Altman Pt. 1

The main think that I really noticed in the first part of Power, Politics, and Universal Healthcare was that it truly came in that order. Those in politics with the most power, like Ted Kennedy and Richard Nixon, were not only politicians in leadership positions, but they held tremendous power and had a strong following of supporters. Next came politics before healthcare. It's a sad truth that a lot of progress we hope for and wish to see is held back by the politics behind the legislature. And not in the sense of actual politics, but in terms of Liberal/Conservative balances, concerns about support groups and funding, and worries about future candidacy. I think one of the hardest challenges that come ups when trying to find a suitable universal healthcare system is the drastic differences in incomes and cost of living across America. While many people will agree that healthcare costs are inconceivable and there should be some way that Americans should be able to pay a reasonable fee for solid coverage, there are just far too many people who simply cannot even pay that fee. It is those people that usually need help the most, as they are already more prone to violence and do not have the same access to preventative care and healthy lifestyles. The complications of having such a vast country with different needs under one system is too difficult for so many politicians to all benefit from, and therefore agree on.