Watch this video and you’ll understand why the vast majority of America’s doctors oppose Obamacare.
OHIO Doctors Speak Out About Obamacare
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Category Archives: Political Right
AMERICAN EXCEPTIONALISM
The terms Left wing and Right wing get thrown around constantly these days with little explanation as to what they mean. Therefore, its time for a brief lesson in government/history/civics. I don’t think most young people have ever even considered the theories behind the various forms of government, or what is referred to as American Exceptionalism. It appears they aren’t being taught such things in school.
The Left has many names; Communist, Socialist, Marxist, Leninist, Maoist, Nazi, STATIST, etc. Each of these describes a big central government controlled by a dictator or small group of Elites who make all the “rules” but live by none of them. Actually Monarchies and Oligarchies fall into the same basic category. At the opposite end of the spectrum is the Individual. The Right holds to the principle that the individual’s rights trump those of the State. However, when carried to the extreme, individualism leads to Anarchy, the total absence of a government.
The brilliance of our Founding Fathers vision for this country was the creation of a central government that was, by design, limited by a Constitution, the supreme law of the land. It is based on establishing a central government which has very specific limited powers while at the same time sustains the rights of the individual. This individual freedom and personal liberty to achieve one’s own dreams is what has drawn millions to this unique country from all around the world. But, since the day it was written and adopted our Constitution has been under attack, ALWAYS from the Left.
Those who oppose a limited form of Constitutional government are now described as “Progressives” because they have had to be satisfied with a gradual erosion of that document, through interpretation and Amendment, with their goal continuing to be a bigger and bigger central government. This is what Jefferson meant when he said, “The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield, and government to gain ground.” Thus the need for those on the Right, who support individual freedom and liberty, to continue the fight against those who would usurp those rights.
Leftist, Elitists, Marxists, whatever you want to call them, continue their efforts to control every individual based on the myth that a utopian state can be achieved once every individual becomes totally subordinate to the collective good. Obviously, this theory is contrary to basic human nature and is therefore pure folly. The intellectual elite know this as well, but they are not deterred. Their quest for power and control leads them to use the “suffering” of the masses to lure the working class toward what can only be described as a “counter revolution”, which is in reality waged against themselves.
Today we find ourselves fighting this ill-conceived and self-destructive counter revolution, orchestrated from the Left. I, for one, remain firmly to the Right of center because that is where American Exceptionalism resides.
Class dismissed, but please be aware there will be a final exam on Tuesday, November 6th. If you don’t show up that day you will fail. If you show up with the Wrong (Left) answer, we all fail.
Next – We Indict the Media
My friend and fellow advocate of Repealing Obamacare, Adrian Murray, posted the following on Facebook and with his permission I am re-posting it here. In the wake of last night’s Presidential debate in Denver it should be crystal clear to everyone that the Mainstream Media has an agenda that includes doing whatever it takes to keep the current President in office. Their blatant partisanship under the guise of reporting the news has become a modern day “Yellow Journalism” and borders on the criminal.
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NEXT – WE INDICT THE MEDIA
It was clear to anybody paying even the remotest attention four years ago that the media was selling the American public a fraudulent bill of goods called Barack Obama. The man clearly hadn’t the slightest qualification to be President of the United States and yet the mainstream media refused to properly vet him, refused to explore his past, ignored any relevant criticism and generally acted like preteen schoolgirls at a Justin Bieber concert. Talent schmalant. He’s just so dreamy.
That’s not meant to be a knock on the President. No one will deny his oratory skills and his unique ability to stir passions in his followers with thrilling platitudes about nothing. That a significant portion of the American public is so alarmingly naïve and simplistic is not Barack Obama’s fault. Ambitious men seize upon opportunities and if the media was intent upon creating a wedge formation to allow Obama to waltz into the end zone, we cannot fault him for taking the ball and running with it.
