I Got Rich Off the Government: You can too!

You don’t get anything for free.  Seems easy enough to explain. Anything of value comes at a price.  Someone has to pay for it. Such a simple concept! Well…apparently not.

We have now blossomed into one big American entitlement culture.  From free college education to free healthcare to free broadband service we are all demanding free stuff.  To be entitled means that you not only want free stuff but you also think you deserve it.  If you think someone owes you something just because you are alive then this message is for you.

You are not entitled to anything in life but opportunity. That’s it. That is the sum total of pursuing life, liberty, and happiness.  Welcome to America my friend, the land of OPPORTUNITY! Congratulations.  You have the opportunity to learn, work, create, sell, earn, invent, succeed, and enjoy the fruit of your labor.  Under no circumstance are you entitled to what another person receives from succeeding with their opportunity.  That’s theirs. Not yours. It’s completely up to them if they decide to share it with you. And I’m not just talking about money.

What about someone’s skill?  Are they obligated to share their skill with you so that you benefit? Nope. If you were a skilled artist and someone asked you to paint a portrait for them, you could say no.  They can’t force you to do it.  It’s up to you. You share your talent how you want.  If they forced you to do it then you would be their hostage, maybe even their slave.  That’s not fair is it?

Consider a skilled and gifted doctor.  What about her?  Does she have to provide her skill to take care of your need?  Only if she chooses.  Otherwise, she becomes your slave. See where I’m going with this?

This is one of many reasons why healthcare is not free nor is it an entitlement.  You see, it costs the physician their expertise and talent as doctors.  You can’t make them operate on you. The medical professional has to pay for your surgery by expending time, energy, expertise, education, and skill. The doctor isn’t enslaved to your desires or needs.

Granted doctors have taken the Hyppocratic Oath and sworn to do no harm thus no one is ever turned away in America when there is an emergency. Practicing medicine is a “for profit” business however. At some point doctors would simply stop practicing if they were only working for free. Get it?

What about the hospital janitors and maintenance staff? They didn’t take an oath to save your sick, broke butt. Try having major surgery without them on the hospital staff.  No lights for the doctor to see? Unsanitary conditions in which to cut you open? Do they owe you their services for free? It’s all part and parcel to healthcare my friend.

You see? We have barely even mentioned the financial costs and already we’ve proven healthcare – like any other benefit – is not free. Unfortunately we will always have the folks that demand it anyway. In their minds, life should be government funded. Which means you and I are left picking up the tab.