Would universal healthcare be worth scrapping America’s checks and balances?

[SolitarySolace]

Hypothetically, suppose the DSA achieved its full agenda: nationwide universal healthcare, abolition of the Senate, replacement of the President and Supreme Court with bodies chosen by and subordinate to Congress, and a rewritten constitution establishing a democratic socialist republic.

That would mean replacing America’s existing separation of powers and checks-and-balances structure with a fundamentally different political system. Would universal healthcare make that trade worthwhile?

I know my answer: absolutely not.

Yes

No

[WhiteSteve]

I mean: my thing is this: a country —any country, not even specifically America— is going to be asking for my allegiance, maybe even to put my life on the line. I live life on my own beat, so the culture surrounding me is of little importance. I’m going to be me, anywhere and everywhere, and nothing external can knock me off my pivot foot.

I can be annoyed by it…. I mean, I CURRENTLY am. But I can ultimately just write these people off as piss poor humans whose eyebrows I wouldn’t piss on if they were on fire, regardless of what flag they wave, and I have. Bad people with bad worldviews and perspectives on fellow humans get no love, no assistance, and no concessions from me, and I will return the hate they put out into the world tenfold. Period. If I have a mission in life going forward, that’s it. Holding people of insanely poor character accountable and just making their lives more difficult in whatever minuscule ways I can til my dying day.

That’s my new passion. Never forget; never forgive. And a whole lot of people have their masks off right now, and I just hope they’re ready to deal with the permanent consequences of that when this ends. And it WILL end, sooner rather than later. And I won’t forget a single unmasked face. Ain’t gonna be no post-Civil War hugging it out, I can tell you that much. It’s on FOR LIFE. The only thing stronger than the love I can give is the capacity I have for hate if you run afoul of goodness and decency.

Anyway, that said…. back to an ask of allegiance from a country, America in this case. If actually showing noble intentions and deeds, I could ride or die for a country. But if you’re just out in the world with an adversarial attitude and other nations are viewed enemies and threats, I have zero time for that stupidity. None of it has to be like that, and it’s our own fault for engaging in it.

And my allegiance is EARNED, not given blindly. I don’t base my assessment of how life is going based on heightened standards of living. I’m cool in a mansion or a shack, I really don’t care. “Having things” and “generating income” isn’t and should never be the point of life. The entire system revolving around that mentality is completely fucked in principle.

My allegiance has to be bought. I don’t even believe in the validity of countries beyond human perception, and human perception plus five bucks will get you a coffee and a donut. This is all a fabricated reality we live in. That’s bigger picture stuff, but can’t be forgotten when we make assessments. So…. if you want me to put on boots and carry a rucksack and a machine gun, putting myself in harm’s way….. that’s gonna cost you a full ride, stem-to-stern. Anything short of that, I’m not risking my life in your defense. That’s a bad deal for me. I’m not getting back anywhere near what I’m being asked to put in. You’re asking me to invest my life savings into a kid’s lemonade stand.

Most civilized countries in the world take care of healthcare for their citizens. The retort is always “but that makes the healthcare bad!” I’m not so sure that’s true; that sounds like something people who stand to lose money with a change in systems would say to influence public opinion. And you know what? I’d rather have C- healthcare available for ALL, then A+ healthcare for SOME. We can’t hold life necessities over people’s heads and force them to work for them. That’s completely immoral and monstrous. That’s not something that should even be up for consideration. No decent society worth its salt has any measure of “sink or swim” built into its societal structure, and I don’t care if it results in more overall prosperity. That’s an absolutely unacceptable concept.

[SolitarySolace]

@WhiteSteve You spent a lot of time explaining why you support universal healthcare, but that wasn’t really the question I asked.

For the sake of the hypothetical, I’m granting you universal healthcare. The question is what you are willing to give up to get it.

Would you accept abolishing the Senate, replacing the existing separation of powers with an executive and judiciary subordinate to Congress, and rewriting the Constitution around a democratic socialist system in exchange for universal healthcare?

Saying you’d rather have “C- healthcare for all than A+ healthcare for some” explains why you value universal healthcare. It doesn’t explain why dismantling constitutional checks and balances would be an acceptable price.

