While I feel this American healthcare bill is important symbolically, I don't feel this, now very watered down, bill is a particularly bold or visionary step. True vision would have seen them reform medicare into a decently efficient public health system that would take over from the currently insurance run system. A bold step would have ensured that women would have the right to make choices about their bodies that weren't based on finances.

At one point in the awful party last night there was a healthcare debate. (oh I forgot to mention that about half of them were Republican, adding to the evening!) The host is the VP of whatever company he works for and told of a true conversation that was had at the last meeting with their insurance provider. One of their employees has colon cancer. The insurance company had run two financial scenarios - one with this employee and one without. And there was an actual discussion about how laying him off would save the company a lot of money - and in this economy easy to justify. Sometimes, this country really makes me ill. I can't fathom a decent, morale society considering this a reasonable discussion.

To end on a lighter note, my Kentucky fellow friend for my birthday gave me my own American HMO plan! It consisted of the following: bandaids, hand sanitizer, Tylenol and dark chocolate. I thought it was brilliant.