Not Your Money, Not Your Life: Part 2

Obama has stated that he doesn’t want government to take over health care.  Instead, he wants something “uniquely American.”  That is, a public alternative, paid for with tax payers’ money.  If people want to, they can keep their own doctors and keep their former policies.  This public option will compete with private insurers and keep prices down all across the board.

Well, it sounds fantastic.  How could anyone oppose such a great piece of legislation?

This is how:  when the government starts a program, it doesn’t have to worry about turning a profit.  It just has to make the program seem like it’s working.  So when the government creates a “public option” for health care, you can bet it’s going to be cheap.  A lot of people are going to go along with it.  Obama says private companies will compete, but how can they compete with a program that has a seemingly endless flow of tax payers’ money?

Private insurance companies will start to drop employees and go out of business.  Hospitals and organizations will have to start paying their workers less.  Doctors will leave their jobs in search of something that pays better.  Eventually, the “public option” will be one of  the only options. 

We’ve seen that government run health care just doesn’t work.  When people have to pay little, or nothing at all, for medical care, they’re going to take advantage of it.  In Canada you can get lots of treatments for free.  The catch is you may be waiting for your treatment for a few days…or weeks…or months.  People who would have been able to afford treatment may have to wait for an indefinite period of time before they can be seen.

Private companies should be the only option for health care.  Competing companies allow for the best treatments at the lowest costs.  A government option seems like a great plan, but it’s really just wishful thinking.

Not Your Money, Not Your Life

In order to raise more money for Obama’s extensive health-care system, Congress is planning on passing a bill that will fine Americans for not buying affordable medical coverage.  Individuals that don’t do what the government wishes will get a bill for over one thousand dollars.  Apparently, this idea is based on something that Massachusetts has already been doing.  It doesn’t make sense to me.  People should not be fined for refusing to get health insurance.  

Congress says that certain people will be exempt if they are too poor to get coverage, so anybody who has money will be required to get medical coverage or pay the fines.  Once again, the government thinks it’s being Robin Hood.  But Robin Hood didn’t steal money from those that had worked for it; he stole from those that had cheated and stolen money themselves.  When government takes from the rich and gives to the poor, they are righting wrongs that aren’t wrong at all.  Everyone deserves their own money.  Why should the poor take the money that the rich earned? 

Of course Obama is happy about this bill; he says it “reflects many of the principles I’ve laid out, such as reforms that will prohibit insurance companies from refusing coverage for people with pre-existing conditions and the concept of insurance exchanges where individuals can find affordable coverage if they lose their jobs, move or get sick.” 

If insurance companies are forced to cover people that have pre-existing conditions, they are going to lose money.  They aren’t just denying sick people coverage because they don’t like them; they are trying to stay in business.  It’s unfortunate that people with pre-existing conditions have a tough time getting insurance, but it is not the government’s responsibility to step in.  Individuals should have the choice to help their fellow man or not.  I would certainly help out a friend of mine if he or she had a life-threatening condition, and I trust that this is the case for many other people.  However, man is not his brother’s keeper; he has no obligation to help people he hasn’t even met. 

This is a totalitarian action; big government is stepping into our lives.  Individuals should decide if they want coverage or not.  It is not the government’s place to come in and tell Americans how to live their lives.   Government is becoming more successful every day in convincing Americans that their money is actually our money. 

I see the contradiction.  I hope you do.  It is your money.  It is your life.

Religious Freedom and Freedom From Religion

Normally while at church, I just sit there and mope about having to go in the first place.  But since my parents require me to go, I might as well make something of it.  I’ve decided to take some notes on the pastor’s sermon and write a blog in response.  I never voice my own opinions while in church for fear of my parents’ wrath and a good talking to from all the adults in the congregation.  So, here’s my voice. 

I’m just going to paraphrase a few of his points and state my own arguments. 

“Many people came to America seeking religious freedom because America had the blessing of God.  Our founders knew that the most Christian thing to do was to allow all people to practice their religions freely.  There is nowhere else on Earth where you find the religious freedom that America has.  But some people didn’t come for religious freedom.  They came for gold, for riches.  That power of materialism still vexes our country today.  Just look at Bernie Madoff.” 

My pastor makes a great point about how America has immense religious freedom, but it was not necessarily the most Christian thing to do.  It goes against the bible to practice other religions.  The first commandment states; “Thou shall have no other gods before me.”  The founding fathers would have made America officially Christian if they wanted citizens to practice Christianity.  Instead, they made religious freedom one of the staples of our country. 

As for materialism…There are two types of materialism that he’s grouping together.  He is stating that all materialism is bad, and that all greed is evil.  However there is huge difference between irrational greed and rational greed.  The former characterizes Bernie Madoff.  This kind of greed really is evil.  Madoff was willing to step all over individual rights to reach his ends.  This was clearly irrational, just look where he ended up.  

The latter kind of greed characterizes the immigrants came to America seeking gold and riches.  This is what many people call rational self-interest.  These immigrants wanted to make better lives for themselves.  Obviously, they thought they could do much better in the United States than they could in their own countries.  Is it a bad thing to escape suffering?  Should they have stayed right where they were and endured hunger, poverty, and disease? 

Good Lord, NO! This is one of my major problems with Christianity; Jesus taught that one should give all things to God and let him deal with things.  “Seek first God’s kingdom and what God wants.  Then all you other needs will be met as well.  So don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will have its own worries.”-Matthew 6:33-34. 

If God wants us to just let him deal with everything, we would die of starvation.  Food doesn’t just present itself to us if we wait for God to provide.  We have to go out and get it ourselves.  Some people might say, “God doesn’t mean don’t worry about anything, he means do what you can and you will have food.”  But then, isn’t the individual who found, killed, or gathered the food the one to commend for providing the food? 

“There are politicians that say they believe in God, that they have faith, that they are Christians, but then they say they will not let their religion affect their politics.  Wait…are they listening to their own words?  I don’t think so.” 

I concur with my pastor on this one.  When you have certain beliefs, like the belief of God, it’s going to influence every decision you make.  Politicians are just trying to avoid getting kicked out of office.  They try to please the most people as possible, but mostly they are just walking contradictions. 

“There are those that suggest we are better off without any religion at all.  To them I say, if you believe this, there’ll be hell to pay.  Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness cannot be accomplished without God.” 

I’d like some evidence for this.  People are constantly accomplishing their dreams, and I don’t see God to be in any way involved.  These people should be commended for their achievements, not God.