With all of the debate about healthcare reform recently, there have been many very interesting reports on almost all major news networks about civil unrest, protestors (I'm sorry, I mean "tea baggers") who are "heckling" their Senators and Congressmen to vote down this Administration's Healthcare Reform Bill. I think it can be agreed across the board that the issue of healthcare has created a very passionate response from both liberals and conservatives. Some people believe that nationalized healthcare is a human rights issue, that everyone should be able to get the same healthcare that our military and government employees enjoy. Another common concern is that the rising cost of healthcare is making it unaffordable for Americans across the board. And although I believe this is true and unfortunate, I also believe that the proposed solution by liberals, to nationalize healthcare, would be the final nail in the coffin of this great nation's capitalistic system.
As it stands right now, entitlement programs, liked Medicare and Social Security, make up 25% of our Federal Budget. That means one quarter of what our government spends every year, including what is spent on National Defense (i.e.. the wars, and our military), is going to fund these entitlement programs. Once people get on these programs, it is almost impossible to get them off. So Obama's healthcare proposal would add approximately 50 million more Americans to this already oppressive burden. It would literally cripple our nation. Not to mention, let's take a look at how efficiently our government is able to run any business or organization. How bout the Post Office? Not exactly flourishing. And anyone who has been in the DMV in the last five years, knows what a significantly less stressful experience that is, since it's been privatized and no longer run by the government. I used to spend countless hours of my day in the DMV, waiting to be herded through the disorganization of 12 different lines for different paperwork and literally borderline chaos, just so I could renew my driver's license. And we want our Government to run our healthcare? I think it's telling that people all over the world don't save their nickels and dimes to have open brain surgery in... France. They come here. Because we have the best doctor's and nurses in the world. Because they're competitive with each other. Because we're capitalists. Let me tell you what Universal Healthcare would look like, if you were a Canadian, for example, or an Italian. Your healthcare plan looks like this: Don't get sick.
Because everyone will be "covered," any surgeries, or procedures will be given on a basis of need in relation to your age. So if you're 70, and you need a hysterectomy, you're not going to get it. Because there is always going to be a 30-year-old woman who needs a hysterectomy, and she is more productive and has a longer life expectancy than you do at 70. So it's more worthwhile for the government to spend the money for that procedure on her, than on you. Sad story for you, huh? But they won't actually deny you. You'll just be on a wait list indefinitely.
Also, what is the incentive for people to spend a ton of time and money on an education to become a physician, if they are going to make the same money as a state-salaried teacher? Sure, I like to hope that majority of the doctors in this country go into medicine because they genuinely want to help people, but I'm sure they want to make a decent living as well. And I don't blame them. If we're paying Jennifer Aniston eight million dollars per movie, I think the doctor that will save her life in the event of a catastrophic accident should get some loose change too. But now imagine you're a physician, and you have a never ending line of people in your office to see you, as socialized medicine would dictate. You're going to make money based on how many patients you see in a day. So you're going to try to pump out as many office visits as you physically can. Which makes me question, what kind of quality care are we going to be getting from our doctors? It's not fair to them, to have to practice medicine this way, nor is it to the patients.
Everyone has heard our President say that if you have health insurance that you like, you can keep it. But what you don't hear is the reality that it's not up to you. Sure you can try to keep it, but what he doesn't tell you is that the premiums for your employer are going to skyrocket to help pay for all of the Americans now getting health insurance who don't have an employer to subsidize their costs. So majority of employers are going to drop their full-time employees from their insurance, because this burden is going to significantly cut into their ability (and right) to make money for their business. Obama's solution to that problem? Create law that wouldn't allow those businesses to drop their employees' coverage. Ok, but then majority of those businesses won't survive. They'll go out of business completely, or move overseas, where they can be more productive and make more money. We will lose those businesses, and in turn jobs, not to mention health insurance. If it weren't so dire, it would almost laughable.
I agree that the healthcare system right now is flawed, and in a lot of ways ineffective, but the proposed solution will cause a domino effect of catastrophe that will be irreparable.
This is why people are protesting. Americans are very angry, for a number of reasons. It seems like there is a hand out for everyone except people who work hard, invest their money and pay their ever-increasing taxes. The people who are the backbone of this country are getting the rug pulled out from under them time and time again, because of some agenda of some suit in Washington. This is not some staged uprising from the GOP. This is not right-wing conspiracy, are you kidding me? We're angry. People want to be heard, and the only power we have is to make it very clear to the officials we've elected, that they are not voicing the opinion of the people they promised to represent, and we are not taking it lying down anymore.
And now the media is telling us that protesting is unpatriotic. That it's heckling. That is a Republican scare tactic. I find it very interesting that protesting was not unpatriotic when it was Prop 8 being voted down, that caused outrage. The media didn't use the word "unpatriotic" when people were furious at the injustice of "George Bush's War." But we all know the news doesn't fairly represent both parties agendas in America. Maybe the media is condemning the people with hoarse voices and painted signs right now, but we're Americans. Stand up. Fight. Be heard. That's what we do in this country. So if you're angry, be angry. If you're pleased with the actions of this Administration, make your voice heard in consent. But do something, do not just sit by with indifference and let the world change around you. Because one of these days, you're going to wake up and this country is going to be drastically different. And you're going to say, "How did this happen? How did we get here? But I didn't know!" And your rights are going to be different. Your government is going to be different. Our laws, our taxes, our lives as citizens of the United States of America are going to be drastically different. For all of the people in this world, citizens of other countries, who don't have the right to their own voice, who don't have the freedom to paint signs, to mock their President, to disagree- it is your responsibility to stand up. And fight back.
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