Accountability and Healthcare

I had a nice debate today with a co-worker of mine who is very much a liberal democrat and feels that we absolutely must pass comprehensive health reform. He believes, as many liberals and journalist do, that it's the extra-ordinary health costs that are destroying the economy. He further believes that having everyone on health care will provide enough paying healthy people to offset the costs of those who are plagued by illnesses and astronomical health costs.

My friend explained to me how insurance works and how the costs will go down because there would be a much larger paying base to cover all of the costs. My friend further explained to me that a good government should do things for it's people. His belief is that we have an obligation as a society and as a community to care for those who cannot care for themselves. My friend further explained to me about how much better Canada, Germany, and many other countries are because they have government run or controlled healthcare. He further stated that these example countries are pulling out of the recession faster than the U.S. because they do not have the burden of healthcare costs like the U.S. does.

Here's the catch… None of that matters. Even if any one of those points were accurate, and most of them are not, the real argument has been glossed over by those on the left. The left does not want to argue the real issue at hand because they cannot win on the real core issues at hand.

The real issue can be found in a few simple questions.

• Do we as American's and as a Government have the right to demand that one man pay to bear the burden of another man?
• Is it legal for the Government to demand under threat of penalty to purchase any product or service?
• Is this what our founding fathers intended when they founded this nation?

There are no facts to support much of the arguments presented by my friend. On some of the merits of his arguments, I do actually agree. However, if we look at what the real questions are (listed above) then there is no argument.

Let's look quickly at how we come about determining the need for a law. Most laws are derived from a need to promote good order and safe living within a community. Most laws are created because there is a need to prohibit some activity that brings some harm to individuals or the society as a whole. This is where the waters get muddy. Most liberals will tell you that not having healthcare is harmful to the community on the whole and certainly harmful to those who cannot afford it and need it. Although you might loosely be able to make this assertion, you would then also have to make the assertion that drinking alcohol, eating fast food, smoking, not exercising, and even turning on your car also harm society as a whole.

The way to stay out of that muddy water is to truly look at what things should not be allowed within a society. Things like murder, stealing, coercion, etc… are all great examples of where there is a real justification to take away and individual's freedom. We all do something that in some loose way can be construed as a "drain" on society. Trust me, I do and you do.

When I questioned my friend about how does he feel that it's his right to impose a financial burden on another to pay for what should be his own responsibility. Sidebar: It is our own responsibility to care for our own selves. The Constitution never guaranteed happiness, it only guaranteed that the government would not impose upon your "pursuit" thereof. My friends response was that it was not he that was imposing these burdens but that it was society as a whole. If you vote to take another man's freedom or to impose some burden upon him then it IS you as an individual who is taking this action. There is no other way to look at it.

I know that this sounds like an old cliche but I do mean this in all seriousness. If you are seeking a system that supports you. If you are seeking a system that you work and get almost no pay but your "needs" are met, move to one of those countries. The reason that I bring up this point is not to say, "Just leave." The reason that I bring this up is that those places already exist and it is well within your rights and abilities to have those things.

This country was based on individual freedoms, freedoms from the government, freedoms from the burdens of overtaxation, and on the God given freedom to pursue happiness. It is every American's freedom to step out and take risks, to save, to work, to invest, and to pursue a higher standard of living. Every American has the opportunity and the RIGHT to succeed or fail. This country was based on these values and there is no other country like it on earth. There are plenty other countries that do exactly what the liberals would prefer.

If you disagree with me, that's fine, you are well within your right to do so. That's just one more reason that I love this country. However I ask one thing, take a minute and really look at what you think is an individual's responsibility and what is not. Think about this, do you believe that you are responsible for yourself or is the government responsible for you? If the majority of American's believe that the government is responsible and that we as individuals are not, then the country is lost. If this is the case, we are the new Canada and rapidly on our way to becoming the new France.

I, for one, do not believe that the majority of Americans are not responsible for themselves. I believe that if we can continue to push forward the real conversation as illustrated herein, then we can get back to what matters.