If the Doctor refuses the shot, then what?

And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls;it tolls for thee.
-John Donne

The outlook was scary! The world health organizations were predicting that an outbreak of swine flu could at any moment turn into the worst pandemic since the Spanish flu of 1918-1919. Something had to be done, right away. The year was 1976. So, in a rush to immunize the citizens of the United States, President Gerald Ford threw millions of dollars in resources to fast track a vaccine. As it turned out, the vaccine was worse than the disease. No pandemic or even epidemic materialized. Plus, according to one source, the rushed vaccine led to “532 cases of vaccine-related Guillain-Barré syndrome and at least 25 deaths.” (http://www.semp.us/publications/biot_reader.php?BiotID=177).

Subsequently, in addition to the millions of dollars spent on producing the little administered vaccine, the government then spent millions of dollars compensating the vaccine’s victims.

Is it just me, or do we seem to learn nothing from the past?!?

Now, 33 years later we are again engaged in a similar potential medical cataclysm, and dealing with it in a similar fashion. Please note, that at this time, the Swine flu a.k.a.H1N1 is less dangerous than the typical seasonal flu. Since the H1N1 first made an appearance, an estimated 4,437 deaths have occurred in the entire world, while seasonal flu killed an estimated 36,000 in a single winter. Yet, because of ignorant governmental intrusion into medical care, the majority of vaccine producers have spent their resources to rush the H1N1 vaccine to the market and have put the seasonal vaccine on the back burner. We now are told that the seasonal vaccine supply will be only half of what is necessary.

Believe me, I am not belittling even one death, as John Donne said, “Any man's death diminishes me", but Perspective Please: we have an H1N1 vaccine rushed to completion (which I might add many health care providers are refusing to take) for a disease that killed hundreds over several years in the U S since its first occurrence, but we will be unable to sufficiently vaccinate U S citizens for seasonal flu which killed tens of thousands just last winter! The math here is simple…and the bottom line is even simpler: Keep the government and their inadequately educated noses out of out health care!

Vigilant Babysitting

When good people in any country cease their vigilance and struggle, then evil men prevail.
--Pearl S. Buck

Vigilance… are you kidding me! With the Obama administration it is more like babysitting!
I don’t think that this needs to be pointed out, but that has never stopped me before, does anyone really think that the Obama’s public school speech would have been so benign if the vigilant hadn’t been so vigilant.

I love the pro Obama-ites who, the day after the speech stated, “See, you had nothing to worry about.” That’s right, because the vigilant made sure that the speech was what it should be, an admonition to stay in school and not what it would have been, socialist indoctrination.

Now we have last night’s snake oil pitch for the republic-killing health care plan. Yoy! A gaggle of fifties rocker used less grease to maintain their ducktail dos. One half-truth after another and for those not adept in math, let me remind you that two half truths do not make a whole. No matter how they package it, health care is the province of society not government. I refer you to Common Sense by Thomas Paine if you don't believe me.

Thank goodness for the vigilant. We haven’t even had a year’s worth of this administration and the constant vigilance has already been exhausting due to the “transparency” of this administration. Sifting through bogus bills, vetting the duplicitous Tsars, or filtering the double speak...yep, babysitting alright. And like most babysitting gigs, we need to be most vigilant when all is quiet.

Govern-Mental Objections to Federal Healthcare

Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest enemy of truth.
--Albert Einstein

Well, I am more than a little disappointed that the “End of Life Panel” provision appears to be going by the way side. I had some wonderful thoughts about the parallels of that provision to the movie “Logan’s Run”, only to find out that the voice of the people caused reason to prevail. It is becoming apparent to me, however, that while most of us view such apocalyptic stories as a voice of warning, the current administration sees them as a wellspring of good ideas. Ah well…

It should be noted, that while many of the most obviously objectionable provisions are dying timely and deserving deaths, many less obviously objectionable provisions live on. Now is not the time for compromise or letting the guard down. While apparently less noxious, the remaining provisions are still dangerous interventions that would greatly reduce the quality of health care in this country. Think about this:

1. Veteran Administration Hospitals--Granted, they are typically staffed by hard-working, caring medical professionals, but they are always under-funded and over-worked. Remember the Walter Reed Hospital scandal of just a few short years ago? If the government is unable or unwilling to take care of our veterans who have sacrificed so much for this country, it is even less likely that the government will be able or willing to take care of the citizenry as a whole.

2. Professor Henry Gates--What does he have to do with the federal medical reform? Well think back on President Obama’s statement, “I don’t have all the facts….but the arresting police officer acted stupidly.” That statement accurately reflects the federal government’s understanding of most regional and personal issues, “I don’t have all the facts…but don’t let that stop me from making a decision for you and your family regarding your most intimate medical care.”

3. The United States Postal Service--Again, it was President Obama’s own intuitive (albeit unfortunate to his own cause)statement that was so revealing. In a misguided attempt to assure the American people that government-subsidized health insurance would not be unfair competition to private companies, he accurately stated that we should look at the example of the US Post. According to the President, it was the US Post that was having the problems, not the privately owned package delivery services. Soooooooo, what you are saying Mr. President is that the federal government is not able to handle a letter effectively, but they can handle my long-term health care…I feel so much better already. No really! I feel like I must absolutely, positively stay healthy!

Perhaps, our health care system is not perfect, but it is like the republic itself, the best alternative to any other system.