A historic perspective.
The most dangerous tendency of the modern world
is the way
In which bogus theories are given the force of dogma.
-Jean Daniellou 1958 (The Lord
of History)
Many people are of the opinion that the concept of state sponsored
healthcare stemmed from the Fabian socialists of England, or
from the published works of Karl Marx. This in fact is a serious
error. Because the concept of governmental sponsored services
including health care are almost as old as civilization. Who
the first monarch was that realized the basic tenant as a ruler,
that much political benefit could be attained, and much support
garnered, by offering "free medical" services will
probably never be known.
When we listen to the Democrats we would assume that health care,
in the form of the welfare state, was a bright and new invention
of Hillary's. In her conception and those of her friends heath
care is a device of immense complication, which can only be solved
by the state with its vast recourses. The fact that the state
inherently must first tax the people to get those necessary a
resources is usually overlooked by these short sighted do gooder's.
The more serious fact, that the state is through its bureaucracy
the most inefficient vehicle to administer such largess is also
overlooked. In a demonstration of the states poor management
ability we must only look to the American Social Security System,
which consumes over 70 cents of every dollar collected in administrative
& management burden. A further demonstration is apparent
in Hillary's Health Care Task Force, of the 90's, that illegally
instituted group, which wasted over $ 25 million without one
single positive result, and in which not one insurance carrier,
doctor, or nurse (people who actually know something of health
care) was impaneled.
Many governments in past history have come to the realization
that the "Welfare State" may be used as the beginning
of a "Police State" and this in fact is the end of
a long process of governmental usurpation of individual rights.
The rulers for their own perpetuation and exaltation take these
rights from the people. For those who may not agree with my statement
I give you the following recent examples:
Otto V. Bismarck German Chancellor 1884
Franz Joseph I Emperor of Austria 1888
Franz Joseph I King of Hungary 1891
Nicholas II Czar of Russia 1911
Vladimir Lenin Russia 1922
J.B. Stalin Dictator USSR
Marshal J. Pilsudski Poland 1920
Kde, O. Salazar Dictator Portugal 1919-33
Benito Mussolini Duce Italy 1932-43
Q. Franco Dictator Spain 1942-45
W. Hirohito Emperor Japan 1934
CA Vargas Dictator Brazil 1944
Juan Peron Dictator Argentina 1944
DA Hitler Chancellor Germany 1933-
J.B. Tito Dictator Yugoslavia 1947
In the 16th century France's Henry IV promised his citizens a
chicken in every pot. With him began the process by which rulers
called themselves the servants of the people. Where have we heard
that before? Most of the aforementioned dictators came to power
by promising the populace state largess in the form of social,
educational, and health care benefits, which all subsequently
turned into police states over which they ruled with iron fists.
Do consider every time a politician promises you something; where
is he getting it?
In the twentieth century, in which the foundations of social
governmental responsibility theories were hatched, we can clearly
see the German Weimar republic as our modern starting point.
In fact the phrase "welfare state" stems from the German
wolfahrt staat. Interestingly the phrase "police state"
is also German polizei staat. Bismarck not FDR was the founder
of the modern concept of the welfare state. He thought, that
he could, through a mild form of socialism link the established
economic and social interests with the progressing power of the
people. Industrialization had elevated many in income and status
into a new structure to be called the middle class. Ruling elite's
has throughout 20th century history looked upon this class with
suspicion and fear. In the Austria and Germany of the period
an entire new method of humanitarian governance was developed.
That system called kameralist taught a method of civil government
with the specific purpose of attaining a welfare state structure.
This in the plan was designed to turn to a police state at its
pinnacle. Bismarck clearly understood the relationships between
free market economies, the welfare state, and the police state.
The first step in the procedure is to offer the people services
from the state, usurping previously established channels, like
organized religion, family and charities. The second is to develop
a dependency class, who will then out of self-interest support
the in powered administration. The third step is the reduction
of services that is dictated by the fact that the state lacks
the income to sustain the promised services. The last and final
act is the institution of police state authority to quell the
popular opposition to the reduction of services. We could possibly
add the institutionalized act of creating a scapegoat to blame
for the inability to provide the promised services. [Orthodox
Christians by the Soviets, Jews by the Nazis etc. the militias
by Clinton] It can be shown in every instance of the aforementioned
rulers; that this was the exact way in which events transpired.
