I Didn't Build That?

I didn't build the great aqueducts of Rome, and shouldn't we give a nod to those who did? The remark by Obama may have been taken slightly out of context, but (if true) that was the fault of the speaker for using the singular ("that"), which sounds like he meant his statement to refer to a business ("You didn't build that"); if what he actually meant was 'infrastructure' -- roads and bridges -- he should have used the plural ("those"), which would have made the statement both clear and true.

I don't understand the whole point, though. While every single, solitary one of us can acknowledge that someone, somewhere, created or built something upon which we have built our own careers, how far back should we go? I created a Style Guide for use in my company, but I guess I have to credit... whom? Bill Gates? The inventor of the first computer? The inventors of the English language? The inventors of human communication? I mean, really -- what's the rule here? I have no problem acknowledging anyone's contribution, but I could spend so long doing THAT, I would have little time for anything else.

His point was that we all need government-created roads, bridges and such in order to build our businesses. As usual, he had half a point. Since government is not in the business of 'making' money -- producing goods and services in the marketplace which generate income and a profit -- then anything that 'government' creates it does with the money given to it by others. What others? Why, taxpayers and businesses, of course!

Government built a bridge. Terrific. Great job. Who bought the materials? Who paid the workers? Where did that money COME from? Answer: You and I. We paid for ALL of it by working for ourselves or someone else, by buying the goods and services produced by other people, and by paying taxes at every step of the way.

So you see, it's not that he was taken out of context, or not. It's that his philosophy simply doesn't fit with the spirit of this country. We ALL acknowledge that government does good works. We simply realize that we OWN those good works, because we paid for them, and continue to pay for them, every day.

The Cost of Insurance

The great majority of us have NO idea how much medical procedures actually cost. We're insulated from the cost by the insurance policy. I honestly couldn't tell you how much an X-ray costs; I have no Earthly concept. I can give you a rough estimate of what a bottle of Pepsi costs, though I don't buy bottled soda, because that price is posted in every store I visit. But an X-ray? No idea.

Insurance as an idea was intended, as auto insurance, to cover you in case of emergency. It was not conceived to one day cover birth control, cold medicine, routine eye exams, and so on (just picking a few things randomly here). But because the range of medical services covered by everyday policies has expanded exponentially in recent years, the associated cost of those policies has increased correspondingly.

The greater the likelihood of a claim, the higher the premium for the policy, plain and simple. It's true in auto insurance, flood insurance, and even life insurance -- non-smokers pay less money than smokers, because it's been determined that smokers are more likely to die faster, leading to faster (earlier) payment, and less money for the insurance company.

Anyway, in truth insurance policies don't have much effect on treatment costs; the doctors and hospitals administering the treatment will eventually be paid, by the government if not by the insurance carrier or the patient. Most industries use competition between different companies to keep costs low. You can't charge twice as much as your competitor, or you will shortly be out of business. Government interference has, for years, destroyed this line between 'competing' hospitals and, much like college, has caused a steep increase in price because of that interference.

When you know that the bill will be paid, by the government (if no one else), you can charge a LOT more money -- and so can your competitors.