Healthcare's Hard Questions II

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With the current trends in the finances of the United States we are heading for a major crisis. The current members of the government don't seem to have any long term answers. For years there has been a lot of temporary patches, but no matter what, patches don't last forever. Eventually you are going to have to fix the problem or replace whatever is broken. We are at a point with Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid that the patches are falling off. All of these government programs are out of money. They are paying out or close to exceeding the money that they are collecting.

It has been obvious to many of us for years that the government (meaning us) will one day be unable to pay for the promises of our parents and grandparents. We are responsible for a debt that has grown far beyond what the original government officials ever thought. But here we are with a large segment of society becoming more and more dependent on checks from Uncle Sam. But Uncle Sam has maxed out the credit card and the pay checks are getting smaller, not larger. With the economy in a downturn it would seem foolhardy to think that raising tax rates would do nothing more then push the economy lower. It would also seem to me that borrowing more money to be dangerous for the long term health of the nation. The addition of more entitlement programs would be suicidal. But it seems that the current administration is determined to do. They are doing all of the above.

With the nation staring down so many critical issues we must eventually face up to the facts that these problems will not just go away on their own. There comes a time when we must face some facts and ask some even tougher questions.

• How do we tell the retired that Social Security and Medicare are unable to continue to pay all the bills?
• If Congress passes universal healthcare, how will we pay for it?
• How can we return to growth in our economy if the government is going to consume all discretionary income?
• What will the living standard be like when all income is going to pay off debt and those who are not working?
• How will a population that comes from a generation that has been obsessed with itself respond when they learn that the party is over and the standard of living can only decline?
• How will the freedom loving Americans respond when they see their way of life end?

We see how some are now responding to these questions. The TEA Parties are the first response to many of these problems. The Socialist and Communist in this country seem to be licking their lips in anticipation. There are those who are willing to take advantage of a crisis. They now wait to take advantage of us again. With the next crisis, the government will once again try to extend its power beyond the Constitution. With each unconstitutional act our country slips farther and farther from our grasps. 

The policies of the past have put us in this current crisis. Both parties have fed the fire that is consuming our country. The growth of government programs and policies that robbed the workers to pay the non-workers has slowly lead us to the edge of a precipice at a speed that is beyond our ability to stop. The idea that we can create a perfect system with imperfect people means only failure.

So are we and the country doomed? Well if we can honestly answer the hard questions and find leaders of courage and honor, who are willing to make hard choices and work within the system, we maybe able to overcome some of the issues. But I don't see such leadership or enough people willing to face up to the problems. Just like in any crisis, people must be willing to face the problems and be willing to do the things required. But we must stop ignoring the problems and think that we can spend our way out of massive debt. You can not make the payments on the Toyota by buying a Lexus. We must spend the money we have wisely. Stop the insanity of spending far beyond our means, stop blaming our problems on others, and face our future, whatever it may bring.

©2010 Pedro Sykes - Some Rights Reserved