The idea of Universal Healthcare is a joke. I know of no other way to say it. If we get the program that Mr. Obama and his administration are proposing, what is next? I have an idea. Or three of them.
Government supplied Universal Housing, Universal Food Supply, Universal Clothing Supply and Universal Healthcare. What do they all have in common? My opinion is that all four are stupid ideas that have never been thought through to their logical conclusions. All have been tried. How well did they work in the USSR or East Germany or China (before Deng Xiaoping and the Third Generation)? How well are they working today in North Korea?
If our government proposed “Universal Housing,” what would it look like? Think Housing Projects on Steroids. Would the liberals be saying that we are rich enough to see that everyone gets good housing? What would that look like? Is it an apartment with 200 square feet per person, for everyone in the U.S.A.? Would each unit have a dishwasher? A Flat Screen TV with DVR? Air Conditioning? Or would it mean a single family home of 1400 square feet on a 5,000 square foot lot for every family of four? What would be fair? For those getting the housing? For those paying for the housing?
How about a proposal of “Universal Food Supply?” What would it look like? Would it be based on calories? Dollars? Would it include ice cream, coffee, candy, prepared foods? Would it include beer, wine, cigarettes? Would it provide food direct or would it be an expansion of a ‘food stamp’ program? What fun would lobbiests for the food companies have selling to the world’s largest customer? And how do we pay for this? More ‘magic money’ like we are printing to buy car companies and banks?
Then there is “Universal Clothing.” We all need underwear. How many shoes do we need? (Don’t ask my wife that one.) Will the program provide for designer jeans and Nikes or will we have to suffer with Walmart or Costco jeans and ‘no-name’ shoes? We have our dignity, don’t we? Can they make me wear boxers when I like briefs? Will everyone in Hawaii and Florida get snow parkas? Will people in North Dakota and Maine get the same number of bermuda shorts as those in California and Arizona? Will all the clothing have to be manufactured in the U.S.A.?
Of course, the reason for the discussion here is the real possibility that our government will force a universal healthcare program on us. Mr. Obama has promised this. He thinks it is a great idea. He likes the way they do things in Europe …… better than the way things are done here. He wants us to model much of our society on a European model. I think it is because Government leaders in Europe are still more like royalty than they are here (though that is changing rapidly).
Below is a chart (found on the website “Pesky Emotional Republican” and sourced through Representative Mark Kirk, R, IL) that reminds me of many reasons why Universal Healthcare is a big mistake. Healthcare reform/improvement is a worthy goal and one we should pursue. Planning a system based on the Canadian or European model or, heaven help us, on Medicare, is just plain STUPID.
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June 8, 2009 at 12:55 pm
Corby Coutts
Tom,
“Health Czare” is just a progressive, liberal, democrat, marxist mis-nomer for “power over the people”. Remember, these people use terms relative to ‘their’ definitions, but designed to reflect the accepted expected definitions used by everyone else. There are perfect examples to OBama’s health czar; auto, bank, and financial bailouts. Wage controls, czar mgt., union controls, and investor shafting. Health czare is an entry point for taking over and managing peoples lives, by the fact that a citizen’s health is a cost to the govt., and therefore of vital concern for the rest of the citizens. If it is a cost, it needs to be controled, and therefore, you will be told what you will be, as determined by the govt. czar, Obama. Obama, “Ultimately, I have to side with Justice Breyer’s view of the Constitution-that it is not a static but rather living document, and must be read in the context of an ever-changing world.” “Health Czare” is not enumerated in the Constitution, not in this world. “Czar” a term used to describe “The popular title of the former emperors of Russia.” Also: “Czarism” defined as, “autocratic government, absolutism”.
July 31, 2010 at 5:31 am
Steve Edwards
Universal healthcare is an important idea, and not only for polarized dispute. People of all sorts of conviction need to join in a respectful and reasoned discussion. Purely capitalist healthcare is clearly not working, and is cruel at basis. The discussion is about the definition of civilized society. Universal housing, too — thanks for mentioning it. Nobody seems to think of that. That too is an important discussion — in the interest of a civilized society.
October 28, 2011 at 6:33 pm
suzy
I can’t believe this piece…the comparisons are absurd.
It’s morally wrong to profit off the sickness of others. Change is coming, learn to adapt.
October 28, 2011 at 8:48 pm
ttoes
@ Suzy – I’d be curious to hear your reasons why my “…comparisons are absurd.” My opinion is that hunger is an issue every bit as important as health; many would say more important. In fact, my understanding is that only people who have never known hunger rate it as less important than health. Shelter, too, ranks pretty high in the world of human needs, and, clothing is just a form of portable shelter.
Tom
October 28, 2011 at 8:49 pm
ttoes
@ Steve – I did not say that healthcare or housing were not important. I was commenting on a government program that makes no sense to me. Where I respectfully disagree is with your characterization that “Purely Capitalistic healthcare…” isn’t working. Where can you show me such a system. Certainly not in the United States at any time since about the mid-20th century?
Tom