So in philosophy today we were talking about healthcare and a very interesting ethical question came up. I figured that it would make a great blog. I'll explain the question and then present my view. Now normally I don't ask very much of my readers. It's like listen to me complain about something for a few paragraphs and go on with your day, but this time I'd love for some of you to think about this critically, maybe even share your opinion. Don't worry this is a safe place, no one will judge you.
So the question went something like "In which of these examples is the government not justified in taking your money in a proper healthcare system?" Then the options were like; A. Supplying vaccinations during an epidemic, B.Paying for alcoholics' liver transplants, C. Helping foreign countries in the aftermath of a disaster, D. All of the above (meaning that all these examples are unjust), and E. None of the above (meaning that they're all just).
This is a class of about 24, we all split up into small groups, and then we all answer using clickers so we get to see a nice little graph of everyone's answers. B had the most votes with 11, E was second with 7, and D was third with 6. After we see everyone's votes people can explain why they chose what. The B's said something like, alcoholics don't deserve our help because they made a poor choice in their life so they have to deal with it themselves. The E's said something intelligent. And the D's said something like, A is just a conspiracy of the pharmaceutical company, B is private healthcare's problem, and C is that countries problem/a personal decision if you want to help.
Now you've probably guessed that I said E. And the I have a number of reasons for this, the most basic being the right of healthcare along with my belief in the importance of equality. My group and I did not see eye to eye on the justification of B.
The issue of tax dollars paying for an alcoholics new liver is very controversial. It seems so easy just to say that they don't deserve our help because they brought this onto themselves. That's what the very opinionated girl behind me said. Which all and all is a fair statement, but it didn't seem like she really thought of the repercussions of such a statement. There are two ways I can defend tax dollars going towards new livers for alcoholics.
The first way is by arguing who's fault is it? I know it seems like such a cliche to blame society, but there is no way to deny that people do get stuck in vicious cycles within society. Saying that these people chose alcohol themselves is like saying people in Baltimore just like dealing drugs (special thanks to "The Wire" for that reference), or people in Honduras choose to be violent. It's an issue of cultural relativism, justifying your own actions based open the assumption that somebody is genuinely different than you. That an alcoholic is a completely different type of person, that if you were in the same situations you wouldn't turn to alcohol. It isn't fair to deny him care if you don't know the context, and even with the context of him just liking to drink, is it fair to make him pay for his own healthcare?
This brings me to my second point which is a lot easier to articulate. Denying someone care because they brought their problems upon themselves is a slippery slope. Where do you draw the line? How about the guy that ate unhealthy for all his life, suddenly he has a heart attack, should he have to pay? By the same logic that girl was using, yes. He chose to live unhealthy and so it's his own problem. How about if someone "chooses" to go skiing and then crashes. They have a broken leg, who's paying for it? Personally I'd like to know that even if I do something stupid the healthcare system will always be there for me.
So this is just my humble opinion, feel free to comment if you have anything to add or whatever. Anyway I hope you enjoyed this very special episode of "What's the Point?".
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Thursday, March 24, 2011
"My" Musical Evolution
So you know what they say "your best ideas are the ones you steal from someone smarter," so I figured the best way to return to my blog is by stealing an idea from Tim.
His blog about his music was awesome and it made me think about the music I've listened to all my life, so let me take you on a journey. By the way there may be a reference to Journey...
It all started with one guy, some called him weird. Actually almost everybody did. Until about grade six I really didn't listen to anything except Weird Al.
This is so much funnier than I ever realized when I was young
After a while I started to realize that I wasn't listening to Weird Al because I thought it was funny, frankly I didn't understand a lot of the songs. Why I listened to him was simply because I just enjoyed the music. If I ever heard the actual song than I enjoyed it almost as much as the parody.
So I'm a little unclear about when I started listening to this next band. Maybe my brother can clear that up since he was the one who brought them into the house. All I know is that this was the first band that I loved. This was the first time in my life that if someone asked me "whose your favourite band?" I actually had a decent answer.
Such an amazing song
Our lady Peace also was the first band I saw in concert. I still love the band even though their newer stuff has never quite matched their classics.
This next band came sometime around my entry into middle school. I remember me and my friends making fun of "Nothing to Lose" but then at some point all of us just started loving them.
I still love this song
I would go on to see these guys live as well. It was an awesome concert which featured my all time favourite band, but more on that later.
