Friday, April 10, 2020

Music Friday with Alicia Keys

A song for our times. How you doing out there?



On a completely different note, Fran Lebowitz is wickedly smart and wildly funny. Here is part of an interview with her. "Medicare for All—which used to be called socialized medicine—is something that, of course, can be done. They have it all over Europe. Can it be done quickly in this country? No. But it’s an absurd idea that hospitals should be businesses. People say, “If you love your health insurance”—who is that? Who loves their health insurance? No one really wants health insurance. People want health care. It’s, like, no one wants car insurance. They want a car."

I've been thinking about this during the pandemic. So many have lost their jobs, and for most Americans, the ability to access health care is through their jobs where they pay for employer based health insurance. Now, not only have they lost their jobs, they've lost their insurance. I've always been so grateful for my employer based insurance, which carried over into my retirement. I've also been skeptical that in this country we could bust up the health insurance industry and embark on socialized medicine. I wonder if the nation will change it's collective mind now that people have lost their insurance as they lose their jobs. This seems an insanity to me. We could do it, if we had the will. Would it be a difficult task? Of course. Those who profit off the insurance and medical industries will fight it to their last breath. But one of the biggest errors that is being exposed by this pandemic is the lack of health care for all. I want this to begin a serious national conversation about the issue. Would Joe carry the torch? Be well. Stay safe. Hang in there.

9 comments:

  1. Definitely a song for our times.

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  2. We loved listening to that. Creative people are definitely helping us get through this crazy time. I want Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders to come out together on one stage ten feet apart and talk about Medicare For All. It's time. We're all in this together. Stay safe and healthy there, Tara.

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    1. After my scare yesterday, I'm feeling better today. No body aches at all, but still stuffy and a little tiny sinus headache. Started taking my allergy pills!

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  3. Wow I hadn't realised that health insurance was tied directly to jobs in the US Tara. No wonder things are in such a mess. Does that leave the unemployed without health care at all?

    It is frustratingly ironic that everything in Australia was cruising along to the tune of the LNP's 'less government' and privatisation agenda until *bang* - something goes seriously wrong (cue 'the virus'). Suddenly everyone is a bloody socialist. Where are the government? We need the government to provide us with health care, unemployment benefits, to bail out our airlines etc etc. I'm actually really angry with my fellow Australians who have sat back and watched the current government systematically dismantle our social and national programs. If they start developing amnesia once this virus is gone I will be out there reminding them ad infinitum/nauseum.

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    1. yes, here in the U.S. the majority of people with health insurance get it through their employer. I stayed at the university for many years for the sole purpose of keeping my insurance. I don't know what people are doing with the insurance -- I suppose if you need medical care you just bite the bullet and pay out of pocket. But many put off care and medications because they can't pay. It's truly awful.

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  4. As someone said, we are all socialists now. Did you see Alicia Keys has a new book out? More Myself is the title. It debuted last week as a bestseller, right out the gate.

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    1. Yes! I saw that about her book. I really love the trajectory of her professional life -- she could have gone the way of so many popular performers, but she responded to her heart and did it her way.

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