Speech Evaluation: Part 2

As you noticed in my earlier post, I am really in the mood for analyzing speeches given by our fearless leader.  In this one, I will actually pull out specific comments and explore the context and true meanings of such statements.

After requiring oral promethazine to get through the speech on Tuesday, I elected not to view the live broadcast of this one in order to avoid hospitalization.  Instead, I simply read the text after the fact.  (It also prevents me from being lulled in by Obama's legendary oratory skills.)

We'll start with a comment from the introduction.  Before he even began to mention health care, he was busy patting himself on the back about the economy.

I can stand here with confidence and say that we have pulled this economy back from the brink.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the unemployment rate just jumped again and is now a staggering 9.7%.  Don't bother trying to correct me.  I'm never wrong.

Obama continues...

We are the only advanced democracy on Earth - the only wealthy nation - that allows such hardships for millions of its people ... In just a two year period, one in every three Americans goes without health care coverage at some point.

The irony here is that Betty Clair and I would fit in this category because "at some point" after graduation, we went without health insurance.  But, guess what?  We chose to not have insurance.  Oh, the humanity!

More and more Americans worry that if you move, lose your job, or change your job, you'll lose your health insurance...

So, if I were to leave CVS and go work for Walgreens or Rite Aid, it would be reasonable for me to expect CVS to pay for my our medical coverage.  This would rank high on a list of "Most Asinine Comments ever Made" for most people, but it's really just another routine claim for BO.

Our health care system is placing an unsustainable burden on taxpayers.

Edited out after this sentence was, "but we are so arrogant that we feel it is the duty of taxpayers to pay for a child's Adderall so that his unwed mother of seven doesn't have to bother with raising him."  Okay, I can't verify that one for sure, but it really does go along with his ideology.

...if you are among the hundreds of millions of Americans who already have health insurance through your job, Medicare, Medicaid, or the VA, nothing in this plan will require you or your employer to change the coverage or the doctor you have.

But, don't you think there will be lots of employers who will view this as an easy way to dump some expenses by dropping medical benefits for their employees?  It would almost be absurd not to do so.  Since they will ultimately be funding this plan anyway, regardless of what the president says, why not escape some costs and actually still cover your employees in a more indirect way?

...it will be against the law for insurance companies to deny you coverage because of a pre-existing condition.

So, go ahead and become a fattie, a drunk, or a dope head, because if being unattractive and nasty isn't enough incentive to keep you from ruining your body, now you don't even have to worry about increased costs of health care!  Hooray for Rosie O'Donnell!

For those individuals and small businesses who still can not afford the lower-priced insurance available in the exchange, we will provide tax credits, the size of which will be based on your need.

This segment of Obama's health care proposal is based on the teachings of one of his role models who once said, "From each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs."  Okay, okay, I'll give you a second to let it sink in that Obama does not actually already know everything in the world, but has acquired a few ideas from others over the years.

Improving our health care system only works if everybody does their part.

Again, this is based on the teachings of Karl Marx.  See the trend:  If you have the ability to pay more taxes, more will be taken from you.  If you take care of yourself and require less coverage, less will be given to you.  What an incentive!

Regarding the honesty of insurance companies being kept in check, Obama said it will be done

the same way public colleges and universities provide additional choice and competition to students without in any way inhibiting a vibrant system of private colleges and universities.

I still think this was just his attempt at sarcasm.  In fact, he doesn't even believe this as it pertains to his own life.  If he really felt this were true, then why did President Obama go to Columbia University and Harvard Law School instead of utilizing the wonderful public colleges and universities?  There's an example to ponder.

I'll finish now with one more statement from the president since I've probably rambled on far too long, anyway.  Toward the end of the speech, the  president said,

One of the unique and wonderful things about America has always been our self-reliance, our rugged individualism, our fierce defense of freedom, and our healthy skepticism of government.

Hold up!  Doesn't this go against everything he believes in and is trying to incorporate with his health care agenda?  Self-reliance?  That aspect is seen nowhere in this plan since everyone would be entirely reliant on the government.  Rugged individualism?  Then why will every patient be treated exactly the same way according to government regulated treatment protocols?  Defense of freedom?  There would not be any freedom to choose your level of coverage.  There would only exist denials of freedom.  Skepticism of government?  Well, he is actually right on with that one.  In fact, it may be the only factual statement in the entire address.  Most people these days are pretty skeptical of our government, and the reasons for their skepticism are legitimate and justified.

Sorry for making that such a long post.  There was just a lot of crap (literally) to discuss on this one.  If you're reading this, you're probably the only person beside my mom who made it this far.  Congratulations!