Friday, September 18, 2009

For those who consider single-payer healthcare to be socialist

Please read and then sign this:


The Socialist-Free Purity Pledge


I, ________________________, do solemnly swear to uphold the principles of a socialism-free society and heretofore pledge my word that I shall strictly adhere to the following:
  • I will complain about the destruction of 1st Amendment Rights in this country, while I am duly being allowed to exercise my 1st Amendment Rights.
  • I will complain about the destruction of my 2nd Amendment Rights in this country, while I am duly being allowed to exercise my 2nd Amendment rights by legally but brazenly brandishing unconcealed firearms in public.
  • I will foreswear the time-honored principles of fairness, decency, and respect by screaming unintelligible platitudes regarding tyranny, Nazi-ism, and socialism at public town halls. Also.
  • I pledge to eliminate all government intervention in my life. I will abstain from the use of and participation in any socialist goods and services including but not limited to the following:
  • Social Security
  • Medicare/Medicaid
  • State Children’s Health Insurance Programs (SCHIP)
  • Police, Fire, and Emergency Services
  • US Postal Service
  • Roads and Highways
  • Air Travel (regulated by the socialist FAA)
  • The US Railway System
  • Public Subways and Metro Systems
  • Public Bus and Lightrail Systems
  • Rest Areas on Highways
  • Sidewalks
  • All Government-Funded Local/State Projects (e.g., see Iowa 2009 federal senate appropriations)
  • Public Water and Sewer Services (goodbye socialist toilet, shower, dishwasher, kitchen sink, outdoor hose!)
  • Public and State Universities and Colleges
  • Public Primary and Secondary Schools
  • Sesame Street
  • Publicly Funded Anti-Drug Use Education for Children
  • Public Museums
  • Libraries
  • Public Parks and Beaches
  • State and National Parks
  • Public Zoos
  • Unemployment Insurance
  • Municipal Garbage and Recycling Services
  • Treatment at Any Hospital or Clinic That Ever Received Funding From Local, State or Federal Government (pretty much all of them)
  • Medical Services and Medications That Were Created or Derived From Any Government Grant or Research Funding (again, pretty much all of them)
  • Socialist Byproducts of Government Investment Such as Duct Tape and Velcro (Nazi-NASA Inventions)
  • Use of the Internets, email, and networked computers, as the DoD's ARPANET was the basis for subsequent computer networking
  • Foodstuffs, Meats, Produce and Crops That Were Grown With, Fed With, Raised With or That Contain Inputs From Crops Grown With Government Subsidies
  • Clothing Made from Crops (e.g. cotton) That Were Grown With or That Contain Inputs From Government Subsidies
  • If a veteran of the government-run socialist US military, I will forego my VA benefits and insist on paying for my own medical care
  • I will not tour socialist government buildings like the Capitol in Washington, D.C.
  • I pledge to never take myself, my family, or my children on a tour of the following types of socialist locations, including but not limited to:
  • Smithsonian Museums such as the Air and Space Museum or Museum of American History
  • The socialist Washington, Lincoln, and Jefferson Monuments
  • The government-operated Statue of Liberty
  • The Grand Canyon
  • The socialist World War II and Vietnam Veterans Memorials
  • The government-run socialist-propaganda location known as Arlington National Cemetery
  • All other public-funded socialist sites, whether it be in my state or in Washington, DC
  • I will urge my Member of Congress and Senators to forego their government salary and government-provided healthcare.
  • I will oppose and condemn the government-funded and therefore socialist military of the United States of America.
  • I will boycott the products of socialist defense contractors such as GE, Lockheed-Martin, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, General Dynamics, Raytheon, Humana, FedEx, General Motors, Honeywell, and hundreds of others that are paid by our socialist government to produce goods for our socialist army.
  • I will protest socialist security departments such as the Pentagon, FBI, CIA, Department of Homeland Security, TSA, Department of Justice and their socialist employees.
  • Upon reaching eligible retirement age, I will tear up my socialist Social Security checks.
  • Upon reaching age 65, I will forego Medicare and pay for my own private health insurance until I die.

SWORN ON A BIBLE AND SIGNED THIS _______ DAY OF __________ IN THE YEAR ___.

_____________
Signed

_________________________
Printed Name/Town and State

3 comments:

Cassie Wallender said...

So, government's forced me to pay into systems my whole life, and in order to keep them from creating even more bureaucratic messy mandatory systems I should reject my right to any benefits from the systems I've been forced to pay into this whole time?

Or are you saying, since it's okay to involve the government in some things (like burying the people who died for this country), it should be okay to involve the government in ANYTHING?

To stand against the growth of government and expansion of current programs is rejection of ALL programs? Essentially rendering anyone who wants a government of the same or smaller size an automatic anarchist?

Grrrowler said...

Hey Cassie...I wish we had more time to discuss this yesterday!

The point of my post is the many people against any type of single-payer health care are using the spectre of socialism as a reason to kill any prospects of a single-payer system. The problem with that is that those same people will gladly accept other services provided by the government, and in fact take those services for granted. What if fire and police protection were handled by private companies and were for-profit endeavors?

I certainly don't want the federal government owning/running everything. But, certain things are beneficial for the country as a whole. A healthy population is one of those things since a healthy population is a productive population. In a capitalistic society a productive population is necessary for a healthy economy. Basing the health of the population in general on how much profit can be gleaned from it is counter-productive. There is a wide gulf between the government providing services that benefit society as a whole and the country moving to a communistic economic model.

You asked if rejecting the growth of government means rejecting all government programs. It does not. I should ask in response why wanting health care to be equally accessible is considered socialism. You and I talked yesterday and we both agree that we would like to see less government, not more. But I did make the point about federal spending that I'd like to see it spent better. I would like to see the same thing for government: shrunk, but with resources moved from one place to another in ways that helps the citizens.

As for money paid into your private plan that you wouldn't want to lose, I can only speak for myself. I would gladly give up any money I've put into my private plan to replace it with a single-payer system that provide access to care for everyone and removes the for-profit insurance providers.

Unknown said...

I have personally signed the pledge form, burned my Social Security and Medicare cards and will be going to live with my son.