The whole point of free speech is not to make ideas exempt from criticism but to expose them to it.

Thursday, March 18, 2010

I wish I could believe in it, but I can't.

If I thought there was a chance more government involvement with the relationship between me and my doctor would improve the medical care to which I have access, I would be in favor of it. But there is no chance of that.

There is no possibility that government can administer a program that will result in good medical care for everyone. The premise is ludicrous.

I don’t care what the current bill in Congress that’s making the news says. It’s too long and too esoteric for me to understand. If it is fluff and really changes nothing, we don’t need it. If it does what most 3000-page bills do, we should fear it. Therefore I oppose it.

Having Congress write laws that will govern how and from whom I will receive medical advice and care is like having Gordon Howie, Jim Shaw and Bob Ellis write them. In fact, I would choose any of those three over Al Franken or Chuck Schumer to give me medical advice. Well, maybe not Howie.

The countries that have “guaranteed” medical services provided through more extensive social programs than we have are all practicing rationed medical care. So are we; I understand that. There is no cure for that.

I believe that the less government meddles in medicine, the more chance there is that professionals will find a way to get more medical care to more poor people. I believe that the more government meddles, the more expensive medical care will become for everyone, with a corresponding drop in quality.

The ancillary results will be ugly, as well. Government will have its hands in every aspect of our lives, making judgments as to whether we’re doing our part to maintain our own health and thus properly regulating our own portion of the “burden on government.”

I can be confident that no one who will bother to take issue with me here will have read the bill either. If anyone does take issue, it will be because he or she wants so much to believe that a government-run medical care system could possibly serve them well that they are willing to ignore mountains of evidence to the contrary.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Government run health care - On military bases and veteran's homes.

Bill Fleming said...

...and Medicare.

Don't remember how old Bob is for sure, but I bet when it's time, he signs up for Medicare, whether he believes in it or not.

And further I bet, if he has a health care claim that's more than the total he paid in FICA payments throughout his working life, he'll let his fellow citizens pick up the tab for it whether he believes in it or not.

Finally, the bill that's about to pass is NOT a Government administered health care system. Not even close.

Bob Newland said...

If the taxpayers want to put money on the table for me to take, which they apparently do, then who am I to deny the will of the taxpayers?

As for your final paragraph, Bill...; WHAT!?!?!?

Michael Sanborn said...

Hey Bill,

If it isn't a government administered health care system, where's the $940 billion going?

Bill Fleming said...

You will still buy your health insurance from private sector insurance companies, and they will administer your claims, not the Government.

Bill Fleming said...

As I thought Bob, you, like Ron Paul are just blowing smoke. Government health care is okay for you, just not everybody else. End of discussion.

Anonymous said...

Yes Bill, you are 100% correct, on the money even!
And to add to this all, we have republican whiners who at best are representing themselves as powerless little victims. Ooh, the big bad democrats... they can DO stuff, we should all be afraid.
This is not really a debate about health care, it's the same old debate about republican verses democrat.
The republicans in power know health care reform is coming, they're just investing in some scare-tactic futures... and prices appear to be down.

Bob Newland said...

Last I knew, everybody has access to Medicare when they attain the proper age, so I am only asking for what the taxpayers have happily endorsed for everyone.

As for your argument about private companies vs government adiministration...

The government will force us to buy insurance from companies that are forced to accept the risks we pose, then will allow the private companies to pay the claims. Love your thought train.

Oh, I forgot, you proclaimed the end of the discussion.

Bill Fleming said...

Riiiight, Bob. And next, I suppose you'll tell us that you have Government administered Car insurance because hey, why else would they call it "American Family" or "State Farm."?

Bob Newland said...

We are forced to buy liability insurance; that's true. However, insurance companies are allowed to assess the risk each of us poses based on demographic data and our personal driving records.

Sometimes that data is so scarred that no insurance company will assume the risk. In such cases, a driver can enter a state pool of drivers and pay a huge premium for the privilege of driving legally.

While the lines are blurred between private insurance company decisions and government-administered in the case of car insurance, there is no such blur in the case of the proposed health care takeover.

I thought the discussion ended a few comments ago.

larry kurtz said...

Bob and Bill:

I'm holding out for the "green- growing jobs" amendment.