Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Mixed Messages

President Hoover is credited with saying, " a chicken in every pot and a car in every garage ", as a campaign slogan. When it didn't come to pass no one called him a liar. That was back in a gentler time when the office of President was treated with a bit more respect and reverence than it is today. Our current commander in chief hears this accusation all the time with his promise of " if you like your doctor,you can keep your doctor. " Turns out that it is true , if you can afford it , same with the chicken if you think about it. Now this blog isn't meant to defend the actions of our current President. Most of you reading this already know my political bent so I will not go into that. What did come to mind was that Hoover promised a chicken in every pot and a car in every garage. That was in 1928 and not a whole lot has changed. One thing I have noticed is their seems to be a pharmacy on every corner ! A great deal of the time more than one pharmacy on the same corner, not to mention the ones in the department stores. Maybe if we had gotten that chicken in every pot, chicken soup is good for you, the current president would not have to be promising you can keep your doctor and we wouldn't have a pharmacy on every corner !
Okay, so maybe that is a bit of a stretch. I do wonder why the proliferation of pharmacies ? Are we all becoming sick or are we just trying to medicate our troubles away ? The big issue is health care now, but was hunger back in '28. These pharmacies must be profitable or they wouldn't be being built. Now the government wants to be involved in the health care business, and make no mistake about it, it is a business. Makes me wonder what is up with that ? Is this another government stimulus deal for the economy ? I mean, we have bailed out the auto makers, mortgage companies and a few other things, why not health insurance. Insurance companies always make money ! I have yet to find an insurance company that worked in my best interest. Just sayin' it is a business and a business is there to make money.
I cringe anytime the government wants to get involved in my personal affairs. I get anxious when the government, and by the government I mean politicians, begin making promises. They make promises they know they cannot possibly keep. The power to keep those promises lie with the people. An individual or entire political party for that matter, can not make any such guarantees. They may say that is what they hope for, what they support, but the final decision lies with the people. Like it or not the Affordable health care act has been passed. That is not to say it can't be repealed, but it is the law of the land. That in and of itself troubles me greatly. Are we going to change into the land of the dependent, instead of the land of the free ? Reliance upon government for our basic needs can not be a good thing. Government should not dictate my choices for my personal affairs. Let's all line up for our government sponsored health care and get in line at the pharmacies. Medicate our troubles away. Maybe we can all qualify for disabilities as well.
Me, I would settle for a chicken in every pot. I don't even care about a car in the garage. At least with the chicken the government was promising you a job. They weren't promising to just give everyone a chicken at the expense of all the other taxpayers. They promised hope for the future. Somehow I'm just not getting that message today.

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