Pamela, I think the healthcare issue goes way beyond just the usual corporate profit protection, pay for play political game. Look at how polarized the nation has become over just this issue alone. Look at how many people *don't*believe that the healthcare issue is really about healthcare insurance industry profit protection.
We truly are a nation of idiots. We deserve Rush Limbaugh, Sarah Palin, and Pat Robertson. Model that, if you like. The agents in the individual based simulation won't need much sophistication. --Doug On Sun, Feb 14, 2010 at 8:00 AM, Pamela McCorduck <[email protected]> wrote: > When Kennedy envisioned going to the moon, no lobby existed to fight > ferociously for the sole right to take the profits from going to the moon, > and the sole right to decide who gets to go. > > If you read the not-very-deep subtext in this fight, you will see that it's > not about giving better healthcare to Americans (which we desperately need) > but about protecting the enormous profits of the healthcare insurance > industry. It's dressed up in "right to choose," and "privacy between doctor > and patient," and "keep the government out of medical care," but it's really > about profit protection. From several different and reliable sources (one of > them a congressional candidate) I have heard that since early last summer, > the insurance and pharmaceuticals industries have been spending over $1 > million per day on lobbying. It continues. You can do the arithmetic. > > The media regularly reports on how much better, cheaper, and more effective > medical plans are all around the developed world. It doesn't penetrate $1 > million-plus per day. > > > > On Feb 13, 2010, at 3:55 PM, Jochen Fromm wrote: > > Where does all this whining about health care >> come from? Everyone in Germany has a health >> insurance, it is obligatory. There is general >> agreement here that the European (and esp. >> the German) health care system is better >> and more social than the one in the US. >> The USA obviously needs a better health care >> system. Where is the American optimism and >> the "i believe we can do it" spirit? I've heard >> that optimism and positive thinking is a typical >> American attitude. >> >> America is lacking a vision, something like >> Kennedy's vision to bring a man to the moon >> and back. Military and NASA won't do it >> this time. A vision or a common dream which >> would foster technological innovation. Schmidt >> mentioned "renewable energy" and green >> technology. What about a clean L.A. with >> fresh air? A large scale scientific initiative >> to create the first AI would be another one. >> America would have the resources to do it, it >> has the companies with the largest data centers. >> It should be proud of Google, Microsoft, >> Amazon, and Apple. It is difficult to understand >> why it disputes about health care so long. >> >> -J. >> >> ----- Original Message ----- From: Roger Critchlow >> To: The Friday Morning Applied Complexity Coffee Group >> Sent: Saturday, February 13, 2010 6:54 PM >> Subject: Re: [FRIAM] Sources of Innovation >> >> [...] We're too busy defending ourselves from hedge fund vampires and >> health care ghouls to worry about growth. Say what you will about the >> undead, they steal their profits fair and square and invest them in the rule >> of law. >> >> >> ============================================================ >> FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv >> Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College >> lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org >> >> >
============================================================ FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org
