US government gives free healthcare to Peru

[Bronco Bob]

47 million American citizens not so lucky:


Bush, Chavez, Castro Wield Scalpels in Fight for Latin America


Bill Faries
Wed Sep 19, 12:15 AM ET

Sept. 19 (Bloomberg) -- The latest battle for influence in Latin America is pitting the U.S. Navy's medical corps against brigades of Cuban and Venezuelan doctors.


President George W. Bush, eager to limit fallout from congressional delays in approving trade deals with Peru, Panama and Colombia, has dispatched the U.S. Naval Ship Comfort to the region. With 12 operating rooms and a 1,000-bed hospital, the converted oil tanker has performed about 180,000 free surgeries and exams since June.

The U.S. health offensive is designed to blunt the influence of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and Cuban President Fidel Castro, both of whom provide free medical care in Latin America and the Caribbean, often subsidized by Venezuelan oil proceeds. Cuba also builds clinics and hospitals and trains foreign medical students in a six-year curriculum at the Latin American School of Medicine in Havana.

Skeptics say the Comfort's port calls won't substantially enhance America's influence in the hemisphere. ``It's hard for the U.S. to compete with Cuba and Venezuela in this way,'' said Peter Hakim, president of the Inter-American Dialogue, a policy- research group in Washington. ``It makes us look like we're trying to imitate them. Cuba's doctors aren't docked at port for a couple days but are in the country for years.''

U.S. officials counter that the Comfort's mission ``is a very visible way to demonstrate our commitment to America's friends and neighbors,'' Undersecretary of State Karen Hughes said in a telephone interview.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/bloomberg/20...g/ajmymowrrm5u

[Garcia Bronco]

It's not even the same thing BB.

[Rohirrim]

I think Michael Moore should load up a cruise ship full of poor, uninsured Americans, sail them down there, and get them some treatment.

[Spider]

free health care for another country but our own .........

[Garcia Bronco]

It's not free health care for another country and wouldn't even come close to the financial burden that would be placed on taxpayers. Come on now.

[Bronco Bob]

Originally Posted by Garcia Bronco

It's not free health care for another country and wouldn't even come close to the financial burden that would be placed on taxpayers. Come on now.

True. American taxpayers are ultimately funding it. I guess to the
Bushies it's much better the citizens of Peru, Belize, Guatemala, Panama,
El Salvador, Ecuador, Nicaragua,Colombia, Trinidad, Tobago, Guyana,
Suriname and Haiti get US taxpayer funded health care than some
woman dying of cancer in Alabama. Aren't making some lame attempt
to show up Chavez and Castro by helping Americans, so who cares
about her? The only time Bushies care about Americans dying is
when they want to use it as an excuse to go to war.

[Spider]

Originally Posted by Garcia Bronco

It's not free health care for another country and wouldn't even come close to the financial burden that would be placed on taxpayers. Come on now.

a budy of mine wife just had back surgery ......100,000.00 he sure could have used that free surgery and exam ....... maybe you care to tell him that Peru isnt getting free healthcare from the USA

[Garcia Bronco]

Originally Posted by Bronco Bob

True. American taxpayers are ultimately funding it. I guess to the
Bushies it's much better the citizens of Peru, Belize, Guatemala, Panama,
El Salvador, Ecuador, Nicaragua,Colombia, Trinidad, Tobago, Guyana,
Suriname and Haiti get US taxpayer funded health care than some
woman dying of cancer in Alabama. Aren't making some lame attempt
to show up Chavez and Castro by helping Americans, so who cares
about her? The only time Bushies care about Americans dying is
when they want to use it as an excuse to go to war.

Did you read the article. It states that it's to grease the wheels to gain a source of revenue. There is ROI here from a trade perspective. When you and Spider get back from everything is Bush's fault land you'll realize that people die. It's an unforunate truth of reality in our physical universe. The notion that the President is the cause of it all is just stupid. And I know you guys aren't stupid.