America is now very close to police state status. Consider the
fact of 190,000 illegally armed federal police in 1997, with
the promise to great public acclaim of an additional 30,000 in
each if the coming year, and a promised increase of this by the
president in his State of the union speech of an additional 50,000
above the 100,000 of 1998. Gore promised more police if elected,
fortunately that did not take place. That is a total increase
of 240,000 on top of the 130,000 we already have. That would
have given America a total of 370,000-armed federal police above
those employed by states and communities. Federal police are
not allowed in the constitution. The welfare state enforcement
portion of this cabal is the fastest growing segment of law enforcement.
Consider armed FDA, EPA, and Farm agency employees. Along with
this is the rapidly growing tax burden. The largest segment of
the economy at 49.20% is comprised of state and federal taxes,
which is omitted from inflation statistics by the government,
along with energy costs and housing costs and for good reason.
The raiding of health food stores by armed jack booted FDA agents
in black uniforms wearing ski masks. Without digressing the expansion
of such police forces is touted to be for the prevention of violent
crime. The fact that the majority of violent crime is drug related,
and at least partially government sponsored, or at least carried
out with state approval is unquestionable. The fact the EPA and
FDA have nothing to do with violent crime, and in fact represent
benign infractions of labeling rules at worst, is also overlooked.
This is one of the current scapegoats utilized for police force
expansion, which by the way is selling very well to our citizens.
When considering illegal drugs i.e. narcotics; we are faced with
a $ 850 billion industry per year if anyone reading this actually
believes that our Federal Reserve is unaware of who, how and
when such money transfers occur should just stop reading at this
point.
What Bismarck accomplished was changing the old authoritarian
Prussian Junker class into accepting a quasi-democratic, and
well organized bureaucracy. Citizens of all classes were enthralled
with this new form of governance, which was then copied by numerous
others. Mussolini and Franco per example. Later it made power
assumption by the NSAP in Germany an easy effort. The police
state followed in every instance. One of the first to warn about
this was Prof. Lujo Brentano who warned as early as 1880 that
adventures into state controlled medicine would ultimately lead
to a Neo-Welfare state and was not about providing a service,
but in fact a hidden method for state control of the private
citizen his vote, and the socialization of the state.
The most remarkable fact when we review all the past social welfare
schemes which deal with the medical establishment is that: In
every single case private insurance's which in almost all cases
paralleled the public ones were substantially cheaper, served
their clients better, and reacted quicker. Notable recently;
is that the scheme as instituted in Great Britain now has parallel
private coverage which is preferred by an overwhelming majority
of over 84% of the citizens of the UK.
Clearly understand that all this social welfare propaganda is
just exactly that; propaganda. It has nothing whatever to do
with the welfare of the targeted citizen, and everything to do
with political control of society. Let us look at the Weimar
republic one more time. Germanys NSAP headed by Hitler was only
able to garnish one third of the vote. Ten percent went to the
communists. The great German middle class had the power to oppose
but did nothing. Why did they do nothing? Why do Americans do
nothing today in opposition to the same form of tyrannical development?
In the Weimar republic the government catered to the unions,
through artificially higher wage, and to industry though protective
tariffs. To both by offering state sponsored welfare. In America
our government undeniably caters to unions, and at least one
party is substantially funded as well as materially helped by
them, and visa versa. Big business is allowed to produce off
shore [NAFTA] without restraint. Both benefit in various ways
from the welfare state. Americans are, we are informed, and by
the state, prosperous and the citizens do nothing even when treason
of the executive is obvious beyond any doubt. The fact that we
are as a nation not prosperous and have been slipping down for
the past 50 years is another matter. Once state paternalism is
established and the number of government employees plus the number
of welfare state dependent citizens reach 50% or more the political
system becomes self-perpetuating. This is how the Nazis took
control of the Weimar Republic, and it is exactly how the Republocrat
parties stay in power in Washington, and has attained their unparalleled
control of our nation.
