Saturday, October 17, 2009

Socialized Medicine ... Another look.

With all the talk of the new Obama-care, this notion that the government must be the sole provider to a one payer program to 'take care of Americans' is worth an examination.

No matter what this is called, it is perhaps not as attractive as one may first think.

There is a very important thing to be recognized if this system is to be transformed. The notion that the government owes us, as a right, health care services is a misnomer in a free society.

Here is why:
  • When we give up our responsibility of taking care of our body, which is our property, we are setting ourselves up for abuse from a controlling system of rules, regulations, and mandates. We have given up our power. We did this by choice. We allowed fear to cloud our better judgment.
When we give up our power believing that the government will take care of us, here is what we can expect:

Health care is a business. To make money the needed commodity is sick people or people they can convince are sick. Government is in bed with insurance companies and the pharmaceutical companies. Corporatism is running the show, profits are high and health is low.

If the government is going to tax us for this service, and is in bed with businesses that intend to profit, the health care which was promised after our insistence will be set in motion based on the bottom line rather than the health condition and the betterment of ones health.

How do they do this?

Currently the government has control over the western medical system through the AMA, the medical journals that are the 'authority' of what is 'happening' in research, treatment etc. This entity manages the schools which teach only what the controlling entity chooses to teach. The schools regulate how many doctors will be allowed to practice and those who get their credentials must pass the tests answering the questions as this one system allows. There is no room for discussion or consideration of any other system.

Those who wish to expand their practices outside of that structure find themselves in a very difficult position. This is another subtle government/pharmaceutical/insurance agenda. Keeping this control in place, prices can also remain high since a shortage of doctors will be easily regulated and those who are in the profession will be overworked, so care will be limited. When the government (medical business) assigns a license, and we buy it, we have just volunteered to allow the control of the government dictate how we practice which may not be in the best for our patients/clients.

So we have volunteered to allowing the government more control and surrendering our power and freedom. Any ideas outside this monopoly for natural less expensive cures are not considered. In reality they are often violently shut down removing from public access effective cures.

This is the structure of socialized medicine. Control of the powers that be and no power or choice to the masses of people. We will pay for that one choice, yet the return on that investment may lack the best possible means to restoring and reversing health challenges.

So now we can see how the control, power and money made creates this greed where no competition is allowed.

What would an alternative choice be in correcting this structure? First, it is important to do study and get into a new mind set where a willingness to take responsibility for our health is realized and practiced. It is time to stop being dis-empowered by rules that affect our well being. Altering our health will come through responsibility, learning from others, trying new therapies and seeing what works. We can begin to realize that in most cases we do not have to have dis-ease.

Instead we can consider creating a new structure, one which is modeled after the Free Market idea (not free trade). Here is a possibility of how landscape can look.

There would be no regulation of any types of practices. Those wishing to become health practitioners can choose the modality and pursue good instruction. The system would be more of an apprenticeship. The mentor or school would give a certificate of attendance and completion from the modality once the necessary training is complete. Government would not choose who can practice, rather the market would allow for competition, bringing in a higher quality of ethics in the market place.

With an abundance of practitioners who will all need to be ethical in their practice if they wish to make a living on their labor will provide quality work for those seeking help. Prices would be low, people could afford it out of pocket, (again this is not in an extreme situation). Remember, this is a possibility for a free market structure, which will look very different that what we are use to seeing.

As people become accustom to enjoying becoming responsible for their health, paying attention to better eating, and connecting with their whole BEing, the dis-ease we experience will be reduced considerably. Health would be abundant, costs would be low, people would be empowered as responsibility shows its power, and we could get rid of an entity that taxes us and gives us very little in return.

We do still have choice. What are we going to choose?

I am sure those of you who are thinking this through may begin to see a distinction of the socialized structure is a surrender of all our health rights to a government, pharmaceuticals, and insurance companies, or a structure where people can learn to take care of each other in ways that are effective and affordable. (There will always be 'special' emergency situations which can be discussed in a different forum, as those conditions are not central to the overall methods our current health system practices.)

Let us give this some objective considerations to health services aligning with personal responsibilities and a removal of government controls which do not seem to have the intentions of health for the people in mind. Let us discuss what sort of structure that could be provided to those needing help due to serious conditions around health.

Heed the wisdom of /Albert Einstein.... "Ridicule without examination is the height of ignorance".

Please comment on this idea. Conversation is important for us to transform our society.

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