Posted by
Jan@Oasis on Tuesday, August 04, 2009 1:17:10 AM
My husband's family all live in Europe, and so he reads the German papers online and speaks with his family quite often about the happenings on the Continent. The latest fact he's gleaned from his reading and speaking is this: in Germany now, long-term unemployed folks make more money than working people. Ain't socialism grand? I think I've mentioned before that many Germans go on unemployment for several years before they retire, even if they are able to find jobs, because they feel they "deserve" to be paid not to work. I understand the French have similar feelings. Isn't that just precious, expecting Big Nanny to support your slothfulness and never giving a thought to WHO THE HELL IS GOING TO PAY FOR THIS now that you people no longer marry or have children. Indeed, socialism leads to a distinct tendency to remain immature and selfish and to refuse to take on anything which requires one to be a grown up, responsible person. Spouses and children are SO tiresome, making all sorts of demands and all. So guess who are reproducing like rabbits (but don't want to work either)?
Europeans are waking up (perhaps a little late) to the problems of giving people stuff they should be earning for themselves and then finding yourselves unable to CONTINUE to give people stuff because NO ONE is interested in working. Talk about removing incentive, removing pride, removing ambition from your population. And now, the American Left, behind the 8-ball as always, has decided that European socialism is the way to go, just when Europe is finally beginning to see the error of its ways .
And make no mistake, socialism is a replacement for liberty. As someone very smart once said, the government that gives you everthing has the power to take everything you have. This particular administration seems to be showing a marked interest in sticking its nose into every aspect of our lives. I don't WANT their version of "health care," which is not about health and not about care, but about POWER and MONEY. Their power, your money. If you have one living brain cell, you must be able to discern that trying to control the health care system in a country this size is a ridiculous idea for an inept, inefficient, unqualified bunch of bureaucrats. Even the tiny little European countries with socialized medicine are turning people away in droves and refusing care to anyone they deem "not worth it." It is about cost, and only cost. The idividual has become the society. He has no right to expect, pursue, purchase or arrange any care that Big Nanny decides is too costly or which Mr. Citizen is not entitled to because he isn't worthy, whether by virtue of his age, his circumstances or the lack of treatment options one finds in a government run health system. Health system. What a joke.
I don't want us to turn into Europe. I know that our health care system is the best in the world, by far, and that allowing the federal government to take it away from us will mean the death of it. Already there is a change in the policy on flu shots--people over 65 will no longer be considered a priority in obtaining flu vaccine, as they have always been in the past. Now they're a liability, not a treasure. Now they are going to be expected to suffer and die so the government can save money. And then spend it on illegal aliens. Wow, are you Obama fans still on board? Any of you over 65?
Your doctor does not want to work for the government, as I pointed out to you. Doctors in the United States have the idea that THEY should decide how to treat patients. They already have to deal with HMOs and lawyers. Do you think they need to have to put up with bureaucratic bull too? Many of them will not. Many young people will decide not to try for medical school because in the long run it won't be worth it. I've been an RN for 29 years. I see the way the wind is blowing. If this kind of bill passes, just kiss the superior American health care system good-bye. And kiss Granny and Gramps good-bye too. Especially if Granny and Gramps are registered Republicans and haven't made a point of bowing down to worship the king. Over 80% of Americans are happy with their health care and insurance. We're going to screw that up to guarantee a few million uninsured (many by choice) some mediocre or worse health care? Let the marketplace work. It will, if given a chance. ALL Americans need to stand up and scream NO to this travesty, and stop it in its tracks. Even Democrats will be expected to die a bit early eventually, as more and more money gets sucked into the giant bureaucratic sinkhole and there is less and less for actual medical treatment. Do you get it??
I'll take liberty any day over "equality." Liberty can lead you into greatness or into corruption, but there are choices there. Lack of freedom leads to exactly what Europe has now: dependence, immaturity, and eventually the collapse of the society because no one wants to work and succeed and be adults. A society with no adults doesn't last long. Besides, we have equality of opportunity here, and that is what America has always been about. Equality of outcome is a foreign concept to real Americans. You get out of life pretty much what YOU put into it. Or, on the other hand, what Big Nanny decides to give you. Or not. Let's be Americans, and keep our health care system as a market driven system, where costs can be reduced with competition. Where it's been tried, it works. And keep the damn government out of your life and mine.