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I found the fulsome praise Gordon Southern heaped on all things Obamacare (Pharos-Tribune, Oct. 22) ... amusing.
Having lived under a socialized medical system while stationed in Europe – and make no mistake, Obamacare’s takeover of one-sixth of our economy is a quintessential example of socialized medicine – I can assure Mr. Southern that he will eventually regret trumpeting this disastrous law if it is allowed to stand.
One of the reasons we have only one child is because she was born in a European hospital ... and it almost cost mother and daughter their lives in a medieval system that was, at least, 40 years behind us in treatment techniques, procedures, equipment and innovation.
I won’t go into the details but suffice it to say that a trip to the “krankenhaus” in Germany, Holland, France or, God forbid, England would have most of our local patients in Logansport Memorial run screaming from the building, hospital gowns flapping behind them.
If you’re a Democrat, do you want the people who were running the government in 2008 in charge of your medical system? If you’re a Republican, do you really want the people who are doing just swimmingly with the economy right now taking over health care, too? Me neither.
Ironically, Mr. Southern’s lamentation on the fact that many Americans are not covered by health insurance is in no small way attributable to the distorting effects of government regulations at both the federal and state level on that industry. Our national system is based on an outmoded, Depression-era gimmick FDR came up with to control wages when one in four Americans was out of work.
Bottom line: I could go on and on about the unintended consequences (or to use another term, “horrors”) of the British, German, Dutch and French medical systems, or our own government’s mismanagement from everything from mortgage insurance to embassy security, but that could easily cover more room than the typical letter to the editor. Suffice it to say that what the government is trying to “fix” is about to be destroyed by that same government. They mean well but, rarely, if ever, do things work out as planned, especially by central planners.
Personally, I’d rather have the medical system run by the kinds of people who came up with the iPhone rather than those who came up with the Internal Revenue Code.
John C. Rhoades, Logansport
Opinion
PUBLIC FORUM: Southern wrong about Obamacare
- Opinion
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- THORNS & ROSES: Week of May 16
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WOLFSIE: Writing on the walls
Sometimes when I am trying to think of an idea for my column, I just stare at the wall. That’s not a bad thing, because on the wall in my home office is a collection of special pieces of memorabi-lia that inspire me to write, reminding me of the talented people I have had the privilege to meet.
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HAYDEN: From good to great in education not the way
On the campaign trail last year and early into his administration, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence said repeatedly that his goal as governor would be to take Indiana from “good to great.”
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THEIR VIEW: Big Brother looms large in D.C.
The federal government, working under the cloak of secrecy, has been having a heyday at the expense of all Americans.
First we learn the IRS has been targeting conservatives — applications for tax-exempt status by tea party groups were wrongly singled out for extra scrutiny. -
KITCHELL: Waste-to-energy a big waste of time
Had all of Logansport attended the Indiana Society of Professional Journalists Awards ceremony last month in Indianapolis, we all would have learned that the No. 1 editorial written in the state in the past year was about a subject that sounds familiar to Logansport residents.
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THEIR VIEW: Keep teens safe on the roadways
Indiana was able to achieve welcome decreases in teen-driving deaths after adopting graduated driver’s license laws. But it appears some of the benefits of easing teen drivers more slowly into the responsibilities associated with driving are leveling off.
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MARCUS: Where to put your money
Snail Smith’s real name is Stanley, but his contorted windup and slow pitches gave him the nickname, Snail, during his short baseball career.
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THEIR VIEW: Indiana loses a respected leader
At a time when our nation was deeply divided by war, social upheaval and political corruption, Otis R. “Doc” Bowen brought stability to Indiana in his eight years as governor largely through the strength of his personal integrity. He was respected, revered even, not only by fellow Republicans but also by independents and Democrats for his deep commitment to the state and its people.
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OUR VIEW: Mothers the greatest gift of all
Our mothers help guide us through the world around us, helping us sidestep disaster if at all possible. She holds our hand as we become the person we were meant to be. She knew us from the beginning, and if she had it her way, she’d know us to the very end.
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PUBLIC FORUM: Mayor tells residents of positive change
When the residents of Logansport elected me as their new mayor in November 2011, it was truly an honor.
Our city was battling back from a devastating loss of 1,500 jobs in five years, a recession that wasn’t letting up on the household income of our residents, a divided fire protection commitment in our county and an overall sense of loss in our community. - More Opinion Headlines
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