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By Cameron DeHart

The American people deserve the truth about health care, and neither party is stepping up to the plate. Now, I would consider myself a fairly tech-savvy politico, and I’m having difficulty finding anything online that gives an impartial examination of the health care proposals currently in front of Congress. (To my knowledge, there isn’t a concrete ‘bill’ yet.)

                In this vacuum, Obama is doing what he does best: articulating his idealism in feel-good generalities, while his own party bickers back and forth over a few key points.  The Republicans, led by our very own Congressman John Boehner, are preying upon weakness on the Left by stirring the resurgent anti-government populism of Middle America. Few talking heads on either side are making sense, and no one is making any progress.

                The Left, where I sit, has yet to offer a straightforward plan for health care reform. Mr Obama certainly has his good ideas, but without a unified Democratic Party, he has yet to offer a physical plan for every American to hold and read. He needs to step up as the de facto leader of his party, and take charge. We need to know exactly where the money is going to come from, and how exactly a public-option would be made available.

                On the Right, leaders must step up and put an end to the propagation of the sensationalist lies. The comparisons to Hitler and Stalin, the Communist fear-mongering, and the high-flying rhetoric of ‘freedom’ and ‘liberty’ must stop. By preying upon The People’s fears, the GOP is not doing this country a service. If there really are death panels (there aren’t), then Sarah Palin needs to provide citation. If the Republican Party really wants to do well, then they need to quit throwing temper tantrums and sit down with Democrats for a serious discussion.

                I believe Americans need to take matters into their own hands, and I’m not talking about shouting paranoid, nonsensical one-liners at Town Hall meetings.. Shouting platitudes from a sea of angry people is no way to communicate ideas.  Both sides need to sit down and have a real discussion. Leave the hyperbole, Obama=Hitler posters, and AR-15s at home, and bring your thinking caps and genuine grievances.

                I beseech the people of Miami County, and American at large, to turn off the TV: stop listening to the Glenn Becks and Keith Olbermanns. Stop forwarding those chain emails. Go to www.factcheck.org, a nonpartisan examination of politics, and learn the truth.
 


Comments

EAB

Mon, 29 Mar 2010 10:17:37

Love the commentary, but the realities are not as obvious as they should be. Let's take a look at a few things.
-Requirements for life:

Food - heavily regulated for safety and cost, subsidies gone to farmers, FDA inspectors. For those that cannot afford food, we have food stamps and other social programs. Taxpayer supported.

Water - Provided by municipality for a very small amount of money. For the cost of 30 gallons of "drinking water" in bottles at the grocery, one can drink, wash, and rinse; even bathe their car for a whole year. Taxpayer supported.

-Fire and police protection - Again, provided by all levels of Goverment, when called the question isn't "who is your home insurance carrier" but rather "what can we do for you?" Taxpayer supported.

-Transportation - Car lighting, safety, and pollution controls tightly regulated. Roads tightly regulated by signage and licensing. Efforts to provide for roads and ensure safety of new cars provided by Govt and supported by taxpayers.

The reason all of the above are either tightly regulated and subsidized or outright provided by the Govt is because these items simply cannot be easily provided by a full on capitalist system. Capitalism relies on the rule of "supply and demand." Medical care is one of those items that we will ALL use at some point in our lives. At what point does a drug become to expensive, or a procedure much to pricy? Never. Because of this, medical services are not a good candidate for the open market.

Medical cost started to skyrocket in the early 80's when the Govt approved a law letting medical facilities and pharmaceuticals to advertise on TV. After that, it went from a highly regulated social service to a business. Why does medical cost so much NOW, unlike it did 30 years ago? Easy; because the companies can charge whatever they want. And now that they are so financially successful, they can and do spend in excess of 1 million dollars a day to ensure they maintain their position in the economy.

Solution: Review the ways our society runs other required items in our lives. Discuss which one of those fits. It won't happen, but it sure is a nice thought.

 



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