If you are extremely wealthy or even merely rich, you can stop reading – this blog will not concern you. If you are not wealthy and favor robust health care reform in the United States that includes a viable public option – this blog will not concern you either.
But, if you are not wealthy but still do not favor robust health care reform that includes a public option because it smacks of socialism or “too much government” in your life then please read on. This blog is about an America in a parallel “non-socialist” universe. Let’s call it Non-Socialist America (NS America).
Burning Down the House
In NS America, fire fighting is privatized. So picture that you can’t afford fire protection insurance from the various private fire fighting companies. Now, your house goes up in flames but even with several private fire fighting houses nearby, no fire trucks come as your house burns to the ground. Paradoxically, your richer neighbor – who does have fire protection insurance – calls his private fire fighters who show up to ensure the flames from your house don’t jump to his house. So, a full service fire fighting outfit watches your house burn to the ground while they ensure your neighbor doesn’t get his lawn slightly singed. Far-fetched? Not really. Read about how fire fighting in New York City used to be done by fire insurance companies – complete with full looting of the house or apartment building that was on fire.
This is 9-1-1: What is your emergency and account number?
Imagine your house is being robbed and when you call 9-1-1 they ask if you are a paying member of the private police force. In NS America they say: “I’m sorry, sir, but you are not a paying member of our police department. Good luck.” If you sleep better at night knowing the police will respond if you need them to protect your family, welcome to socialism.
Tuition for Kindergarten
In this country, it is not uncommon for the hard-working and smart kids of poor folks to excel in public schools and then go on to attend top-tier colleges – many on scholarship. Money for college is out there for students who get solid grades in schools that are primarily supported by the property taxes and – gasp -- funds from the government. In NS America, what do you think would happen? What do you think would happen if we didn’t have a strong public education program in the United States? You know exactly what would happen: the rich kids would go to the best schools and the lower or even middle-class students would go to low quality schools, if they went to school at all. For all those that can’t afford to send your kid to private schools from K-12, why would you be against a public option for health care? Doesn’t that smack of at least a tiny bit of hypocrisy?
The lower and middle classes and even upper middle class should never take the fire department, police department and public schools -- all government-financed institutions – for granted. Make no mistake: the rich do not care about you at all. And if these three critical institutions were all privatized in NS America, the rich would continue to sleep comfortably knowing they can afford all three. But what would happen to you? What would you do?
So, if you buy into the security and benefits of publically financed police protection, fire fighting and K-12 education, why is a publically financed health care option such a stretch or so verboten? And you can take it even further – isn’t affordable health care as essential as police, fire and public education to a stable society that gives all of its citizens the chance to flourish.
We’ve tried a mostly private health care system in this country for decades and it flat out doesn’t work. Too many people are left behind. Just how many more children have to be without health care before someone steps in?
