10/26/09
By John Eberhard
There is of course quite a bit of debate right now about the health care reform that Democrats are trying to pass.
Liberals have been wanting to pass some form of national health care for 20 years or more. They want it. They want it really bad. And they had to suffer through 8 year of Reagan, 4 years of George H. W. Bush, a failed attempt under Clinton, and 8 years of George W. Bush. Because a very socialistic program like national health care runs deeply counter to conservative philosophy.
Why do liberals want it so bad? Simply because it fits with their view that to be compassionate, a society must offer free health care. Liberals concentrate their attention and priorities on the lowest members of society, who can’t afford medical care. They feel that concern for the lowest members of society should drive nearly all policy.
Liberals see other countries, like the UK and Canada, that have already passed national health care. They feel almost embarrassed that the U.S. has not done so. They search really hard to find statistics to show that somehow people are better off in other countries, and claim it is because of their national health care systems. They ignore the statistics and facts that show the long wait times, the rationing, the costs, and the higher taxes to support these systems.
Most polls I have seen show a majority of Americans are against this national health care reform. Most of the town hall meetings in August were about the health care reform, and Americans showed up in force to voice their opinions against the legislation. Then there was the protest march in Washington, DC on September 12, where it estimated that two million people showed up. See the picture I’ve included.
Since then, liberal Democrats are in a quandary. They have a majority in both houses and have the White House, but they know that if they don’t bring about a change in public opinion, that it will be perceived, correctly, that they rammed this so-called reform down everyone’s throats. And if that happens, many fear (rightly I think) that they can kiss their offices and their majorities goodbye in the 2010 election.
So they want to be compassionate, they want to be like their socialist European counterparts, they want to be well thought of by the international liberal/socialist community, and they want to erase their decades long embarrassment. They could ram the legislation through, but they fear that they will be thrown out of town. And so some of the moderate Democrats (not the party leadership though which is anything but moderate) are having second thoughts.
So now enter the modifications. Numerous factions are trying to float new versions of the reform which will stick when they throw them up against the wall. Some have the public option. Some don’t have the public option. Some versions cost more, or cost less. One version supposedly will not increase costs. And Democrats are accusing Republicans of not having a plan of their own and just being obstructionists.
If you are paying attention to all these different variations and wondering if one of them will finally assuage your fears and make you feel good about it, and if you are wondering why Republicans haven’t come up with a good plan of their own, I think you are missing the point.
The whole point, really, is: Do you want the government to gain more control over an industry that amounts to one sixth of the U.S economy?
Do you trust the federal government to take over one sixth of the U.S. economy?
Do you believe the government is capable of running any industry (aside from things like law enforcement, military, etc.) better than the private sector? Think the Department of Motor Vehicles. Or Amtrak. Or the Post Office.
I’m glad the Republicans are acting as “obstructionists.” Because I don’t want any health care reform plan to pass. I don’t care whether there is a public option in there or not. Even if the bill seems more or less reasonable, it is an attempt to gain greater government control over our lives. It fits with power-hungry Obama’s goals and actions so far, taking over banks and the auto industry. And even if the public option isn’t in there, then this bill will just be a stepping stone to accomplish what Obama has stated in the past that he wants to do, create a single-payer, government controlled, national health care system.
So if you agree, then go to the web sites for your two Senators and your Congressman and the President, and tell them that you oppose ANY form of health care reform, and that if they vote for it you will vote AGAINST them in the next election. They have to hear from us and know we’re serious. Do it today. Thanks for your support.