If you’ll recall, two years ago this past spring we were all watching the activities of our Congress with a great deal of anxiety. The healthcare reform process exposed the truly seedy side of the political gaming that goes on in Washington everyday, to one degree or another. But in this instance the eyes of the American public were a bit more focused than usual, and no matter which side you favored, the backroom deals and strong arm tactics had to make you more than a little uncomfortable with the way power was being wielded. What we saw was anything but representative of the will of the people.

In the end, both the House and Senate passed the President’s healthcare reform strictly along party lines, with votes being cast by elected representatives who freely admitted they had not even read the bill. So now, in the wake of all that, the question we should be asking ourselves is why? Why is controlling or overseeing individual’s personal healthcare such a big deal to this current administration and their minions in the Congress? The answer is actually very simple and it has absolutely nothing to do with ensuring the public health or the citizens’ wellbeing; its all about Power and Money.

For elitists who aspire to power, often based on their perceived superior intellect, the easiest way to achieve it is to first convince the masses that they require the government’s help to meet a specific need. The success of this philosophy relies heavily on a combination of fear and protection; something right up this Chicago gang’s alley. We’ve all heard the statement, “never let a crisis go to waste” and the reason is that public fear is a natural product of any crisis. But, if fear doesn’t actually exist, then you can create it using anecdotes and hyperbole. Once fear is well established the power-seekers can step in and offer protection and security in the form of a magnanimous government solution.

So, why start with healthcare? Simple, it is far easier to create a sense of fear over an emotionally charged issue like breast cancer or the sudden severe injury of a child than it is for any of the “necessities of life” like housing, food, clothing or virtually anything else we use or depend on everyday. It’s natural to be concerned and even a bit anxious over the potential impact of an unexpected illness or injury and all it takes to turn that anxiety into a full-blown crisis-level fear, which demands a government solution, is the injection of the final element – money, or the potential loss of it.

Clearly, government control of healthcare has been a goal of “progressives” in this country for more than a hundred years. When the liberal factions of the Democrat party gained control of both houses of Congress and the Presidency in 2008 their long awaited opportunity finally presented itself. They were quick to point to private insurance companies as being guilty of raising premiums and reducing coverage at the expense of the consumer, and on that score they were correct. “Reform” became their rallying cry without specific mention as to what exactly needed reform. Change for the sake of change alone was considered by many to be reason enough to overturn what has been the best healthcare system in the world. After all, “this is a Crisis!”

While the subsequent developments have been very upsetting to those of us in medicine who have dedicated our lives to providing that care, it should be truly frightening to every American based on where it will most certainly lead. Using the time-tested approach of “fear and protection” our increasingly dependent society appears to be ripe for the progressive destruction of all personal freedoms and individual liberties by our leaders drunk on Power and Money. Their newest target – entrepreneurs and small business owners who in the words of President Obama, “If you’ve got a business, you didn’t build that. Somebody else made that happen.” Obviously, healthcare reform was simply the first step toward “fundamentally changing America.”

Thomas Jefferson has been widely quoted in recent years on a number of issues, but in one of his somewhat less famous writings he said to Edward Carrington in Paris, May 27, 1788, “The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield, and government to gain ground.”   I pray to God it isn’t so.

The opinions expressed are my own and do not necessarily reflect those of any organization or group. please feel free to review other posts on www.spiritofhealthcare.com and check out my clinical site at www.robertsewellmd.com