Today’s Downsizer Dispatch . . .
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Quote of the Day:
“Government cripples you, then hands you a crutch and says, ‘See, if it wasn’t for us, you couldn’t walk.’”
— Harry Browne
Subject: Reviving American Health Care
Step by step we are moving toward a system in which the federal government will pay for all health care, and regulate it from the top down. You will have no choice . . .
- You will have to pay for this monopolistic system, whether you like it or not.
- The price you pay, and the kind of care you receive, will be determined by government dictates, crafted behind closed doors, in consultation with powerful corporate interests.
This is a recipe for health care fascism. One of the hallmarks of fascism is the use of partnerships between government and corporations, controlled by regulatory boards. Benito Mussolini described the theoretical framework, as follows . . .
“The corporate State considers that private enterprise in the sphere of production is the most effective and useful instrument in the interest of the nation. In view of the fact that private organization of production is a function of national concern, the organizer of the enterprise is responsible to the State for the direction given to production. State intervention in economic production arises only when private initiative is lacking or insufficient, or when the political interests of the State are involved. This intervention may take the form of control, assistance or direct management.” (pp. 135-136)
—Benito Mussolini, 1935, Fascism: Doctrine and Institutions, Rome: ‘Ardita’ Publishers.
In practice, such a system amounts to corporate welfare combined with price fixing and protectionist measures to restrain competition. It is best defined by the concept of “regulatory capture,” by which corporate interests gain partial control of the state.
A good example of how this works in practice is shown in this clip from “60 Minutes” about corporate involvement in the creation of the prescription drug entitlement.
This is the system we are building. This is what we must prevent.
Many things need to be done to fix our health care system, but first we must stop further steps in the direction of corporate fascism. As the doctors say, “First, do no harm.” Toward this end . . .
Even those who favor further government involvement in health care should strongly oppose . . .
Federal funding means top-down control with one-size-fits-all policies. Federal involvement means policies crafted by K Street lobbyists for the benefit of powerful special interests. Federal involvement equals corporate fascism.
If you favor government funding for personal health care expenses, seek it at the state level, and oppose it at the federal level.
Everyone, regardless of their overall position on health care, needs to tell Congress to have a healthy regard for the 10th Amendment, which reads . . .
“The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved for the States respectively, or to the people.”
The Constitution grants no power for the federal government to either fund or regulate health care. The fact that the feds are already doing so provides no justification for compounding the wrong by doing more of it.
Please send a message to Congress asking them to oppose any additional funding of personal health care expenses at the federal level. You can do so here.
Also, please consider making a contribution to further our work. You can do so here.
Thank you for being a DC Downsizer.
Jim Babka
President
DownsizeDC.org, Inc.