EQUALITY AND GOOD HEALTH: UNAMERICAN PART II

10 May 2008

Last time the focus was primarily on equality-Absolute Equality to be specific. It should now be perfectly clear that, in so far as government policy, function, and conduct, all citizens must be seen and treated as having absolutely equal status, privileges, and rights. I submit that this is especially true with citizen health concerns.

"We have to solve this or that problem, not only for us now, but more importantly, for our children. Our children and grand-children are America's hope for the future and our greatest treasure." It is safe to say that most of us will hear, or maybe even say something to this effect nearly every week.

Let me ask you some questions, and I must demand that you be honest with yourself and your answers. Do we as citizens-does our government-make policy, function or conduct business and governance consistent with this statement or its sentiment? Do we, on a day-to-day basis, make plans and decisions with our children and future generations foremost in our thinking? Do we, as a people, as a nation, really believe that our posterity is our most precious and valuable treasure and asset? Or, are such statements and declarations about a deep concern for the well being of those to come after us, nothing more than religious and political rhetoric employed to manipulate American citizens by creating fear?

Reader's that are intellectually and emotionally honest cannot defend America's history or present day actions. They must admit the overwhelming majority of decisions and actions we take are motivated by egotism, by self-interest and profit, comfort and convenience. There is no credible evidence that our citizens or government has ever consistently created policy, functioned, or conducted our affairs on behalf of future generations. Yes, there have been occasional brief moments and some limited policies and programs ostensibly enacted and promoted with future generations in mind, but, if examined closely one discovers that, as a result of compromise, the real motivation is always profit, power and position. American hypocrisy is appalling and shameful.

To my mind, if we and our government truly believe that our children and grand-children are our most precious and valuable asset and treasure, we would have been providing free health care to all citizens from the beginning, or at least for the last fifty years. Why is this even an issue? Why do we fight tooth and nail to resist any attempts to cultivate a healthy population? The answer is complicated and I will address it in my next posting. For the moment I want to concentrate on two factors that, as far as I am aware, have never really been part of the debate. Both factors concern aspects of health care cost.

First, with regard to the total amount of money our federal government currently spends on health care and health related matters. To be honest, I do not know, nobody does. I have been actively trying to put all the numbers together for more than four years. It is possible to find figures for some of the larger expenditures such as medicare, medicaid, social security disability, veteran's administration, etc., but not the total amount for all health related spending.

There are a plethora of smaller unknown extensions, exceptions, sub-programs and grant aid. Not to mention what government gives to universities, private industry, and hospitals for research and development. Something that I have never heard or seen correlated to health care spending or included in the debate. There is a great deal of spending, either outright or as part of tax legislation, that most Americans have no idea even exists. As a result I have found it impossible to calculate even a 'ballpark' figure for the amount of money currently being spent by our federal government on all health and care related programs and activities. Maybe a reader will know and share it with us.

The point is, I am convinced that if we took ALL the money currently being paid out by government and put it all in one pile, there would be more than enough cash to pay for every citizen to have the best health care from conception to coffin. In addition, if every citizen-private and corporate- that should pay taxes actually paid them; or if, as in my proposal for Equal Taxation, those that qualified paid an equal percentage of their taxable income or profit, there would be plenty of money to ensure all citizens absolutely equal status, privileges, and rights regarding health care.

This brings us to the second factor that, so far as I know, has never been raised or elaborated on. Has anyone ever considered that, even if all the chaos and devastation predicted by those that have prevented the United States from providing free unlimited health care to our citizens came true in the short term, they would be resolved and begin to reverse within one full generation-about 18 to 20 years? But only if the care is conception to coffin with no restrictions. Why is this true?

Because by the time the first full generation of citizens that have received all the necessary care one needs throughout the course of a lifetime is giving way to the second generation two things will have happened. One result is that the paradigm for health care in America will be completely inverted. In other words, our health care system and everything related to it will become one of prevention and preemption, rather than the reactive treatment, management and emergency system we now have. Nearly 100% of medical care in the United States today is reacting to illness after we are sick; it is treating and managing illness and making emergency repair. Ask any physician. In the United States we do not "cure" disease, we treat, we manage and we delay the full effect-for the moment.

Yes, there is a minuscule amount of time, money, and effort now directed toward prevention. More than ever before. But compared to the whole, it is in effect, nothing. Imagine if two or three hundred billion, or two trillion dollars was invested every year for 18 to 20 years to create and maintain a healthy population. Within one full generation many of our current medical crises and so-called epidemics,such as obesity, diabetes, chronic heart disease, even malnutrition could be resolved, eliminated. If this nation produced one full generation in which ALL citizens received complete and unlimited care from conception to coffin many, if not most, of the health related problems and maladies we have been battling-some for a hundred years or more,- would disappear. Thus, the real cost of all heath related expense becomes dramatically lower.

By the end of the second full generation to be born and live under these conditions-about 50 years or so- disease and sickness would be the exception. If all our population is able to become more healthy with each successive generation, with science and medicine being able to advance more broadly and consistently in concert with the shifting paradigm, citizens will be progressively more vigorous and healthy. The question we must now answer is: Do we want to continue to live in a sick and unhealthy nation where one's potential and good hea;th is determined by the circumstance of birth; depends upon whether one is born into wealth or poverty?

Please give this question, and the ideas presented here some thought. Make a comment and tell me what you think. If you like, you can send this article to a friend using the email link below. While you are here take a second and add this blog to your "Favorites," or "Bookmarks." And, if you are so inclined, you can rate this blog by clicking on one of the buttons to the right.

We will continue this discussion next time. I will delve deeper into why we are so cruel to one another; why we say one thing and do another; why we act contrary to our own best interest, and, most importantly, why health insurance companies and so-called "health care providers" must be eliminated and then outlawed from any future existence in America. Give Peace a chance.
James B. Tinsley, B.A.