by M. Vogelvang

Created on: June 11, 2009   Last Updated: June 30, 2009

When people speak about universal healthcare they are quick to assess the audience, are they republican or democrat? Too often the decision is based on what the party believes. I'd like to try to attempt to write this as bipartisan as possible, although I feel based on my statements, assumptions will be made.

Let's look at some of the simple facts about universal healthcare: Yes many countries all around the world have some form of universal healthcare, yes many countries around the world state that it works great for them. However, when you hear the statement "world renowned surgeon" are they speaking about a surgeon in the United States or elsewhere? Are Americans leaving the country for emergency procedures in any of the countries with Universal healthcare? Probably not.

The most important factor that should influence all of our decision making about whether or not the government should take on a universal healthcare plan is this, what has the government done right so far? Honestly, the armed forces are absolutely spectacular but the weaponry and vehicles they used were merely funded by the government and created by private industry. The soldiers that serve so admirably are not products of the government, they are products of their parents and their environment.

What about the post office you ask. In response to ever increasing difficulties caused by greater competition, they continually raise the cost of using them and now they are even discussing ending Saturday delivery. At the same time that their competition has lowered rates and increased service. Public education is free, how's that working out? Please do not misunderstand me; I love our government and it's absolutely necessary, I just can't think of any one area that it has performed better than the private sector. It's not for a lack of wanting to do something great but the inherent openness of the government to influences that do not produce results.

When businesses are faced with challenges they focus all their energy like a laser beam to fix it or they perish. When government is faced with a challenge it is like throwing a dart at a moving board, you'll hit the board but it is not a bulls eye. The solution is often faced with various people adding to it to improve their situation, not necessarily the one at hand. Will our government perish if their solution is not the best? No, because we will still pay them our taxes and we will settle for less.

In summation, our government is not meant to provide healthcare for all of it's citizens. It has proven time and time again that the greatest asset of the government is its money, which can be used to fund research or aid companies in providing the solution. However, it has also proven that the worst thing that could happen to universal healthcare is letting the government make decisions or set policies for it.

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