What we saw last night was the bare exposition of the media lie. For weeks we have been assured by both print and broadcast that the Romney campaign was all but over, that he had imploded and his campaign has fizzled. “It’s over,” we were told. “Disarray” was the buzzword most often heard. Ask yourself: who was in disarray last night, Mitt Romney or Barack Obama?
It’s often been said that the media elected Barack Obama in 2008, acting as little more than cheerleaders and adeptly playing defense for the man. But Obama was not so much elected by the media as he was inflicted by the media, a consortium of liberal and leftist feel-gooders so awash in white guilt they never even once considered that absolving themselves of their self-induced guilt by abetting the election to the presidency of the United States a man not remotely qualified for the position might, just might, not be a good thing for the citizens of this country.
Oh, how the American people have suffered these last four years. Twenty-four million unable to find a job. Think of that for a second. We bandy about numbers and percentages so much that we often forget those are real people, maybe your neighbor, maybe a relative. Imagine every man, woman and child in Texas out of work, living on food stamps and government handouts, without homes or hope. That’s what Obama’s presidency has inflicted on the American people. That is a direct result of the media’s malpractice and they should be made to pay the price.
Many viewers last night were presented with facts that the media has carefully hidden. Did you know that the big tax breaks oil companies (not much more than depreciation) is just $2.9 billion while Obama’s gifts to the wind and solar industries (i.e., Obama donors) amounts to $90 billion? Neither did I. The utter, complete and devastating failure of the Obama presidency was on full display last night and along with it the media conspiracy to cover it up.
It is often said that the cover up is worse than the crime. That is certainly the case with the media’s protective fawning of Barack Obama. They can almost be forgiven for 2008. At the time many Americans were suffering from Bush-fatigue and, let’s face it, McCain was an uninspiring candidate. Maybe the media’s wet dream would have a happy ending. Most of us woke up the day after the election and hoped that would be the case.
But the disaster that has ensued is blindingly clear to all but the blind. The American people have suffered enough. Too many homes have been lost. Too many suffer without work. Too many are made to shed their dignity for government handouts. Too many face an uncertain future and live in fear of what tomorrow may bring. The media must be called to account. The curtain was pulled back last night and the emperor had no clothes, his empty suit carelessly draped over an empty chair.
Democracy cannot exist in a vacuum and that is exactly what the mainstream media has dutifully created to cover up their 2008 crime.
Off with their heads.
Americans Deserve Better
I admit I haven’t read Saul Alinsky’s “Rules for Radicals” and I probably never will, but I know I speak for many of my fellow Americans when I say that after witnessing the actions of President Obama over the last few years it is easy to understand the basic tactics of the radical left. Some of them are pretty obvious, such as consistently dividing people into groups and then pitting the groups against each other. This has been most frequently accomplished by using charges of racism or homophobia or gender bias or whatever makes a great headline for a complicit media. The more outrageous the claims the more of an emotional reaction it generates, which is their real goal. Whether its a video showing grandma in a wheelchair being thrown off a cliff or simply an outrageous statement telling small business owners that they didn’t really build their businesses, the objective is to generate the maximum visceral response. Once the stage has been set with a backdrop of anger, class envy or fear, the opportunity exists to offer a magnanimous government solution. Clearly this is precisely the same technique used by mobsters back in the 1920’s to convince the people of Chicago they needed “protection”, and it is precisely the mechanism that was used to ram healthcare reform down the throats of the American people.
Sinister is the word that comes to mind when assessing these efforts of radical leftists. They “never let a crisis go to waste”, but more importantly their modus operandi is to actually create one crisis after another in the minds of an increasingly gullible public through reckless and divisive rhetoric. Perhaps the most subtle technique of all can best be described as reciprocal deception. Accuse anyone who opposes you of the very techniques you are using against them. I offer the following statement as a clear example of this process.
The Quote of the Decade: “The fact that we are here today to debate raising America’s debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the US Government cannot pay its own bills. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our Government’s reckless fiscal policies. Increasing America’s debt weakens us domestically and internationally. Leadership means that, “the buck stops here.’ Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren. America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better.” ~ Senator Barack H. Obama, March 2006.