In fact, much of your comment is about distrust of countries, institutions, authority, and blind allegiance. That makes me even more curious why you would be comfortable concentrating political authority into a system with fewer independent checks on power.

So I’m asking the question plainly: Is universal healthcare worth fundamentally restructuring America’s constitutional system—yes or no? If yes, explain why that trade is worth it. If no, then we agree that there are things more important than getting universal healthcare.

[WhiteSteve]

Alright, well, let me put it this way: Americans the last decade or so have really shocked me out of some naive delusions I once held. I think the average American these days is a self-centered, selfish, greedy, blind-spotted, pretty pathetic excuse for a human being. I don’t relish saying that, but you’d be asking me to not believe my lying eyes. It’s to such a degree where I actually trust the U. S. government (Trump’s regime notwithstanding) MORE than John Q. Public. By a long shot. And that’s not to say I hold the U. S. government in that high of a regard. But I rate the average American like a 23 out of 100. That’s not on me. That’s a WELL-earned grade. I don’t fill in the answers on the test; I just evaluate the results. And that’s what I’ve been shown.

Despite that disdain, I still believe everyone should get healthcare taken care of. That’s kind of a moral, has-to-get-done-come-Hell-or-high-water thing, not a sociopolitical debate issue. We’re in a completely unnecessary and ill-advised war that’s causing everything to be more expensive at home, and is costing the American people something like $2B a day for almost a half a year now. WILD spending on totally unnecessary and exorbitant ICE funding. Please, PLEASE, do NOT even fix your mouth to say that we can’t afford universal healthcare.

In 2026, I’m done with and deaf to all the pseudo-intellectualized counter-arguments; miss me with all that by a country mile. I’m sorry, man, I don’t mean to be rude, and this isn’t so much personal as much as it’s broad and a cumulative thing, but our Constitution is being trampled on routinely right now by our executive branch, our legislative branch is derelict in its duty to stymie that, and our judicial branch is willing to overlook it and even assist it pretty often as well. And we know which side of the spectrum controls every component of said current dumpster fire.

[WhiteSteve]

But even if I were to entertain it, I think I just completely reject the premise of the question, because I don’t think constitutional restructuring is any sort of necessary concession, or even a related issue. This would be more along lines of getting out of the destructive Reagan privatization that’s largely to blame for our current economic landscape. I feel like that is the key culprit for “the enshittification of America” as a whole. However much I don’t trust the government pales in how little I trust profit-driven people and their ventures. Truly one of the greatest ills of our world; that’s made itself clear to me in this season of my life.

[exitseven]

No, for one thing, so called universal healthcare would cost a fortune for shitty healthcare. We need checks and balances especially of democrsts ever come back to power to limit the damage that they could do,

[Kingofkings1992]

The US has the world's most expensive healthcare for the worst health outcomes. Why does the thought of actually getting something for your tax dollars make you angry?

[exitseven]

@Kingofkings1992 if the Healthcare is so bed why do the rich people from all o er the world come to the US if they gave a serious problem? Why not go to Brazil?

[Kingofkings1992]

@exitseven LOL. They don't. It's actually Americans who are going elsewhere to get their care. You are just clueless to reality

[exitseven]

@Kingofkings1992 All the oil sheiks and multi millionaires come to the US when they need an heart transplant or if they get cancer. People go to Brazil to get a butt implant

[OlderAndWiser]

Not in a hundred jillion years!

[BadApple69]

They can do none of the things they promise without totally ripping up the constitution. And that is ultimately what they want to do. Communists can’t work if the people have rights. They will promise you the moon if you will let them shred that worthless old document.
After it’s done…. No constitution and no moon.
Globalists: you will own nothing and you’ll be happy.
That is until you speak out about something you don’t like. Then you’ll be dealt with….
As for you all who studied gender studies in collage, well, the DSA has enough of those so you’ll be picking crops or cleaning out chicken coops for your basic living wage you were promised. Complain too much and they might forget to deposit your living wage this month. You won’t complain the next month.
Healthcare can be affordable if you get the government out of it.
Trump suggested transparency at hospitals and doctors offices where you can see what it’ll cost to have something done.
Do you know if you pay cash it’s cheaper at the doctors? Yes they mark up the bill very high before they send it to the insurance company. It’s all a game. So you want cheaper health insurance then we need to make everything transparent.

