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That healthcare should be a right to all Americans.

(PRO)
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(CON)
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HartleroadmHartleroadm (PRO)
In the United States Constitution, it says "...unalienable rights that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." In the preamble of the constitution it says, "to promote the general welfare" when describing the purpose of the constitution. Representative Dennis Kucinich of Ohio said that healthcare is a genuine function of the government. On July 28, 2004, Representative Kucinich said, "The solution to the nation’s health care problem is not to deny members of Congress health care coverage. It’s to make sure every American has the access to quality health care, and the only way to do that is for Congress to pass a bill that would provide for universal not-for-profit health care for all Americans."

On Dec. 10, 1948 48 countries, including the US signed the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Stating, “everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of oneself and one’s family, including… medical care.” It completely baffles me how our nation signed a document agreeing that healthcare is a right, but we still don't even provide it to all citizens.

This issue is not about democrat vs. republican or left vs. right. It is about the American people's health and safety.
Return To Top | Posted:
2020-10-27 03:32:37
| Speak Round
sunbrightsunbright (CON)
 When we talk about this topic, I believe that we must take three important problems into consideration.
 First is that financial sources of healthcare comes from the taxes paid by American people. Therefore, it must be used properly to 
meet the demand for many people who receive healthcare.  The important thing is that if the taxes would not be used for public good like building infrastructure and developing clean energy project, anti-social movement or social unrest might take place. 
 Second is that the U.S. government faces serious financial deficit originating in huge defense spending and economic crisis caused by the Coronavirus-19 pandemic. This triggered the drastic decrease in corporate tax and income tax coming into the government. The reason is that many companies went bankruptcy and many people have lost their jobs since March in 2020.
  For example, ` `  in June alone, the federal government`  s 864 billion dollars budget deficit was larger than the deficit in all of fiscal
2017` ` .  1)   
  Third is that there are many illegal immigrants in the U.S. today.  The important thing is that we must pay attention to how they exert the harmful effect on the healthcare.  `  `  According to a paper published in the journal Health Affairs, illegal immigrants between the age of 18-64 consumed about 1.1 billion dollars in government healthcare benefits in 2006 -about 0.13 percent of the approximately 867 billion dollars in government healthcare expenditures that year. That` s a fraction of the cost that would be imposed on American taxpayers by extending nationalized healthcare to all illegal immigrants.`   `  2) 
 Alex Nowrasteh argues that `  `  we do not already pay for their health care just because some illegal immigrants visit emergency 
rooms at government expense.`  `  3)    `  `  In a 2017 poll, 28 percent of Americans agreed with the statement that immigrants  detracts from our character and weakens the United States because it puts too many burdens on government services.` `  4)
 
And Nowrasteh emphasizes that `  `  I` d expect that poll result to worsen if new immigrants, especially illegal immigrants, were put on government health care program.`  `  5)   The important thing is that `  `  American taxpayers should not to have to pay for the health care costs of other Americans, let alone for non-citizens.`  `  6)  
The urgent problem concerning the health care in America today is to prevent the Coronavirus-19 pandemic from spreading further into many parts of the country and from threatening the life of many American people. Therefore, public money should be used to overcome this serious situation.  
 From above arguments, I believe that the healthcare should not be be a right to all Americans.

      Sources: 1) Socialism is no longer lurking in the shadows, by George F.Will , The Japan Times, October 26, 2020
                      2),3),4),5),6)  https://www.cato.org          
 
           
Return To Top | Posted:
2020-10-31 00:07:02
| Speak Round
Cross-Examination
Hartleroadm: Of 33 first world, developed countries, the United States is the only one without free healthcare. Can you explain how many other countries with similar economies to the United States can afford free healthcare, but the richest country in the world cannot?
Return To Top | Speak Round
HartleroadmHartleroadm (PRO)

I did not receive a cross-examination question, so I will continue the debate by first re-asking my cross-examination question. I asked, “Of 33 first world, developed countries, the United States is the only one without free healthcare. Can you explain how many other countries with similar economies to the United States can afford free healthcare, but the richest country in the world cannot?”


Like I said in my cross-examination question, The United States is one of 33 first world countries that does not provide healthcare. I did have to look a bit to find where you were getting your evidence from, but I think I found it. It says that, In June alone, the federal government’s $864 billion budget deficit was larger than the deficit in all of fiscal 2017. And fiscal 2018. In eight years, the Reagan administration almost tripled the national debt, to $2.9 trillion, but that sum is less than Congress has increased the debt in the past nine months. Because both parties have a powerful permanent incentive to disburse more current government services than current revenues will fund, the pre-pandemic deficit in fiscal 2019 was already almost $1 trillion — at full employment, with 2.3% gross domestic product growth.” The way I read this was that the United States has $864 billion of debt. I looked through this entire article, and never found a mention of healthcare or of medicare, and I would gladly argue any day that our current legislation and president are contributing to the failure in Covid-19. President Trump has undoubtedly done a bad job with the pandemic, starting when he removed the epidemic task force.


