When your refrigerator of automobile breaks, you call the service guy. After the warranty period, you pay for the service when the repair is complete. This is simple and a tried and true method that works. In either instance, you are seeking repair service – not care service.
We own homes, appliances or cars and are responsible for the cost of maintaining them. You decide what needs fixing based partly on balancing the seriousness of the problem against the expense of repairing it.
When it comes to socialist health care the state owns you because they are supposedly responsible for paying to repair you. This noble purpose springs from redistributing to the taxpayers the potentially ruinous expense of the medical care of unfortunate individuals. Government just claims the credit and the power to tell you how to live under the guise of keeping costs down.
The idea that every life is infinitely precious and therefore everyone deserves the same kind of optimal medical care is a fine religious sentiment and moral ideal. This idea turns out to be an illusion or a means to an end since we know that the state no longer is interested in the things of God. No, they have grander designs more along the lines of being God.
The public talk about “health care” leans toward some kind of collective public service – like fire protection, provided equally to everyone who needs it.
If we are honest with ourselves, we should recognize that no government could provide the same high quality body repair services to everyone. Not all doctors are equally good physicians, and not all sick people are equally good patients.
The trap is that too many people have grown lazy and now embrace the nanny state. They don’t realize the system itself is flawed and will disintegrate under it’s own weight.
If we continue down this road to socialized medicine, we will sacrifice personal freedom at a dreadful price. We will become the voluntary slaves of a “compassionate” government that will provide the same low quality health care to everyone.
12 comments
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July 16, 2009 at 7:41 am
Lou
Well said! This whole health care scam is a travesty.
July 16, 2009 at 9:45 am
Lord Crimson
Hi Lou
From the standpoint of the citizen, Obama has yet to do anything right. Every plan this administration has initiated is failing and failing miserably. Everything they do is wrought with lies and deceit. Change you can believe in, right?
Now, from the standpoint of government, Obama is successful beyond all expectations. Government is acquiring power and control at a staggering rate. Obama’s battle cry of “my plan is working” is true because his socialist take-over scheme is going according to schedule.
The bottom line is that with a nationalized health care system government acquires more power and the people will gain substandard health care. Sadly their will be many who will also receive an earlier death sentence.
July 16, 2009 at 4:52 pm
Clint
“If we continue down this road to socialized medicine, we will sacrifice personal freedom at a dreadful price. We will become the voluntary slaves of a “compassionate” government that will provide the same low quality health care to everyone.”
What about the freedom to exist, also known as the right to Life — the first of the unalienable rights in the Declaration? It seems to me that health care must necessarily be considered a human right under that classification. That’s the view in the Universal Declaration, as well as the view of most industrialized democracies — including states far less wealthy than us.
July 17, 2009 at 3:22 pm
Lord Crimson
Hi Clint
You seem to be forgetting one major obstacle other democracies don’t have to contend. Most of our allies have budgeted only a token amount of money to finance their military. They depend on the US to come to the rescue if they are attacked. A luxury they won’t be able to depend on much longer.
This makes it possible for them to provide universal health care to their population. It doesn’t go unnoticed that even with that luxury they still find it necessary to limit or ration health care.
It’s a system that will not work.
July 18, 2009 at 1:35 pm
Clint
Lord Crimson (great name, btw),
I agree that U.S. military spending could be blamed for preventing domestic universal health care. The amount of money we spend on the military is completely unnecessary, especially given the nature of the current threats to the country.
I don’t necessarily disagree that other countries depend on us, but I think that, far and away, our military spending is being used for projection of power — not “defense” of us or our allies.
“even with that luxury they still find it necessary to limit or ration health care”
The horror stories about rationing are greatly exaggerated. A look at the overall data shows stronger health care outcomes in countries with nationalized systems.
July 16, 2009 at 7:24 pm
the Grit
Hi LC,
Well said. It does help to understand them, liberals that is, to keep in mind that they never expect their proposals to apply to them. Obama, for instance, openly admitted that He wouldn’t subject His family to whatever crap health care will result from the Government take over. The same as His stance on sending His children to the crap public schools in DC. At least He’s consistent.
Hi Clint,
The right to life doesn’t come with an assistance clause. It just means that others shouldn’t be allowed to kill you or go out of their way to keep you from providing for yourself, not that the Government should force them to take care of you. To understand this you have to also take note of the right to liberty. We all can use that right to be total wastes of space, like those who don’t bother to worry about their health care, and the rest of us should be allowed to use that right to not take up the burden of charity should we so choose.
As to most industrialized democracies, they suck. On the other hand, move to one of them if you want, and if they’ll take you.
