| If you are very well-informed about the health care | | | | (Picture people who now go to the doctor much more |
| issues facing America right now, feel free to skip this | | | | often. People who go every time they have the |
| article. There's probably very little I can add to your | | | | smallest cough. Millions of previously uninsured people |
| understanding. | | | | who never used to go who now go freely. And so on.) |
| However, if you find yourself saying things like: "I don't | | | | In order to deal with the influx of customers to the |
| understand how someone can oppose universal health | | | | nickel shop, several new decisions need to be made. |
| care." or "How can someone say health care is not an | | | | Should we hire new workers? Should we rush them |
| obvious human right?" or "Obama cares so much for | | | | through the training so we can get them into the shop |
| all of us. These radicals are just opposing it because | | | | ASAP? |
| it's his plan." or any of a few dozen variations, this | | | | Should we seek cheaper ingredients to deal with the |
| guide very well might be for you. | | | | increase in cost with the influx of orders? |
| Many have said, semi-incorrectly, that the proposed | | | | Perhaps we might need to create a system where |
| plan will not allow one to use private insurance. The | | | | people need to order their pizza several weeks in |
| fact of the matter is, yes it will... | | | | advance? Or we need to prioritze some people over |
| But... | | | | others, saying some people should not receive as |
| Picture this: | | | | many pizzas as others? |
| Say there were a small neighborhood with three pizza | | | | And let's not forget that "government subsidized" is |
| shops that have been competing with one another for | | | | just a code-word for "sponsored by you the tax |
| about two decades. Everyone in town has their | | | | payer". So in order to pay for this heavily subsidized |
| favorite, and all the owners are doing quite well for | | | | pizza we have two (bad) choices:a. borrow, and send |
| themselves. | | | | the government further into debt (bad), orb. raise taxes |
| The pizza is not cheap, however, at $2.00 a slice. So, | | | | (bad) |
| sadly, the less fortunate kids in town view pizza as a | | | | And thus we complete the package of why we fear |
| rare treat, and even the middle class folk don't want to | | | | the proposed reforms. |
| buy too much, because of that burning feeling in the | | | | We fear overworked doctors. We fear the potential |
| pocket. | | | | need to hire more doctors quickly, with worse training, |
| ... But it sure is tasty... | | | | to deal with increased need from more patients. |
| Now, after much protestation in the community that | | | | We fear being rushed through the system ultra-quickly |
| the pizza is too expensive for many, the government | | | | in order to deal with the surplus of new patients, |
| decides to subsidize a new pizza shop, and pizza is | | | | resulting in inferior care. |
| only one nickel a slice. The pizza is definitely inferior to | | | | We fear giant waiting lists preventing us from getting |
| all three other shops, but there isn't a person in the | | | | essential care in a timely fashion. (Think Canada and |
| neighborhood who can't have pizza whenever they | | | | England, where patients have died waiting for |
| choose. | | | | treatment.) |
| The other three pizza shops start going crazy. "The | | | | We fear the reorganization of priorities. If the cost |
| government is trying to shut us down," they yell. | | | | needs to be reduced, someone needs to have their |
| The government smugly replies, "We aren't shutting | | | | services reduced. In the current situation, it looks like |
| anyone down. Everyone, without exception, will still | | | | our wonderful American government has chosen the |
| retain the option to go to the other places as often as | | | | elderly as the victim. |
| they want." | | | | We fear the country going into further debt, and we |
| But we're not naive. | | | | fear the potential of out-of-control taxes that seem to |
| We know what happens next. | | | | be the inevitable result of universal health care. |
| Tons upon tons of people ditch the other three shops | | | | We fear the Robin Hood style government that thinks |
| for the sake of the much cheaper alternative. | | | | all can be sponsored involuntarily by the wealthy. We |
| For a little while the other three hang on, cutting costs | | | | fear that if the wealthy are taxed severely, they will |
| here and there, firing a few employees, charging even | | | | fire tons of employees which would further wound the |
| more in the hopes that they will gain some extra profit... | | | | economy, or they might pick up and move to a |
| but the end result is inevitable. They cannot compete | | | | country which allows them to retain their profits, |
| with the government. | | | | crippling the economy. |
| All the talk of allowing people to buy whatever pizza | | | | We fear a non-talented, non-thorough government |
| they choose is irrelevant if the other places have to | | | | making hasty decisions which could destroy everything |
| close down. | | | | we know and love about our country. The Constitution |
| *You see, when you look past all the political jargon (i.e. | | | | of the United States of America is much shorter than |
| blah blah) you realize in the upcoming changes the end | | | | this proposed health care bill, but it took longer to write |
| of private medicine as we know it.* | | | | and was written by more talented, more intelligent |
| So what happens next? | | | | people. And that is why it's basically eternal and has |
| After all thee private pizza shops are no longer around, | | | | kept this country going strong for so long. |
| the very mediocre government subsidized option is the | | | | The difference between someone like me and the |
| only one left standing. | | | | people of the current administration is foresight and |
| And the lines are out the door. After all, who can resist | | | | deliberation. We all want change. The current health |
| pizza at such an amazing price? | | | | care situation is ridiculous. But change is NOT inherently |
| But there are thousands of people in this town, and | | | | positive. |
| they all love pizza. Now, some of them used to buy | | | | If intelligent, well-meaning people set forth to better our |
| only one slice, but now buy two. Some used to cook | | | | system, slowly and carefully, good things are bound to |
| for parties, but now order a dozen pizza pies. Some | | | | come. |
| used to try and estimate exactly how much pizza | | | | But rush into something like this, and we might all soon |
| they needed, but now they gladly overestimate with no | | | | be eating burnt, nasty pizza... |
| fear whatsoever. | | | | |