I will take any opportunity to start off things with a delicious pun, so lets get started!

President Obama and the democrats health care reform seems to be in, ‘critical condition.’ 

Ba dum bum.

Now I know that no one really objected to H.R. 3200 of course until they read it.  I have been working through it, and I must say I am terrified.  After only 50 pages into the 1000 plus page bill I found myself breaking out in a cold sweat and wishing I still consumed alcohol.  It’s all in there.  This will be part of a three part blog series where I will go over parts of the bill, using direct quotes and translation to the best of my ability.  I have two dictionaries and a thesaurus to understand the bill, but I’m working on it!

I wanted today to start off with a simple comparison.  It starts off with the now famous ‘death panels’ remark by former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin made on her Facebook page.  She spoke that there would be bureaucratic panels and advisory boards that might eventually come to decide which people could live and which could die.  Of course, she was not saying that someone with a Donkey pin on his shoulder and a set of horns could sneak in during the dark of night and literally pull the plug on grandma. 

What she was saying was that eventually it could come to the point where a panel would have to choose whether to save one life or another.  What is worrisome to her and many other people across the country is how we would gauge which life to save.  Would it be over whom was a more productive member of society, the younger and stronger being saved so that they might contribute more?  Could it be simply a matter of money?  Your surgery might cost less than mine, so you get to live, and I get the pain pills.  It doesn’t matter how it is decided.  It simply should not be allowed to ever happen.

There are many people who work in the Obama administration who are well known.  Rahm Emanuel is the president’s chief of staff, but someone who may not be so well know would be his brother, Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel.  Dr. Emanuel is a top advisor to the president for medical policy.  The quote that is coming up again and again from Dr. Emanuel is from his advocating medical decisions being made on a system, which “produces a priority curve on which individuals aged roughly between fifteen and forty years get the most chance, whereas the youngest and older people get chances that are attenuated.” 

‘Angels and ministers of grace, defend us.’

Of course, Dr. Emanuel has said that his method of thinking has evolved.  It’s amazing this happened so quickly, since many of his views were written in January of this year!  It must also be a huge coincidence that he did not retract his views until he was called out on it. 

This kind of plan would of course favor the strong and leave behind the weak.  It comes eerily close to falling in line with the earlier ideals of perfecting society, perfecting people.  The early twentieth-century progressives believed in saving the ‘really fittest’ so that society could move forward without those who were considered undesirable by society polluting the gene pool.  They also believe that those who soak up the most health care, the elderly and the chronically ill, would be free up much needed money if they were allowed to die at a younger age. 

Lets go back to the progressive movement of the early twentieth century.  This is not just a progressive ideology but a mindset as well.  It is a bridge between socialism and secularism.  Authoritarians and statists, joining hands with a common view.  It is a viewpoint often seen in stark opposition from most conservative viewpoints.  We’ll go to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary for a definition on the Progressives:

Progressive: one believing in moderate political change and especially social improvement by governmental action

Progressive leaning ideologues come loaded with hubris.  They have a belief that people can be helped, or rather ‘helped along.’  Some other well-known progressives in history were Adolf Hitler, and Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger.  At the time it was called The American Birth Control League.  Sanger had written books pamphlets and papers about how the lesser fortunate denominations of humans, such as the Aboriginal population of Australia (which she believed to be the lowest species of human, just above the ape) should not be allowed to reproduce or contribute further to the human race.  She was also opposed to American blacks, and the waves of Asian and catholic immigrants.

There were many other undesirable people that were brushed aside during this time period.  People with physical handicaps were ignored or institutionalized.  Those with forms of mental retardation were forcibly sterilized and hoped to no longer have an impact on society.  Presidents Teddy Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson were two very well known progressives, despite being on opposite political parties!  Wilson, a democrat, held the belief that the human race was something that could be improved upon.

I do not believe that there is a large shadowy conspiracy and there is no looming new world order.  There are however, people who hold common ideals.  People have held these kinds of ideals before, and others that were equally harmful.  When people who hold them come into power they can do a variety of damage.  There are still many people in office who consider themselves to be progressives.  Democratic house speaker Nancy Pelosi comes to mind first and foremost.     

Ironically, and I do say this not to try to stab anyone’s scientific beliefs, those who seem to believe in darwinism and evolution the most seem to be rather selective on where it applies.  If it is with animals on the Galapagos Islands it’s fine, but if it’s in your own backyard, then that’s something else.   It had better make sure it stays with the animals it seems!

Again I must stress once more that I do not believe in a huge conspiracy, no fifth column that needs to be toppled.  But, just like a group of fundamentalist Muslims might wish to impose Sharia law on those who do not share their beliefs, people who have money, power and influence might wish to organize things the way they see fit.

They will always believe they know what is good and what is right.  They believe they have the appropriate view for all.  Detractors try to say that the conservatives and religious among us will try to force our beliefs on others.  In reality, most conservative Christians and Jews want to be left to their own devices, and would respectfully do the same.  If they truly believe the books they have read, they would lead by example and hope that others follow.  They would not want anyone to come along whose arm they had to twist.  I wish I could say the same for the secularists and progressives…

They use money and power to influence the politicians and people.  When that fails, they will use the law.  They will truck in busloads of people in SEIU and Acorn shirts to intimidate the opposition.  They will camp out on your front lawn or spam you with e-mails. 

They have the hubris to believe that people need to be tended over like sheep.  People like President Obamas science czar John Holdren, who wrote in his textbook “Ecoscience” in the 1970s, about forced abortions, sterilants in drinking water and reducing the overall population of the planet for it’s own good.  The have the gaul to know not only what is best for themselves, but for everyone else too.  The little people simply do not have the status or brains to choose for themselves they will say…

When questions come up about individual liberty and freedom, or a persons right to choose for themselves, they will stare blankly at you.  How could you possibly not see it from their point of view?  They will see humans not as their fellow beings but as Lego’s and tinker toys from which they can create a new image.  If they are defeated, there will come a time for them to try again.  They will constantly hold up to the ideal that they can make people, ‘better.’

In the next two blogs that come, I will show how some of these ideas are not entirely gone…