A Voice in the Wilderness In Defense of "Mere Conservatism"

The Health Care Debate Is About More Than Health Care

Since July the seemingly singular focus of the White House and leadership in Congress has been health care reform.  In the midst of the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression, one caused in large part by out of control spending and fiscal irresponsibility at every level of society and government, President Obama insists that handing control of 1/6 of the economy over to Uncle Sam is the answer to all our worries.  It doesn't even pass the smell test.

Arthur Brooks, writing in the Wall Street Journal, believes that the Democrats have been losing this health care debate because of the deeper, ideological, philosophical issues at stake.

According to the Gallup polling organization, the percentage of Americans who believe the cost of health care for their families will "get worse" under the proposed reforms rose to 49% from 42% in just the past month. The percentage saying it would "get better" stayed at 22%.

Many are searching for explanations. One popular notion is that demagogues in the media are stirring up falsehoods against what they say is a long-overdue solution to the country's health-care crisis.

Americans deserve more credit. They haven't been brainwashed, and they aren't upset merely over the budget-busting details. Rather, public resistance stems from the sense that the proposed reforms do violence to three core values of America's free enterprise culture: individual choice, personal accountability, and rewards for ambition.

I agree completely with Mr. Brooks' assessment of the situation.  I would encourage you to read the rest of his column here, and forward it along to friends and family.  Those of us who believe that real change would be removing government as much as possible from our health care system, that Tort Reform is critically necessary to lower costs, and that it would be an unmitigated disaster to add more than $1 trillion to our deficit need to stand together and rationally make the case for alternative solutions to the problems facing health care in this country.