The Cost of Freedom
If it has done nothing else, the ObamaCare debate has focused attention, much needed IMO, on the plight of the American Indian. In this case on their medical care. Through a series of Treaties, court rulings and most specifically the “The Indian Health Care Improvement Act” of 1976, the Federal government is required to provide medical care to reservation-bound Indians, and to ensure the “Urban Indians” also have access to medical care.
The “free” medical care offered to the American Indians comes at a price…to them. The care is poor, the waiting time for that poor care is long, and the results you get by waiting for that poor care are, by all accounts, horrific. But, it IS “free”.
I remember the first time that my father got upset…very…at the “experience” we were having at a restaurant. The service was abysmal, and the food when it did arrive was no better. I didn’t know much about what it should have been like, but nevertheless asked him why he was so upset. His response stuck with me my entire life: “I’m paying for this. If they were going to give our family this entire meal for free then I wouldn’t be able to complain, though we could still leave. But since they’re NOT giving us this meal, even if we leave we still have to pay.” (a few “salty” words and phrases were most likely included in his explanation). We never returned to that restaurant, and obviously my father (a very big tipper for good service) left no tip.
American Indians are free to seek their own medical coverage…and pay for it. Or accept the “free” coverage from the government. The gulf between getting it “free” and paying for it is vast. Intentionally so, I believe. Welfare recipients have faced this gulf for years: go to work and you may actually have LESS money at first. In both cases many remain on the “free” side of that chasm, unwilling to risk the leap.
The term “Hobson’s choice” harks from Thomas Hobson, a livery stable owner in Cambridge, England in the 1500s, who offered people a choice with only one option: take the horse he offered you or leave the premises. Truly “take it leave it”. The American Indians currently face that choice with their medical care…but if they “leave it” they can still seek care elsewhere. The choice offered under ObamaCare is much more ominous, for if we “leave it” there will ultimately be NOWHERE to go. Once the competition is driven from the marketplace, the alternative to the government healthcare will be NO healthcare at all. Truly a “Hobson’s choice”.
The aim of the Socialists is a two-class society…with a vast chasm between them that affords no easy path (or path at all) from one to the other. ObamaCare seeks to create just such a “chasm”.
The Cost of Freedom is, in this case, COST! The strings that come with free ANYTHING are not strings…they are chains. In this case those “chains” will ensure we stay on our own side of the “chasm”, and stop bothering the ruling class!
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Chains we can believe in. Excellent as always, Dad.
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Justrand, you have incorporated many excellent examples in your commentary on “The cost of freedom”—> Indian health car, a family meal, and a “take or leave it” Hobson story. It’s a great way to present a point!
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car —> care…..need a cup of coffee!
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Since moving out here to MT I’ve had a chance to see many more American Indians than I did in SoCal. Many are overweight, even obese–especially women. There are other things I noticed, but please forgive me if I don’t mention them here. I’ll leave the reasons why this is happening to the social psychologists et al.
The point being is that they these people have been receiving government healthcare for a long time and I don’t think they are better off for it. (I’m speaking of modern times here.) I’m sure their life expectancy has increased since 1850, but has it kept pace with other races through today?
I’ll have to check.
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The two major liberal Democratic plantation groups–Native Americans and blacks–are both rotted straight through with devastating social pathologies, with little hope of ever stopping the self-perpetuating cycles of misery.
Liberalism only succeeds at destroying things and people.
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Still checking. . .
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Endemic alcoholism has a lot to do with it.
But marxist hellcare will be there with end-of-life counseling.
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Heh. While researching my earlier question, I came up with this gem. If you can guess who wrote this, you are really good. Searching the entire quote is not permitted.
Hint: The writer uses the term “we” very loosely.
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Ward Churchill? If I’m right your hint gave it away..
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Chains, my govt’s got me locked up in chains
And they ain’t the kind that you can see
Whoa, oh, these chains of HOPE got a hold on me, yeah
Chains, well I can’t break away from these chains
Can’t run around, cos I’m not free
Whoa, oh, these chains of HOPE won’t let me be, yeah
I wanna tell you, pretty Obama
I think you’re fine
I’d like to like you
But, buddy, I’m imprisoned by these…
Chains, my govt’s got me locked up in chains
And they ain’t the kind that you can see
Oh, oh, these chains of HOPE got a hold on me …
(with apologies to the Beatles)
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Very good, Aurelius
He wrote that in 2001, btw.
