Mental Illness

Have we become a habit
Do we distort the facts
Now there's no looking forward
Now there's no turning back
--Pat Benatar

Ron Paul astutely observes that health care is not a right but a good. When we view goods like health care, education, housing, etc as rights that all people deserve, we throw systems for allocating resources out of balance.

For example, cap doctor's salaries to make the health care system 'more efficient' and you'll get what happens whenever price ceilings are imposed: a supply shortage. Qualified docs will go elsewhere, or select other careers.

The Obama administration seems to imply that our current health care system is problematic due to its free market nature, and these problems can be solved if health care is placed under government control. Our current health care system is not market-based, however, and the State already assumes the role as largest, most influential buyer. The bureaucracy imposed by Medicare and Medicaid has restrained innovative forces that drive market-based improvement.

More government control of health care ensures that health care in this country will get worse instead of better.

As Congressman Paul notes, the solution is to completely turn health care back to private hands. Unfortunately, no politician with special interest voting blocs possesses the political will to do such a thing.