I would simply say YES Mr. President, we do deserve better, and we are aware of your persistent attempts to deceive us with your predictable radical style. We are fully cognizant of your back room deals designed to usurp our basic, God-given human rights. We have been awakened by your all too transparent lies and your constant efforts to deflect blame for our failing economy. We have seen how intentionally weak and inept you appear to be in dealing with both our friends and our adversaries around the world. We understand that you believe you are above the Constitution, the Congress and the Supreme Court. We acknowledge that through your hollow rhetoric and shallow charm, you have been successful at convincing many trusting souls that you are indeed “the answer.” But, you should be advised that the rest of America is now fully aroused and we are on our collective feet.
So, on November 6, 2012, “We The People of the United States of America” hereby promise to soundly defeat you and your agenda in the most historic election of our time. There is nothing you can do or say at this point to stop us from turning out in record numbers, despite any Chicago-style efforts you or your minions may use to intimidate or suppress the vote, or fraudulently attempt to steal this election. As Clint Eastwood said, “We Own This Country” and it is well passed the time for you to vacate our White House.
Mr. President, for once you are absolutely correct; we not only deserve better, we will have better, so help us God!
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
Forestalling the Demise of Freedom
I am attaching an e-mail letter I received recently without specific permission, but, you will see at the end there is a request to forward it to everyone, thus the inclusion in this blog. I actually thought about trying to rewrite this in my own words, but I’m not sure there is any way I could deliver this message any more clearly than this author has.
Obama’s Second Term Transformation Plans
The 2012 election has often been described as the most pivotal since 1860. This statement is not hyperbole. If Barack Obama is re-elected the United States will never be the same, nor will it be able to re-capture its once lofty status as the most dominant nation in the history of mankind.
The overwhelming majority of Americans do not understand that Obama’s first term was dedicated to putting in place executive power to enable him and the administration to fulfill the campaign promise of “transforming America ” in his second term regardless of which political party controls Congress. That is why his re-election team is virtually ignoring the plight of incumbent or prospective Democratic Party office holders.
The most significant accomplishment of Obama’s first term is to make Congress irrelevant. Under the myopic and blindly loyal leadership of Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi, the Democrats have succeeded in creating an imperial and, in a second term, a potential dictatorial presidency.
During the first two years of the Obama administration when the Democrats overwhelmingly controlled both Houses of Congress and the media was in an Obama worshipping stupor, a myriad of laws were passed and actions taken which transferred virtually unlimited power to the executive branch.
The birth of multi-thousand page laws was not an aberration. This tactic was adopted so the bureaucracy controlled by Obama appointees would have sole discretion in interpreting vaguely written laws and enforcing thousands of pages of regulations they, and not Congress, would subsequently write.
For example, in the 2,700 pages of ObamaCare there are more than 2,500 references to the Secretary of Health and Human Services. There are more than 700 instances when he or she is instructed that they “shall” do something, and more than 200 times when they “may” take at their sole discretion some form of regulatory action. On 139 occasions, the law mentions that the “Secretary determines.” In essence one person, appointed by and reporting to the president, will be in charge of the health care of 310 million Americans once ObamaCare is fully operational in 2014.
The same is true in the 2,319 pages of the Dodd-Frank Financial Reform Act. which confers nearly unlimited power on various agencies to control by fiat the nation’s financial, banking and investment sectors. The bill also creates new agencies, such as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, not subject to any oversight by Congress. This overall process was repeated numerous times with other legislation all with the intent of granting unfettered power to the executive branch controlled by Barack Obama and his radical associates.
Additionally, the Obama administration has, through its unilaterally determined rule making and regulatory powers, created laws out of whole cloth. The Environmental Protection Agency on a near daily basis issues new regulations clearly out of their purview in order to modify and change environmental laws previously passed, and to impose a radical green agenda never approved by Congress. The same is true of the Energy and Interior Departments among many others.
