As I was contemplating what to write about today, and perusing the various possibilities, I was struck by a “constant” that seems to run through a number of issues. That “constant” is our apparent loss of common sense—our unwillingness to allow logic to enter into our analyses. We are, in effect, losing our collective minds as a nation. I plan to treat each issue separately as we go through this week.
Today’s topic is the looming specter of Obamacare. Let’s review a few of the promises President Obama made when he pushed this legislation. One promise was that no one would be forced to be part of this system. He pledged, “If you like your health insurance, you can keep it.” I never believed that promise, but his supporters could always counter arguments by any critic by accusing us of scaremongering or, if all else failed, racism—the inevitable fallback countercharge. Now, from the Congressional Budget Office comes the news that approximately 7 million people will lose their current healthcare plans once Obamacare is fully operational. Just last August, the estimate was 4 million. Here’s a prediction: that 7 million figure will rise again . . . and again . . . and again. The goal is to ensure that all Americans are switched into the system eventually.
Then there is the cost factor. Many of us scoffed at Obama’s promise that his legislation would result in families seeing lower healthcare premiums. We said that was impossible because the socialistic principles upon which it was built have never resulted in lower costs. Again, the warning was sounded:
Obama promised, “We can cut the average family’s premium by about $2500 per year.” Now, according to the IRS, by 2016, the cheapest health premium that will be available to a family of four will be $20,000 annually. That number is staggering. How can the majority of families ever expect to pay for this? We have been sold a fantasy. Or perhaps this is closer to the truth:
Then there’s the rationing that will have to be part of the overall plan. Obama famously noted in 2009 that for some older people taking a pill might be better than surgery. After all, we don’t want to spend money on those who are no longer “contributing” members of society. The government will have to step in and decide who gets the best treatments.
So, on the issue of healthcare, we have lost our minds. Tomorrow: gun control.