Carrot Meet Stick

  
What is the carrot at the end of the stick in the socialized medicine disaster? It is becoming increasingly obvious that the Democrat Party will suffer huge losses of representation in the congress over this continuing brouhaha over proposed legislation. They appear more than willing to sacrifice several senators and upwards of three dozen or more representatives if they continue to insult the American people. Blanche Lincoln, Michael Bennet, Nebraska’s Ben Nelson and an assortment of Blue Dog Demos plus others will undoubtedly feel the wrath of the voters. One can only wonder how they can possibly reconcile such a prospective beating with any result they might hope for from the reorganization of the country’s health delivery.

Some White House insiders have been voicing the opinion that the voters have a short memory and the projected losses my never come to fruition. That argument has slight currency when projected on the massive amount of the federal budget which it intimately concerns. Sixteen percent of that gross ain’t bean bag. When coupled with cap and trade, stimulus, bailouts, unnecessary pork, and acquisition of a variety of industries it would appear that the folks who pay the bills (taxes) might have an inclination to remember.

The purists maintain that this horrendous legislation actually might accomplish something and choose to discount anything but the cost reviews provided by the White House. In their messianic zeal they ignore any reining in of trial lawyers, abridgement of Medicare, impending practitioner shortages, interstate medical plans, or any of the other very real problems with our current medical delivery systems. Their naiveté in promoting care for the uninsured and imposing prohibitive tax on those who pay their own way is astonishing. It becomes one of those “do it for the children” type arguments. In private moments they more than likely relish the thought of having done some good for the “little people.”

Inasmuch as 230 plus members are verified as millionaires already, it is unlikely that most of them will require a collection be taken up to supply their breakfast if they get tossed out. With a job that pays $174,000 a year they should be able to make arrangements for a premature retirement. We are talking salary here and not counting the ubiquitous graft which is available to those with excessive influence. Even if they never saw a spending bill they didn’t like, that doesn’t mean they don’t have the capacity to be personally parsimonious.

So, as they wear out their welcome in Washington and eventually wander back to the hustings from whence they sprang, we find the homefolks have good memories, being a do-gooder doesn’t pay and there is really no shortage of money to tide them over. So then we must get down to cases if we want to find what drives them to enact monstrosities like socialized medicine and other government enlargement.

To gain the ideological goal of absolute control of the government, someone is going to have to fall on their sword. The most likely will be those Democrats who are from fly-over country or have large populations of seniors--and whites. Federally funded abortion is a hard sell in the mid-west and south. Some coastal and border states host a large population of the Medicare set. Most of the power players are from areas friendlier to Marxist plots to reorganize our constitutional republic. I believe that the threatened hold the thought that their loss of a current seat in congress will be rewarded later in their careers by an administration exercising the power gained at their expense today. These are the “true believers” who see the government as the end-all in our lives.

For those accustomed to the comfort and the protection of the constitution, it is difficult to believe that such an anti-American thought could be hidden in the deepest recesses of any citizen’s mind--let alone a member of congress. Worst, it comes from a person who has sworn to uphold that same document. We are more easily inclined to understand the inhabitants of a paradisiacal under-developed nation, with flowers and sandy beaches, rising to overthrow a tyrannical government. It is incomprehensible that anyone would wish to destroy the most powerful nation on earth from within. They do, and they will if they are not stopped.

Although many of our citizens have come to vaguely realize what is happening, there is a huge block who are totally clueless. They are not bad people; they are just not into following the realities of politics. Hey, they voted for representation and figure that their obligation stops there. They thought that those who keep up and are aware of the deeper meanings are just hysterical rabble-rousers who want to constantly disrupt the processes of government.

They are also under the impression that the media, with their soothing tones and well tailored appearance are infused with the same hopes and dreams which fill their hearts. They also fall for the “schtick” that throwing money at problems will always make them go away. Some even honestly believe that the much touted “health care” is about doctors, hospitals, insurance, and other medical matters. Somehow, they do not recognize their responsibilities reach past voting and keeping the lawn mowed to maintain neighborhood integrity. Any attempt at conversation about the affairs of the nation suddenly reminds them of a forgotten 1 o’clock tee time.

In our continuing search for the “carrot” we find the false promises of socialism and complete expansion of our government. The reward lies in the furtherance of that “cause” using the device of helping the disadvantaged. Never mind that our history is rife with examples of immensely successful people having risen from abject poverty and despair through their own efforts, ingenuity and hard work to achieve benefits for themselves and subsequent opportunities for others. For the average bear, it is impossible to imagine that the ghosts of Lenin, Marx, Engels, Stalin, Trotsky, and Himmler frequent the dreams of many of our leaders. They do, and encourage our plunge to an all-out socialist state. Historically, this has led to a collapse of all but heavy industry with attendant shortages of food and other daily needs. Lacking the freedom of entrepreneurship, this is a predictable outcome.

So then, what drives public men to ruin our economy and exert absolute control over the people? Once you answer that, please tell me what drives a man to senselessly kill huge numbers of innocent people? Both are real events and may well have the same simple response: power! This is not the same power which we attribute to God. This power is the raw, bludgeoning, overt force which is becoming more apparent by the day. It is a merciless manifestation of control which has a blind devotion to a “cause.”

We are all subject to our personal measure of selfish acquisition. It is part of our survival mechanism in a perceived avaricious world. As a result of our constant comforts, we have difficulty seeing this characteristic clearly in others. They cleverly offer diversions disguised in platitudes praising the equality of man, opportunity for all, the safety of the herd, and “a chicken in every pot.” They downplay the necessity of work, effort, individuality, and responsibility.

During the revolution and formation of the republic, we faced an easily identifiable enemy who had a familiar name--King George. Although benign in comparison to some of the opponents we have subsequently faced as a nation, he epitomized, at that time, all that was in opposition to the character of the people he ruled in this foreign land. We struggled our way from under his thumb and launched an unheard of experiment.

Today we must contend against an alien concept which fronts no battalions to threaten our populace but rather an equally alien notion of a complete change in governmental style. You have felt the stick but you shall not be part of those enjoying the carrot. That shall be reserved for the power brokers who are corrupting the US Constitution and assuming the role of today’s despots.


In His abiding love,

Cecil Moon