Becareful what you wish for-

The issues with our Healthcare system are a direct result of the prosperity this country has seen. The previous statement might seem a little awkward but let me take a moment to explain. A growing crisis in this nation is obesity; people are suffering from eating too much! The capitalistic principles that have been the frame work for our great society has made our lives so easy that we have the time and the opportunity to take advantage of the foundation that has been set for us. For example, 150 years ago obesity was not an issue, a majority of people had to work the land in order to feed themselves, and life expectance rates were merely a fraction of what they are today. The all powerful 'dollar' provided the incentive for individuals to find solutions that could make themselves and for a price others more productive. Unfortunately, in our society it has become trendy to view individual productivity and individual prosperity as resounding evils. Is there really a difference between 'greed' and individual incentive? To view 'greed' as the embodiment of an elderly man stooped over in his over stuffed leather chair caring only to count his money I think is a very short-sighted depiction of the relationship that we all share with the word. In fact we are all greedy. Nature needs for us to be greedy to survive; it makes up the fabric that motivates us to do anything and we should not be made to feel ashamed but rather strive to create a system where the individual is rewarded; i.e. 'doing well, by doing good.' Our society has created a medical professional that has extended life, has improved life, and has allowed those that nature would have let die 150 years ago to live long enough to not only reproduce but also to prosper; therefore, why do we feel the need to socialize the system? I believe it is because we are too comfortable and our lives are too easy allowing us the time to feel guilty.

Guilt is imposed on us by those that do not care for the republic but rather see our guilt as an opportunity to garner power for themselves. The advancements of modern medicine have brought us to our current predicament. For example, 150 years ago those with Type I diabetes would not have lived long enough to be able to reproduce. Their genes would not have been allowed to make it into the next generation; however, modern medicine has allowed these individuals the opportunity to live productive rewarding lives. These medical advancements have actually increased the overall burden for our system. This may seem cold but think of the alternative; if we did not have modern medicine these people would not even be here. Medicine is expensive and very complex. Our system which is the best medical system the world has ever seen was built on individuals who had the incentive to bring about the cures and disease processes that so many have taken for granted.

The health care subject is a tricky topic to discuss because you are dealing with an individual’s well being and in our civilized modern society it is unacceptable to allow for someone to simply die because they are not able to afford care. However, individuals need to have some sort of responsibility for their care. The incentives of all involved parties need to be aligned in order to insure the most productive system. The more that is produced the more that can be made available; however, many short sighted individuals preach that a centrally planned system would benefit the majority. These socialist always forget the most important variable in their grand schemes; people need incentive to produce. A universal health plan may equal coverage for all but it will produce a reality of care available for none and I hate to think of the brave new world of medicine where those needing care are treated on a government budget. If one thinks that a universal health plan will debunk the ‘evil health care’ companies and move the system from setting monetary values to individual lives you will be in a for a rude awakening. For example, every time the government pays for a highway off ramp to be built they have calculated the ‘lives saved per foot’ i.e. for every additional foot that they extend to the off ramp ‘x’ number of lives will be saved; they are setting monetary value to human lives in every off ramp in America. Framing that for our health care debate, the government, ie a removed central planning authority, will have the power to determine who will receive care and who will not receive care; it is ironic that this is the same argument used to create such a system.