January 20, 2010

 It was the impossible dream. Or at least the highly improbable dream. Yet, in a seismic shift in the political landscape that figuratively dwarfed the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that decimated Haiti, Republican Scott Brown won the special election, in bluer than blue state, Massachusetts, for the United States Senate Seat, formerly held for over 40 years by the late Liberal Lion, Ted Kennedy. 
 
His appeal was to independent voters, who are quite properly alarmed by this Administration’s hard leftist, fascist-socialist, statist policies. Mind you, I’m not calling anyone names. But, if it looks like a duck and quacks…
 
The unthinkable has happened. And a message has been delivered to Washington: “Hey! Cut the leftist, statist crap! This is America, not the Soviet Union!”
 
The only question is…will anyone listen to the People? This crowd has proven to be arrogant, high-handed and tone deaf and over- played their hand, as I knew they would.
 
Now, I really do try to restrain myself. This isn’t a poltical website and you don’t want to hear me raving about my own political views. You have your own. I get that. But when it comes to health care, I owe it to you to tell you what I know and how what the pols are up to will affect you. So, please indulge me.
 
Senator-elect Brown has broken the fillibuster proof super majority of 60 votes that allowed the Democratic Leadership to pass their version of the Bill, against the clearly expressed will of the majority of the American People, who are now against this bill and how it has been crafted.  Mr. Brown has promised to be the 41st vote AGAINST the monstrous Health Care Bill. 
 
This is all good news. Let me explain why.
 
The Health Care Bill has never been about people’s health care. That is simply a vehicle to the real goal. It is all about expanding the role and size of government and its intrusion and control over every aspect of your life. And as the Party of Big Government, this move was designed to keep Democrats in power, in perpetuity.
 
This is painfully obvious to anyone who looks objectively at its proposed provisions. Now, you may think this is a worthy goal. I don’t. 

Nor do I want Republicans in charge, in perpetuity. My attitude is, these guys work for US. They are the public SERVANTS, not our masters. If anyone in office is not doing the People’s Will, I say, throw ‘em out! 
 
I submit to you that if a system (ie. a representative republic) has worked for over two and a half centuries, and resulted in a standard of living, wealth and power, unrivaled in human history, it is the height of arrogance to assume that YOU know better and can remake it better than those geniuses of the Enlightenment, who were our Founding Fathers. Especially when the majority of the People want no part of it. This is still a center-right country.
 
How do I know that the Health Care Bill isn’t what its name suggests? Because, as one who has really been in health care for decades, I KNOW what is needed. There is NOTHING wrong with our health care system. It simply costs too much. And some people need insurance coverage, who don’t have it, now.
 
Please don’t bore me with that canard that the government should guarantee health care for all. One, that’s already the law, everywhere in the USA. Anyone who shows up at an ER GETS treated, insurance or not. Two, that’s really not the government’s job(at least according to the Constitution).
 
You want to extend insurance coverage to every citizen? Great. You can buy everyone who wants one a policy for a few thousand a year. Do this for the 12 million, who actually need insurance. 12 million X 3000 equals 36 billion a year. NOT well over ONE TRILLION, which we don’t have and must borrow (from China, among others). And it’s NOT constitutional to mandate that citizens BUY anything, insurance policies included.
 
You want to cover indigent people with no money? Great. Offer doctors dollar for dollar tax credits and malpractice immunity (or at least caps on awards) for treating the poor.  Problem solved.
 
Want to save more money? How about Tort Reform? That’s a few hundred billion saved, every year, in unnecessary tests, and defensive medicine practices, not to mention saved court costs, etc. Of course, ambulance chasers would have to find honest work, but, hey, no plan is perfect.
 
How about enabling people to buy insurance across state lines? That competition would drive costs down and the greatly increased pool of patients would protect insurance companies, while still allowing them to insure those with pre-existing conditions.
 
What about the Medical Savings Plans? They are very popular with people who have them. And catastophic policies for real medical disasters are very inexpensive, especially when you’re young.
 
These are all real solutions, which I assure you would work. And anyone who has studied the problems knows that these would work. Yet NONE are in either the House or the Senate versions of the current Health Care Bill. 
 
Instead, you have a Bill so complex, so arcane, so convoluted, that each bill is over 2000 pages. That’s absurd. You have coverage and “savings” attained by 500 billion in Medicare CUTS, which will restrict access to care for the most vulnerable among us. You have a bill so terrific that Congress has voted to exempt itself from its provisions. If THAT doesn’t tell you all you need to know, I can’t help you–you’re beyond help.
 
But now, in the State of Lexington and Concord, the Scott heard ’round the world has delivered the message. 
 
Will they retreat and begin again, this time with bipartisanship, and the true interests of the American People and their health care at heart, or will they try some chicanery, to ram the current monstrosity through, “for our own good?” I guess we’ll see.
 
Meanwhile, be thankful we now have a fighting chance to stop this horror. We all want health insurance reform, not the status quo. Just not THIS “reform.” 
 
Still, if you’re smart, you’ll prepare for the very worst, by getting and staying in shape, losing the bad habits, losing extra fat, getting those lab tests and that physical exam you’ve been putting off, while you still can.
 
In this way, you can stay OUT of the system, and maintain your health, too. While you’re at it, get started on my POWERHOUSE OMEGA FORMULA  http://www.favoriteformulas.com  an ultra pure, pharmaceutical grade fish oil, with heart and brain healthy properties, which can lower your risk of sudden death, heart attacks and strokes, lower triglycerides and (with garlic) lower cholesterol, improve your mood, relieve inflammation and joint pain, improve your skin condition and reverse aging.
 
And exercise daily. My Pain-Free Program & DVD is a great set of knee pain exercises, which will not only help get you in shape, but will relieve your knee pain, as well.
 
Well, tomorrow is another day. But for today, I’m glad that Senator-Elect Brown won. And you should be, too. We’ll see if Washington learns anything…but I wouldn’t bet on it. Just remember. They work for YOU. Don’t hesitate to let them know it. Til next time, my friend, be well.
 
Yours for a pain-free tomorrow and optimal health,
 
Dr. Bill
 
“The Wellness Warrior”      TM
 
(Sign up for my Podcasts at:  http://www.thewellnesswarrior.mypodcastworld.com )
 
P.S. For DR. BILL’S LITTLE GREEN BOOK ON ELIMINATING KNEE PAIN, a concise, but complete handbook on the root causes and the various options for treating knee pain, go to http://drbillsclinic.com/eliminate_knee_pain.html 
 
P.P.S. For DR. BILL’S PAIN-FREE PROGRAM: EXERCISES TO PREVENT OR ELIMINATE KNEE PAIN, please go to
 http://drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html 
 
P.P.P.S. For conventional and alternative treatments and exercises to relieve knee pain without surgery click on http://drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery.html 
 
P.P.P.P.S. For the giant, comprehensive ADVANCED MASTERS’ COURSE: HOW TO ELIMINATE KNEE PAIN–ONCE & FOR ALL!, everything you need to know on causes and solutions for knee pain and the complete exercise program, too, go to
 http://drbillsclinic.com/advanced_masters.html 
 
FREE BONUS CD with any order: THE HEALING POWER OF POSITIVE PAIN PERCEPTION
 
Copyright, 2010 by William Thomas Stillwell, MD, FACS
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