(To about 30 million people, this might as well be Mars)

I'm always amazed, listening to news programs of the past, how the concept of the future always appears rosy and without complications. We will all have 20 hour work weeks, we will all have an abundance of cash, the best possible medical care and the latest medical advances at our fingertips. They never quite get around to mentioning that all those things are possible if you have money. To paraphrase one of our lower lifeform pundits;'illness is for rich people'. Sadly, that is probably true.

But in 1958, everything was optimistic and indeed, rosy, as this panel, consisting of Senator Richard Neuberger (D-Oregon), Dr. Nathan S. Kline and Gilbert Kant Medicine Editor of Time Magazine espoused.

Sen. Richard Neuberger (D-Oregon): “I think it’s up to people in positions of political leadership, such as myself, the Foundation (National Health Education Committee) that you just mentioned. People like Dr. Kline (Director of Research, Rockland State Hospital) in Medicine, like you (Richard D. Hepner) and Mr. Kant (Medicine Editor – Time Magazine) in the field of Public Opinion to give the people leadership. I think that they will respond. In my opinion the field of Medical research is our greatest frontier of today. I come from Oregon, a frontier state. I’ve how, in covered wagon days the incidents or the coming down of epidemics of Diphtheria, Scarlet Fever and Smallpox meant death, hopeless death to hundreds of people including many little children and we cluck with pity and sympathy over that. I wonder if fifty years from now people won’t mutter with sympathy and pity of the hopelessness over Cancer in our own period today.”

Yes, fifty years later people do mutter with pity and hopelessness over Cancer. Particularly when you can't get your Health insurance to cover it.