Shut up Giuliani

By Ben Cohen

Former mayor of New York Rudolph Giuliani has just announced his presidential proposal for Health care. Rejecting universal coverage for Americans, Giuliani has offered a free market system based on people having more control over their plans.

"Government cannot take care of you. You've got to take care of yourself," he said. "As more of us do that, the cheaper it will become and the higher in quality it becomes."

So apparently, the idea is that as more people buy insurance, insurance companies lower their prices. This would be possible by giving families a $15,000 tax break to pay for it.

The plan is so ridiculous it is hardly worth discussing. Given the fact that 20% of the population make under $18,500 and 10%, (that's 30 million people) make under $10,500, the tax break means absolutely nothing to those who need it most.

Has Giuliani not been paying attention to the disastrous effects of the free market on the health care system? For the past 30 years, U.S health care has fallen to pieces under market 'liberalization', thanks to the notion that health is a privilege, not a right.

There is no need to go in to the shocking statistics about the U.S system, as most ordinary Americans already know it from their day to day experiences.

Along with his gung ho foreign policy rhetoric, Giuliani is truly out of touch with where most people stand on the issues. In essence, Giuliani is offering a more dangerous alternative to the Bush Administration, given the fact he can actually formulate sentences. If he thinks the U.S is on the right course, that it's health care system is just fine and dandy, and more war is the answer to peace in the Middle East, he will have a rude awakening when faced with an increasingly aware electorate.

Running for President off one good speech delivered after 9/11, Giuliani is about as redundant a politician as you are likely to find. He has nothing new to say, nothing new to offer, and nothing worth listening to.

So, Rudolph, it's time to change your political philosophy or just shut up. END