The turbulent time of the Second World War stopped all social
engineering. The basic structure as instituted by Bismarck in
Germany, FDR in America, as well as similar laws instituted in
1944 after the war in Germany, Italy, France, Belgium, Austria,
Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Portugal and Spain all set the foundation
for troubled economies and in most cases police states. All these
efforts were strongly tainted by the communists and national
socialists, who along with the socialists are the ever-present
cheerleaders behind the efforts to [verstaalichen]. (Place the
state in charge of everything)
Lenin is the twentieth centuries most prominent proponent of
a cradle to grave socialist welfare system relating to medicine
and health care. The catastrophic effect of Russian system that
now boasts the lowest life expectancy in the industrialized world
is un-deniable. Projections into 2000 indicate that Russian life
expectancy which under the Czar was one of the longest in the
world will be fewer than 50 for a male. This is when most other
nations with private health care can boast annually increasing
life expectancies projected to the upper 70ies by 2000. Worst
of course is the fact that the same kind of system was instituted
in every single nation that was subjugated by the Soviets. Thus
we now have half the world dependent upon the state largess,
and lacking the initiative and self-reliance to see to their
own healthcare. With the unilateral collapse of these entire
state social plan systems and the inability by individual citizens
to remember how to cope on their own, everything has degenerated
into total failure.
Now it behooves us to examine how this most benevolent of Soviet
plans was in fact applied. The propagandists have informed us
that all were covered cradle to grave. In fact nothing is further
from the truth. From 1922 to 1938 Russia under the soviets nationalized
everything. They then instituted a 6.5 % payroll tax for healthcare,
in fact an overall social services tax of 25%. The national budget
was used to cover any probable deficits in financing the health
system. In 1938 the health care percentage increased to 8%. Then
they instituted different classes of coverage depending on a
governmental grading system, benefits were curtailed to most,
and the number of participants was drastically decreased. The
social security benefits were then re-graded from 50% retirement
benefit to 100% with only upper government functionaries getting
the top benefit scale. Healthcare was likewise a great deal for
those in power, and a very bad deal for the populace in general.
Birthing benefits for example were available only to mothers
who had worked for a minimum of 7 months in the same job. This
in fact violated the constitution that guaranteed such right.
Like in any autocratic dictatorship the upper echelon of government
had Dachas in the Caucasus, spas on the Crimea, and any service
they could ever think of, even department stores with western
goods, while the balance of the population languished in abject
poverty. This is important to consider because it clearly demonstrates
exactly what I have said from the beginning: Namely that social
services are simply a means to an end, and have nothing whatever
to do with any humanitarian concepts, that these systems are
instituted by those in power to retain and expand that power,
and that the ultimate outcome is a police state which will then
eventually collapse through it's inability to financially sustain
momentum in financing that system.
It may be useful to examine the general effect of the socialist
welfare state's effect on a country's economy, and how that impacts
on individual citizens personal standard of living. Perhaps standard
of living is not exactly the correct phrase. What I'm getting
at is more the state of personal happiness, the buying power
of the moneys earned, and how we fare in comparison to previous
generations. Due to social costs Germany [the portion that was
previously west Germany] has for the sixth year in a row the
highest cost of manufacture in the world, at $ 27.70 per hour.
Followed by Norway with $ 25.20. The US comes in at $18.40. Now
the big question is do we jointly have a higher standard of living
than did previous generations. This due to the Second World War
represents a difficult problem so let's examine 20 years ago.
The astounding information found indicated that as a whole people
in all three nations were better off 20 years ago than they are
today. The majority of households did well with only one parent
working. The buying power of the currency was substantially higher.
Crime was lower. The drug epidemic was only in the starting phase,
but government action was drosling it. Overall everyone was better
off, worse if we compare the present to the 50ies it gets rally
dim. While the welfare state, and healthcare in particular, has
expanded unchecked the standard of living as well as the availability
of medical services have both deteriorated. It is my contention
that there is a close link between socialization of services
and the generally deteriorating welfare of the population, and
reduction in the overall standard of living.
