CacheGOP Blog

I am not a heartless person. I feel very deeply for those who do not have health insurance. I have close family members who owe thousands of dollars to hospitals because they did not have insurance when they needed care. I know there are problems with health care–that it is artificially expensive and that quality is declining. But that does not change the fact that it is not a right.

Specific rights that all men have are declared in the Declaration of Independence: the right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” The Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights list those rights in a more specific form. None of those state that we have a right to health care. The right to life is the right to live your life, the right to own your labor and choose to use your time in ways that you feel are in pursuit of happiness.

Since you have the right to own your labor, everyone else in the country has a right to theirs. That includes family practitioners, doctors, and pharmaceutical companies. They spent time and money learning how to do what they do–and lots of it. They were long and difficult hours with high levels of liability. We do not have a right to their labor. Period. If we did we should call it what it is: slavery.

The current health care bill that is being stampeded through Congress would declare health care as a basic human right (http://apnews.myway.com/article/20090715/D99EO8BO0.html.) So much for the thirteenth amendment: “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.” (emphasis added).

So far, President Obama has had fairly high ratings (at least according to the liberal media). I think that people in general like him–his person more so than his policies. I don’t blame them. He seems like the sort of person I might like to have over for a BBQ or work with in the PTA, even though I disagree strongly with a majority of his policies.

Unfortunately, the President is taking advantage of his popularity, the strong support of the media, and the Democrat majority in the House and Senate to push his agenda through at an unprecedented pace. Perhaps that is wise politically, but it is extremely irresponsible and unfair to the American people–especially after promising transparency.

Since taking office Obama has rushed through an extremely large and expensive stimulus bill (so large no one could actually read it before voting on it), a massive budget that is larger than all previous budgets combined (article, article) and now he has issued an executive order for a council over the automotive industry (article, article, article). He is urging legislation that would increase the power of the Federal Reserve (actual bill, article, article, testimony of the Fed’s Inspector General illustrating she doesn’t know what they are doing , sign the Audit the Federal Reserve petition here) a somewhat hidden but very large energy tax under in the name of global warming (read the bill, Democrats hired a speed reader to read the 946 page bill, which is now 1201 pages) , and a universal health care plan that would open the door for complete government control over health care (read the bill, explanation of what’s in the bill, video on health care, video on Canadian health care , another video on Canadian health care, sign a petition against the bill here). Other items on his agenda that are in progress are mandatory civilian corps service (first step passed the House, article with quotes by Obama and his wife about this goal, article, article), and has alluded to mandatory higher education (Obama’s address to the nation, Fed 2009*).

All of these things that have been in the works so far have been rushed through with little time to even read the bills let alone debate them. The President and his allies need to slow down and allow the American people a little say in things, without shoving a one-sided agenda down their throats via the liberal media and a compromised Congress.

*“It is our responsibility as lawmakers and as educators to make this system work, but it is the responsibility of every citizen to participate in it.

So tonight I ask every American to commit to at least one year or more of higher education or career training. This can be a community college or a four-year school, vocational training or an apprenticeship. But whatever the training may be, every American will need to get more than a high school diploma.

And dropping out of high school is no longer an option. It’s not just quitting on yourself; it’s quitting on your country. And this country needs and values the talents of every American.”–Barack Obama