This next band is still my only real foray into metal. I was at a friends birthday party in grade 8, I think. Someone gave him "Toxicity" and we all listened to it for the rest of the night. At first I didn't really like it, but one song in particular grew on me.
Crazy good song
So like I said this is really the only metal band that I've ever loved. I did listen to some other metal in early highschool, but I never really liked it.
Now we have arrived at the point in time where I am introduced to my current favourite band. This was in grade 10 I believe. Up till now, and even a while after this, I always referred to OLP as my favourite, what can I say, they were my first love. But eventually this band stole my heart, and still has it. Me and OLP are still friends though.
The first song I liked from them
The first song I loved from them
As I mentioned I saw Rise Against live with Billy Talent and it was awesome. I'd love to see them again. The reason that Rise Against was able to eclipse OLP was because their new stuff is still amazing.
This next band from across the pond came into my life in grade 12 I think. Their uniqueness swept me off my feet. The great thing about this band is I don't think they've ever made a bad song. They're all either great or amazing.
Probably the best music video ever
This song took a few listens, but it grew on me
I love this band and they were my first step into British music. I'd go on to find a few more awesome British bands like the next two.
These next two bands grew out of my love of Bloc Party. The first one was in grade 12, and I've actually already wrote a blog completely about them, so my faithful followers will know how I feel about them. The second band I got into last year, they're the first band on this list that me and my brother disagree on. I think they're pretty awesome, he does not.
Their first song that I ever heard
This might be my single favourite song of all time
Radiohead I kinda got over, I still like a handful of their songs, but I don't love them. Muse I still really like, but their newer cd was nowhere near as good as "Black Holes and Revelations," they'll have to earn my love with their next cd.
I kinda jumped ahead in time for a second, let's go back to me in grade 12. I started the year loving this song. It was a classic that I'd always loved throughout my life. Then I started hearing it more, which I thought was cool. I thought it was awesome when it became my grad song, but by the time I graduated I absolutely hated it. I had heard it so much that every note of it made me cringe. I'm sure in a few more years I'll be able to enjoy it again, but right now I can't stand it.
I didn't even listen to this one again
There, I told you there would be something about Journey.
This next group is on the list, not because I ever really loved them, but because they were the first band to really break my heart. Their first cd was awesome, you could tell it was just two guys having fun making a cd. Then when they actually became popular they created a cd that made me hate everything they had ever done.
It sucks that this song is so good
Never has a song hurt me as much as this one
I can't listen to 3oh3 anymore, I won't let them hurt me again.
So we've almost reached the present. This year there has been four significant new bands. The first is another British band that my brother introduced to me. The other three aren't necessarily my new favourite bands, but they're on the list because they were the first bands that I feel I've discovered myself. Up till now almost every band on the list was introduced to me by my brother, the other ones were my friends. But these three I stumbled upon on my own. Maybe Conan introduced me to two of them, but I still count that as me discovering them for myself.
White Lies best song
Band of Horses was completely my own discovery
Saw them on Conan and bought the cd the next day
Same deal with Broken Bells
So there you have it. Currently I'm really digging those last four bands plus the new Rise Against cd. Also because of this I've gone back to listening to the classic Our Lady Peace. I overlooked a few bands that I've liked throughout the years, like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and the Beatles, but I did that because none of them really lasted. I also overlooked Relient K which is one of my favourite Christian bands. The only reason I didn't add them to the list was because I can't really place them on a timeline. Relient K has just always been around and I've been back and forth on whether or not I really like them. Currently I do really like them. Also more recently I've been liking Arcade Fire and Metric, but it's too soon to tell if I love them, 3Oh!3 has made me more cautious when it comes to new music. Anyway I hope you enjoyed this little journey through my musical evolution, and thanks again for the idea Tim.
His blog about his music was awesome and it made me think about the music I've listened to all my life, so let me take you on a journey. By the way there may be a reference to Journey...
It all started with one guy, some called him weird. Actually almost everybody did. Until about grade six I really didn't listen to anything except Weird Al.
This is so much funnier than I ever realized when I was young
After a while I started to realize that I wasn't listening to Weird Al because I thought it was funny, frankly I didn't understand a lot of the songs. Why I listened to him was simply because I just enjoyed the music. If I ever heard the actual song than I enjoyed it almost as much as the parody.
