My father in law is alive today. I thank God that in His providence Papa was able to receive timely treatment for lymphoma. He is in his late 70s, and his cancer did reach stage 4 before it went into remission. If the Obama plan as currently crafted were law he would have been put on a wait-to-die list for being considered too old for treatment. Such is the result of socialized medicine when layers of government bureaucracy and protocols are intruded between patient and doctor.

Regrettably, two Marxist principles drive the government health rationing plan. One is that the patient is the new proletariat, downtrodden, oppressed, and incapable while the doctor and the pharmaceutical company represent the new bourgeoisie, eager to perform unnecessary procedures for wicked profit to satisfy their gluttonous, luxurious lifestyles. The other principle, which is equally false, is that there is a finite amount of health care and the government can and must infallibly control it to make sure nobody gets “too much” health care while somebody has to go without. So the solution is austerity for the masses and the best of care for the governing elite. This is why billionaire Fidel Castro had doctors flown in from Spain to attend to him while his people live off of ration booklets. The health care in Cuba is free, but strangely no elderly Floridians risk their lives crossing the Florida Straits to avail themselves of it. That's Cuba, but the pattern repeats itself here. The congressmen and senators eager to control our health care choices aren't going to be on the same plan. It's that bad and they know it.

Think of California's brownouts and blackouts. The solution offered by one of the most socialist states in the Union is the predictable austerity for the masses. Keep your air conditioner only so cold in the summer, your heat only so warm in the winter. Hang your laundry out to dry. Drive only small cars. It is in this state that laws allowing the government remote control of home thermostats have seriously been considered in the interest of conserving energy. Has anyone thought of building another power plant? Maybe even a nuclear one? Of course not! Expect government regulation of health care to follow this model as life-saving procedures get rare and rarer. Well, for you, not for your congressman or senator.

But isn't all this just the hysterical blather of right wing and congenitally racist alarmists? Even CNN, one of the most passionate devotees in the Obama Harem Media, posted an article pointing out what's to lose in this plan. Five losses include choosing your plan, being rewarded for healthy, low risk living, choosing high deductible coverage, keeping your existing plan, and choosing your own doctor. What's more is that there are tax penalties for individuals and businesses to coerce compliance. There will be tax hikes on surgeries considered superfluous by those who have undergone them personally. They decide, you abide.

But shouldn't something be done to keep the costs down? Government can't bring down costs by force of legislation, they can only mandate a reduction in prices paid to meet the costs. Free markets bring down actual costs. Think of the first cars, televisions, computers, pocket calculators, etc. Only the rich could afford the first line of all these items, but the cost came down because producers were able to recover their costs through prices that also came down as they were able to offer more and better for less. Health care is not immune to market forces, and will respond likewise. Health care is not immune to socialism either, and will become more rare just like food, housing, clothing, and freedom do in socialist countries.

So, back to my father in law. Given his age, what kind of compassionate care might he have gotten under an Obama plan? Let's let Obama answer that himself: “At least we can let doctors know and your mom know that, you know what? Maybe this isn't going to help. Maybe you're better off not having the surgery, but taking the painkiller.” What kind of conscienceless soul could say so flippantly, so cavalierly, “We don't think you should have this life-saving procedure. Just go on the morphine until you die.” Obama later said that he would want the best of medical treatment for his immediate family. He will have that choice, and he should, but you won't.

The Left is always whining about the inequalities of capitalism and how their ideas will make things better, empirical evidence to the contrary. In reality, all this "equality" jazz is just their attempt at mass manipulation using guilt and the instinct of ordinary people towards charitableness against them. The Left is at root simply a bunch of political control freaks. They demonstrated this with Crap and Trade and they are reiterating it in spades with health "reform". If Leftism were a product, it would have been recalled and taken off the shelves long ago, but it serves the purpose of statists and crypto-fascists so it lives on. Would that someone give Progressivism a stinking painkiller and let it die.

Share the wealth Spread the Pain. It is only fair. We could, of course, provide funding to expand medical school enrollment and produce more doctors per capita, expand nursing programs in similar fashion, build and staff more hospitals, and encourage a return to a health system that did not require filling out insurance forms for the treatment of the common cold. We could go for a court system that did not award ambulance chasing lawyers with multi-million dollar settlements, thus feeding the medical profession's obsession with running every possible test when said patient arrives at the office with the sniffles. Yes, we could do that comrades. But that would simply not do. It would violate the principles of the Party. This isn't about being fair, or providing better health care, or saving money, or any item of public benefit. It is about controlling those pathetic little proles, enticing them to volunteer to slip on the chains, and to thank us for the privilege of serving the party's need.

