Libertarian ping! Click here to get added or here to be removed or post a message here!
Posted on 05/04/2009 8:51:55 PM PDT by rabscuttle385
This week, concerns about swine flu have dominated the media and many government officials. While the American people should be made aware of infectious diseases and common sense preventative measures, much of the hysterical reaction from government only serves to remind us how detrimental to your health it can be when government plays doctor.
As a physician, I have yet to see any evidence that justifies the current level of alarm. Influenza typically kills around 36,000 people every year in this country and hospitalizes a couple hundred thousand. So far there are only a handful of confirmed deaths attributable to this strain, and most of those sickened have or will fully recover. Every death is tragic, but I see no reason to deal with this flu outbreak any differently than we typically deal with any other flu season. Instead, government in its infinite wisdom is performing even more invasive screening at airports, closing down schools and sporting events, and causing general panic.
We had a similar outbreak in 1976, with only 1 death from the flu, but mandatory vaccinations killed at least 25 before the program was abandoned.
When government gets involved in healthcare decisions, the cure is so often worse than the illness. And yet, this administration will likely consolidate the government’s power over your health with sweeping new reforms that are already being discussed in the Senate.
Government has not improved healthcare, and has not made it cheaper. Quite the opposite; costs have skyrocketed, and quality has gone down in many ways. Gone are the days of the country doctor making house calls, or of voluntarily giving away medical services at charity hospitals. The bureaucratization of healthcare these past 45 years has made things worse. It saddens me as a doctor that physicians are less and less accountable to patients, but more and more accountable to government red tape, insurance companies and attorneys. It seems so perverse to me that important medical decisions that will directly affect the lives of all or nearly all Americans are being hashed out behind closed doors in Washington rather than between doctors and patients.
There is perhaps nothing more valuable to a human being than his or her health, which is why I’ve always considered the practice of medicine so crucial to our well-being. Any intrusion by government into the privacy and trust between doctor and patient is detrimental to the art of medicine. It distorts the whole dynamic of who the client really is when doctors must answer more to government or insurance companies than to their patients. The best solutions to improving quality and lowering costs of healthcare would be measures that put decisions back into the hands of patients and doctors, where they rightfully belong. I have introduced HR 1495 The Comprehensive Healthcare Reform Act, which promotes health savings accounts and tax deductibility of healthcare costs as an important step in this direction.
The unfortunate reality of this recent health crisis, as with any crisis, is that it presents opportunities that the unscrupulous will take advantage of, while the fearful become more compliant.
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Ron Paul Ping
dear Lord why isn’t this man our president?
Because he’s a Troofer, white supremacist, Alex Jones listening, surrender-monkey kook! < /Paul bashers >
Many were rattled over this, and I personally took precautions, out of common sense, as I don’t trust the big gov, or anything, any of them say.
No doubt Paul is correct, and one of the few if any in D.C. that has a credible opinion.
But I still want one of those masks with the pig nose’s on it, along with secured, and highly restricted borders.
...and it asks you to turn your head and cough, be afraid. Be very afraid.
The best way to lower health care costs is to have the consumer responsible for some of that cost. Unless that happens we are headed for a single payer system. Then you can break your hip - just don't be over 75 and expect to get it fixed.
Very well put, Dr. Paul! But you'll have to repeat it again and again in Congress, and convince enough of your fellow congresscritters of it, if this Obama health care plan is to be defeated as it deserves to be.
Thanks for the ping!
He doesn't need swine flu to warm up his act. It stands by itself.
I am disappointed.
Well, he is.
Fortunately, the masses aren't as easily fooled as they once were. But that doesn't mean there isn't a host of (fearful) folks waiting for the govt to do something to save them.
For now, Obama and his fellow traveler's plan failed to meet their goals of scaring citizens into full compliance. Yet, not to be deterred by this setback, Obama and his fellow travelers, (the unscrupulous), are right now busy formulating Plan B.
You forgot looney. Whatever happened to that newbie, who posted on every single Paul thread during the election cycle, that looney tune trademark featuring Paul? Mission accomplished? Back to DU?
I was an adult living in Paul’s district in 1976 and I don’t remember any mandatory vaccinations. Ron Paul was an excellent doctor, he should have stayed there.
If you are referring to gtsamson, the troll was outed and zotted on this thread some time ago.
Wow, gtsamson pretty much got destroyed in that thread. I can’t say I’ll miss him.
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