Myth 30. Healthcare reform is not “socialized medicine.”
Thursday, December 24, 2009 at 2:40PM Many critics of the Democrats’ “healthcare reform” call it “socialized medicine.” Advocates respond, condescendingly, that since the government would not own the means of production, and physicians would not be salaried by the American equivalent of the British National Health Service, this is not socialism. Physicians and hospitals would still be “private,” as in Canada.
So let’s work backward: Start with the definition, then think of the word. These are the characteristics of the plan. It is: (1) compulsory; (2) redistributive; (3) collectivized; (4) centralized; (5) dictatorial; (6) oppressive; and (7) intrusive.
Even if there is as means of opting out and seeking private care, everyone will be forced to pay, either through “premiums,” taxes, or both.
Effective premiums, net of subsidies, will be based on income, and are thus a mechanism for redistributing wealth.
Not only is payment collectivized. The whole ethic of medicine is to be transformed. Physicians are to be held responsible for optimizing the health of the state, and patient care is to be prioritized on that basis. The individual patient may be sacrificed to the good of the whole.
Planning is to be centralized. Thousands of decisions will be delegated to the Secretary of Health and Human Services or other unelected federal executive agencies.
Decisions will be immune from administrative or judicial review, as well as from political influence. The power of the Secretary or Board is supreme and absolute.
Everyone will be subject to constant reporting requirements: to the IRS for determining premiums, subsidies, and compliance with purchasing requirements—and to “health plans” for determining “eligibility.” Before each and every encounter, the plan’s infrastructure will enable a decision about whether a particular patient is “eligible” to receive a particular treatment from a particular provider at a particular time—as well as the charge and the responsibility for payment. Penalties for failure to report, or inaccurate reporting, are very severe. Clearly, “universal coverage” does not mean universal access to care, but rather barriers and checkpoints at every step.
To enable the detailed calculus of benefits and payments, monitoring will be very intrusive—hence the requirement for everyone to have an electronic “health” record, which could include practically anything of interest to the government, including gun ownership or political attitudes.
The Democrats’ “reform” empowers the federal government to control all Americans, whether as patients or medical professionals—and one-sixth of the economy. As most people are willing to spend their last dime for medical treatment that could relieve pain or extend their lives, what better source for extracting the revenue to keep the bankrupt federal government, with its 20 million mostly overpaid employees, functioning for a few more years?
The plan fulfills the fundamental axiom of socialism: from each according to his means, and to each according to his need, with terms defined by the central planners. “Socialized medicine,” however, does not adequately describe this plan. It is even more audacious than a Ponzi scheme, as it attempts to postpone the real emergency—the day of reckoning for earlier Ponzi schemes—beyond the next election.
The word is “tyranny.”
Additional information:
Worst features of the Reid plan from the AAPS virtual reading room.
Reader Comments (11)
Excellent post.
"Physicians are to be held responsible for optimizing the health of the state, and patient care is to be prioritized on that basis. The individual patient may be sacrificed to the good of the whole."
I would go even further than this. I think patient care will be priotized by two things: cost-effectiveness (with the emphasis on cost) and politics (patient groups with the bestl lobbies). I don't think health is one of the goals.
Where is the money collected in taxes for the health care bill, if passed, going to be SAVED??
Or is it going to be spent for Democratic earmarks or current budget bills for which no funds are available, or for more political paybacks and campaigning for future elections.
Funds will not be available in the future either with the current job prospects due to wasteful gov't spending in the name of creating jobs. This bill if passed just gives government more power with more money from these taxes to spend. Just like medicare which would be solvent if the government didn't spend the funds collected from taxpayers.
This has nothing to do with our health or for our benifit. It is strictly a power grab and one step closer to socialism. If I had the money that they will charge me yearly, I would have already purchased my own through private companies. If I don't have it, I don't expect my fellow Americans to pay for it. I also don't do the emergency room, I try to come up with the money to see a doctor when I can. They will not stop until we stop them by whatever means it takes. Peaceful I hope.
60 people are gonna change the life of millions, I am tired of the minority leading the majority. it has to stop at all cost.
I fully agree with Delores! Yes, politicians have always made deals & worked secretly behind closed doors. Now they are blatantly open with it because they are "Above The Law" & the Constitution they swore to protect means nothing to them. They are CRIMINALS & will eventually be held responsible for their actions! The problem is, Not enough people are really aware of what is going on. Too many people live in fantasy land & refuse to heed the warnings. Our military is fighting a foreign enemy. We have a bigger problem here, the enemy is in The White House.
Technically, the proposed government plan is fascist.
It is unconstitutional. Medical care is not one of the enumerated powers of Congress. Neither the "general welfare", the "interstate commerce", nor the "necessary & proper" clauses authorize Congress to make this law. Medical care can not possibly be a "right"!
At the link are concise arguments proving each of the above. USE the arguments: Amaze your friends, confuse & confound our enemies. Learn these simple proved arguments and intimidate the enemy with your superior knowledge. GO FOR IT!
http://publiushuldah.wordpress.com/
To Publius Huldah: your link information to http://publiushuldah.wordpress.com/ is great. Everyone should see this.
The bottom line regarding healthcare is this:
"The issue today is the same as it has been throughout all history, whether man shall be allowed to govern himself or be ruled by a small elite."
Thomas Jefferson
I agree with Mirand Sharma MD medicine should not be in the hands of the government. many of the american people are blind and donot understand the real issues at hand.
The take over of the Health care Industry by the Government is one more step towards Saul Alinskys scheme to overload the government and have everyone dependent on The Government. This administration and congress is a group of very sick people, who only care about themselves, not the American people. Obama promised all of this debate will be on C-SPAN so everyone can watch the debate!!! What a Hugh lie to the American people and it must be stopped by fellow Americans...
http://publiushuldah.wordpress.com/
I would like an explanation as to why you are involving scripture in your argument? Hopefully you are acutely aware of the fact the America is a secular government, separation between church and state.
I am deeply saddened by Americans continuously supporting and voting against their own interests. Collectively, all of our health care costs are egregious because of the many people without health insurance; the costs are passed onto those who do. The cost in productivity and the resulting deaths from preventable illnesses is astounding.
If our system is so great:
Why are Americans the fattest people on earth?
Why are Americans the least healthy people on earth?
Why do Americans have the highest cancer rates than any other country?
Why do our health care costs exceed countries with a healthier populations?
Why do we trust companies, whose sole purpose is to make a profit?
Police, Firefighters, Teachers, libraries are all examples of socialized entities. Why not health care? It is just as imperative to health of all Americans as a whole.
Has anybody in this blog ever left the country and experienced health care in other developed nations? If you had, then your opinions would change. I had gotten sick while in the country of South Africa. I was treated with better care than any doctor I had ever seen in my 28 years here in United States. Not only did she take her time (i.e. unlike the insurance company mandate of only 12 minutes in the US), but she was incredibly knowledgeable and knew the problem without running a multitude of tests.