It’s ironical that Obama spoke the truth during his campaign for the presidency and once elected does not. No one listened then but many are listening now.
Obama told Americans what he believed both by the people with whom he associated and the policies he would follow as president. No one listened then but many are listening now.
First to be exposed was his association with the country-hating Reverend Wright on whose knee Obama sat for twenty years. Then we learned that Obama began his run for election at the home of left wing Weatherman terrorist William Ayres and his co-conspirator wife Bernadine Dohrn. [Note: Obama himself said you could judge a person by the company he keeps.]
As for his political beliefs, Obama famously admitted he would “spread the wealth” if elected. He also said he would enact Health Care “Reform.” The only thing he didn’t expressly say was that he would expand government and government control over our lives. Nonetheless this was also apparent to anyone who listened carefully, but once again, too many didn’t listen.
Obama started by instituting government takeovers of the banking system and the auto industry then focused attention on the one-sixth of the economy, the health care system. When the president and his far left Democrat followers ran into trouble enacting this part of the agenda, our president turned to his one sure thing to garner public support, his teleprompter.
Let’s take a look at his oration from Mount Capital; the famous Obama speech on the imperative need for Obamacare.
The president first reminded us about what a good job he did lifting the economy. He did this by saying “thanks to the bold and decisive action we've taken since January, I can stand here with confidence and say that we have pulled this economy back from the brink.” However while patting himself on the back, he failed to explain why under his watch and policies the unemployment rate far exceeds the 8% he promised and at 9.7% is heading to double digits.
Obama then turned his, and our, attention the health care.
“Everyone understands the extraordinary hardships that are placed on the uninsured who live every day just one accident or illness away from bankruptcy. These are not primarily people on welfare. These are middle class Americans. Some can't get insurance on the job. Others are self-employed and can't afford it since buying insurance on your own costs you three times as much as the coverage you get from your employer."
"Many other Americans who are willing and able to pay are still denied insurance due to previous illnesses or conditions that insurance companies decide are too risky or too expensive to cover.”
This mixture of half-truths is typical of Obama. What he failed to mention in his effort to mislead the public is that the uninsured “who live every day just one accident or illness away from bankruptcy” don’t have to spend a dime to get needed medical care because by law hospitals are required to care for these uninsured. This may not be the most economical way for taking care of uninsured but it does nonetheless address the problem.
Obama has alleged different numbers of uninsured as he tries to impress us with the calamity we face. Sometime the number of uninsured is 47 million but in his speech he said “There are now more than 30 million American citizens who cannot get coverage. In just a two-year period, one in every three Americans goes without health care coverage at some point. And every day, 14,000 Americans lose their coverage.” Those who really analyze this say that at most the number is 12 to 15 million uninsured while 135 million families do have some form of health insurance, and according to polls most are satisfied with their insurance and therefore don’t need “reform.”
Another of Obama’s misleading contentions is “Then there's the problem of rising costs. We spend one-and-a-half times more per person on health care than any other country, but we aren't any healthier for it. This is one of the reasons that insurance premiums have gone up three times faster than wages.” The fact is we are better off for our higher health care costs than countries like Canada and the U.K who have universal health care because deaths by prostate and breast cancer, for example, are significantly less.
The president would have us believe that Obamacare is supported by “an unprecedented coalition of doctors and nurses, hospitals, seniors' groups, and even drug companies.” But the truth is support is from the American Medical Association and only 17% of doctors are members of the AMA. Pharmaceutical companies are at various time demeaned and referred to as supporters of Obamacare but if the roles of insured are increased as Obama says they should be, it is obvious that there would be more business for the drug industry.
After Obama portends of coming doom if Obamacare is not made law, he accuses opponents of “scare tactics.”
“But what we've also seen in these last months is the same partisan spectacle that only hardens the disdain many Americans have towards their own government. Instead of honest debate, we've seen scare tactics. Some have dug into unyielding ideological camps that offer no hope of compromise. Too many have used this as an opportunity to score short-term political points, even if it robs the country of our opportunity to solve a long-term challenge.”
By the way, you are permitted to wonder if the health care situation is in such bad shape, why is it that Obamacare won’t come into effect for four years.
Another thing Obama likes to say if you have health insurance now you can keep it.
“First, if you are among the hundreds of millions of Americans who already have health insurance through your job, or Medicare, or Medicaid, or the V.A., nothing in this plan will require you or your employer to change the coverage or the doctor you have.”
But the public is wise to this half truth. If there is a “Public Option” (Government insurance option), it’s only a matter of time before private insurance becomes a thing of the past. Private companies can’t compete with the deep pockets of government which has no need of profit making.
Under Obamacare freedom of choice is so denied that participation is mandatory and anyone not participating in the program is deemed “irresponsible.” Furthermore, they MUST buy health insurance or they are fined. The IRS is made the enforcement arm of Obamacare.
“Now, even if we provide these affordable options, there may be those, and especially the young and the healthy, who still want to take the risk and go without coverage. There may still be companies that refuse to do right by their workers by giving them coverage."
"The problem is such irresponsible behavior costs all the rest of us money. If there are affordable options and people still don't sign up for health insurance, it means we pay for these people's expensive emergency room visits. If some businesses don't provide workers health care, it forces the rest of us to pick up the tab when their workers get sick, and gives those businesses an unfair advantage over their competitors.” “…businesses will be required to either offer their workers health care, or chip in (i.e., be fined) to help cover the cost of their workers.”
