by Jan Baughman
"No one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty, or possessions."
—John Locke (1632-1704)
(Swans - August 24, 2009) On August 10, 2009, a drunken Belarus man was killed when the statue of Vladimir Lenin on which he had climbed collapsed and crushed him. It was an obvious sign from God that any attempt to reform the flailing American health care system would bring death to each of us. God forbid that the US government should intervene to ensure that all its citizens have access to health care. After all, it was not explicitly stated in the Declaration of Independence that those so-called inalienable rights were meant for all Americans. Just the right ones. The government should stick to the socialized programs it runs best (and for whom it provides health care) -- you know, the military, prisons, and Congress.
Fortunately, we can sleep better at night knowing that all those people who are up in arms have formed a well regulated militia (regulation notwithstanding) to protect us from this insidious threat of health care. They could even take a lesson from the militant anti-abortionists and start raiding hospitals and clinics that provide medical care and force doctors to lay down their stethoscopes and stop playing God. Now that would level the playing field. Health care for none; guns for all. Rugged individualism -- now that's the American way!
Lord, it must feel good -- an affirmation of one of the very freedoms that is guaranteed -- to carry an AR-15 in the presence of the President of the United States to remind him that another Nazi regime will not be tolerated. How righteous it is to be willing to kill and be killed in order to protect the Homeland from the spread of health. No "reverse Holocaust" in which people are cared for en masse will happen on their watch -- never again will such atrocities be permitted. In fact, this current threat far outweighs the tragedy of the Holocaust when you compare 6-plus million deaths to the 47 million people without health insurance and another 25 million underinsured who, if given government-subsidized health care, would infect all 305 million of us with euthanasia. It doesn't take an education to do the math... Though an education would certainly help.
Thinking of it, as health care reform once again devolves and dilutes from universal health care to a single-payer system, to a public option, health care co-ops, and ultimately to nothing, it may be time to walk away from sham reforms that protect the profiteers and focus on education. Not in the deceptive No Child Left Behind approach, but real education reform. Introduce children to the great philosophers and encourage critical thinking; how to interpret data, identify propaganda, and deconstruct complex problems; teach political science and original (as opposed to revisionist) history; and, circling back to improving health, reinstate physical education.
Of course it would take a couple of decades for the better-educated, health-conscious generation to reach voting age and set policy, but perhaps then we'd be better equipped to implement true reform that provides health care for all. Just imagine a town hall meeting where people were armed with knowledge, compassion, and ideas rather than vitriol and guns. It can't hurt to try...
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