None of these extra-constitutional actions have been challenged by Congress. The left in America knows this usurpation of power is nearly impossible to reverse unless stopped in its early stages.
It is clearly the mindset of this administration and its appointees that Congress is merely a nuisance, and can be ignored after they were able to take full advantage of the useful idiots in the Democrat controlled House and Senate in 2009-2010, and the Democrat Senate in the current Congress.
Additionally, Barack Obama knows after his re-election a Republican controlled House and Senate will not be able to enact any legislation to roll back the power previously granted to the Executive Branch, or usurped by them. His veto will not be overridden as there will always be at least 145 Democratic members of the House or 34 in the Senate in agreement with or intimidated by an administration more than willing to use Chicago style political tactics.
The stalemate between the Executive and Legislative Branches will inure to the benefit of Barack Obama and his fellow leftists.
The most significant power Congress has is the control of the purse-strings as all spending must be approved by them. However, once re-elected, Barack Obama, as confirmed by his willingness to do or say anything and his unscrupulous re-election tactics, would not only threaten government shutdowns but would deliberately withhold payments to those dependent on government support as a means of intimidating and forcing a Republican controlled Congress to surrender to his demands, thus neutering their ability to control the administration through spending constraints.
Further, this administration has shown contempt for the courts by ignoring various court orders, e.g. the Gulf of Mexico oil drilling moratorium, as well as stonewalling subpoenas and requests issued by Congress. The Eric Holder Justice Department has become the epitome of corruption as part of the most dishonest and deceitful administration in American history. In a second term the arrogance of Barack Obama and his minions will become more blatant as he will not have to be concerned with re-election.
Who will be there to enforce the rule of law, a Supreme Court ruling or the Constitution? No one. Barack Obama and his fellow-travelers will be unchallenged as they run roughshod over the American people.
Many Republicans and conservatives dissatisfied with the prospect of Mitt Romney as the nominee for president are instead focused on re-taking the House and Senate. That goal, while worthy and necessary, is meaningless unless Barack Obama is defeated. The nation is not dealing with a person of character and integrity but someone of single-minded purpose and overwhelming narcissism. Judging by his actions, words and deeds during his first term, he does not intend to work with Congress either Republican or Democrat in his second term but rather to force his radical agenda on the American people through the power he has usurped or been granted.
The governmental structure of the United States was set up by the founders in the hope that over the years only those people of high moral character and integrity would assume the reins of power. However, knowing that was not always possible, they dispersed power over three distinct and independent branches as a check on each other.
What they could not imagine is the surrender and abdication of its constitutional duty by the preeminent governmental branch, the Congress, to a chief executive devoid of any character or integrity coupled with a judiciary essentially powerless to enforce the law when the chief executive ignores them . Americans must come to grips with this moment in time and their historical role in denying Barack Obama and his minions their ultimate goal. All resources must be directed at that end-game and not merely controlling Congress and the various committee chairmanships.
Steve McCann, May 12, 2012
Please forward this to all you can, maybe together we can save America for ourselves and those who will follow after us
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I would only add, if we (the American public) accidentally overheard this President telling Russian President Putin that he would have a lot more flexibility after the election, how many other “deals” has Obama made with those who would seek to destroy our freedoms and the American way of life? Now is a time for choosing. “We The People” of this great nation must stand against the tyranny that Abraham Lincoln warned us about 150 years ago. He said “America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.”
As an American…
I received a letter recently from a young, black, conservative physician named Dr. Robin Armstrong. He was recently elected to the Republican National Committee from Texas and is obviously a supporter of the Romney/Ryan ticket. However, the specific points he made in his letter were more than just the usual partisan politics; they were a plea to all Americans to come to our collective senses and change the direction of our nation. Dr. Armstrong said,
“As a proud American, I am offended that Barack Obama has attacked our institutions that have made our nation great!
As a Texan, I am angry that Barack Obama has abused his executive authority to attack our voter ID laws, and to attack the oil and gas industry with radical environmental restrictions and regulations!
