I have great affection for Dr. Thomas Sowell. I eagerly await his columns. I view him as a wise uncle whose wisdom I cherish. He is a self-made man who grew up poor, black and fatherless. That's never a good combination, more so in the 30's and 40's. He overcame life's obstacles, building a stellar academic career after a a stint in the Marine Corps.
In a column from this week he addresses the current health care turmoil and applies a larger life lesson.
"Eternal vigilance is the price of freedom." We have heard that many times. What is also the price of freedom is the toleration of imperfections. If everything that is wrong with the world becomes a reason to turn more power over to some political savior, then freedom is going to erode away, while we are mindlessly repeating the catchwords of the hour, whether "change," "universal health care" or "social justice."
Let's go back to square one. The universe was not made to our specifications. Nor were human beings. So there is nothing surprising in the fact that we are dissatisfied with many things at many times. The big question is whether we are prepared to follow any politician who claims to be able to "solve" our "problem."
If we are, then there will be a never ending series of "solutions," each causing new problems calling for still more "solutions." That way lies a never-ending quest, costing ever increasing amounts of the taxpayers' money and — more important — ever greater losses of your freedom to live your own life as you see fit, rather than as presumptuous elites dictate.
Much political hay is made when the latest political snake oil salesman points to some ill and promises to fix it. The problem? In this vale of tears there will always be some ill ready at hand, so there will always be an opportunity for government-sponsored chicanery on your dime.
If someone could come up with a practical, pragmatic solution to bring costs down and keep families from going bankrupt over medical bills, I'd be all for it. But this current carbuncle is an affront to common sense and an insult to the citizens of this country.
It it's so good, why doesn't Congress include themselves in it?
3 comments:
There is alot of problems with any plan. I don't like to see those who can't afford insurance, their health is poor, suffer and die because they can't get the needed coverage.
Univerisal health coverage is going to take away from those that have it and it already does in the way of hire prices. RedneckRon
Trying to refrom a system that is use to charge what they want one anything you need.
I have friend that has cancer and is so over whelmed with the cost it is incredible and he doens't have inusurance. A family member that has almost died but doesn't have insurance. I take a hard look at my family and see how many that don't have insurance. Do i vote to sacrifice my family's well being in helping those that don't have insurance. All live in the contry-What do you do and what are you willing to sacrifice?
Medicaid is for those too poor to buy insurance for themselves. Every problem you mention is an insurance problem, so why restructure the entire US medical establishment?
Why not reform the insurance rules so nobody gets kicked out, no catastrophic caps, and no exclusion for preexisting conditions. In exchange, everyone must have insurance, just like car insurance.
Add to that no insurance payments for routine stuff, lawsuit reform and some form of catastrophic insurance to cover those instances where cancer or other costly diseases really drain a family.
Instead, they've build a Frankenstein's monster.
This is more a complicated issue than I care to get involved in. Don't know enough about it to talk on it but it is to big of an animal that this country cannot afford.
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