Listen here: Healthcare reform with political blogger Avedon Carol
Avedon is a passionate progressive blogger at The Sideshow. She was a vocal critic of President Bush, and is no great fan of Obama either. We talked about why she thinks the current healthcare proposal is a massive ripoff of the American people.
“He’s got a terrible plan because he’s putting insurance companies first,” Avedon said. She makes a case for the U.S. instituting a government-run healthcare system like Britain (where she lives), which she says is less expensive, more efficient, and delivers better care.
Avedon demolishes arguments that national healthcare would violate healthcare companies’ private property. “It’s not their property. It’s our health. They’re not entitled to our money.” She notes that the Founders were great proponents of government run public services: Jefferson was most proud of founding a public university, and Franklin founded the Post Office. The Constitution says the government’s job is to protect the public welfare, not private commerce.
We also talked about 9/11 hysteria, whether high-fructose corn syrup and aspartame are bad for you (she’s convinced they are, I’m skeptical), her career as a Second Life stripper, and why the nation that invented the deep-fried Mars Bar still manages to be less obese and healthier than Americans.
Avedon Carol in pictures