“… we can't have large businesses and individuals who can afford coverage game the system by avoiding responsibility to themselves or their employees” – big brother says so.
Mr. President are you saying that everything that Americans do that adds to public costs should be government controlled? How about poor choices in eating habits that leads to obesity and/or illness, should that be under government edict? Slippery slopes lead to the bottom of individual freedom.
The president doesn’t stop at misleading statements, he can’t resist untruths.
“Now, there are also those who claim that our reform efforts would insure illegal immigrants. The reforms -- the reforms I'm proposing would not apply to those who are here illegally." This too is false. In fact the House bill on the table (H.R. 3200) does include illegal aliens.
“And one more misunderstanding I want to clear up: under our plan, no federal dollars will be used to fund abortions, and federal conscience laws will remain in place.” Mr. President, read the bill, abortions are not excluded and every time Republicans submit legislation to omit illegal immigrant coverage and abortion coverage Democrats defeat them.
Sir Mr. President why is it that although every poll says Americans don’t want Obamacare you say: “... I believe a broad consensus exists …”? and -
“It's -- it's worth noting that a strong majority of Americans still favor a public insurance option of the sort I've proposed tonight. "
Obama refuses to admit that Obamacare is government control of the health system but it is. Even Obama has publicly admitted the ultimate goal is nationalized medicine; here is what he said to mislead the public:
“Now, my health care proposal has also been attacked by some who oppose reform as a ‘government takeover’ of the entire health care system. Now, as proof, critics point to a provision in our plan that allows the uninsured and small businesses to choose a publicly- sponsored insurance option, administered by the government, just like Medicaid or Medicare.
So let me set the record straight here.
My guiding principle is, and always has been, that consumers do better when there's choice and competition. That's how the market works.”
It’s true the free markets work when people have choices but freedom of choice is not part of Obamacare; for example, a Federal Board and its Commissioner will decide who gets what medical care and who doesn’t get any needed health care – such as to prolong life. How does government decision making about medical treatment jibe with Obama's statement: “And -- and I will make sure that no government bureaucrat or insurance company bureaucrat gets between you and the care that you need.”
The president thinks that there is a lack of competition among insurance companies and this wrong:
“Unfortunately, in 34 states, 75 percent of the insurance market is controlled by five or fewer companies. In Alabama, almost 90 percent is controlled by just one company.”
But the answer is not government edict; it’s to let insurance companies compete across state lines.
Obama doesn't like profits. I guess he thinks private business should not profit from their enterprise but should operate for the benefit of the public, just communist countries do.
“But by avoiding some of the overhead that gets eaten up at private companies by profits and excessive administrative costs and executive salaries, it could provide a good deal for consumers and would also keep pressure on private insurers to keep their policies affordable and treat their customers better, the same way public colleges and universities provide additional choice and competition to students without in any way inhibiting a vibrant system of private colleges and universities. Now, it is...”
“Overhead gets eaten up by profits” - profits are overhead Mr. President? If universities are good example of competition, why do tuitions keep escalating?
The president knows that many people think Obamacare is too expensive so he said:
“Now, Here's what you need to know. First, I will not sign a plan that adds one dime to our deficits, either now or in the future. I will not sign it if it adds one dime to the deficit now or in the future -- period. I will not sign it if it adds one dime to the deficit now or in the future. Period. And to prove that I'm serious, there will be a provision in this plan that requires us to come forward with more spending cuts if the savings we promise don't materialize.”
The Congressional Budget Office disagrees with you Mr. President; they say Obamacare will cost $1.6 trillion. Sir, your nose is growing.
Among the most insidious aspects of Obamacare is what it will do to seniors, including those who rely on Medicare. First a new Federal Board will determine if particular medical treatment needed by seniors is “cost effective” or not and then Medicare money will be reduced but Obama refuses to admit it so he obfuscates the issue this way.
“…not a dollar of the Medicare trust fund will be used to pay for this plan. The only... The only thing this plan would eliminate is the hundreds of billions of dollars in waste and fraud, as well as unwarranted subsidies in Medicare that go to insurance companies... . subsidies that do everything to pad their profits, but don't improve the care of seniors. And we will also create an independent commission of doctors and medical experts charged with identifying more waste in the years ahead."
Now, these steps will ensure that you -- America's seniors -- get the benefits you've been promised. They will ensure that Medicare is there for future generations. “
“That's what this plan will do for you. So don't pay attention to those scary stories about how your benefits will be cut -- especially since some of the same folks who are spreading these tall tales have fought against Medicare in the past... and just this year supported a budget that would essentially have turned Medicare into a privatized voucher program. That will not happen on my watch. I will protect Medicare.”
“Now, because Medicare is such a big part of the health care system, making the program more efficient can help usher in changes in the way we deliver health care that can reduce costs for everybody. So the [Federal] commission can help encourage the adoption of these common-sense best practices by doctors and medical professionals throughout the system -- everything from reducing hospital infection rates to encouraging better coordination between teams of doctors.”
Yes, government control of health care is sooo good – if you are lucky enough to be granted the right to it by the Federal Board.
President Obama and his teleprompter make good speeches – that’s what got him elected. He is relying on the same thing to sell Socialized Medicine – we shouldn’t let him get away with it – fool me once, shame on me, fool me twice, shame on you.
.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment