Governments make for Cold Mothers, and Cold Fathers

I don't like writing about politics on this blog, because we get too much of it everyday from the media, but I do like writing about culture, and the health care debate involves our culture, so I wanted to weigh in. When ever I speak with someone that supports President Obama's health care plan, the common answer that people give, is that Health care is a right. That no society can exist when people are denied the care needed to stay healthy and truly pursue happiness. As always I respond, I completely agree, 100%. The debate becomes, how do we achieve this. Its funny, I wonder sometimes if supporters of the current health care reform believe that people who oppose the current reform don't want that for all citizens?

Our basic physical needs to survive are food, clothing and shelter, its amazing how these are not considered even more of a "right" than health care. But imagine for a second that everyone of the above items was a "right" that the Government supplied. The answer is, we don't have to imagine it, it has already been tried. Visit Croatia sometime, and ask the people if they enjoyed "Government housing"? Visit Cuba or Russia and ask the people if they enjoyed, "food rationing" The obvious answer is they didn't, it was horrible. But that doesn't mean their original premise wasn't correct, "People need food, clothing and shelter, how do we best take care of our people,"

So what does work? The American experiment works, even with all its shortcomings and failings, it works. Because it harnesses the strength hidden within each of us. I would propose 3 reasons that it works much of the time, Competition, Families, and individual rights.

The title of this Post is that Government makes for cold mothers and cold fathers. But here's the good news, mothers make very warm mothers, and fathers make very warm fathers. The more we promote and strengthen families the less food, shelter, clothing, health care, and education will be an issue. But not everyone has a family? and even in strong, loving families, the basics are often not available? These are both true, and this is where individual rights and the human touch comes in. If we want a better society, we need better people, not more programs. Wouldn't it be great if we could make a tax deductible charitable gift to pay for a poor families health care. Then instead of a bureaucrat giving care, its a fellow citizen, who gives, and whose heart expands in that giving, making the world better just in the act of giving!

Lastly, Competition. this is not a dirty word. When a person makes an investment in their house, do they only get one quote? No, in order to drive the price down, you should get multiple quotes. The most basic reform needed is to open of the purchasing of health insurance across state lines, we should try and fill the market place with as much competition as possible and this will lower the price all the way around.

George Bush should have realized before going into Iraq that public opinion was waivering big time, and he should have listened to the American people. The prideful thing to belive and say is, "I know what's best". Clearly he didn't. America is saying the same thing to President Obama, I have a feeling he will take the same path as George Bush, "I know what's best". The same thing will happen, people will stop supporting him, because he doesn't listen. He will not be more popular if he wins this debate, but much less.