Dear Comrades,

This health care plan will surely, for sure, insure, without a doubt, peace of mind, well being, equal and good health for all. So, be calm, be happy, and be glad that Our Dear Leader will oversee a health care plan more superior and more fair than any health care bill ever created on the face of the planet.

Here is the evidence:

* Page 22: Mandates audits of all employers that self-insure!
* Page 29: Admission: your health care will be rationed!
* Page 30: A government committee will decide what treatments and benefits you get (and, unlike an insurer, there will be no appeals process)
* Page 42: The "Health Choices Commissioner" will decide health benefits for you. You will have no choice. None.
* Page 50: All non-US citizens, illegal or not, will be provided with free healthcare services.
* Page 58: Every person will be issued a National ID Healthcard.
* Page 59: The federal government will have direct, real-time access to all individual bank accounts for electronic funds transfer.
* Page 65: Taxpayers will subsidize all union retiree and community organizer health plans (read: SEIU, UAW and ACORN)
* Page 72: All private healthcare plans must conform to government rules to participate in a Healthcare Exchange.
* Page 84: All private healthcare plans must participate in the Healthcare Exchange (i.e., total government control of private plans)
* Page 91: Government mandates linguistic infrastructure for services; translation: illegal aliens
* Page 95: The Government will pay ACORN and Americorps to sign up individuals for Government-run Health Care plan.
* Page 102: Those eligible for Medicaid will be automatically enrolled: you have no choice in the matter.
* Page 124: No company can sue the government for price-fixing. No "judicial review" is permitted against the government monopoly. Put simply, private insurers will be crushed.
* Page 127: The AMA sold doctors out: the government will set wages.
* Page 145: An employer MUST auto-enroll employees into the government-run public plan. No alternatives.
* Page 126: Employers MUST pay healthcare bills for part-time employees AND their families.
* Page 149: Any employer with a payroll of $400K or more, who does not offer the public option, pays an 8% tax on payroll
* Page 150: Any employer with a payroll of $250K-400K or more, who does not offer the public option, pays a 2 to 6% tax on payroll
* Page 167: Any individual who doesnt' have acceptable healthcare (according to the government) will be taxed 2.5% of income.
* Page 170: Any NON-RESIDENT alien is exempt from individual taxes (Americans will pay for them).
* Page 195: Officers and employees of Government Healthcare Bureaucracy will have access to ALL American financial and personal records.
* Page 203: "The tax imposed under this section shall not be treated as tax." Yes, it really says that.
* Page 239: Bill will reduce physician services for Medicaid. Seniors and the poor most affected."
* Page 241: Doctors: no matter what speciality you have, you'll all be paid the same (thanks, AMA!)
* Page 253: Government sets value of doctors' time, their professional judgment, etc.
* Page 265: Government mandates and controls productivity for private healthcare industries.
* Page 268: Government regulates rental and purchase of power-driven wheelchairs.
* Page 272: Cancer patients: welcome to the wonderful world of rationing!
* Page 280: Hospitals will be penalized for what the government deems preventable re-admissions.
* Page 298: Doctors: if you treat a patient during an initial admission that results in a readmission, you will be penalized by the government.
* Page 317: Doctors: you are now prohibited for owning and investing in healthcare companies!
* Page 318: Prohibition on hospital expansion. Hospitals cannot expand without government approval.
* Page 321: Hospital expansion hinges on "community" input: in other words, yet another payoff for ACORN.
* Page 335: Government mandates establishment of outcome-based measures: i.e., rationing.
* Page 341: Government has authority to disqualify Medicare Advantage Plans, HMOs, etc.
* Page 354: Government will restrict enrollment of SPECIAL NEEDS individuals.
* Page 379: More bureaucracy: Telehealth Advisory Committee (healthcare by phone).
* Page 425: More bureaucracy: Advance Care Planning Consult: Senior Citizens, assisted suicide, euthanasia?
* Page 425: Government will instruct and consult regarding living wills, durable powers of attorney, etc. Mandatory. Appears to lock in estate taxes ahead of time.
* Page 425: Goverment provides approved list of end-of-life resources, guiding you in death.
* Page 427: Government mandates program that orders end-of-life treatment; government dictates how your life ends.
* Page 429: Advance Care Planning Consult will be used to dictate treatment as patient's health deteriorates. This can include an ORDER for end-of-life plans. An ORDER from the GOVERNMENT.
* Page 430: Government will decide what level of treatments you may have at end-of-life.
* Page 469: Community-based Home Medical Services: more payoffs for ACORN.
* Page 472: Payments to Community-based organizations: more payoffs for ACORN.
* Page 489: Government will cover marriage and family therapy. Government intervenes in your marriage.
* Page 494: Government will cover mental health services: defining, creating and rationing those services.

