Since we reconnected to cable TV last winter, I haven’t been watching much PBS, which we used to get off of our antennae. Too bad. I just got in the mail the PBS Home Video catalogue, and it reminded me that Ken Burns’ series The National Parks: America’s Best Idea begins this Sunday. I’ve set my DVR to record the series.
The catalogue also reminded me of the Frontline documentary "Sick Around the World," in which journalist J.R. Reid “visits six capitalist democracies—France, Germany, Japan, Switzerland, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom—for their ideas about medicine and its delivery to the public. . . .” I watched this program some time ago, well before the election and Obama’s health care initiative, and it made a profound impression on me, convincing me that designing a universal health care system that would best serve American needs really isn’t all that complicated. A well-chosen Blue Ribbon Panel, with a modest budget and competent staff, could do it in a year, as I’ve argued here earlier.
I’d like to order the video and make Congress all watch it together, with no Blackberries, twittering or naps allowed, and then vote yes on the panel’s recommendation within one year or lose their own health insurance. Since I can’t do that, I’ll only say here that I strongly recommend seeing it, and you can order it for $25 from shopPBS.org. I’m going to order the companion "Sick Around America," which I haven’t seen yet and which I expect will be less encouraging.
Btw, I’ve just noticed that my spell check in the new version of Word wants to change Obama to Osama. NOW I understand why people are getting so confused.
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