...and Jack came tumbl'ng aftera tumblelog

The stock answer is, “Of course! Nothing is too good for customers, user experience is crucial, and speed makes the experience better.” But that’s wrong. User experience is not what matters: getting your work done is what counts. Getting the book written, getting the plan approved, getting the right answer — all of these matter a lot more than a few seconds here or there.

Of course, the Sarah Palins of this world dont’ understand any of this, or pretend not to.  They’d rather talk about death panels.  But, let’s be honest, what they are really saying is this: We want to keep the system the way it is because it works great for people with lots of money.  In other words—“Let them eat cake.” If you love your parents like I did mine, then fight for real health care reform.  You shouldn’t have to endure the primer that I did.  

Yes, the insurance company status quo rocks. I learned recently about something called the “loading fees” of insurance companies. That’s how much of every health-care dollar gets spent by insurance companies on things other than the medical care—paperwork, marketing, profits, etc. According to a University of Minnesota study, up to 47 percent of all the money going into the health-insurance system is consumed in “loading fees.” Even good insurance companies spend close to 30 percent on nonmedical stuff. Sweet.

You’ve been painful to observe, guys. You’re running out of feet to shoot yourselves in. You lack ears. You don’t listen to any voice of reason, or any poll, or any of the half-dozen half-sane guys still half on your team. Sometimes I wonder: do you have styrofoam for brains — or the actual excremental stuff from some small breed of pesky dog? Or is it silly putty — to echo the vibrations of all the crazies in your gang? Man, if I had a dollar for every stoopid gaffe you guys commit, I could’ve bailed out California.