[MrChinaski]

Australia spends about USD $7500 per person on universal health care. The US almost spends $15,000 per person on health care. Australia has higher life expectancy. And the Australian system is not unusual. Similar results are achieved across other developed countries; the USA is the global outlier.

What could you be doing with $7500 per year more to spend on other things? Would you care if you paid, say, $2000 a year more tax to save $7500 in health care costs, each and every year forever?

[SeekerOfTruth007]

Every time democrats come into power, they tax the hell out of everything and try to force people to buy into technologies that absolutely do not work.

Joe Biden tried to force Americans to buy electric autos, and forced the auto companies to manufacture tens of millions of the things, and nobody bought them because they are too expensive and do not work. So the auto companies each lost 15 to 20 billion dollars. They should be able to sue the Democrat party for the balance, because they told the democrats ahead of time that it did not work that way, but they were forced by then democrat President and then democrat controlled Congress to do that.

We are not going back to the Democrat party. I swear to God if it takes a civil war, we are not going back to their unscientific and godless crap again.

[jshm2]

LOL, America has NO real checks and balances - Trump proved it's all an act.

America is the only country in the world that has no healthcare, only health businesses.

So called "universal healthcare" would bring America into the 21st century.

[BonzoInBitburg]

The US spends more per person on healthcare than any other country in the world. More than double most western countries with universal healthcare spend so it could easily be done if the US government would manage it's money better. If you don't want universal healthcare, spending per person should be about half of what other western countries with universal healthcare spend.

[DryGermanGuy]

Maybe you should talk with someone and get help, before you develop massive Democrats derangement syndrome?

[SolitarySolace]

@DryGermanGuy Calling criticism “derangement” is not an argument. The DSA openly advocates abolishing the Senate, restructuring the presidency and Supreme Court, and replacing the current constitutional order. Go check their agenda page yourself. No account needed. Address those proposals instead of pretending concern about them is irrational.

[DryGermanGuy]

Posting about them all day, every day is irrational. Considering that the DNC establishment denied Bernie Sanders his chances, the probability of this DSA agenda playing a larger role in a future Democratic platform is small. So how about taking a chill-pill and check back when the 2028 Democratic primaries are starting up?

[SolitarySolace]

@DryGermanGuy I’ll “check back in 2028” when you and your friends stop posting about Trump every day. You won’t, because you believe his movement deserves constant scrutiny. I believe the same about the DSA. You do not get to obsess over one political movement while demanding silence about another.

[DryGermanGuy]

Trump is in power so his actions are tangible, especially in negative ways. This whole "DSA taking over everything" fantasy is not even worth being called a pie in the sky. And nothing much of it will remain in 2028.

[DryGermanGuy]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0xaUlhwjj0

[Kaneki05]

Majority of Americans agree and support, want universal healthcare if America, therefore everything else is just bureaucratic excuses to ignore American citizens...

[Kaneki05]

in* America

[darkcloud1945]

Just look at what Obamacare did for us when it was enacted: premiums up 100%, services down about 50%, and premium increases every year and fewer medical procedures available. YEAH, government healthcare really works. Something to think about: how well it doesn't work. The government gave itself FREE HEALTH CARE AND GREAT RETIREMENT and a side of insider trading to help make them millionaires in 4 years.

[Kaneki05]

@darkcloud1945 Odd how I've never had a problem with healthcare in England never paid one penny for it ain't it? And I had a lot of problems so ya know not as if I was just in perfect health.

[darkcloud1945]

England [apples] America [oranges]

[Kaneki05]

@darkcloud1945 Yeah and the reason America is an orange is due to bureaucratic excuses, they're more wealthy and in a better position to supply healthcare than we are yet they on purpose botch the idea and make excuses rather than listen to the people.
If you really don't think they can do it if they wanted to then you've successfully bought into exactly what they want you to think. And ironically you complain about Obamacare, and such which ya know was done on purpose to make it seem like such healthcare would never work yet.. anyone living in a country with Universal Healthcare can tell you it does work.
And no of course its not perfect but it does work.

