

on Medicare and Soc. Sec., AND agrees that Medicare part D needs to "fixed".

duh.

[On the Road]

8. They are Trying to Conjure Up Visions of a German System

or worse, a Soviet-style system, even though they know that's not what it's about. It's about the insurance side only.

If it were universally understood that nation healthcare means Medicare for everyone and needs roughly the same funding medical care does today, it's popularity would go up a lot.

[Postman]

9. Also....we couldn't possibly learn from the pitfalls or mistakes made by the other civilized

nations that have single-payer universal healthcare. It's just not possible to fix problems that other countries may have with a system of our own. We have to repeat thier problems as well.

:sarcasm:

[annabanana]

10. They mean to SCARE people with buzzwords, counting on a knee-jerk

reaction from people who never knew (through inadequate education) or never understood (through lack of wits) what the word means.

[McCamy Taylor]

11. It's code for "I dont wanna pay for health care for...." fill in a minority group.

Engels predicted that the socialist workers revolution would be slow to come to the U.S. because employers play divide and conquer games with workers using ethnic and racial differences. In Europe, people are more homogeneous and so it is more difficult to make them hate a fellow worker.

[ProfessorGAC]

12. No Translation Necessary

They don't know what it means. There is nothing to translate. It's just a buzzword they use and have no idea what they mean.
GAC

[Vinca]

13. When they blah, blah, blah about socialized medicine it's only

scare tactics because even single payer, universal healthcare is not socialized medicine. Socialized medicine is when the government employs the doctors, owns the hospitals, the whole shebang. All we want is the government to take on the roll of the insurance companies by paying the bills without the denials of care, gouging of prices and obscene profits.

[Orsino]

14. Because Big Insurance is a powerful lobby...

...who would very much rather that we didn't think about such things. A politician who waves the "socialized medicine" red herring is trying to distract you--he's afraid you'll realize that we already have it, and that it's all some people have.