Did you know, for example, that there was a time when being called a "war profiteer" was a bad thing? But now our war zones are dominated by private contractors and mercenaries who work for corporations. There are more private contractors in Iraq than American troops, and we pay them generous salaries to do jobs the troops used to do for themselves -- like laundry. War is not supposed to turn a profit, but our wars have become boondoggles for weapons manufacturers and connected civilian contractors.
Prisons used to be a non-profit business, too. And for good reason -- who the hell wants to own a prison? By definition you're going to have trouble with the tenants. But now prisons are big business. A company called the Corrections Corporation of America is on the New York Stock Exchange, which is convenient since that's where all the real crime is happening anyway. The CCA and similar corporations actually lobby Congress for stiffer sentencing laws so they can lock more people up and make more money. That's why America has the world;s largest prison population -- because actually rehabilitating people would have a negative impact on the bottom line.
Television news is another area that used to be roped off from the profit motive. When Walter Cronkite died last week, it was odd to see news anchor after news anchor talking about how much better the news coverage was back in Cronkite's day. I thought, "Gee, if only you were in a position to do something about it."
But maybe they aren't. Because unlike in Cronkite's day, today's news has to make a profit like all the other divisions in a media conglomerate. That's why it wasn't surprising to see the CBS Evening News broadcast live from the Staples Center for two nights this month, just in case Michael Jackson came back to life and sold Iran nuclear weapons. In Uncle Walter's time, the news division was a loss leader. Making money was the job of The Beverly Hillbillies. And now that we have reporters moving to Alaska to hang out with the Palin family, the news is The Beverly Hillbillies.
And finally, there's health care. It wasn't that long ago that when a kid broke his leg playing stickball, his parents took him to the local Catholic hospital, the nun put a thermometer in his mouth, the doctor slapped some plaster on his ankle and you were done. The bill was $1.50, plus you got to keep the thermometer.
But like everything else that's good and noble in life, some Wall Street wizard decided that hospitals could be big business, so now they're run by some bean counters in a corporate plaza in Charlotte. In the U.S. today, three giant for-profit conglomerates own close to 600 hospitals and other health care facilities. They're not hospitals anymore; they're Jiffy Lubes with bedpans. America's largest hospital chain, HCA, was founded by the family of Bill Frist, who perfectly represents the Republican attitude toward health care: it's not a right, it's a racket. The more people who get sick and need medicine, the higher their profit margins. Which is why they're always pushing the Jell-O.
Because medicine is now for-profit we have things like "recision," where insurance companies hire people to figure out ways to deny you coverage when you get sick, even though you've been paying into your plan for years.
When did the profit motive become the only reason to do anything? When did that become the new patriotism? Ask not what you could do for your country, ask what's in it for Blue Cross/Blue Shield.
If conservatives get to call universal health care "socialized medicine," I get to call private health care "soulless vampires making money off human pain." The problem with President Obama's health care plan isn't socialism, it's capitalism.
And if medicine is for profit, and war, and the news, and the penal system, my question is: what's wrong with firemen? Why don't they charge? They must be commies. Oh my God! That explains the red trucks!
Bill Maher, host of HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher airs live tonight at 10pm
Follow Bill Maher on Twitter: www.twitter.com/billmaher
The profit motive inspires awesome inventiveness and efficiency in research & development, manufacturing, retail sales, real estate, construction, entertainment, maintenance, transportation, communication, waste disposal, etc. Usually, however, some decent laws and regulations can partner with “the market” to ensure good work and product quality and plenty of innovation.
Trouble is, capitalism has an Achilles’ heel: the greed inherent in human nature. Therefore, unless there are viable and widely available public and not-for-profit alternatives, the profit motive has no place in utilities, justice (including corrections), social services, healthcare, education, parks, animal control, libraries, public safety/law enforcement, government generally, etc.
Especially where those in need are easy and profitable to exploit, the profit motive can generally be counted on to trump altruism, or even basic social ethics. Indeed, research suggests that this is not true only at the individual level, preferably when the subject knows she/he is being observed. Behind the cloak of secrecy or anonymity. what is best for those in need is not very likely to happen, especially if profit is available otherwise.
Anyway, the ideas above are my basis for strongly supporting a viable public option as part of healthcare reform. Indeed, if we can’t get this done this year, then our fine democracy really has been bought and bested by greedy corporations, big money, mean spirits, small minds, warped ethics, bad manners, ignorance, and apathy.
Still, there is a way to overcome the power of profit to ruin our lives. It is to understand the role of Lincoln's "greenback" money as a tool to give Congress purchasing power not directly limited by profit and taxes.
In today's world, 40 million new patients outside the emergency room must be offered more doctors (and nurses, etc.)
If costs are paid in "greenbacks", profit is bypassed in favor of money.
We proved in WW II that money can double production in a hurry. It works better than profit because it can be applied when needed. To prevent inflation, savings work better than profit: if money is saved for a while, the system increases output to maintain affordable prices. Necessary savings will need a cost of living adjustment the way we protect social security pensions.
Goggle Mathew Forstater, Abba Lerner and Function Finance or see http://www.ustaxreform.us/ff.htm
FedEX, UPS are doing just fine.
I have been struggling lately with intelligence v. happiness. (my therapist is putting me in the highly intelligent catergory) I wish I get talk to someone like Bill Maher about this. I know it's possible to be smart and happy, i'm just having a hard time when the people of this world are so crappy.....
The money for health care will come from us which ever way we go, or we will have sub-standard health care with no research and development. There is no magic pot of gold we're not using. It will come in the form of taxes, or it will come from a combination of health insurance companies and us.
We cannot force doctors and nurses to work for free. Nor can we force companies to research and develop new drugs and technology for free, nor can we force them to provide equipment for free. I hear and read quite a bit of complaining, but no solution, unless we all agree that everyone should pay for everyone else, and the government should run all of health care.
But yes, maybe health care should be the first industry in which it's workers are *forced* to work out of the kindness of their hearts.
I have friends in other countries that are happy with their health care, and I have not heard that doctors and nurses are working under duress.
I have experienced health care in Australia and it was great. much more low cost than here. NO big doctor ego trip either. American docs should take note. Check the ego at the door.
No one is suggesting people work for free. We are suggesting that making money from capital investment is misplaced in the health care system.
Where should the money necessary for investment come from? Same place is comes from for anything critical to the national interest, i.e. the public sector.
It's not rocket science.
Well Said!
Your argument is tantamount to "Hey, y'know what'd be cool? Flying cars. Those would be awesome".
Good job, go collect your Emmy.
In that case, the republican argument is tantamount to "You're right, Bill, flying cars would be awesome; But they're too expensive, so let's not even try." Aren't Americans supposed to be able to do anything??
"Americans can do anything.." - Bobby Jindal
And your missing the point of the article.
It is high time for Americans to figure out a way to establish a citizen owned-and-operated health insurance company.....just like credit unions ! ! ! I am sick and tired of BEGGING OUR GOVERNMENT TO DO THE RIGHT THING ! ! ! The Board of Directors of such an organization would consist of people who are absolutely trustworthy......Bill Moyers-types!!! (Wendell Potter, the ex-CEO of Cigna would be terrific....he knows ALL the things to avoid !) We would all share the cost and have full coverage for basic healthcare.
Let's start a dialogue on this....IT IS POSSIBLE ! ! ! !
Maybe we don't need to keep wasting our time wrestling with the LUNATIC FRINGE IN BOTH PARTIES WHO HAVE SOLD THEIR SOULS AND CARE NOTHING ABOUT THE NEEDS OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ! ! !