Prescription for failure

While there are so many notable events going on in the world today that are worthy of discussing in my opening blog posting (new protests in Iran, Bin Laden's son killed in Pakistan...Hillary being called "a primary schoolgirl", "not intelligent" and "sometimes a pensioner going shopping" by North Korea's Foreign Ministry) I feel obligated to say a few words about a topic that frankly, bores me to tears; health care. It appears that after rushing through a massive stimulus package, and a cap & trade bill (through the House) without anyone, including congress reading it, Obama has finally hit a wall with the unsexiest of domestic topics. It's not that it isn't an important issue. Everyone needs health insurance, but no one enjoys talking about it for hours on end (sorry for adding to the problem). What's more is that most people in this country have it, and think it serves them pretty well. They are right to be afraid of losing something good for something unknown. New polling shows that a majority of the country does not want the health care bill that is being proposed by both the President, and the Democratic leadership. A majority also thinks the President is trying to move to fast with getting it passed. The American public is willing to look past the passage of two game changing proposals by this President without knowing what was in them, but draw the line at their health. With good reason, I might add. The government, sans the military, does a pretty crummy job at every industry it attempts to oversee or run. If you would like a list, let me know. Otherwise, I think the record is fairly established on this one, and a full listing of failed government ventures might turn into a novela equally as boring as health care.
Let's see...the unsexy, the unknown, and big government; that's an unholy trinity, that virtually prevents congressional passage unless it's at least limited to two. Not much you can do about unsexy, and God knows it's been talked about enough already but the unknown still exists. So the only option is losing the big government part. So far, it seems the President would rather try his luck at a Fall 2009 vote, than go this route. I fear this is a prescription for failure.
I'm not quite sure why some Democrats and the President, want to reinvent the wheel, while some Republicans refuse to admit the wheel is a bit lopsided and simply needs to be fixed. How about we fix what doesn't work, and leave what does? How about we get rid of the fraud, waste, and abuse and frivolous lawsuits from the current system first? The government should help the 47 million Americans that don't have insurance to get it. That makes sense. But how about letting them choose to get their care from an already established health insurance company? If the government creates it's own system that is a lower cost alternative, it will put the other companies out of business. At best, the quality of care will be drastically reduced. It's common sense. Employers will choose the cheapest plan for their employees. Citizens forced to pay for a portion of their own insurance will also choose the cheapest plan. The only ones left that will be able to afford the current system, will likely be the top 5%, and the current system and most insurance companies wouldn't survive at that rate. This would take us one huge step further towards the class system being created in this county, created, by the way, in the name of helping the poor and middle class. It isn't just Republicans sounding the alarm on this. This is a lot of moderate Democrats and Independents who are holding this bill up.
In summary, Obama is right to want to provide coverage for those who need it, but can't afford it. The Republicans are right to be wary of health care brought to you by the same geniuses that can't seem to ever deliver my mail to the right house. The two parties need to work together to preserve a fairly healthy system that is overdue for a good diet and much more exercise.