THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, USA
An Online Journal of Political Commentary & Analysis
Volume XI, Issue # 185, September 2, 2009
Dr. Almon Leroy Way, Jr., Editor
Government Committed to & Acting in Accord with Conservative Principles
Ensures a Nation's Strength, Progress, & Prosperity
OBAMACARE: WHEN GROWING OLD BECOMES A "CRIME"
By Christopher G. Adamo
THE OBAMA PRESIDENCY, HEALTHCARE "REFORM," & THE EXPANDING SOCIAL WELFARE STATE: THE PURPOSE OF
GOVERNMENT IN PRESENT-DAY AMERICA -- THE SHIFTING BALANCE OF POWER BETWEEN THE AMERICAN PEOPLE & THE
GOVERNING ELITE -- ELITIST PERCEPTIONS OF THE ROLE OF ORDINARY CITIZENS IN MODERN AMERICAN SOCIETY -- THE
CITIZENRY AS A "RESOURCE" TO BE UTILIZED FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE RULING ELITE THAT CONTROLS THE STATE -- THE
GOVERNMENT AS NO LONGER THE SERVANT OF THE PEOPLE
FULL STORY:
Immediately following the passage in the Declaration of Independence avowing
the rights of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” is the phrase,
“to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men.” Clearly, in
the minds of the Founders, the purpose of government should only be to
uphold a just and defensible societal structure within which the people can
maximize their freedoms and interests. Throughout the formative years of
America, government of the people and by the people was widely understood to
exist for the people.
The America of 2009 no longer resembles those lofty ideals in any respect.
Admittedly, the insipient encroachments on it have been occurring for many
decades. But, with the advent of the Obama administration, the efforts to
forcefully implement them have gone into overdrive. And in the process, the
very nature of the debate over the future of the country has taken on an
ominous and threatening tone. The mere fact that such a debate is even
taking place in America indicates that the threat is very real.
“Obamacare,” the moniker given to the potential government takeover of the
entire medical industry, is hardly characteristic of “healthcare” at all.
Indeed, it would be far better termed as “health control.” The regular
mention of it as a benign “alternative” means of delivering medical
services, ostensibly for those who have no other avenue for treatment, is a
flagrant example of “sheep’s clothing,” behind which a wolf awaits.
To properly grasp the sinister ramifications of the situation, the somewhat
recent reversal in the understood purposes and roles of government and “the
people” need to be fully recognized. In the minds of the Founders,
government was truly the servant of the people. But, in the murky world of
the modern statist or socialist, the people are a “resource” to be utilized for the
“good” of the state as a whole, which means to the benefit of those in
power.
This increasingly arrogant presumption of self-importance among the “ruling
class” explains such outrages as the Congress, in the depths of a national
recession, attempting to buy a fleet of private jets, while its leadership
regularly excoriates the citizenry for excessive spending, use of resources,
and the like.
As the balance of power tips to an ever greater degree away from the people
and towards the state, the mutual regard that once existed between the two,
shifts in a likewise manner. Whereas the original concept of America was
established on the premise that those in power were “servants” of a populace
that resides on an equal social station, the current situation is more
reflective of a caste system in which the prevailing political class
occupies the highest tier, and looks on the common man strictly as a
subordinate and subservient class.
Each inhabitant is assessed as having a “value” to the generality of the
state, or being a liability to it. By such thinking, it suddenly becomes
obvious why the government is no longer willing to enforce America’s
borders, and will even persecute those private citizens who attempt to do so
on their own. It is immaterial that the influx of illegals will erode the
standard of living for the lawful and loyal citizens of the nation, while
obliterating its cultural cohesiveness. That flow of traffic represents a
burgeoning “resource” which can benefit unscrupulous operatives in both the
public and private sectors.
