In a serious debate that is plagued with politics more than with common sense and true American values, it seems that we need a fresh perspective on the healthcare debate. Too many people have become bitterly divided, but not along the lines of values, ethics, and what it means to be America. Instead, they have become too involved with defending the position of their political party, so much so, that we have lost sight of the bigger picture. The real question in all of this is what will a government run health care system do to us as a nation? Also, we need to ask ourselves, what do those in power that are proposing it stand to gain by pursuing this course?
I often wondered how great leaders from our past would feel and what they would say to us today regarding the path we are contemplating. I often asked that out loud. I have had people respond sometimes telling me that the point is mute. “After all,” they say, “this nation is different now than it was then, and they could not have possibly foreseen the issues and complexities we have today.” Really? It is strange that I usually hear that more from younger people who think adults today never coped with the same issues when we were younger.
Well today I found a piece of audio recorded in 1961 that speaks directly to the exact issues of socialized medicine we face today. It is from one of America’s most well respected and beloved Presidents, ironically before he ever pursued a career in politics. His communication skills and ability to cut through the complex rhetoric and speak to America in plain language about the truth of the issue were as great then as they were when he earned the nickname, “The Great Communicator.” It is eerie to listen to, as it seems as if he is speaking directly to us today, about our current legislation proposal, because the many points he covers are exactly the same ones being debated today, right now. Even much of the verbiage is identical to what we hear today regarding this issue.
I have often said we need another one like him today. Since we don’t have one at the moment, he continues to guide us, even from beyond. His words are just as effective and on point as if they were spoken yesterday afternoon in a press conference. It seems this nation has faced this before in generations past with the same exact arguments and issues being spoken today. Listen to what President Ronald Reagan had to say about universal healthcare and socialized medicine, even before he was President. This video is from the Reagan Presidential Library. He felt moved to record it as a message to America, even though at the time, he was still an actor.
As America is debating whether or not to have socialized medicine, nations where that has been a staple are debating to eliminate it. Germany that has had government run healthcare for 145 years is now having the same debate we are having, except they are moving in the opposite direction. According to a Wall Street Journal article written just this month, they can no longer sustain the government costs, and are moving to create a private, competition based system in order to bring costs down.
Hmm it seems we have heard this before. The United States has long been a proponent of competition to keep costs down and efficiency up. The United States has blazed a trail not before seen in the world with our form of government, and way of life. So why now would we be running to be like other nations who have had this system and are realizing it doesn’t work? Socialized anything doesn’t work, and the government can’t run anything efficiently.
We must be very careful not to hand over more control to the government. Too many people want the government to take care of them and are willing to hand control over to the government in exchange for the hope of security. However, the latest numbers are in from the Treasury and they are grim. Today it was announced that our deficit is at $1.4 trillion, our biggest deficit since World War II! Then we are still stuck with the question of how are we going to pay for healthcare on top of that? The latest estimates by the CBO put us close to an additional $1 trillion just for healthcare alone and two thirds of the people currently not covered would STILL not be covered! The government plans being debated mandate that you spend money to buy insurance, or you will be fined, maybe even jailed as some versions mention! That is government intrusion well beyond my comfort level, and way outside of their Constitutional mandate.
Ben Franklin said, “a nation who sacrifices freedom for security deserves neither.” He was right, and still is. If we open the door to government run healthcare, not only will it hand a piece of our liberty and control over, it will be much easier going forward for the government to usurp our other liberties and freedoms, a scenario that is polar opposite to the ideals set forth in our founding documents. In short, we will cease to be America.
As Reagan pointed out, when those who want this run into opposition, they will attack you on an emotional level. We see the politicians who support government healthcare calling us “racists” and an “angry mob” for voicing dissent with the proposal. Instead of having an open dialogue on the facts of the issue, they have decided to attack on an emotional level. Why are they so emotional? Why the urgency to pass it so quickly? The answer is clear. It is all about power. As voters you have it, and they want it. As this debate now moves into late October we are moving closer to 2010. Early in 2010 the focus will shift to the mid-term elections and this issue will be an open wound that will most likely oust the socialists in our government that are hell bent on jamming it down our throat and transforming America.
As they salivate of being closer now than ever before in achieving their agenda, they are running out of time to have such control over the legislative and executive branch of our government, and running head on into an American voting populace who is dead set against government control of healthcare, and becoming more angry with them ignoring us. Keep opposing, and keep contacting your Senators and Congressional Representatives. We can not loose our nation to failed policies of socialism and social medicine.