As a Christian, I am disappointed this president has abused his office to impose his will and his values on religious institutions despite the clear violation of the First Amendment!
As a Conservative, I am offended this president considers me his enemy and a greater danger to our nation than radical Islamists!
As an African American, I am saddened this president’s policies have expanded the welfare state, skyrocketed the black unemployment rate to 14.4%, and further isolated our community!
As a Physician, I am frightened by Barack Obama’s unconstitutional assault on the healthcare industry, which will lead to bankruptcies in both government budgets and healthcare quality!
As a Taxpayer, I am angry this president wants to raise my taxes even further because he thinks I do not pay my fair share!
President Obama has stated he wants to fundamentally change our nation. He is well on his way and he must be stopped!”
There is really nothing to add to Dr. Armstrong’s arguments except to say, as each of us is awakened to the fact that our freedoms and our very way of life are being stolen from us, and our posterity, it is our duty and our moral obligation to do whatever we can to arouse those around us before our current American Nightmare becomes the new and permanent American Reality.
Make no mistake, Barack Obama is a Marxist, socialist and should he win re-election, even if he loses Democrat control of the Senate, he will continue to seize more and more power through executive orders.
We were warned about the process we are now witnessing by none other than Abraham Lincoln when he said, “America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.”
Is It Really About Healthcare?
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
Stop Calling It Obamacare
By Adrain Murray
When Mitt Romney went before the convention of the NAACP and said that as president he would repeal “Obamacare”, he was roundly and predictably booed. In doing so, he stepped into a carefully laid trap.
Why is the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act routinely referred to as “Obamacare”? Surely no one seriously believes President Obama wrote the 2,700 page bill or, for that matter, even knows what is in it. Yet the act is commonly labeled President Obama’s signature piece of legislation, the crowning achievement of his first term.
Even Nancy Pelosi would not take credit for authoring the bill, famously declaring we had to pass it in order to find out what’s in it. So if the president didn’t write the Affordable Care Act and the Speaker of the House didn’t know what was in it, why is it called Obamacare?
One could make the argument that it’s just laziness on the part of the media, which revels in finding the lowest common denominator to explain complex issues. One could argue that it is political posturing by Republicans who want to saddle the president with responsibility for what is undeniably an unpopular law. One could argue it is the president himself, trying to take legislative credit for something he had nothing to do with, popular or not. In fact Obama, a supporter of a single payer system, actively campaigned against many of the provisions that have ended up as cornerstones of the ACA law.
One could make a lot of arguments, but calling the Affordable Care Act “Obamacare” is a huge tactical error. Why? Because naming the law after Obama personalizes it and, as Romney learned from the NAACP audience, opposing Obamacare equals opposing Obama and the only reason anyone opposes Obama is, of course, because he is black. To those inclined to think as such, opposing the complete government takeover of the healthcare system and changing the status of Americans from private citizens to property of the state is, quite simply, racist. It also distracts from the true question that should be asked:
Who, precisely, wrote the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and why?
Our first clue comes from testimony given by Peter Orszag, then-Director of the Office of Management and Budget, before Congress in August of 2009. “Ultimately,” he said, “without structure in place to help contain health care costs over the long term as the health market evolves, nothing else we do in fiscal policy will matter much, because eventually health care cost will overwhelm the federal budget.”
If Orszag had been addressing the board of directors of Wellpoint, the nation’s second largest managed health care company, such a statement might seem perfectly proper. But, even accepting the wildly suspicious claim that 30 million Americans were uninsured, that’s still just 10% of the population. If 90% of Americans in 2009 were covered by private insurance, why would health care costs overwhelm the federal budget? It is more likely that rising health care costs would soon overwhelm the nation’s health insurance providers.
According to Kaiser Permanente, total health insurance costs in 1980 were $286 billion. By 2010, they had increased nearly tenfold to $2.3 trillion. As the population ages, that number is expected to soar. According to federal estimates, health care costs will double in the next decade and are likely to double again by 2030, when 70 million Americans – fully 20% of the population – will be over the age of 65. Could such dire estimates have provided the health insurance industry with a powerful $10 trillion incentive to move this looming liability off their balance sheets and onto the backs of the American taxpayer?
