The Top 10 Reasons ObamaCare Freaks Me Out

I am not anti-Obama, and I am not a heartless overprivileged American citizen who looks on the sufferings of the poor with disdain. I just can't help but see parallels between the proposed healthcare reforms and the old-school game "Operation". In the game "Operation", children use a pair of electronic tweezers to carefully tinker with the body part of a poor, naked, and horrified cartoon man.

When they err and touch the tweezers to the wrong things, a loud buzzer goes off and the cartoon man's nose lights up.

At least in the game, any damage done is purely hypothetical. In our real world, the damage that could be done to the quality and accessibility of our healthcare, as well as the solvency of our nation's weakened economy will have real and possibly startling implications to the lives of many.

Let's be sure those who are "operating" on our healthcare system have more skill than a child's wavering hand before we hand them the knife.

Here are my Top Concerns with ObamaCare:

10. Health insurance in no way ensures health to those who have it (I know this from personal experience), and no way ensures that an individual won’t be faced with medical bankruptcy when faced with a serious illness.

9. People are translating “we have to do something about health care in this country” as “any tinkering with the system by the higher-ups will automatically result in a better outcome than what we are currently experiencing.” This type of naïve mindset is what led the Russian peasantry to embrace Lenin and Stalin.

8. Per the Constitution, the Federal Government has no place in healthcare. For those who are unfamiliar, the Constitution is the document on which our great nation was founded, and which outlines the role of the Federal government and its different branches, as well as the rights of U.S. citizens.

7. (a continuation of number 8.) U.S. citizens are guaranteed the right to life and liberty, the right to pursue happiness as long as it doesn’t infringe on the rights of others. We are not guaranteed reduced-cost healthcare. Notwithstanding, subsidizing basic healthcare for underprivileged American citizens (I used to be one myself) is the right thing to do in my opinion. I would prefer to see states, businesses, foundations, and private individuals step in. Perhaps the Federal government could provide tax incentives for providing such charitable contributions.

6. American citizens and their doctors will have fewer available choices when it comes to treatments. Americans will still have to pay out-of-pocket for non-included treatments (such as holistic modalities and herbs). If you don't think you'll ever need to look beyond the scope of Western medicine for the healthcare of yourself and your family, think again. There's a reason Americans spent over $34,000,000,000 of their own hard-earned cash in 2008 on holistic treatments. Interestingly, most of the European and Asian nations that offer universal healthcare prescribe and cover cheaper, and oftentimes highly effective herbal and holistic remedies and treatments, as well as pharmaceuticals and surgeries.

5. Healthy Americans who lean toward holistic and alternative medicine may be forced to purchase a health policy they will rarely if ever use, or face a fine of 2.5% of their annual gross income. Gone will be the option of the high-deductible catastrophic policy and health savings account in which Americans may set aside money tax-free for use in their healthcare, for treatments and remedies THEY choose.

4. Senior citizens, the mentally disabled, and the chronically ill may receive a lower priority in receiving care, with “productive” citizens ahead of them in line.

3. Do we really want the bozos responsible for overinflated and costly wars in Iraq and Afghanistan that we probably can't win, as well as countless episodes of money mismanagement and thousands of other crimes, making the decisions for your healthcare and mine?

2. From the research I have done, every nation that offers universal healthcare is struggling with bankruptcy, and acknowledge that their healthcare system is at least part of the culprit. Since our nation is already bankrupt (China is subsidizing 25% of our debt, with a slew of other nations taking care of the rest), the answer is no. We can’t have universal health coverage. We can’t afford it. America pushing for expensive universal health coverage at this time in our history is just like a compulsive shopper up to her ears in debt reaching for yet another credit card application.

1. Corruption, corruption, corruption. Our current President just appointed Michael Taylor as food safety czar. Michael Taylor, for those who aren’t familiar, was previously the Vice President and chief lobbyist for Monsanto Corporation. This is the monolithic agribusiness company responsible for possibly doing more damage to the health of Americans in the last decade than any other. See http://www.newswithviews.com/Smith/jeffrey126.htm This is completely akin to the conflict of interest between Dick Cheney’s close relationship with Haliburton and its lucrative activities in the Middle East, and his duties as our nation’s Vice President.