As we were walking by the White House one late afternoon earlier this week, I noticed a large group of people being cleared through security. I thought it was strange how they were dressed--formal but not formal enough for a White House event. When I turned on the news that night, I realized who they were--the props for Obama's latest sham town hall meeting. That event of course had to do with fixing health care. And of course, the people I saw knew nothing about about health care and had nothing to contribute besides their personal anecdoctal observations.
Now I am not one that marches to the beat of the Republican drum. And I really want to give Obama the benefit of the doubt. I believe that he wants what is best for our country. He is clearly a gifted man, and I have been impressed by many things about his character.
But I read this statement from Obama in the paper that same day when discussing whether a government health plan would hurt private insurance companies:
"Why would it drive private insurers out of business? If they tell us that they're offering a good deal, then why is it that the government — which they say can't run anything — suddenly is going to drive them out of business? That's not logical."
This statement either represents extreme ignorance or extreme dishonesty and I do not think Obama is ignorant by any means. Why would private companies be scared of the US government starting a public insurance plan? Because of the little fact that the government also makes the laws.
Imagine what would happen if UPS managed to get this same advantage on Fedex? If they wanted to, they could create a law that all packages had to be delivered in brown trucks. And while that sounds silly, that is a good representation of the kind of nonsense that private insurance companies would be up against.
Want to know what government insurance will look like? Try the US Postal Service. They have a monopoly and still lose billions a year. If you ever do business with them like my company does, you will quickly understand why. Their policies and procedures are light years behind the private sector and their customer service is beyond pathetic. I consider the Monroe, GA post office to be the worst run business entity my company has ever had to do business with. I could write stories about our dealings with the post office that most people would not even believe.
So yes, I think a government-run insurance plan would both be a diaster and yet still a overwhelming threat to private business.
On a related note, just outside the U. S. Capitol this week, a well-organized group was canvassing for "affordable health care." They were funded by unions and were Obama supporters.
I just wish these people would be honest about what they really want. When they say they want affordable health care, they really want high end health care at cheap prices. And since you can not get high end health care at cheap prices, they are really saying that they do not want to pay for their health care. They want either the taxpayer to pay or health care providers to charge less than their services are worth.
Now, I am not saying I disagree with them. We are wealthy enough as a country to take care of the needy among us. I lean toward the position that good health care should be a right for all US citizens. And yes that includes those who are having a health crisis because of their own irresponsibility. I just do not see how we can stand by and watch someone die of lung cancer just because they irresponsibly smoked their entire life.
Certainly, the issue is complex and I don't know that an answer really exists. We simply do not have the ability to pay for the very best medical care for every citizen. And that leads to the uncomfortable reality of rationed health care. The real truth that Obama will not tell you is scary.
Those are my thoughts from Washington DC. I will get back to music soon...