In May 2010, after final passage of the current health care law, Senator Max Baucus, from whose Finance Committee the legislation emerged, stood before the Senate and members of the press to publicly thank the person he credited with making it all happen:
“I wish to single out one person, and that one person is sitting next to me. Her name is Liz Fowler. Liz Fowler is my chief health counsel. Liz Fowler has put my health care team together. Liz Fowler worked for me many years ago, left for the private sector, and then came back when she realized she could be there at the creation of health care reform because she wanted that to be, in a certain sense, her professional lifetime goal. She put together the White Paper last November–2008–the 87-page document which became the basis, the foundation, the blueprint from which almost all health care measures in all bills on both sides of the aisle came.”
So who is Liz Fowler? Prior to joining Baucus’ staff as the senior advisor on health care, she was Vice President of Public Policy and External Affairs for none other than the aforementioned number two insurance company, Wellpoint. Not to put too fine a point to it, but the chief lobbyist for AHIP (America’s Health Insurance Plans), a national trade organization of over 1,300 insurers, infiltrated the Senate Finance Committee and wrote a law to benefit not the American people, but the entire insurance industry. As it turns out, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is not intended to make health insurance more affordable for the American people. It is designed to make the American people more affordable for the health insurance industry.
As it further turns out, Baucus’ staff was infested with Wellpoint hirelings. Prior to Fowler arriving on scene, the chief advisor on Senator Baucus’ team was Michelle Easton. Upon passing the baton to Ms. Fowler, Easton went to work as a lobbyist for Wellpoint at Tarplin, Downs and Young, a DC-based lobbying firm founded in 2006 “specializing in strategic consulting and policy development with a particular focus on health care”.
Keep turning the wheel, though, and we come to Stephen Northrup. Northrup was the chief health advisor to Wyoming Senator Mike Enzi when Enzi pushed similar health care legislation in 2006. Prior to joining Enzi’s staff, Northrup was the executive director of the Long Term Pharmacy Alliance, an organization that played a lead role in drafting the mother of all giveaways to Big Pharma, Medicare Part D. Not surprisingly, the revolving door and interchangeable roles of advisors/staff/lobbyists eventually lead Northrup in 2007 to Wellpoint, where he served as Vice President of Federal Affairs.
The insurance lobby, tired of decades of failed attempts to influence Congress to create a national health care plan which would immunize them from the looming trillions of dollars in liabilities they faced as the boomer generation aged, simply decided they would infiltrate Congress instead and write the legislation themselves. Time, after all, was running out.
But simply enacting the legislation was not enough. Big Insurance also demanded a seat at the table when it came time to actually drafting the regulations and implementing the law, since incompetent government bureaucrats could not be trusted to enact regulations and procedures that would fully indemnify the insurance lobby to its complete satisfaction. Which brings us to the return of Liz Fowler, the author of the Affordable Care Act who is now the Deputy Director of Consumer Information and Oversight at the U.S. Department of Human Services, sort of an industry cop on watch to be sure government employees do what they are told.
Despite Big Insurance’s success in pulling off one of the most intricate swindles in the history of mankind by transferring tens of trillions of dollars of liabilities from their balance sheets to that of the Treasury Department, all to be paid for by massive tax increases on the American people (or fees, if you’re still arguing about the Commerce Clause in the increasingly irrelevant Constitution), the whole transaction would certainly deserve a special place in the pantheon of lawlessness were it not for the decidedly unhappy outcome it will have for the true victims of this crime – the American citizens, who are now merely the property of an insurance industry that has a vested interest in keeping them healthy while they are still useful. Those 22 year-olds who are today gleeful that they can stay on Mommy and Daddy’s insurance for a few more years won’t be quite as cheerful in 2030 when they are called before a panel Liz Fowler will undoubtedly have had a role in creating to explain why their cholesterol level has increased or are informed that certain substances detected in their last blood test indicated they are surpassing the monthly limit on pepperoni pizzas. After being sent home with a hefty fine and orders to adhere to a strict diet of carrot sticks and mineral water, along with the latest behavioral modification drug developed by the recent merger of Pfizer and Merck, they may well wish they had been paying attention back in 2012, when there was still a chance to put a stop to it all.