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Here’s the link
Take time to read some of the comments. You will find out how absolutely rotten whitey really is.
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Costs…somewhat o/t or perhaps very o/t.
Remember the black guy with the AR-15? I saw on FOX that MSNBC did a piece using edited footage of that guy. They showed the gun and his torso, but edited out any skin (black skin) or features which would reveal the race of the person.
They used the edited footage as a backdrop for their discussion on the racism of white people carrying guns at 0bama rallies. No mention that the guy was black of course.
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I really don’t see how Obama can buck the left-wingers in his own party on health care, by getting rid of the public option. Just look at Paul Krugman’s article!
Obama’s Trust Problem NYT’s link
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Clarity from Peggy Noonan.
Pull the plug on Obamacare WSJ Link
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“So progressives are now in revolt. Mr. Obama took their trust for granted, and in the process lost it. And now he needs to win it back.”
Trust!?? You can never trust a leftist/progressive, ever. For them the ends does justify the means. To lie, cheat, steal, raise the dead, dead the living and astroturf are objects of honor and tools they like to use. Trust indeed.
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Everyone knows you can’t trust a donkey — an animal always ready to deliver a swift kick to anyone’s rear end!
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“The president’s health-care plan is not clear, and I mean that not only in the sense of “he hasn’t told us his plan.” I mean it in terms of the voodoo phrases, this gobbledygook, this secret language of government that no one understands—”single payer,” “public option,” “insurance marketplace exchange.” No one understands what this stuff means, nobody normal.” — WSJ
The rub is that passage is not accurate. This is not actually Obama’s plan, he never had one. The best that has ever been ferreted out is he prefers single payer. But that 1000+ page piece of trash is really the product of Pelosi and her inner circle. The presumption was the WH was trying to avoid Hillary’s mistake of a black ops effort and handed the deal over to Congress who did a black ops effort yielding fodder for the worm bin.
But that hands off does not absolved O. Fact is makes it worse. Having now been hands off in the crafting of that dung pile, to now run around the country lending his weight to a bill he knows not of is hilarity. It cheapens him and the office that he holds.
But, if we are going to do a hanging lets be sure we have the right person — Pelosi.
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There is so much good news out there about a revival or awakening of our Conservative country. If only we could implement, and put into action, what the people want!
The biggest missing story in politics American Thinker link
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“Steele to Democrats: You have the votes and you won, remember?” Is this being feisty or foolish?
H/T redstate
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An interesting continuation of Steele’s remarks at a Little Rock republican fundraiser event. A Part 2, adding on to above post.
Chief Steel dares Democrats to pass health overhaul on their own Link
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Crazy Jim Cramer is not someone I listen to often. But, this comparison and contrast of Obama’s falling favorable ratings and the rising stock market is entertaining, if not interesting.
Is Obana’s loss Wall Street’s gain? Video
H/T Hotair
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Steele needs to STFU
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I regret to say I was unaware of the plight of health care for American Indians before this week. This is important to highlight, not just for the dismal health care bill on the table now, but to improve and change the status quo for their health care.
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Jan, if things turn around (and I hope and pray they do) this country will have been providentially brought back from the brink.
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““Get it to the floor. Up or down, baby,” Steele said at a news conference at the state GOP headquarters. “Put it on the table. And if you don’t think you’ve got enough votes to get to 60, you’ve got the nuclear option. You’ve got 51.”” — Steele
The 8,9,10 of diamonds are on the table. The Reps have a pair of Jacks, diamonds and clubs. Steele is saying ‘call’. Its a damn risky move, but if Reid blinks it very well could kill HC. Steele is probably figuring that Reid can get passage if the Senate splits the bill in two parts but the House won’t go for that.
That’s interesting politics. Still does not change my opinion of him — he’s part of the problem, not the solution.
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Jan
Thanks for that video, very interesting…!!!