In a 1961speech, “Ronald Reagan Speaks Out Against Socialized Medicine,” Reagan defined why medicine is an obvious entry point from which statists can begin the transformation of a society from free to collectivist: “One of the traditional methods of imposing statism or socialism on a people has been by way of medicine…. Most people are a little reluctant to oppose anything that suggests medical care for people who possibly can’t afford it.” Reagan warned that even a modest nationalized healthcare program would be considered by proponents of socialization a breakthrough--that the plan was to get a foot in the door and then expand socialistic control over the whole country.
Reagan didn’t explain why socialists perceive that a highly successful individual effort such as the practice of medicine must be stripped of free choice and then collectivized. Any individualistic endeavor that promotes the well-being of mankind must be discredited in order to dissuade people from seeking individualistic solutions to problems. Such programs then must be taken over by collectivists in order to prove that they can perform the task. For example, governments bent on collectivization seek to undermine and destroy free markets in order to control the economy themselves.
Republicans in Congress who speak out against socialized medicine are satisfied to argue against excessive cost or other sticky details such as how many would be covered or what procedures would be allowed. They argue minor points while ceding the larger argument to the statists. Rather than having the confidence and the strength of conviction to explain what is truly in store for the public should the government be given the power to deprive people of individual choice, representatives acquiesce by not resisting the further collectivization of our medical system. They neglect to uphold the principal of free choice that is the essence of human nature.
New government programs are often proposed to supersede old, bankrupted ones, especially after existing programs give people a certain comfort level with government involvement in their lives. A case in point: Republicans proposed and passed a prescription drug benefit to Medicare at a time when Wal-mart had begun to offer prescriptions for four dollars, and it was obvious that Medicare was going broke even faster than Social Security.
The true believer in statism has reason to believe the world has moved toward his belief that people should act in the interest of the collective rather than selfishly. An increased percentage of Americans are ready for a collectivized society that offers socialized medicine, heavy government involvement in the economy and implementation of measures such as Cap and Trade.
In the history of collectivist thought, Karl Marx believed an advanced capitalist state is a final stage before the advent of socialism. Vladimir Lenin realized Russia was not an advanced capitalist state but theorized that its vast natural resources could be utilized to advance the country to socialism. Mao Zedong believed that the vast labor force in China could be harnessed to reach the same end. These theories caused the death of tens of millions. Those who accuse our leaders of being Marxists believe that America is the current experiment in the establishment of Marxism.
The practice of medicine is an example of successful individualist interaction between people. Doctors and nurses decide for themselves to enter the medical profession. They apply themselves through study and hard work and either succeed or fail and then choose for themselves where they will practice. The public enters the picture as patients needing to be cared for as individuals. A relationship is formed--people refer to a doctor as, “my doctor.” The doctor-patient relationship—the trust that builds between patient and doctor—has always been considered vital to good health and well-being.
Conservatives offer solutions such as allowing people to buy insurance across state lines in order to take advantage of the lower cost of coverage in states with fewer mandates: procedures some would argue are elective, such as sex change operations and cosmetic surgery. They also propose solutions such as health saving accounts and promote the idea that individuals rather than companies should receive tax credits for buying insurance. This would promote portability, which means people could keep their insurance regardless of where they work. These simple, individualist solutions could be easily implemented if they didn’t meet resistance.
No matter what issue is discussed, it should be examined through the prism of collectivism versus individualism. Government takeover of health care is a collectivist measure. Collectivists must wage war on individualism in order to impose their own vision of a utopian world where human happiness is achieved through concerted action to replace man’s instinct to act in his own self-interest with a willingness to work hard in the interest of a collective.
The fight for control of the medical system is actually a war for men’s minds. Perhaps the American spirit of independence has not changed so much that it will be an easy victory.
A people resistant to statism will cause the failure of the current experiment with Marxism.