In the meanwhile, it would be nice if certain political figures would put a stop to feigning political courage by mockingly referring to this legislation as Obamacare. Obama didn’t write it or read it and there is nothing caring about it. Call it what it is:
The Health Insurance Industry Protection Act.
You could also call it the end of freedom.
This post was authored by Adrian Murray is a business man in Fort Worth, Texas (President and CEO of Painless Performance Products) and an ardent Conservative thought leader in the North Texas community. It is with his expressed permission that this incredible piece is offered here. Thank You Adrian for your patriotism.
The Last to Know
Have you ever seen someone walking down the street looking like they were in a daze; confused and disoriented? You know this guy is “on something.” If you ask him where he’s going he doesn’t know, but its obvious he’s just trying to find his next fix, or drink, or joint; take your pick. This is the difficult life of an addict. The sad thing is that everyone can see it except the addict. He is always the last to know, and if you ask him how it happened, he’ll likely tell you someone gave him his first taste for free. This is precisely the mechanism used to create a variety of “social” addictions in America. Various government programs have been created over the years, which offer to those “in need” something of value for free. Soon, the recipient of assistance no longer views it as a handout; rather it becomes something to which they believe they are actually entitled. But, for the government to provide a benefit to some of its citizens for nothing it must first take a comparable something away from others.
How can a government justify taking stuff (money) from one and giving to another? The argument often includes a not so subtle implication that those who have stuff must have gotten it illegally or immorally or because they were born into a position of privilege. Likewise, those who are “underprivileged” must be victims of bad luck or discrimination or oppression. The objective is to create a subconscious guilt among the “haves” even if they have no logical reason to feel that way, and a sense of entitlement among the “have nots” even though they have no right to what the government is offering. We are seeing this play out today on the streets of America in the form of “Occupy” everywhere.
In the last couple of years the process of addiction to government has focused largely on healthcare, but the problem is far bigger. Here in America we have created a society filled with countless “pushers” and “enablers” for everything from Federal unemployment insurance to backroom deals that loan millions to businesses building solar panels that no one wants to buy. But the unasked question is why? Why is this happening? At least in the world of drugs the answer is obvious – follow the money. It isn’t some malicious attack on our youth that motivates drug dealers to offer a kid his first taste of marijuana or crack cocaine; its the potential profits that come from the sale of those drugs once the user has been hooked. In the case of government offerings the real currency is not just money, its also political power.
Politicians have learned that the best way, and in some cases the only way, to get elected is to promise their constituents a government solution to a specific problem. The bigger and more wide spread the problem the more appeal the solution will have. Healthcare is a prime example. Everybody needs it, everybody thinks it is too expensive and they believe they can’t get it on their own. So, the adroit politician devises a plan that uses political influence to allocate public funds to pay for private services. To sell the idea he uses a highly emotional personal story about how Mrs. Jones was unable to see a doctor until it was too late. The narrative then follows, “How can we, the most prosperous nation in history, sit idly by and let this happen?” With the problem now well defined, the solution is obvious. The good guys in the white hats, government bureaucrats, must develop a complex system that keeps this from happening. Voila! – Medicare, Medicaid and now Obamacare, with the unsuspecting masses rapidly becoming reliant on Uncle Sam to provide for their healthcare services.
