Rash

day 30: googly
Originally uploaded by estherase

So today I woke up with my eyes dry and flaking, with an angry red rash at my elbows and with the urge to scratch until bleed. It's really annoying as I know that all I need is a decent steroid cream and the whole thing will be fine. But being the US I need insurance clearance, a doctor's referal and a note from a specialist. All of which takes time and money and energy. Oh for 'socialized medicine'

Of course socialized medicine is one of the big "It's communism!" no-nos here in the US. Never mind that the US is slipping down the health leagues and that close to 1 in 6 people have no coverage ---> the thought of state control of the system fills people with horror and has lobbyists shaking in their tassled loafers.

Of course nobody minds 'socialized firegfighters' or 'socialized elementary school teachers' - it's just the medicine bit that frightens. Which is a crying shame. Especially for those who spend their lives in fear of illness and the bills that it might bring.

Now lots of the people running for president are paying lip-service to health but they're also being funded by the healthcare and insurance company industries (at least those with enough money to win are anyway) so the chance of real change is slight.

And "change" is the word of 2008 so far. Hillary is a proven agent of change. Obama hopes for change. Romney changes positions on change every 20 mins. You're either an agent for change driven by a personal agenda or you're dead in the water. Even Guilliani (the man who pretty much destroyed the nightclub scene in NYC with his dancing regulations and who placed the command centre for disaster response in the world trade center despite cries not to do it) is now an agent of change.

It's ridiculous. It's as though the electorate are bums and the people we have to choose from are offering loose coins. I for one am for the status quo - until the Bloomberg - Schwartzenegger challenge - at which point I'm for the billionaire and the nazi groper