The Joys Of Socialized Medicine
THE public are to be told not to smoke in their own homes as part of plans to protect public sector workers from the effect of passive smoking.
The move is the latest part of the Scottish Executive’s ban on smoking in public places, which will come into force on 26 March next year.
Ministers have told councils, health boards and social work departments that they should compile a “smokers’ map” of Scotland, focusing on those who regularly receive visits from officials and carers. This would identify individual households where a smoker is resident.
The smokers would then be sent letters asking them not to smoke for one hour before a council worker or health worker called round. Public bodies have also been advised to use the smokers’ map to ensure that any workers who suffer from breathing problems are kept away from the homes of smokers.
I don’t know about the rest of you, but in the smoker homes I’ve been in stopping the smoking for an hour isn’t going to make much of a difference.
Anyway, this is what happens when you put the government in charge of paying for health care, they begin to see your health (rather than simply your medical care) as their problem. Which, in turn, leads to them dictating behavior to you. Like when you can and cannot smoke in your own home. It starts with little things like this example above. It ends with the government pre-approving your diet plan.
Think I’m being a bit extreme? Think again.
Already health insurance groups are complaining about the impact insuring unhealthy people (fatties, smokers) has on the cost of medical coverage. Once the government is in charge how long do you think it will take before the government starts engaging in behavior modification for the sake of the “greater good.” Oh sure, it might take a couple of decades, but we’ll get there.
Like eating pizza a couple of times a week? Not so fast. Your local health department official might not approve.
That’s not a world I want to live in. If I want to live on a twinkies and Coke diet, that’s my problem. That my life choices might impact the price of your health insurance is an indication that our health care system is broken. But, clearly, socialized medicine is not the solution to that problem. It would simply be a shifting of the same problem to a new system.
What always amazes me though is that the political left, who is famous for standing on privacy issues when it comes to sexuality (stay out of my bedroom!) and abortion (stay out of my womb!) is consistently in favor of putting the government in charge of our health care.