But wait! The government can’t actually prescribe you a medication or take out your appendix. Only a licensed physician can do those things, and those guys want way too much money, right? Enter government price-fixing and the entire system is now under the absolute control of politicians and bureaucrats. By way of demonstration, the single most common phrase contained within the new healthcare law (Obamacare) is “The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall…”
Most Americans and most American physicians have become addicted to the government healthcare system because we have empowered them to control the flow of our money. That control is maintained through a combination of political promises, continued emotional appeals and economic coercion. The modern phrase used to describe this process is social engineering, and healthcare has become the prime example of what is clearly an expanding phenomenon throughout our society.
Sadly, a side effect of any addiction is the individual’s loss of control of their own decision-making, but an even more important effect is the loss of passion and enthusiasm to be the best they can be. The cumulative effect of addictions is to make a person weaker and less self-reliant. This is precisely what is happening throughout America and, yes even in the Medical profession. It was that American spirit of self-reliance reinforced by the internal satisfaction that only comes from personal accomplishment that made this nation great. We are watching that spirit be systematically crushed by the social engineers who believe they know what is best for each individual and for society as a whole. And, like all addicts, the unsuspecting and overly trusting American people, along with their doctors, are indeed, The Last to Know.
The opinions expressed herein are my own and do not necessarily reflect or represent the policies or opinions of any medical organization or group.
Check out my web site at www.robertsewellmd.com
The Buck Stops Here
Harry S. Truman, the 33rd President of the United States took office in 1945 following the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt. He is perhaps best known as the man who ordered the dropping of the only two atomic weapons ever used in warfare; “Little Boy” on Hiroshima August 6, 1945 and “fat man” on Nagisaki three days later. The use of these two bombs, the only ones in existence at the time, brought an end to World War II. But what I prefer to remember Truman for is the sign on his desk, which stated unequivocally “The Buck Stops Here.”
In the turbulent years immediately following the greatest conflict in the history of mankind, America needed strong leadership and they had it in Truman. One can certainly argue that his post-war Truman Doctrine of “containment” with respect to communism, along with the Marshall Plan, which rebuilt Europe, were in large part responsible for the nuclear arms race, the “Cold War” and ultimately the Korean conflict. However, no one can disagree that he consistently acted with conviction and determination. He had a plan, laid it out clearly and then took responsibility for whatever the results. Where is that leadership style today?
I’m reminded of the theme song of the 1970’s sit-com “All in the Family” titled “Those were the days.” The lyrics told of a simpler time with more traditional values:
Boy the way Glen Miller played,
Songs that made the hit parade.
Guys like us we had it made,
Those were the days.
And you knew who you were then,
Girls were girls and men were men,
Mister we could use a man
Like Herbert Hoover again.
Didn’t need no welfare state,
Everybody pulled his weight.
Gee our old LaSalle ran great.
Those were the days.
Leadership is an art form that includes possessing a vision based on unwavering principles, an ability to inspire and support others along with the instinct to know when to step forward, seize the reigns and provide specific direction. One could argue that Barack Obama actually possesses these qualities and he used them to get elected President of the United States. However, his campaign was long on inspiration but short on direction. All he promised was to “fundamentally change America.” Many people were anxious for a new direction and got caught-up in the “Hope and Change” without understanding the implications of the word “fundamentally.” Now we recognize that Mr. Obama’s unwavering principles are clearly different than those of most Americans and his direction for the country is not where most of us want to go.
Perhaps the most accurate statement that this President has made been since being inaugurated was “elections have consequences.” With those three arrogant words he polarized his opponents and helped launch a grassroots campaign that promises to set our nation on a different course following the next election. But who will step forward with a new vision? What will his or her principles be and how will we know if they are indeed unwavering? What will be the new direction for the American Ship of State? These questions must be asked of every candidate and the American electorate deserve and must demand straight-forward answers.
One thing is certain; the opportunity for true leadership has never been more obvious, at least not in my lifetime. Over the next few months someone will surely seize this unprecedented opportunity and we can only pray that person will once again place a sign in the Oval Office stating simply “The Buck Stops Here.”
The opinions expressed herein are my own and do not necessarily reflect or represent the policies or opinions of any medical organization or group.
Check out my web site at www.robertsewellmd.com