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 Money
And Appearances In Health-Care Reform
This site was partially inspired by
my trip to Africa, taken many years ago. I spent some time in a
medium sized town, where I was virtually the only white person, and was
besieged from all directions with requests for money and assistance of various forms. It was
quite a moving experience. They were saying, in a very loud voice,
"We need your help". My conscience was aroused.
Money Was Not the Cure:
Even if I were rich, and handed
out money by the basketful to those in need, I would be doing nothing
to effect a long term solution to their problem. There was
something in their social system - something in their pattern of
thought - that stood as an obstacle to their progress.
Dysfunctional Government:
In speaking with the people, I learned of the corrupt schemes used by
their government
to extract money from the civilians. A wall of red tape, which
could only be penetrated through the use of bribery, blocked free
enterprise. This demoralized the entire population, whether or not they
were involved in enterprise.
Unintentional Corruption Is
More Destructive:
There exist both intentional and unintentional forms of corruption.
Of the two, the unintentional form is far more destructive, because it
is more deceptive and prevalent. Furthermore, it allows for the
existence of intentional corruption. The entire experience led me
to begin thinking in depth about social systems; a thought process
which continues to this day. |
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Appearances Can Be
Deceiving:
Though a system can
outwardly appear to be extraordinarily efficient, it may, in reality, be
utterly flawed. I recall a story that a man once told me about his
parents. They lived in a beautiful home, had prestigious occupations,
and were active in civic affairs. Based upon superficial |
| appearance alone, they seemed to be a model
family. His parents, however, were controlling, deceptive, and
critical of his actions to the point where he literally went crazy.
These parents never recognized their own personality problems.
Their emotional discomfort led them to exhaust excessive amounts of
effort on creating an appearance. Money And
Health Care:
Our healthcare system - though on a much larger scale - operates in a
similar way. When viewed superficially, the system seems
impressive. Proponents of the system are constantly remarking,
"If only we had more money, we could do so much better."
Desiring better healthcare, we believe this story, and give more money.
But regardless of how much we give, money is incapable of curing the
system's ailments. It is analogous to the aforementioned African
illustration. Take A Deeper Look:
We must examine the system at a much deeper level. We must look
beyond appearances and good intentions, beyond intellectuality and
sincerity. Having been a student, doctor, and patient for a great
many years, I can see right through the superficial guises of the
system. Unless you can understand the insanity of the present
system, my proposals will make very little sense to you.
The
Bottom Line:
Trying to fix our healthcare system with more dollars is much like
attempting to solve Africa's problems with money. I see many
caring, charitable people giving money to healthcare related causes,
and it grieves me deeply. Though these individuals have
priorities similar to my own, our major difference is that I realize
that the money could be much more wisely spent, if the system were
changed. I implore you to stand back and take a deeper look at
healthcare.
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