Health Care, Swine, and Obama

Obama today said:
“One thing is clear — our capacity to deal with a public health challenge of this sort rests heavily on the work of our scientific and medical community, and this is one more example of why we cannot allow our nation to fall behind, and that's exactly what's happening”(1&4)
He's also said this about scientific research in America: “make scientific decisions based on facts, not ideology.” (2)
It's important to note that when he made this first comment, there were 20 or fewer documented cases of swine Flu in the U.S., while there were 1500 cases in Mexico, and about 100 deaths (in Mexico) from the disease. (3&4)

Why is Obama bringing up our nation "Falling Behind"? He's already gone all over the world talking about America's shortcomings, and now he's saying that we're falling behind? LOOK AT THE STATS BUD. When he said that, there were 5 times a many deaths in Mexico from this disease than there were entire cases in the U.S. We're falling behind? Behind who? He has consistently painted a negative picture of America since he's been in office. "I know my country has not perfected itself. At times, we've struggled to keep the promise of liberty and equality for all of our people. We've made our share of mistakes, and there are times when our actions around the world have not lived up to our best intentions." (5) And then proceeded to talk about how much he loved America. Why does he talk junk about us then talk about how great we are? Does no one realize that he went all over the world saying these things? "I'm sorry about America....about Bush....yada yada yada." And today apparently we're way behind on things. You want things based on facts Mr. President? Not "ideology" as you yourself said? So if our country is so "behind" and his socialized healthcare is going to save America, explain this to me:

Why do British kids (who have socialized healthcare, and is a favorite example of Liberals) have to come here for certain Cancer treatments that we're pioneering if we're "behind"? (6) Why do some British patients have to wait a full year just to see a specialist? (7) They're having disasters in the emergency rooms because of government regulated 4 hour laws (7). I was watching the news about a week ago, and a British congressman was on there talking about a problem in England, that some of their best Doctors leave to come here, because of healthcare competition. He was pleading the U.S. not to turn to a socialized healthcare system because of the havoc it had caused in the UK. Why do we have a massive problem with illegal immigrants crossing the border to get into our hospitals? (8) (Which is another topic altogether, the strain illegal immigrants are putting on our healthcare)

So just to get things straight, you want science based on facts? Then don't talk crap about our country's scientific advancements, when we're clearly the envy of countries for our healthcare and medicine. And next time you say our country's "Behind" wait until we're actually "behind" someone else. I don't see any Americans running into Mexico to get into a hospital, or rushing to the UK to wait for a year to see a specialist.


(1) http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0409/21745.html
(2) http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0409/21580.html
(3) http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Press-Briefing-On-Swine-Influenza-4/26/09/
(4) http://www.latimes.com/la-na-obama-science28-2009apr28,0,6382080.story
(5) http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/24/us/politics/24text-obama.html?pagewanted=4&_r=1&sq=obama%20berlin%20speech&st=cse&scp=2
(6)Daily Telegraph (London) Jan. 23, 2007 Tom Leonard "British Cancer boy needs..."
(7)Daily Mail (London) Dec. 21, 2006 Daniel Martin "A&E Patients Left in Ambulances..."
(8)http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17760618/