So I'm a little unclear about when I started listening to this next band. Maybe my brother can clear that up since he was the one who brought them into the house. All I know is that this was the first band that I loved. This was the first time in my life that if someone asked me "whose your favourite band?" I actually had a decent answer.
Such an amazing song
Our lady Peace also was the first band I saw in concert. I still love the band even though their newer stuff has never quite matched their classics.
This next band came sometime around my entry into middle school. I remember me and my friends making fun of "Nothing to Lose" but then at some point all of us just started loving them.
I still love this song
I would go on to see these guys live as well. It was an awesome concert which featured my all time favourite band, but more on that later.
This next band is still my only real foray into metal. I was at a friends birthday party in grade 8, I think. Someone gave him "Toxicity" and we all listened to it for the rest of the night. At first I didn't really like it, but one song in particular grew on me.
Crazy good song
So like I said this is really the only metal band that I've ever loved. I did listen to some other metal in early highschool, but I never really liked it.
Now we have arrived at the point in time where I am introduced to my current favourite band. This was in grade 10 I believe. Up till now, and even a while after this, I always referred to OLP as my favourite, what can I say, they were my first love. But eventually this band stole my heart, and still has it. Me and OLP are still friends though.
The first song I liked from them
The first song I loved from them
As I mentioned I saw Rise Against live with Billy Talent and it was awesome. I'd love to see them again. The reason that Rise Against was able to eclipse OLP was because their new stuff is still amazing.
This next band from across the pond came into my life in grade 12 I think. Their uniqueness swept me off my feet. The great thing about this band is I don't think they've ever made a bad song. They're all either great or amazing.
Probably the best music video ever
This song took a few listens, but it grew on me
I love this band and they were my first step into British music. I'd go on to find a few more awesome British bands like the next two.
These next two bands grew out of my love of Bloc Party. The first one was in grade 12, and I've actually already wrote a blog completely about them, so my faithful followers will know how I feel about them. The second band I got into last year, they're the first band on this list that me and my brother disagree on. I think they're pretty awesome, he does not.
Their first song that I ever heard
This might be my single favourite song of all time
Radiohead I kinda got over, I still like a handful of their songs, but I don't love them. Muse I still really like, but their newer cd was nowhere near as good as "Black Holes and Revelations," they'll have to earn my love with their next cd.
I kinda jumped ahead in time for a second, let's go back to me in grade 12. I started the year loving this song. It was a classic that I'd always loved throughout my life. Then I started hearing it more, which I thought was cool. I thought it was awesome when it became my grad song, but by the time I graduated I absolutely hated it. I had heard it so much that every note of it made me cringe. I'm sure in a few more years I'll be able to enjoy it again, but right now I can't stand it.
I didn't even listen to this one again
There, I told you there would be something about Journey.
This next group is on the list, not because I ever really loved them, but because they were the first band to really break my heart. Their first cd was awesome, you could tell it was just two guys having fun making a cd. Then when they actually became popular they created a cd that made me hate everything they had ever done.
It sucks that this song is so good
Never has a song hurt me as much as this one
I can't listen to 3oh3 anymore, I won't let them hurt me again.
So we've almost reached the present. This year there has been four significant new bands. The first is another British band that my brother introduced to me. The other three aren't necessarily my new favourite bands, but they're on the list because they were the first bands that I feel I've discovered myself. Up till now almost every band on the list was introduced to me by my brother, the other ones were my friends. But these three I stumbled upon on my own. Maybe Conan introduced me to two of them, but I still count that as me discovering them for myself.
White Lies best song
Band of Horses was completely my own discovery
Saw them on Conan and bought the cd the next day
Same deal with Broken Bells
So there you have it. Currently I'm really digging those last four bands plus the new Rise Against cd. Also because of this I've gone back to listening to the classic Our Lady Peace. I overlooked a few bands that I've liked throughout the years, like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and the Beatles, but I did that because none of them really lasted. I also overlooked Relient K which is one of my favourite Christian bands. The only reason I didn't add them to the list was because I can't really place them on a timeline. Relient K has just always been around and I've been back and forth on whether or not I really like them. Currently I do really like them. Also more recently I've been liking Arcade Fire and Metric, but it's too soon to tell if I love them, 3Oh!3 has made me more cautious when it comes to new music. Anyway I hope you enjoyed this little journey through my musical evolution, and thanks again for the idea Tim.
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