We can clearly recognize that the concepts of socialization of
services under a governmental authority is a wholly European
concept, and is in fact very foreign to American governance.
Americans of the past were all rugged individualists who were
never interested in accepting gratuitous governmental largess.
FDR and the depression brought an end to that and he began to
create the modern welfare state along the lines of the Fabian
Labor movement in England, which was in fact patterned after
the German model of Bismarck. It can be stated and frankly so
that all these programs are nothing more than wealth re-distribution
schemes. This is of course where Lenin comes into the picture.
FDR was our first communist president who was followed by the
socialists LBJ, Carter and Clinton. A communist, by the way is
a socialist in a hurry. Likewise in Europe numerous socialist
and communist governments came into being. Willie Brandt in Germany
(who was a known soviet spy) as well as governments in France,
Italy, Greece, Austria etc. At the present time 3/4 of the twelve
EC nations are under socialist rule. Socialists get political
power through and only through wealth re-distribution schemes.
In essence they take moneys from those who work hard and give
it to those who loaf. This creates dis-incentive, and everything
that goes along with it: lost opportunities, reduced R&D,
lower expectations, less industrial development, reduced employment
growth, and last but not least less tax income for government
and higher taxes for the people. We should also clearly remember
that the Nazi's were the NSAPD Die Nazional Sozialistische Arbeiter
Partei Deutschland's (The Nationalist Socialist Workers Party
of Germany) and the Communists in Russia were the USSR Union
of Socialist Republics. Both were socialist not communist.
In every instituted governmental welfare system, without exception,
promised and given benefits at the outset of the programs are
systematically reduced as time progresses. American social security,
USSR social Security, French, German, every single instituted
system has seen it's benefits reduced as time marched on. Socialists
must first hook their dependent class by setting the hook. This
they do by offering an apparently wonderful valuable package
of benefits, all the time knowing full well that they will not
be able to sustain the program over any prolonged period of time.
Pozy schemes each and every one of them. Then they begin the
program reductions. In American Social Security this has been
accomplished by; increasing the age for benefits, and reducing
the mandated inflation increases by reporting false inflation
figures.
(1) In the scheme of health care there are three different options
that are on the table.
31 Private free market insurance for those who want it. [Laze
fare solution]
32 Government mandated private insurance mandated for all citizens
[free market solution]
33 Government issued and instituted insurance. [Communist solution]
The first of these is the private plan for those who want it.
This does represent a problem because some few people will option
not to obtain health insurance, and thereby shift the cost to
society in case of serious illness. So the cost will wind up
being paid by others than the beneficiary. I am opposed to such
a scheme because we are all apt to become ill at some point,
and refusal of service by a hospital or doctor is not an option.
Health care should be universal and mandated law should cover
all. The third option is government insurance that I strongly
oppose. Government is a much to expensive and an inefficient
a manager. The second option is the only one, which is logical;
namely the mandatory by law private insurance paid for by the
insured. In this way the competitive free market will keep costs
down. It is further imperative that the present practice of employer
health insurance be outlawed. It is the cause of the drastic
increases of medical costs; when the recipient is not tied to
the payment, costs always go haywire. Only by insured paying
for their own health insurance will costs reduce. Insurance companies
will rate their clients on a sliding cost scale based on passed
experience and through it those who insist on unhealthy lifestyles
will pay the ultimate price, and not their neighbors. I do not
mean that there should not be a safety net for those unable due
to illness or poverty to be protected by a health care plan.
What I strongly oppose is a government solution to this problem.
We already have laws on the portability of plans. It would not
be unreasonable to have the state co-pay the insurance premium
for those unable to do so due to previous ailment or inability
to earn sufficiently to pay for their insurance; Co-pay being
the key word.
Any insurance carrier should not mandatorially cover any self-inflicted
illness caused by such as drug addiction, alcoholism, and smoking
related diseases. Such coverage should be up to the individual,
who should be able to purchase same as an optional rider. Such
acts will force individuals to act in more healthy and sensible
lifestyles to the benefit of society as a whole, and the reduction
of overall health benefit cost to the majority. Without penalizing
the rest of us.
