Obama supporter Peggy Joseph set off a firestorm of anger with these words.  Couple this with Joe the Plummer’s exchange with candidate Obama:

Joe: ” I work 10 to 12 hours a day and I’m buying this company and I’m going to continue working that way. I’m getting taxed more and more while fulfilling the American Dream.”

Obama: “My attitude is that if the economy’s good for folks from the bottom up, it’s gonna be good for everybody. I think when you spread the wealth around, it’s good for everybody.”

These comments are offensive to anyone who thinks, believes or just fundamentally understands the constitutional role of the federal government.  Unfortunately, ones outrage turns to support when they are the beneficiaries of the Government’s help.  If you doubt this, please show one example of citizens rejecting a tax break, rebate or co-pay from the government.  The rationalization for the acceptance is that people feel they pay into the system so they should be able to get back their tax dollars.   This is a specious justification for two reasons:  When we learn that on average we are taking out more money than we put in. Also, if we were only getting back what we put in, then why not just do it ourselves without the government; this reasoning is specious at best.  The truth is that from unemployment to health care, we are in the red.  This doesn’t stop politicians of both parties to expand these programs and it certainly (as state) does not stop us from consuming them.  The third party payer system in healthcare has distorted the market and retarded efficiency.  Naively and selfishly, we have allowed for ourselves to believe into that we’re entitled to not pay full price.  When it comes to procedures and treatments, the sad reality is we don’t know what the actual price is. One thing is for certain, the system cannot be maintained.  We are currently at the cross roads between fully socializing healthcare and incrementally pulling back government by placing greater responsibility on the consumer.  In the past, this has proved to be a political nightmare for advocates of the free market.  Once government provides a program give away; the ability to remove it is nothing short of miracle. President Reagan said it best: 

“No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we’ll ever see on this earth!”  

Peggy Joseph just expressed what we all have come to accept, government spending is wrong unless it benefits me.  Here is a note of respectful caution: Beware of government reforming healthcare and promising to bring down cost.  I have yet to see the suspension of free market laws by government decree. When it comes to the government s fixing healthcare; the cost of program will inevitably outweigh the benefit.