Take it from the economist, Milton Friedman.
The battle is over, People, and the People have lost. Socialized medicine will be here, as will the National ID card. This will not be good for America, but the People, at this point, are desperate for care-taking. Uncle Sam has robbed them of most of their money, and has squeezed the value from their last remaining dollars.
When you bring People to this point, it is easy to convince them to take your offer, long-term consequences a non-issue.
In America, when the State vigorously interferes in the lives of the People, two separate results always occur:
1) Those People who had already succumb to Uncle Sam's slavery become more obedient, better slaves. You see, these types have already given up anything they ever stood for - which for the most part, was nothing anyway. And now, they all have a bigger, better pacifier in their mouth, so they can run around Uncle Sam's Day-Care like the little children they really are and really want to be.
Or:
2) Those People who are free, or those who are considering freedom due to the latest said interference, find ways to do what they want.
Ah! The "black market". Don't be scared. It gets that dangerous-sounding honorific from the establishment, thereby discouraging you from taking part in a market based on freedom. God forbid, you'd get a taste of sweet freedom! No, don't! It's dangerous.
Socialized medicine will breed better private doctors in the long-term; doctors who have ethics, who refuse to answer to the State, who practice the art and science of healing, not treating and poisoning.
Socialized medicine will breed more former citizens; People who stand on their nationality, not their fraudulent citizen status. These People are the free Americans, harboring unalienable rights which they will never forfeit. They will not accept a National ID card. These People are NOT cards and they are NOT numbers. They are the last remaining Americans.
When socialized health care comes to our beloved Country, which group will you stand with? Who are you underneath your car, your clothes, your house, your job? What will you tell your children when they ask you what it means to be an American? What are you willing to give up for your liberty?
I will give up a medical card.
Right on Liz. Not sure what I will tell my daughter when she asks what it means to be an American. I'm not so sure I know myself anymore. It's pretty sad to think about it.
How should I tell her it means that we are only a number- suffering at the hands of Corporate America and our "Government"? And it means struggling each week to buy groceries and medicine for our families? I know of countless others in the same (or worse) position. Way to go America- way to provide a solid future for our children. How are we supposed to save for our children's college fund when we can barely pay the mortgage and the bills each month? And now they add a new bill to our already overflowing stacks.
Luckily she's only 2- I have a few years to come up with a good explanation. We might be able to move to Canada by then.
The bigger issue is that health itself in the U.S. is out of control. The public have been sold on the idea that people inevitably get sick, and thus we have to find a way to deal with the problem. If they spent as much issue asking how people become sick in the first place, instead of how do we treat sick people, the healthcare debate would be of minuscule importance. But then, the influence of politicians would dwindle by the wayside that much more, and of course we can't have that :-)
The time has come to be super-choosy with our dollars, K. No more cable tv. One car or NO car. Grow free food in your own backyard. Downsize everything. Save your money. These are a few ideas.
In any event, major life changes will be required to keep sacred that which matters to you.
Granted, your neighbors may think you're weird, because enslaving yourself to the corporate/government machine is the trendy thing to do these days. But bother it all!
Americans have spread themselves too thin and have put themselves in a situation that will not FEEL good to get out of. But, it can be done.
Remember - living a free life is not easy. But, that's exactly the lesson we must pass on to our children.
Canada? yikes!
F, you said it.
I have yet to hear a doctor state the CAUSE of anything. They'll ramble on about some obvious things like, "Cigarette smoking irritates. Alcohol MAY harm your baby."
Oh, no shit?
Doctors don't go to healing school. They go to medical school. The practice medicine, not healing. They are in the business of sickness, not health.
Doctors are currently slaves of the State and bitches of pharmaceutical reps. They have lost the integrity of their own industry. I generalize here, of course. There are some good doctors out there. I mean, America has the most brilliant minds of modern medicine. I imagine great doctors in our emergency rooms, or in some place fixing the cleft palette of a child - surgeons and what have you. They do exist. But as for our run-of-the-mill quacks, they're like zombie prescription writers - they're not in the "health care" industry at all.
I am in charge of the health care of me. I am the master of me. I decide what goes in my body. I decide to move my body. I decide to take care of my body. THAT'S a good health care plan.
It is always a joy to listen to Uncle Milty.