In contrast, the elderly are increasingly viewed as strictly a liability to
the state. As a “resource,” they have outlived their usefulness, and now are
only a drain on its assets. They represent an expensive luxury, the
maintenance of which does little to advance the “greater good.” Former
America, with its affinity for Judeo-Christian values, largely viewed them
as honored members of its society, but the new order increasingly
characterizes them as a burden that needs to be supplanted as rapidly as
possible with more productive assets.
So, while every attempt to include the twelve to twenty million illegal
aliens in any version of Obamacare will be strenuously pursued (either in
the bill itself, or as a result of “amnesty” that is promised to follow
closely on its heels), a concurrent effort will be made to marginalize any
population subset, whether the elderly or the chronically infirmed, that is
not deemed beneficial to society as a whole. This is no mere accusation.
Statements from Obama administration officials, and even from Barack Obama
himself, bear grim witness.
Perhaps the most illuminating spokesman, though hardly a lone voice on the
topic, is White House “Health Policy Adviser” Dr. Ezekiel Emmanuel, brother
of White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emmanuel. Through his ample commentary,
Dr. Emmanuel offers an Orwellian worldview in which he classes citizens as
something akin to national “commodities,” the value of which is determined
by their ability to contribute back to the state. He regularly assesses the
“worth” of “25 year olds” over that of someone aged 65 or older, and
contends that the state medical treatment each might receive should be
likewise dispensed.
According to Dr. Emmanuel, “Unlike allocation [of medical resources] based
on sex or race, allocation by age is not discrimination.” Translation: Older
people are not necessarily worth further government “investment,” since it is
doubtful they will be able to pay back such expenditures.
As government expansion and bloat continues, the requirement for citizens to
“contribute” to its operation will likewise increase. Consequently, the
dehumanization of ever-larger segments of the population will inevitably
follow, beginning with the elderly and infirmed, but certainly not remaining
limited to those groups.
Clearly, it is imperative to immediately turn the tide on this monster, not
only with respect to health care, but in every facet of its scheme to subdue
and control the people. This manner of “change” holds the potential to
destroy the soul of America.
LINKS TO RELATED TOPICS:
American Government & the U.S. Presidency:
Presidential Politics & National Leadership
The American Political System:
Politics & Government in the U.S.A.
Social Welfare Policy -- The Modern Welfare State
-----------------------------------------------------------
GOVERNMENTAL SYSTEMS:
CONSTITUTIONAL DEMOCRACY & OTHER POLITICAL REGIMES
Modern Constitutional Democracy:
Fundamental Character & Essential Ingredients
Constitutionalism: The First Essential Ingredient
of Modern Constitutional Democracy
Dictatorship: The Opposite of Constitutionalism
Representative Democracy: The Second Essential Ingredient
of Modern Constitutional Democracy
Direct Democracy & Representative Democracy
Political Culture & Modern Constitutional Democracy
Modern Constitutional Democracy:
Summary & Conclusion
-----------------------------------------------------------
POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY & POLITICAL IDEOLOGIES:
COMPETING SYSTEMS OF POLITICAL THOUGHT
Conservatism
Traditional Conservatism: Questions & Answers
Conservatism: Attitudes, Types, & Present Status
Constitutional Conservatism: American & British
Liberalism
Classical Liberalism: Intellectual Foundations
Classical Liberalism: Conservative Liberalism
Manchester Liberalism & Social Darwinism
Modern Social "Liberalism": Statist "Liberalism"
Radical & Totalitarian Ideologies
Radicalism, Utopianism, & Totalitarianism
Christopher G. Adamo has been active in Wyoming politics for many years and
is a managing partner in Best American Buy (www.bestamericanbuy.com), an
e-commerce business that markets American made products, including the
incomparable Abigail Adams Bedspread Set from Bates Mills. Contact
information for Chris Adamo, and his archives, can be found at
www.chrisadamo.com
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THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, USA
An Online Journal of Political Commentary & Analysis
Dr. Almon Leroy Way, Jr., Editor
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Conservative Government Ensures a Nation's Strength, Progress, & Prosperity