The current rush to establish socialized medicine in the United States is a classic example of the tax and spend theory of Big Government. But as long as someone else is being taxed for it, the proponents say, the plan should sit well with the public. Terms such as “free health care” for all Americans sounds like a notion that no sane person could ever argue with – until it is pointed out that it is not free at all. Somebody is paying for it and it is not The Government. The Government has no money other than that which it takes from the citizens. Presumably though, it is commonly accepted that this “Somebody else” will pay for it – somebody else who already is paying for his own health care. So yes, it will actually be free for some people.

“It is time that the rich pay their fair share” was a common theme during the Obama campaign and now during the Obama administration as well. Force the dwindling numbers of rich to pay the way for the bulk of Americans who earn below some arbitrary number that keeps changing as the true costs are discovered. It has been said though that more taxes may have to be taken from even more people once they see what the cost really is.  Apparently, as long as a majority of voters are still the ones getting more for nothing while having the “evil rich” pay their way, then this plan can not fail – at least at the voting booth.

It is common to try to rationalize this redistribution of wealth by demonizing the very ones who will be paying for it all. “They are rich – they are greedy – they don’t deserve all that money! It is time that they give more of it to me!” Today, the ones taking money from Peter to pay Paul are the perceived heroes while Peter himself is portrayed as the enemy.

A recent headline describes this proposed socialism as a way to “finally make medical care one of the rights we have as Americans”. What is forgotten in the zeal toward re-election is that Big Government is not the ones empowered to either grant nor deny rights to its citizens. What is more scary than being forced into a new medical system that has demonstrably failed wherever it has been tried in the world is the growing belief that Big Government is once again the answer to any perceived problem and can do whatever it pleases if enough people are fooled into dependency of it.