You have to admit, even if you were dead set against the "health insurance" bill just passed, that you got some sense of revenge against years of abuse by the health insurance industry. For all those times we have spent endless time and energy trying to get coverage for procedures that were supposed to be covered. For mindless regulations which seem to be designed to prevent you getting care rather than getting preventive care. For all those unexplained 20% hikes in cost of coverage. Let them eat crow now. Let them toil under the benevolent and regulating eye of the Government.
Alas, it seem that the Trojan horse of outrage and populist emotions have been used to introduce something much worse: Government as health care provider. It's not there yet, but if you play checkers, you don't have to look too far ahead to see that over time, the only provider of scale that has a chance to be left standing, is the Government. Does any reasonable, thinking citizen over the age of 30 believe that can be good or efficient? Not only that, the inflation raising maggots of trial lawyers and out of control drug companies are allowed to continue to feast off this rotting mess.
Once again, the ignorant of the voters are fed the same lies about "the rest of the civilized world". If any of them actually traveled there (or at least bothered to check the facts) they would know this to be a lie. England and Spain have nationalized health care. It is pretty bad. Thousands of people die every year waiting for their turn for a critically needed operation. Netherlands and Germany uses regulated private insurers and providers. They have done very well. In general, anywhere where the tax ha been used to deliver health care it has failed. Where it has been delivered through private industry, it has worked. But obviously it is too complicated to explain. So we get fed the same lies. And people just mindlessly repeat them.
More importantly, what is at stake here is the definition of America and what make it DIFFERENT from the other so called "civilized countries". When immigrants (such as myself) came to this country they USED to come for the opportunity not nationalized health care. It was understood that if you worked hard and made something of yourself, you could also pay for the doctor' visit or needed insurance premium. And if you didn't, you may not. It seem harsh, but it is what allowed this country to achieve greatness. Now, I do think that certain safety net must be maintained for the children and the elderly. Wasn't that what Medicare and Medicaid were supposed to do? I dare say that future immigrant may well come for the free health care. Will thee be the folk who will power this country into the future?
I fear we are taking a big step into joining the rest of the "civilized" world in becoming a tourist attraction for those who want to explore our past greatness and achievements. Meanwhile the new greatness and achievements will be actually done by someone else. Somewhere in Asia. Someone who will value hard work and achievement over government's safety net.
