I tend to stay out of non-medical politics in my writings. After all, you subscribed to get and stay healthy. But the recent win in Massachusetts of the long shot Republican is a most telling story, especially for Obama-care.
Senator Ted Kennedy was a stalwart champion of socialized medicine, and Big Brother sitting in between you and your doctor. He and Richard Nixon almost passed a medical bill that included the public option back in the 1970s. With due respect for him as a public servant, my thoughts on his health policies, I admit, were a bit jaded. Hes from a very wealthy family. And as a Senator, he was given some of the best health insurance in the country (by you and me, I might add)! So no matter what he foisted upon you, he would always have access to the best medical care available. Or at least the best conventional care available.
Sadly, Mr. Kennedy died in the arms of conventional medicine, as do millions of Americans every year. He fought for more FDA rules and regulations, the very agency that seeks to destroy competition to Pharma. And, if Obama-care were to pass, likely millions more would die. That plan will force you into a government system that would drastically limit your choices. And all of those choices would be within conventional medicine.
I believe that concerned Americans are quickly waking up, as draconian government powers accelerate. They are tired of government officials ignoring them. They are tired of the fake and false promises that government is the solution. They are at last beginning to see it as the problem. Indeed, we were promised a most transparent show of health care issue discussions in the 2008 elections. But House and Senate leaders attempted to iron out differences between their many hundreds of pages bills behind closed doors in secret.
Kudos to the largely blue Massachusetts for electing a minority candidate. To me, this was not a partisan election, Republican vs. Democrat. Those labels mean little to me. I believe that it was an awakening public speaking out and demanding that government be reined in. Brown focused on being the vote needed to filibuster Obama-care. That message resonated! I see this as a hopeful sign that people do not want the government this involved in medicine.
Except for a very few (Congressman Ron Paul — a strong defender of medical freedoms — comes to mind), most incumbents have grown fat on the government largesse. Voters should throw the bums out in every election until they learn that they are our servants, not our rulers. They have to learn that they cannot demand that we surrender our Freedoms for fake security. We have repeatedly seen what security the government has given us in return for surrender of freedoms. We have a bankrupt Social Security system, a bankrupt Medicare system, and a beyond bankrupt federal government. Would the Obama-care system have been any different given the Feds are batting a thousand with these other programs?
We also know Obama-care would be horrible for seniors. The Massachusetts election may have saved your access to much needed medical care. But its not over yet. Please keep the pressure on your elected officials. They need to hear your voice more than ever.