Take Two Asspern and Shaddup

Excellent piece in yesterday's PG:

Sunday Forum: Suck it up, America

We have become a nation of whining hypochondriacs, and the only way to fix a broken health-care system is for all of us to get a grip, says DR. THOMAS A. DOYLE

It's obvious to me that despite all the furor and rancor, what is being debated in Washington currently is not health-care reform. It's only health-care insurance reform. It addresses the undeniably important issues of who is going to pay and how, but completely misses the point of why.

And

In a single night I had patients come in to our emergency department, most brought by ambulance, for the following complaints: I smoked marijuana and got dizzy; I got stung by a bee and it hurts; I got drunk and have a hangover; I sat out in the sun and got sunburn; I ate Mexican food and threw up; I picked my nose and it bled, but now it stopped; I just had sex and want to know if I'm pregnant.

And

At a time when we have an unprecedented obsession with health (Dr. Oz, "The Doctors," Oprah and a host of daytime talk shows make the smallest issues seem like apocalyptic pandemics) we have substandard national wellness. This is largely because the media focuses on the exotic and the sensational and ignores the mundane.

And

Our society has warped our perception of true risk. We are taught to fear vaccinations, mold, shark attacks, airplanes and breast implants when we really should worry about smoking, drug abuse, obesity, cars and basic hygiene. If you go by pharmaceutical advertisement budgets, our most critical health needs are to have sex and fall asleep. Somehow we have developed an expectation that our health should always be perfect, and if it isn't, there should be a pill to fix it. With every ache and sniffle we run to the doctor or purchase useless quackery such as the dietary supplement Airborne or homeopathic cures (to the tune of tens of billions of dollars a year). We demand unnecessary diagnostic testing, narcotics for bruises and sprains, antibiotics for our viruses (which do absolutely no good). And due to time constraints on physicians, fear of lawsuits and the pressure to keep patients satisfied, we usually get them.

Or

The human body is exquisitely talented at healing. If bodies didn't heal by themselves, we'd be up the creek. Even in an intensive care unit, with our most advanced techniques applied, all we're really doing is optimizing the conditions under which natural healing can occur. We give oxygen and fluids in the right proportions, raise or lower the blood pressure as needed and allow the natural healing mechanisms time to do their work. It's as if you could put your car in the service garage, make sure you give it plenty of gas, oil and brake fluid and that transmission should fix itself in no time.

Dr. Thomas A. Doyle is a specialist in emergency medicine who practices in Sewickley (tomdoy@aol.com). This is an excerpt from a book he is writing called "Suck It Up, America: The Tough Choices Needed for Real Health-Care Reform."

Let me see if I understand this. Is the good doctor suggesting that the health care system is being misused? That changes in our own personal conduct can have a direct effect on our health and, by extension, the cost of health care in this country? That responsibility and common sense can affect change than can never be legislated? Really?

Common sense driven responsibility- what a concept.

Today's Sermon

Note: The following is reprinted from the Guest Viewpoint column in the The Signal Item (September 10, 2009). It was written by Mark Hammad.

Sadly, we have become a nation of victims

Over the course of this recession, I have become alarmed at a dangerous trend. We have become a nation of victims, quick to elicit sympathy from whoever will lend an ear.

There is no shortage of news reporters and bloggers hunting for the next "victim" and the next scoop.

There seems to be no shortage of victims lately: foreclosure victims, health care victims, and consumers victimized by their own debt.

This is confusing to me, given that America is the wealthiest nation in the world and there seems to be no shortage of opportunity for those willing to work for it.

Relegating ourselves to become a nation of victims flies in the face of the personal independence and entrepreneurial spirit that this country was founded upon.

Our founding fathers had a strong sense of sovereignty, rooted in their belief that individuals should carry themselves with the same independence and freedom.

We all need to practice more personal responsibility and take steps to ensure that we carry our burden and contribute to our communities instead of siphoning from them.

All too often, victims can find comfort in our government and our elected officials, who relish in positioning themselves as champions of the weak.

Our government and our elected officials have listened and delivered, ensuring that we cannot become victims again.

The favored method is the Congressional hearing, guaranteeing our elected officials face time as champions of the new cause.

• Credit card companies charging too much- that's a Congressional hearing.
• Lead in your child's toys- a Congressional hearing.
• Plane stuck on the tarmac for nine hours- a Congressional hearing.

We do not hesitate to give our government the power to act on our behalf in situations like these, failing to realize that as consumers, we hold more power collectively to influence change in these situations than Congress does.

Consumer spending accounts for roughly 70 percent of the American economy, yet we often do not exercise our power to "vote with our pocketbooks."

If you don't like credit card companies charging you fees and interest, don't use their products; if you don't want lead in your children's toys, don't buy from manufacturers that utilize Chinese-made toys.

Our elected officials have found the perfect prescription for our "victims"- government spending. Congress has taken action to "protect" us from foreclosures, global warming, credit card companies, and are now debating protecting our health.

However, this has all come at a cost, and the one thing our elected officials at every level (federal, state, and local) have failed to protect is the taxpayer's checkbook.

Our crushing national debt and annual deficit is almost unfathomable, in the trillions of dollars and climbing. We are always quick to criticize wasteful government spending, but even quicker to feed at the same trough (i.e. Cash for Clunkers), failing to realize that our actions embolden and confirm in the minds of our elected officials that what they are doing is right.

Like any strong prescription, government spending and debt can have dreaded side effects.

We face many challenges today as a nation, and it is clear that there exist no simple solutions to complex problems and that neither Democrats nor Republicans hold the key to solving problems.

Further, it is clear that we cannot sit back and expect our elected officials to hand us a mandate or solution to our problems.

The health care debate is far from over, and no matter which side of the fence you sit on, we must recognize the burdens we are obligated to carry and the burdens we ask others to carry for us.

We need to balance how much responsibility we give to our government and how much responsibility we are willing to bear.

If we fail to live up to our responsibilities, the government will assume them for us, ensuring that they are met.

It is clear that we all need to step up and take responsibility for ourselves and our actions. Is it too much to ask of one to live within their means and pay all financial obligations on is bound to?

Is it too much to ask of one to pay for an annual health screening or prescription, or do we demand that our insurance cover these costs?

Perhaps it is fitting that car insurance does not cover gas, oil changes, tires, or any other regular maintenance items. Or perhaps, it's time that we demand a Congressional hearing to mandate that car insurance companies provide for basic maintenance.

It's up to you America.

Amen Brother- IKNAB