You stated (still coming from the same source), “In a 2017 poll, 28 percent of Americans agreed with the statement that immigrants detracts from our character and weakens the United States because it puts too many burdens on government services.” I would also like to point out that in a CNN poll done in 2015 said that 57% of the United States saw the confederate flag as southern pride, and not a sign of racism. At the end of the day, I really do not 1.) believe that you can use 28% of the population as a good piece of information, and 2.) that in 2015 57% of the population did not see the confederate flag as a racist icon. In a country where racism is so prominent, I have a hard time seeing any of that as valid information.


At the end of the day, I believe that you should have used a better, more unbiased source for your information, and I do not think it is valid enough, and doesn’t actually answer the question at hand.


Here is the link I believe you used for your source. I was not 100% sure because there was no full link: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2020/10/25/commentary/world-commentary/socialism-no-longer-just-specter/


Return To Top | Posted:
2020-11-05 08:03:44
| Speak Round
sunbrightsunbright (CON)
 Before presenting my arguments for Round 2, I try to answer your question. As you know, the U.S. is the richest country in the world. However, unfortunately the health care is not free. What causes this situation?
 I believe that the social rule which places the highest value on the individual rights and responsibility plays decisive role in American society. ` `  Individual rights refer to the liberties of each individual to pursue life and goals without interference from other individuals or the government.` `  1)     As a result, winners and losers in competition among people emerge. 
 Therefore, people who earn higher wages can get better and higher quality medical care. They can pay for health insurance by withdrawing from their saving account if necessary.   On the contrary, people who earn less wages are compelled to get poor or less medical care.  Furthermore, unfortunately there are many people who can` not get enough health care like illegal immigrants or the unemployed people. Facing this dire situation, they are dissatisfied with the society. Therefore, some of them take the street to ask for life support toward the government.  
 For example, `  `  between 2018 and 2019, the percentage of people without health insurance coverage decreased in one state and increased in 19 states.`  `  2)      Looking at Europe, people in Germany can get very reasonable free health care.    

           Sources:  1)  https://www. learningtogive.org.
                            2)  Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2019,   https://www.census.gov.         

   Following is  My arguments for Round 2.
  It seems to me that Pro should present a number of reasons the health care should be a right to all Americans.
  I believe that most important thing is that those who do not pay tax are not eligible for receiving the health care. 
Therefore, for example, not only illegal immigrants but homeless people should be excluded from the right to receive health care. These days American people are becoming very sensitive toward how tax is used and distributed and how much rate is levied on tax payers. Let me present one example.  ``  `  In most American states, the distribution of taxation is actually regressive. 　   
Those who earn less money pay a higher share of income than the rich in state and local taxes. Voters in Illinois and Arizona, two of the states where taxation is most regressive, now have the chance to make the tax system a little more fair.`  `  1)
 And `  `  In California, where the overall distribution of taxation is already progressive, voters can make a change for the better.`  `  2)  
   Judie Borowski argues that `  `  bad ideas have bad consequences. The idea that health care is a right has led to more government involvement in health care. Government now pays for more than 50 percent of all health care costs in the United States. 
In order to stop government control and increase freedom, Americans must reject the idea of so-called positive rights.`  `   3) 
  
`  `  People in the country illegally are generally barred from enrolling in Medicaid or Medicare.`  `  4) 
 `  `  According to the Pew Research Center, in 2017 there were about 10.5 million undocumented immigrants in the United States.`  `  5)    
   In early November in 2020, new U.S. president has been elected. But until January 2021, `  `  America First`  `  policy will continue under the leadership of President Trump.   
Harsh reality is that the U.S. must embrace health care disparities reflecting America First policy. 
 From above arguments, I believe that health care should not be a right to all Americans.

        Sources:   1),2) Say yes to fairer taxation, The New York Times International Edition, October30,2020. 
                          3) Health care is not a right, https://www.freedomworks.org.
                          4),5) What would giving health care to undocumented immigrants mean ? https://www.nytimes.com.
Return To Top | Posted:
2020-11-09 00:42:30
| Speak Round
Cross-Examination
Hartleroadm: I never said that people who don't pay tax should receive this service. I believe that it should be available to all taxpayers. Your main reason is that illegal immigrants would make the whole system not work. Now that I have explained this, what are some reasons, other than illegal immigrants, that you believe makes health care not a right to all?
Return To Top | Speak Round


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aprilpal33aprilpal33
healthcare is perfect things
Posted 2020-11-11 22:48:57
HartleroadmHartleroadm
Con, I cannot post my argument for round 2, and I am waiting for your response to the cross examination.
Posted 2020-11-03 06:18:41
sunbrightsunbright
Pro,I expect your argument for round 2.
Posted 2020-11-02 12:12:48
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Healthcare: the maintenance or improvement of health via the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, recovery, or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in people.