Health care in England
The Socialist model
After arduous lengthy infighting and debate Lloyd George succeed
in 1911 with his national healthcare insurance plan. The resulting
insurance scheme funded through taxes was as most political plans
the result of numerous compromises. It provided cash benefits
with some medical services offered. It considered politicians,
recipient's loafers and workers, but just like the planned Hillary
health care gave no consideration to the planned providers, doctors
nurses, or private insurance carriers. Predictably management
and operational costs in England were 17 _ % while in Ireland
20%. Private carries of the time operated their systems on a
total overhead of less than 10%. Benefits were poor, and the
touted by George national improvement in healthcare went the
other way. Doctors were furious, many departing to other commonwealth
nations. Soon insurance carriers were through unions and associations
offering additional coverage. The entire fiasco led to the development
of the Bevan Plan a cradle to grave plan that was popularly supported
due to the great dissatisfaction of the George plan. This was
a time in England when many were enthralled with the Soviets
who were British allies in the Second World War. Churchill did
his best to support the utopian rubbish, which kept the home
fires burning and the spirits of the British populace up in the
face of terrible wartime losses. By adopting the Fabian socialist
plan for national health care the Conservatives under Churchill
were able to get re-elected in 1945. Thus they found themselves
unable due to previous support to oppose the Bevan legislation
of 1946. Does this perhaps ring some bells with you? What about
the Kennedy Kasenbaum health care legislation? What about Gingrich'es
tacit support of bi-partisan health care? What about the phony
bail out of Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid? It is amazing
that not one journalist has come to the conclusion that all this
is part of a well planed and orchestrated socialist sponsored
system, and blown the whistle on the perpetrators. With the 1948
election labor was desperate to get back into power, thus they
offered what not even Lenin did complete medical care for everything
from cradle to grave for everyone, and free of charge to boot.
Eventually it led to the "Brain Drain" loss of governance
by Labor, and the longest time of Conservative rule in British
history, and a financial and political decline of England that
was unrelenting.
Thus we clearly can show that the concept of nationalized healthcare
stems from Germany, was adopted by England, and is being applied
by the all after war Democrat administrations with ample help
from the Republicans, and is used as the model for the currently
planed system in America. Further we can see by plans in every
nation to date that adopted national healthcare that the outcome
of the adoption of any such system resulted in:
1) The general lowering of medical service quality.
2) Substantial overall cost increases for medical services.
3) The inability of government to financially sustain promised
services.
4) The appliance by politicians to use plans to develop a dependency
class, which can easily thereafter be used for political fodder.
5) The degeneration of services with the increase of police authority
and in
many cases eventual development of a police state.
6) The development of a scrape goat to blame for the inability
to deliver the promised service. (As in SS: they are living longer!)
7) Reduction of services and long awaiting times for services.
(not life critical services in Canada and England up to one year
in some instances)
When you think on this issue you will do well to remember
the resultant effect of nationalized health care upon other nations.
Look to our neighbors in Canada whose favorite healthcare suppliers
are across the border in America. Canada and England where you
can wait up to eight months for an operation, where if you are
over a certain age numerous medical procedures are forbidden.
Canada where the present medical debate is turning towards privatization
of medical services. England where the presently most popular
option is private health insurance, due to long waiting times,
curtailment of services, and deterioration of state health care
across the board. Sure it's free; but if you have to wait until
you're six feet under free is of little benefit.
1) Reported inflation figures exclude
the cost of taxes 49.20% of family expenditure, and as of 2000
eliminates the cost of housing and energy that has gone up 75%
since 1999. Interestingly while congressmen's inflation increase
was 7.5% SS recipients was fewer than 3.5%
Page URL: http://www.kriegbooks.com/health_care_and_the_state.html
Host Web site: http://www.kriegbooks.com/
Author hereby grants permission to e-mail this commentary, in
its entirety and including the Web page URL, to those interested
in receiving the information. Please e-mail for Adrian's
PERMISSION in advance, to post, reprint, or reproduce this
article for any other format of publication, electronic or otherwise.
|