Socialized Medicine Will Be the Biggest Mistake in American History

"Now back in 1927 an American socialist, Norman Thomas, six times candidate for president on the Socialist Party ticket, said the American people would never vote for socialism. But he said under the name of liberalism the American people will adopt every fragment of the socialist program.

One of the traditional methods of imposing statism or socialism on a people has been by way of medicine. It’s very easy to disguise a medical program as a humanitarian project. Most people are a little reluctant to oppose anything that suggests medical care for people who possibly can’t afford it.

Now, the American people, if you put it to them about socialized medicine and gave them a chance to choose, would unhesitatingly vote against it. We had an example of this. Under the Truman administration it was proposed that we have a compulsory health insurance program for all people in the United States, and, of course, the American people unhesitatingly rejected this.

Let’s take a look at social security itself. Again, very few of us disagree with the original premise that there should be some form of savings that would keep destitution from following unemployment by reason of death, disability or old age. And to this end, social security was adopted, but it was never intended to supplant private savings, private insurance, pension programs of unions and industries.

Now in our country under our free enterprise system we have seen medicine reach the greatest heights that it has in any country in the world. Today, the relationship between patient and doctor in this country is something to be envied any place. The privacy, the care that is given to a person, the right to chose a doctor, the right to go from one doctor to the other.

But let’s also look from the other side, at the freedom the doctor loses. A doctor would be reluctant to say this. Well, like you, I am only a patient, so I can say it in his behalf. The doctor begins to lose freedoms; it’s like telling a lie, and one leads to another. First you decide that the doctor can have so many patients. They are equally divided among the various doctors by the government. But then the doctors aren’t equally divided geographically, so a doctor decides he wants to practice in one town and the government has to say to him you can’t live in that town, they already have enough doctors. You have to go some place else. And from here it is only a short step to dictating where he will go.

This is a freedom that I wonder whether any of us have the right to take from any human being. All of us can see what happens once you establish the precedent that the government can determine a man’s working place and his working methods, determine his employment. From here it is a short step to all the rest of socialism, to determining his pay and pretty soon your children won’t decide when they’re in school where they will go or what they will do for a living. They will wait for the government to tell them where they will go to work and what they will do.

What can we do about this? Well, you and I can do a great deal. We can write to our congressmen and our senators. We can say right now that we want no further encroachment on these individual liberties and freedoms. And at the moment, the key issue is, we do not want socialized medicine.

Former Representative Halleck of Indiana has said, “When the American people want something from Congress, regardless of its political complexion, if they make their wants known, Congress does what the people want.”

So write, and if your representative writes back to you and tells you that he or she too is for free enterprise, that we have these great services and so forth, that must be performed by government, don’t let them get away with it. Show that you have not been convinced. Write a letter right back and tell them that you believe in government economy and fiscal responsibility; that you know governments don’t tax to get the money the need; governments will always find a need for the money they get and that you demand the continuation of our free enterprise system. You and I can do this. The only way we can do it is by writing to our congressmen even we believe that he is on our side to begin with. Write to strengthen his hand. Give him the ability to stand before his colleagues in Congress and say “I have heard from my constituents and this is what they want.”

Write those letters now; call your friends and them to write them. If you don’t, this program I promise you, will pass just as surely as the sun will come up tomorrow, and behind it will come other federal programs that will invade every area of freedom as we have known it in this country. Until, one day, as Normal Thomas said we will awake to find that we have socialism. And if you don’t do this and if I don’t do it, one of these days we are going to spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children, what it once was like in America when men were free."

Reagan was right, he was almost always right. That is because he stood on principle and understood many important truths about government and man. Conservatism believes in these principles and that is why we can only prosper as a nation when we follow correct principles.

What Does Socialized Medicine Deliver?

From the American Thinker:
The Cost of Free Government Health Care
By David Gibberman

"Proponents of government-run health care like to point out that countries with such a system spend a smaller percentage of their gross domestic product on health care than the United States. What they don't like to mention is how those savings are achieved. For example:

• Patients Lose the Right To Decide What Treatment They'll Receive.
• There Are Long Waits for Care.
• Patients Are Denied the Latest Medical Technology and Medicines.
• Breakthroughs in Life-Saving Treatments Are Discouraged.
• The Best and Brightest Are Discouraged from Becoming Doctors."

Is Government-Run Health Care Better? No!

Does Government-Run Health Care Provide Everyone Access to Equal Care?

No! If you are poor, old, or too sick and think you have it bad—you ain't seen nothing yet!

In Control but Out of Control

Based on what we are seeing from the Democrats in Congress it is safe to say that although they control both the House and the Senate they have no control of themselves, their spending, their respect for propriety, and their ability to follow through on promises.

100 Broken Promises by the Democrats in the House

What our health care system will look like if democrats get their way

This is liberalism at its finest. Promising the world and delivering nothing except for more and more bureaucracy and ever increasing debt—not to mention more empty promises. Do not believe the things that snake oil salesman say to you. Their end game is to control your life, liberty, and property. These are God given inalienable rights the Creator gave to ALL men, and government cannot take them away. We can voluntarily give them up, but the rights are still inherent.

So don't give any weight or pay any attention to the vain promises of this reckless and out of control Congress.

Democrats Block GOP Health Care Mailing

Roll Call

July 23, 2009
By Jackie Kucinich
Roll Call Staff

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Democrats are preventing Republican House Members from sending their constituents a mailing that is critical of the majority’s health care reform plan, blocking the mailing by alleging that it is inaccurate.

