Seven Liberal Misconceptions on Healthcare
Posted on 08. Sep, 2009 by James Devere in American Politics
President Obama plans to address a joint session of Congress and the American people to clear up misconceptions and pitch his version of healthcare. The problem is that he will most likely address only what he considers a misconception on the side of his opponents. Here are a few misconceptions that are touted by those pushing the bill.
The first misconception: people who are opposed to the Obama-Pelosi plan are in favor of doing nothing. In fact, the majority of Americans are in favor of reform, they just are not in favor of the president’s plan. Over 50% of the country wants reform in our healthcare system, yet nearly 80% of Americans do not favor this bill. The President, ahead of his address to a joint Congress on healthcare, did his best to perpetuate the “Status Quo” lie at a Labor Day speech to the AFL-CIO, but once again failed to add any substance to the argument. He started by discounting the opposition: “But I’ve got a question for them for you know these people… you’ve heard all their lies. What’s your answer? What’s your solution? The truth is, they don’t have one. It’s do nothing.”
If the public is in favor of reform but not in favor of this healthcare package, it would follow that the problem is not special interest wanting the status quo. The problem, Mr. President, is the 1 trillion dollar, 1018 page lousy bill that you have misrepresented while pushing it down our throats. Don’t forget, Obama originally declared that this bill must be passed by the August break. There was no consideration for debate.
Misconception number two: there are no alternatives to the current healthcare bill that have been offered. To believe this, you would have to believe that the President and Congress invited vigorous debate and looked at other options…but in the President’s version of events, no other options were presented. Don’t forget, this bill was to be pushed through by the August recess, so I don’t know when there would have been a debate. The President said in his speech, “The Congress and the country have been engaged in a vigorous debate for many months. And debate is good, because we have to get this right. But in every debate at sometime comes a time to decide, there comes a time to act. And, Ohio, that time is now.” But in reality there has been little or no true debate on the issue. There has been a lot of emotion and accusations of racism and conspiracy from the White House and Congress. Further, if debate were truly important to this president then why is it that he has never addressed the Republican healthcare option? Not that I trust the Republicans much more on this issue, but why were there, according to Sen. McCain, “No Republican amendments of any substance” considered in committee (though they were offered)?
Additionally, the President said that they would look at all ideas, yet when a prominent CEO authored an alternative opinion, his company was met with a boycott from the President’s community organizing friends. Welcome to Chicago politics, Wholefoods. You are now one of my favorite stores.
Misconception number three: the government will add layers of bureaucracy to your healthcare decisions and they will somehow get better and cheaper. Good luck. Below is a true alternative to the rising cost of healthcare. Being that it gives power to each individual, it is not only forged in the best tradition of our country, it also is supported by hard free market data that consumer choice lowers cost.
Misconception number four: the government will not ration healthcare. The wording in the bill that has been interpreted as some as “death panels” can also be interpreted as selective rationing of healthcare. Misconception 4.5 is that no one in the Administration would promote such a thing. However, the President’s own special advisor on health care, Ezekiel Emanuel, has an interesting history when it comes to the rationing of healthcare and decisions of who gets treatment and who does not. As recently as January of 2009, Emanuel suggested the allocation of health resources in order to maximize collective life years. So, if a person who is educated and in their prime tax paying years, they would receive healthcare consideration over someone who is older or younger (or less educated). Emanuel says that “unlike allocation by sex or race, allocation by age is not invidious discrimination; every person lives through different life stages rather than being a single age. Even if 25-year-olds receive priority over 65-year-olds, everyone who is 65 years now was previously 25 years.” Emmanuel also wrote a decade ago, commenting on who should be denied rationed care: “[I]ndividuals who are irreversibly prevented from being or becoming participating citizens… an obvious example is not guaranteeing health services to patients with dementia.” (Quotes for this sections were taken from John Goodman’s Health Policy Blog. Mr. Goodman also has authored one of those alternative plans that the president insists does not exist).
Misconception number five: you can keep your existing plan. Most of America will be forced into the public option. This has been well documented by those who have delved deeper into this portion of the bill and information can be found at the Heritage Foundation website. But, in short, aside from the employers who will opt to go into public care, there may be no new enrollment in private care. Thus, if you change jobs then you have no choice but to go into the public option.
Misconception number six: “We need healthcare now.” I received from a friend a very touching video produced by moveon.org. In the video, individuals hold up signs to background music by REM. Each sign makes a case why that person on a loved one needs healthcare now. But the President’s plan does not include a public option until year three. So, if it is so important for moveon.org to have their healthcare now, then why drag it out–unless it is to delay cost and negative impact to the economy until after the next election. If we want healthcare now, medical savings accounts and tax cuts can accomplish that. They just don’t accomplish the other missions of moveon.org and the President.
Misconception number seven: this is actually a healthcare bill and not social engineering. The reason that the President and Congress are unwilling to change the bill or to even entertain the slightest dissent is because the bill was never intended to provide the best solution to healthcare in America. It was intended to change society, to control the revenue that healthcare generates, and to further expand the government’s roll in our lives.
So Mr. President, why the lies, where is the debate, and, given your history on the issue, why should we trust what you say to the American people in your address to Congress?
