Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Health Care Socialism Is Not Dead: No Time To Relax


See Michael Ramirez at IBD for more excellent political truth.

Congress may recess before a vote on President Obama's proposal to socialize the health care system. He had been insisting to socialize health care by August. Well, that is not going to happen. And, guess what, the world didn't come to an end. Can you say Chicken Little? While the August battle may be won--thanks to the Blue Dog Democrats--the war is far from over. President Obama is engaging in the ancient Mongol ruse of a feigned retreat. (Right now, instead of pushing health care, the main-stream-media is trying to tie all right thinking people to the imaginary 'birth cert' brou-ha-ha.)

GatesGate as a diversion. Do not think for a minute that Mr. Obama accidentally inserted himself in the Boston race controversy Gatesgate. He did it to take the nation's attention off of the disastrous health care debate. Mr. Obama desperately needs a win. He hasn't had any. He sees his involvement as 'solving a racially charged incident.' His move is being touted as 'politically astute'. Let us be clear -- there is no issue to be settled by Mr. Obama. There is no bridging the gap between those that accuse Crowley of abuse of power, and those that accuse Gates of race-baiting. I disagree with those that say Mr. Obama made a mistake -- it is a carefully orchestrated move. If either Crowley or Gates blinks, Obama wins. If neither blinks, Obama wins just by having a beer with them, as he elevates himself above them.

As pointed out in this blog a few days ago, Mr. Obama is changing his story. It used to be about a 'basic right' to health care. That didn't work. Then it was about 'fixing a broken health care system.' That didn't work. Now he is trying to tie it to the economy, he is saying: Health Insurance Reform Will Strengthen Small Businesses.
Because they lack the bargaining power that large businesses have and face higher administrative costs per person, small businesses pay up to 18 percent more for the very same health insurance plans – costs that eat into their profits and get passed on to their employees... As a result, small businesses are much less likely to offer health insurance. Those that do tend to have less generous plans. In a recent survey, one third of small businesses reported cutting benefits. Many have dropped coverage altogether. And many have shed jobs, or shut their doors entirely.
So there you have it... now President Obama is 'fixing the economy' with his so-called health care plan, because his so-called stimulus plan didn't stimulate anything, except cronyism and hand gun sales. He continues:
What I’m concerned about is the damage that’s being done right now to the health of our families, the success of our businesses, and the long-term fiscal stability of our government. [Scare tactics.] I’m concerned about hard working folks who want nothing more than the security that comes with knowing they can get the care they need, when they need it. [False -- most hard working folks already have health care. It is the lay-a-bouts that are uninsured.] I’m concerned about the small business owners who are asking for nothing more than a chance to seize their piece of the American Dream. [Apparently seizing a piece of the American Dream involves seizing a tax subsidy.] I’m concerned about our children and grandchildren who will be saddled with deficits that will continue piling up year after year unless we pass reform. [More scare tactics-- something he accuses the opposition of doing.]
President Obama is like Mighty Mouse: Here he is to save the day!!

Freedom is not free. Sometimes the threats are external, sometimes, like now, internal. The war against government health care rationing and socialism is not over. Here are a few predictions and clues about battles yet to be fought in this war:
  • If Mr. Kennedy passes, the tune will shift again, from 'saving the economy' to 'pass a health care bill in his honor.' No crisis too good to waste say the Democrats.
  • President Obama's rope-a-dope change-my-tune drill will continue until he can buy blue dog democrats with favors. He will be back with a bigger, more bloated bill, if that is possible.
  • The SEIU is joining forces with WalMart for a health care mandate. The SEIU is a union that stands to benefit substantially by the passage of any socialist legislation.
The SEIU has 400 people working full time on health care issues. How many do you have working on it? You have Carl Frank and BobInLosAngeles working on it. Anyone else?

Yes.

You have Hayek and Milton Friedman. You have Ann Coulter on your side (one of her best -- read the whole thing):
All the problems with the American health care system come from government intervention, so naturally the Democrats' idea for fixing it is more government intervention. This is like trying to sober up by having another drink.

Even two decades after the collapse of liberals' beloved Soviet Union, they can't grasp that it's easier and cheaper to obtain any service provided by capitalism than any service provided under socialism.

Isn't food important? Why not "universal food coverage"? If politicians and employers had guaranteed us "free" food 50 years ago, today Democrats would be wailing about the "food crisis" in America, and you'd be on the phone with your food care provider arguing about whether or not a Reuben sandwich with fries was covered under your plan.

Instead of making health care more like the DMV, how about we make it more like grocery stores? Give the poor and tough cases health stamps and let the rest of us buy health care -- and health insurance -- on the free market.
You have the Tort Reform Lobby on your side, trying to keep President Obama from starting a virtual litigation machine:
...it is anticipated that Chairman Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) will offer a manager’s amendment to the Medicare Secondary Payer Act that, according to the American Tort Reform Association, will create “a virtual litigation machine.”
“It’s bad enough that the congressional majority has resisted consideration of commonsense measures that would reduce costly litigation related to the delivery of health care in America,” said ATRA president Tiger Joyce. “But attempting to include provisions that will actually increase such litigation is beyond the pale. If comprehensive health care reform legislation is to succeed legislatively and in practice, it must be free of ‘trial lawyer earmarks.’”
Keith Hennessey is working for you: More health care stumbling by Team Obama. He has his own health care plan too.

The examiner.com is on your side. Go and see the list of things President Obama lied about or does not want you to know.

You even have CNN on your side. CNN wants you to know the five key freedoms you will lose under President Obama's socialism plan:
  1. Freedom to choose what's in your plan
  2. Freedom to be rewarded for healthy living, or pay your real costs
  3. Freedom to choose high-deductible coverage
  4. Freedom to keep your existing plan
  5. Freedom to choose your doctors
CNN is directly contradicting President Obama, who told you that "you will keep your plan, you will keep your doctor." You will not keep your plan, or your doctor, something everyone knows now. CNN isn't the first to point out President Obama's blatant falsehood, but they are the most prominent.

Summary

You can expect this bill will morph into something uglier... something more sinister... more subtle. It may be less comprehensive, it will have the form of a 'watered down' bill, and be full of pork. The core if it will still be something called a "public option." But be assured, there will be a health care bill, because President Obama must get his hook into your mouth this year, before we vote out the democrats in the next national election.

2 comments:

suek said...

" Do not think for a minute that Mr. Obama accidentally inserted himself in the Boston race controversy Gatesgate."

While I don't disagree with you on this statement as a fact, I do think O miscalculated. He was right in that it _has_ changed the conversation away from the Health Care issue, but I don't think that change was the improvement he expected. I suspect that he has raised a sleeping giant and has the tiger by the tail. And I think the tiger is going to turn on him. People have about had it with the racial bias thing.

Bob in Los Angeles said...

Yes, I agree with you.

Having aligned himself with his-- apparently racist-- friend Skip, Mr. Obama is now guilty by association. Moreover he has done everyone a huge favor exposing Skip as apparently racist elite member of liberal Harvard. It turned out very badly for him.