House Republicans are crying foul and claiming that the Democrats are using their majority to prevent GOP Members from communicating with their constituents.

The dispute centers on a chart (view PDF) created by Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Texas) and Republican staff of the Joint Economic Committee to illustrate the organization of the Democratic health care plan.

At first glance, Brady’s chart resembles a board game: a colorful collection of shapes and images with a web of lines connecting them.

But a closer look at the image reveals a complicated menagerie of government offices and programs that Republicans say will be created if the leading Democratic health care plan becomes law.

In a memo sent Monday to Republicans on the House franking commission, Democrats argue that sending the chart to constituents as official mail would violate House rules because the information is misleading.

In their eight-point memo, which was obtained by Roll Call, Democrats identify a litany of areas where they believe the chart is incorrect.

For example, Democrats argue that the chart depicts a “Health Insurance Exchange Trust Fund” that is “simply a recipient of IRS funds, with no outflow. ... This is false.”

The chart’s illustration of low-income subsidies is also “misleading and false,” Democrats argue.

Congressional rules for franked mail bar Members from using taxpayer-funded mail for newsletters that use “partisan, politicized or personalized” comments to criticize legislation or policy.

The dispute over Brady’s chart is being reviewed by the franking commission, which must approve any mail before it can be sent. No decision had been made on the matter by press time.

Brady adamantly denied that the chart was misleading and said Democrats are simply threatened by the content of the graphic.

“I think their review was laughable,” Brady said. “It’s ... downright false in most of the cases. The chart depicts their health care plan as their committees developed it.”

“The chart reveals how their health care bureaucracy works, and people are frightened by it,” he added. “So this is their effort to try and discredit” the chart.

Republican Members have made 20 requests to mail a version of the chart to their constituents and have been told that the requests are being delayed while the commission reviews allegations that the chart is misleading.

“Hiding the truth about wildly unpopular policies is a Democrat specialty,” said one GOP aide. “I’d like to see the flow chart on how Speaker [Nancy] Pelosi plans on implementing the open and transparent government she keeps promising everyone.”

“We have initiated discussions with the minority to try and resolve current differences and are operating in good faith to achieve that goal,” said Kyle Anderson, a spokesman for House Administration Chairman Robert Brady (D-Pa.). The committee has oversight of the commission.

Rep. Dan Lungren (R-Calif.), ranking member of the committee and a member of the franking commission, said through a spokeswoman that he is also aware of the situation and is working with the members of the franking commission to resolve the differences, but he added that he believed Democrats on the commission were overreaching.

“He strongly believes that the franking commission does not have the authority to deny Member communications based on partisan differences of pending legislation,” said Salley Collins, a spokeswoman for Lungren.

The franking commission is made up of three Democrats and three Republicans.

Republicans quickly embraced Brady’s chart, and over the past week about 50 Members have posted it on their Congressional Web sites or used it in a floor speech. It has also been posted on the home page of the Republican National Committee.

More on Health Care

This conversation is in response to the President's press conference last night. It is important to remember that most of the proposals by the Democrats are being pushed under false assumptions about the current state of health care in this country.

To understand the issue in all of its complexities we must distinguish between all of the parties and processes that make up what we call "Health Care."

• Health Care Professionals: Doctors, physicians, psychiatrists, pathologists, physical therapists, nurses, EMTs, paramedics, medical technicians, and on and on
  
  
• Health Care Research: Doctors, professors, and other researchers who develop new ideas, methods, practices, and techniques relating to medical treatment and who further understanding and advance the ability of health care professionals to provide the highest quality of health care to patients
  
  
• Health Care Administration: Hospitals, clinics, doctor's offices, and other medical facilities that serve as a central organization where health care professionals can work; as well as all of the business and administrative support behind them
  
  
• Health Insurance: The insurance companies and programs that help individuals, families, and different groups of people disseminate the costs and risks associated with medical care and treatment
  
  
• Medical Science: Drug/Pharmaceutical Companies, Medical device manufacturers, and similar businesses who create and manufacture the tools that health care professionals then use to provide their patients with the highest quality of health care possible
  
  

Are there problems with the professionals? Yes...
the administration? Yes...
the research, the science, and the insurance? YES...

But don't turn the whole kitten caboodle over the the government who hasn't proven that it can run anything...ANYTHING! other than what it is supposed to run-ie the military (see US Constitution articles I-III)

We need to make changes in the system, but the existing government programs are like an over-sized barnacle on the free market ship that puts undue strain and stress on a system that still provides the best health care in the entire world.

Politicians and the Philosophy of Self-Promotion

I would like to point out the two political motives typical of the best leaders.

1. Those who humbly run for office at the instance of others whom they respect—examples of this include George Washington and Ronald Reagan.

2. Those who humbly recognize their unique abilities that are needed in a given situation.

In neither of these cases is the potential leader seeking to elevate himself above others. Most importantly true statesmen do not see themselves as better than others but as "humble servants."

Please find me these people in our government today. A career politician is a self-promoting, egomaniac and should not be trusted with the special stewardship of power that comes with elected office.

Providing for the Common Defense

It is critical for America to lead; America is after all, freedom's greatest hope.
Margaret Thatcher


Missile Defense
33 Minutes

The Heritage Foundation has produced a wonderful documentary about the need to fully implement a missile defense system for the United States.

If you disagree with creating and funding a missile defense system, please watch this film.