Health Care and Other Realities

There was a famous French Economist, who wrote a paper on why the United States concept of government, a democracy, would fail.  This paper was written shortly after the Revolutionary War.  The economist’s premise was democracies fail because people keep voting for the government to provide more services, and the politicians comply with the people for fear of not being re-elected.

The founding fathers never intended politicians to be paid elaborate sums of remuneration; rather the founding fathers thought of politics as a service and a sacrifice, to the greater good for the country.  After an elected politician served his time in office, he went back to his home and career.  The end of Democracy can be pinpointed to politicians who turned service into career.  Politicians had to compromise doing what is right for the country, to do what the constituents want, in order to be re-elected to another term in office.  The very nature of people everywhere is a desire to have more services provided by the government.  Most people do not look at government economics, as they look at balancing their own checkbook.  The consensus, is the government gets too much in the way of tax dollars, so the least the government can do is provide all the benefits the politicians promise.  The never ending spiraling of more services, which drags higher the taxes, and more services and more taxes, until the system shuts down, and democracy turns into socialism, or worse, anarchy.  

The numbers, the dollars the government needs to conduct daily business for the people, has reached an all-time record of deficit spending.  Spending money today, we hope future generations will be able to earn and pay back long after our deaths.  Today there are forty-nine million people without health insurance.  It is not feasible, not to provide assistance, in the way of health care for less-fortunate Americans.  The United States of America can afford humanitarian aid around the world, fund dozens of military campaigns, either overtly or covertly, but our own citizens die from poor or no health care, ludicrous.  

Over seventy per cent of the country is against higher taxes to pay for health care.  What people do not seem to realize is they are already paying for this health care covertly.  The hospitals who cannot by law, or conscience, turn people away who do not have insurance, pass the cost onto the community.  The community raises property tax, sales tax, or creates a state income tax to pay the debt.  The medical service by way of denial is inefficient, and care is poor.  When America realizes the old slogan “Pay me now or pay me later” is an unpleasant fact, and there are no free rides, the country will be able to pass health care reform.

Our great nation needs political leaders who are not worried about their careers; rather the politician’s priorities should be for the people, all the people, as our country’s founding fathers intended.  This can only be accomplished with honesty and strength on the part of the politicians.  Politicians who will have to stand against a withering barrage, of misleading comments and personal slurs, backed and paid for by the huge economic resources of those insurance companies with the most to lose.

The great people of the United States also need to recognize the free lunch is over.  The people must open their eyes, and see the elephant in the room.  How can a politician not support a health care plan for Americans, who do not have insurance, when they [politicians] know the bill will be paid anyway, albeit inefficiently, and at the cost of untold human suffering?  If a politician does not support health care then what does he support?  Do not be caught up in the hype of some socialism debate.  Every time America reaches out to help the rest of the world, is it socialism?  How then can helping our own people be socialism?

If all the facts were known, our country will go broke over current health care cost.  This country is now in triage, and two doctors of opposing views, are deciding the best course of action to stem the hemorrhaging of funds.  One method will put another temporary bandage on the wound; another method will cure the patient.  What is your diagnosis?