Two Letters Aug 27, 2009

Here are two letters I wrote today. The first is to Paul Krugman asking him to reply to those who whine about deficits and government intervention. The second, in a similar vein, is an email I sent to C-Span directed to M. Scully who was happy to point out the failures of our present private insurance versus Medicare but continues to insist on free market solutions:

Dear Dr. Krugman,

The problem, like in the commentaries to your article on the deficit, belonging to the opposition goes over their head unless it is spelled out in their own lexicon. This includes phrases like passing debt onto future generations, etc. Always missing in the conversation is the productivity of our workers and the hope it will produce more full fledged tax payers eventually. Also since it is the top 10% of income earners that will benefit most from the present programs, it is understood they will pay for it through higher taxes eventually. Like any debt. it is incurred, does its work, and then is paid for.

You just wonder who the real capitalists are anyway. The present whining group against the deficit and health care reform have no faith, it seems, in the future earning potential of our citizens given the proper education, training, and support. Health care reform, itself, especially Medicare For All, enables greater availability of capital, better workers, and higher profits and incomes. It should be a capitalist's wet dream. Instead they cry socialism when it is they who so readily seek government largess when they are in trouble. It is time to identify who's who. Those of us who want real reform is because we are capitalists. Those that don't are asking for even deeper government socialist intervention. Who's kidding who? Dr. Krugman, your style of writing carries weight and clarity. Could you illuminate this in an article directed to these phony capitalists and erstwhile socialists in sheep's clothing? The tongue is in the cheek but I hope you understand what I mean.

By the way, c-span had an excellent 3 part program on Washington Journal going over all parts of Medicare, A though D. It was wonderful and eye opening. It should be mandatory viewing for every concerned citizen, our President, and all members of Congress.

Dear Washington Journal:

Sorry I couldn't do this on air but wish to thank c-span for presenting these very knowledgible people on Medicare to the public. Hopefully it will make issues clearer as we move forward in the health care debate.

I am a Single Payer supporter and the rationale for this became even clearer this morning. The discussion between the two participants weighted the arguments towards a Medicare For All system. More money for services would be available by avoiding the overcharges by the private sector(some $400 billion dollars) and a simplification of the process as all parts along with the rest of our citizens would be rolled into one. Mr. Vldeck actually endorsed the role of private insurers in the Medicare system as claim processor, their only valuable participation, at an extremely competitive price for its users. He even acknowledged supporting private efforts to coordinate care and paid for by our government if it removed unneeded excess. These are proper uses of the capitalist system in its payment mechanism for health services. So if you ask me, Mr. Scully should rethink what capitalism's proper place in society is. The answer may move him to Mr. Vldeck's side of the equation and we'd all be better off. How many times do the so called free marketers get a chance to impoverish and cause unnecessary death of our citizens before they realize they are shooting themselves in the foot. They are causing harm not just to others but to themselves and their families now and in the future.