First off, I'm sorry to hear about this man's pappa getting cancer, that's a terrible thing but great news he's comin' through. I wish your family well.

Now then, I ain't got no damn health care, don't want no damn health care and don't need no damn health care. If I wanted it, I'd damn well get it myself.

If the damn Guvment thinks they're getting all that involved in my business they gotta another thing comin', and the fire of hell will seem like a walk in springtime!

Damn Bozo Commies!!!

Opiate of the People wrote:
The Left is always whining about the inequalities of capitalism and how their ideas will make things better, empirical evidence to the contrary. In reality, all this "equality" jazz is just their attempt at mass manipulation using guilt and the instinct of ordinary people towards charitableness against them. The Left is at root simply a bunch of political control freaks. They demonstrated this with Crap and Trade and they are reiterating it in spades with health "reform". If Leftism were a product, it would have been recalled and taken off the shelves long ago, but it serves the purpose of statists and crypto-fascists so it lives on. Would that someone give Progressivism a stinking painkiller and let it die.

How about a new award - Golden Blogunov, given to best prog-blog, progspot, and progspeck achievements in the advancement of progosphere (similar to how Golden Globunov is an award for the advancement of progism in cinema on a globular scale.)


It's actually not golden but is made of papier-mâché covered with bronze paint, but that's what you get when you rely on a government service managed by Meow's cousin who is only a front for Chairman's sticky fingers.

Comrades Blogonuv and Red Square,

I am most grateful, however, the only award I should get is for transferring this information from an e-mail I received. You, know, one of those Prog to Prog e-mails that get circulated around, but we know not from where they originated?

The only link attached to the e-mail was to the original and glorious Health Care Bill itself.

Therefore, Comrade Leninka, I DENOUNCE YOU for not making a full disclosure of who really did the above research.

With that said, Comrade Red Square, the new Golden Blogunovo Award is fabulous, and I look forward to celebrating the day when someone who really deserves the award is justly awarded.

Therefore, instead of this award, what I really deserve is a whack from Pinkie's shovel.

An added note,

There is a character in Charles Dickens "Pickwick Papers" novel, Mr. Winkle, who always bragged that he could do something, or knew something that he really didn't know. And one day, this led to a great deal of trouble.

He was handed a rifle after claiming he was an excellent marksman, and when the party was out shooting rooks, he ended up shooting his friend, Mr. Tupman in the ass.

Leninka wrote:Comrades Blogonuv and Red Square,

I am most grateful, however, the only award I should get is for transferring this information from an e-mail I received. You, know, one of those Prog to Prog e-mails that get circulated around, but we know not from where they originated?

Around here we call that "Mimeswiping"--the fine, timeworn, Progressive art of copying a Progressive post or e-mail and then pasting it willy-nilly harum-scarum Obama-wama at every Progressive site you can think of, so as to create the illusion that it is a very popular thought indeed on which everyone is in complete 100 percent agreement.

It has the added bonus of curbing critical thinking which in turn could lead to dangers such as original ideas and individualism.

Therefore, instead of this award, what I really deserve is a whack from Pinkie's shovel.

A Mimeswipe is hardly whackworthy; instead it's an example of good Prog sharing (if you'll pardon all the redundancies)! The Golden Blogunov will do quite nicely for you, as long as you store it in a cool, dark place like your closet or potato bin to keep the gold paint from chipping and flaking. Do that one simple thing and it should give you many years of pride and pleasure!

Commissarka Pinkie wrote:
A Mimeswipe is hardly whackworthy; instead it's an example of good Prog sharing (if you'll pardon all the redundancies)! The Golden Blogunov will do quite nicely for you, as long as you store it in a cool, dark place like your closet or potato bin to keep the gold paint from chipping and flaking. Do that one simple thing and it should give you many years of pride and pleasure!

Comrade Pinkie,

I am honored. And thank you for informing me about the term "Mimeswiping." I will go forth and Mimeswipe whatever fodder will contribute to the gulag.

You are most merciful and just.

I could give a long winded script about healthcare, but I think I will let Ronald Reagan speak for me.

"Government doesn't solve problems, it subsidizes them."
-Ronald Reagan