As to a person’s right to health care, the Universal Declaration and such, no one has a right to anything that forces someone else to do something, as that would violate the rights of that other person. So, until we have robot doctors and nurses, no one has any right to health care. Unless, of course, you’re suggesting that we enslave all people in the health care industry? Not a bad solution in the short run, but I’m not sure it would be a confidence builder when taking the medications they prescribe, and I doubt it would keep the medical schools full of students.
the Grit
July 18, 2009 at 1:45 pm
Clint
the Grit,
“The right to life doesn’t come with an assistance clause.”
In other industrialized democracies, particularly those who’ve adopted the more progressive human rights covenants, assistance is part of the package.
“It just means that others shouldn’t be allowed to kill you or go out of their way to keep you from providing for yourself, not that the Government should force them to take care of you.”
That’s an awfully limited right to Life, and even then, I don’t think our current system passes the test. There are insane economic barriers to getting serious surgeries and other involved treatments if you’re without insurance. Many people have to make a very real choice when they go to the doctor.
“We all can use that right to be total wastes of space, like those who don’t bother to worry about their health care, and the rest of us should be allowed to use that right to not take up the burden of charity should we so choose.”
We could but humans don’t really get satisfaction from sitting around and being wastes of space. I don’t think it’ll be too much of a problem.
“As to most industrialized democracies, they suck. On the other hand, move to one of them if you want, and if they’ll take you.”
This is a … very bad argument.
“no one has a right to anything that forces someone else to do something, as that would violate the rights of that other person.”
That’s an extreme version of libertarianism. Do you believe in zero taxes because a tax is something that forces you to do something? What about any rule whatsoever?
“Unless, of course, you’re suggesting that we enslave all people in the health care industry? Not a bad solution in the short run, but I’m not sure it would be a confidence builder when taking the medications they prescribe, and I doubt it would keep the medical schools full of students.”
What?
July 16, 2009 at 8:27 pm
Mitch
Well put to all of you. We must realize that we all need to take better care of ourselves. Eat right, stay active and stay in the Word of God. That’s the best health care plan on this planet! I”m not joking. It works.
July 17, 2009 at 3:37 pm
Lord Crimson
Hi Mitch
Sound advice. Staying active truly does make you feel better, if you don’t count the sore muscles and occasional bruise or three. Eating right is always a challenge, but as someone once said – all things in moderation. The benefit of the word of God may not be obvious to some, but the wisdom mined from those pages have helped solve more than a few problems I’ve faced.
July 17, 2009 at 4:37 pm
the Grit
Hi Mitch, LC,
I’ve been eating right for a couple of years in a successful effort to fend off adult onset diabetes, and it sucks! Screw this health crap, I want steak, fries, and roasted garlic mashed potatoes smothered in butter and some filthy rich white sauce, and a cheese burger on the side. And a plate of deviled eggs. And a big ass pile of bacon, cooked to the point where it has just a hint of crispness. With Swiss cheese melted over it, and a package of sour cream, mixed with hot sauce and paprika, dumped on top. And for desert, I want a couple of large pizzas with everything! And at the end of the meal, I want our nationalized health care system to give me a pill that wipes away everything but the taste and the fun.
Oh, and I’m thinking of starting a new political party based on that bit of campaign promise drivel. When it comes to a voting both near you, I’d appreciate your vote.
the Grit
July 17, 2009 at 4:54 pm
Lord Crimson
Hi Grit
I see we like the same food. Never found a steak I didn’t like or a barbecue I wouldn’t try… don’t even get me started on the mashed potatoes and pizza. I’ve discovered that I can have all of that just in reasonable portions.
How people can live on anything with the name curd in it is beyond me.
July 18, 2009 at 9:45 am
Mitch
Hi Grit,LC
I want to encourage you to keep eating right. It does not have to be boring. As a matter of fact, I have found many things that I really like a whole lot better than the stuff I used to eat. Like mild cheddar goat cheese. Man, that stuff is good, although not cheap.
Check out my short article, http://www.be-happy-thru-wisdom.com/gluten-free-diets.html ; and this is important– do your own research for ideas on good foods that you can buy or prepare yourself. The big tip here is to stop eating processed food and start eating REAL food.
I have to avoid wheat and dairy products for the most part, but I really don’t mind it. By doing that, I discovered that dairy was keeping extra weight on me. After I cut that out, I dropped about 5-6 pounds in a few days, and it has stayed off.
I will still have pizza sometimes, but as LC said, everything in moderation.
Grit, I think it’s great that you are using food as your medicine instead of the drug industry. That’s the smart way to go and you’ll feel a lot better without the side effects!
Keep doing what’s right. You all encourage me. I need all the help I can get.
Thanks,
Mitch