The Maryland Public Policy Institute
FEBRUARY 24, 2010
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The following was written by an Albert Klappenberger of Salisbury, MD as an attempt to explain why we need to further regulate and socialize the healthcare industry. It is instead yet another example of a simple misunderstanding of a relatively simple economic concept (in this case: profit) can, and generally does, lead to support of a system doomed to failure.
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The health care "debate" taking place in this country has two sides, the health insurance industry, who want only to protect their profit margins, and informed people who understand that the profit motive must be removed.
Every other country in the industrialized world has come to this conclusion. Only corporate propaganda stands in the way by spreading disinformation about a single-payer system. The best option is simply to expand Medicare to cover everyone. If you want to know more about it, just ask your grandmother!
The second option is a so-called "public option" that could someday lead to Medicare for all. There simply is no third option that will control the insurance industry. Something must limit the power of the health insurance industry. The "public option" seems to be the only viable way to do this given the current political situation. It will only happen if we, the people, push hard for it!
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The interesting thing about many people's opinion on profit is they look at it from two different sides. When they earn it for a job well done at work: it's a good thing that allows them to feed their families and take Jamaican vacations. When corporations earn it (especially a big one): it's robbery, exploitation, and evidence of the damage Capitalism is doing to the modern world.
What causes this fundamental shift that leads to such misinformed thinking? Honestly, it's anyone's guess. But without wasting words attempting to probe the issue, I will point out that there is little, if any, difference between the profit you make at work and the profit corporations make in the free market.
Think about it this way: you can steal from your employer and, until you get caught, make a bit more money. But when the whistle gets blown the well dries up. Same deal with a corporation. They can treat their customers as suckers who deserve to get ripped off and maybe squeeze out a slightly higher profit for a time, but once another company or agency points it out, their well dries up too.
The only way to make a consistent, sustained profit is by doing quality work and, in a nutshell, making others happy. Most of us know this already -- it is wisdom we transmit to our children in various forms. So why do we forget it when it comes to business?
To read the original appearance of Mr. Klappenberger's letter to the editor, or the comments inspired by the piece, click below:
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/readersrespond/bal-healthletter0213,0,370642.story
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