[darkcloud1945]

Just look at our northern neighbor's government healthcare, and they are coming down to the Lower 48 for services that take them a year or a year and a half to get in their country. It is working soooo well in their country with 1/4 of our population; now add a couple hundred million more people [citizens] plus 20 or 30 million illegal aliens who contribute nothing. Tell me how this is going to work. USA 350 million, Merry Old England about 35 million, maybe more or less. Plus our Democrats love fraud to the tune of hundreds of billions of dollars; they line their pockets with.

[Kaneki05]

@darkcloud1945 Just the same way it works with anything else the government spends billions on, ya know how much the government wastes? Whether it be them ignoring fraud or polices that don't benefit everyday citizens, or any other bureaucratic reason.
Maybe one day you'll realize the whole government does that not just blaming democrats, but republicans to trump love wasting money on things that don't help you as a regular citizen but themselves.
The wealth class rule and they support themselves, and love to hide millions to billions of money that could be used for something better.
Ya really need to open your eyes if you don't think this is true, and the only way to oppose it is to try hold more accountability not less by deflecting and agreeing 'Oh its impossible anyway.' they'd love you, and want more to be like you. Then they can go further and say 'Raising wages is also impossible, or 'Getting rid of illegals is so we have to keep them', to whatever else they want to lie about.
None of it is impossible the government has vast power, resources and ability to control polices and law the only reason something isn't working is because the design intention for it was to fail.

The only opposite theory to this would be the government is ran by all idiots, leading to every problem and nobody can solve it cause idiots run everything.
But if true how has the country progressed so far? And we really aren't going to expect the smartest ones to rig the system for themselves and be on top?

[Dargil]

Who pays for universal healthcare? Trillionaires (Musk)? Billionaires? Millionaires (most blue state liberals who own homes? Blue collar guys? You?

[strateguy632]

musk offered to pay airport security tsa' during a budget problem! amazing. but also only willingly not just say 'from rich can steal'.

[Dargil]

Nothing is free. Somebody pays for it.

[sage2021]

OMG! What is our future going to be like? I shutter to even think about it.

[NaultD]

We would save money with a single payer health care.

[Smegskull]

Who is "we"?

[NaultD]

@Smegskull all of usa. By

@SolitarySolace. Those extreme changes are to rebalance checks and balances. There's also an extreme political power to do so.

Like Prohibition took a mountain of political power to pass but was deemed a failure soon after.

Do a lot of changes need to be done with the senate? Absolutely.

[msc545]

Thanks To the right wing, we literally have no checks and balances now and clearly do not have universal health care.

[SolitarySolace]

False, we absolutely still have checks and balances. You’re lying. Also, we don’t need fucking universal health care

[Anonymous]

We increase capital gains tax from Amazon and other rich companies not a pay check from america.

[Surely]

The US would be like in the movie Mad Max! Better have lots of little round and pointed precious metals at your disposal!

[Anonymous]

You see the Medicaid and Medicare fraud and still people who can't afford it going without healthcare, how would “universal healthcare” be any better?

[Snakeyes7]

The government sees you as nothing but ants. They couldn't give less of a shit whether you live or die.

[fishbone77]

what happened to protecting democracy?

[SolitarySolace]

🤷🏻‍♂️ They were never for protecting democracy. The ones actually attempting to protect our election integrity has been Trump and the republicans

[fishbone77]

indeed.

[strateguy632]

brilliant! you exposed the lies. and hypocrisy. 👍🥇

[ThisSiteSux]

Checks and balances is worth sacrificing every last DSA member

[Anonymous]

You would be recreating the parliamentary democracy...
May as well re-unify with England.

[Just_Ken]

You'd end up like Venezuela or cuba.

[darkcloud1945]

We will soon be following them to the poorhouse with government health care like OBAMACARE whitch the Communist Party here wants, like Cuba and China. The DPRK and Russia have, and it has never worked in the hundred years Communism has been around.

[strateguy632]

those vetoes are critical. can't trade.

[Anonymous]

No I don't think so

[ericJackson]

Oh no