Americans responsible for their government

In a Fox News report today on the Senate rejection of repeal of the healthcare bill, Dick Durbin was quoted as saying: "When the Affordable Act -- Affordable Care Act comes before the Supreme Court, I'm confident that they will recognize that Congress can regulate the market for health care that we all participate in, and that it can regulate insurance, which is the primary means of payment for health care services," -- in other words, Durbin is saying that Congress can control healthcare services and insurance companies, and the private sector has no recourse. Private healthcare companies and insurance companies must obey what Congress commands. Durbin is confident the Supreme Court will agree with him. But, do the American people agree? After all, it's our Constitution, and it's our government.

I want to switch gears for a moment. Hegel said, "Truth is always concrete". I say, "Reality always wins." The Left can claim that universal healthcare coverage is such a valuable public good that coercion of American citizens and seizing control of private companies justify the end, if in the end all people who need healthcare have insurance coverage to pay for the care. This is almost a total transfer of power from the private sector to the government, because it opens the door for government to decide what's a public good and when it is so valuable the Constitution doesn't matter. Your freedom to pursue happiness stops when there is a valuable need in society -- safety, health, education, energy use, the environment, housing, food, clothing, transportation, these are all areas of universal importance, therefore government has seized the power to regulate, control and manage any person, persons or private companies involved in these endeavors, if Congress deems it necessary.

The Constitution was a compromise and now we're paying the price, because all the State needs is a opening, and once it offers to pay for what some people want with other people's money, there's no stopping it. But the problem is that the revenue government needs doesn't come from a limitless source. Goverment may no longer be Constitutionally limited, but revenues are limited. There's also a limit to what we can print and borrow. This is a concrete truth and reality always wins. It doesn't matter how wonderful government policies might be in the eyes of those who want to achieve social justice, there's a natural limit to what government can achieve, and it can't achieve what many are demanding.

The American people are beginning to realize the natural limitations of the State, and that even with an interventionist government empowering the State, behind the powerful image is a flawed system leading to bankruptcy and collapse. Those who want what they want and want other's to pay for it will have to realize this is no longer possible to the degree its now demanded and the way it's paid for. They'll also have to realize that past goverment actions have set up a system which is self-destructive. It's taken about 70 years of earnest statist effort, but we have arrived at the limits of statism -- actually, we've gone past the limits by trillions of dollars of unfunded liabilities. And we've lost something much more important which is much of our freedom, especially economic freedom. The private sector had to be tamed and controlled in order to make the wealth producers pay for government programs, but now individual states are on the verge of bankruptcy, and the State, the federal government, is teetering, dangerously close to having our credit rating downgraded, the creation of inflation and much higher interest rates.

Our energy policy has put us at the mercy of foreign oil at a time when the Mid-East is in turmoil, and oil prices are rising. We are spending billions on Iraq and Afghanistan with little evidence we can leave these countries anytime soon. Real unemployment is at 20%, and the job situation doesn't show any signs of improving to the level it will have any effect on job creation to employ a growing population, and we're seeing the retirement of the Baby Boomers. And, yet, many on the Left are proposing more government spending on infrastructure, education and experimental green energy projects.

Housing is showing no improvement, and Fannie and Freddie are as dysfunctional as ever. Statism is failing in many different ways, yet people still ignore the possibilty of a free market, because they say a free market will hurt the poor, the handicapped and the elderly. We have never needed economic freedom more than we now need it -- we need new wealth creation and new jobs. Almost anyone who understands economics will tell you that a free market will create more wealth, but most people believe it will only create wealth for powerful capitalists. No, it will create more wealth and better jobs for everyone willing and able to work. Especially now, in a shaky global economy and political environment, investors are looking for a safe, profitable place to put their money. America can be that place. And a prosperous America will be a more compassionate America, or it can be. The American people are responsible for making this happen -- government won't do it on its own.

More later about private sector assistance, insurance arrangements, charity and a national effort to transform our system of governance.