39. The Progressive Agenda

39.  The Progressive Agenda

 

Obamacare isn’t a new idea. Remember when Hillary Clinton tried to get “HillaryCare” passed in the 1990’s. That wasn’t the first time either. The Progressive Movement, present in America for over 90 years, has been trying to get government in charge of the healthcare system since Woodrow Wilson.  Listen to the words of our most famous Progressive, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, in 1932:  “our task is not discovery… or necessarily producing more goods.  It is the soberer, less dramatic business…of distributing wealth and products more equitably…the day of enlightened administration has come…”  In discussing the Bill of Rights in our Constitution, he said:  “The task of statesmanship has always been the re-definition of these rights in terms of a changing and growing social order.”  In other words, he and his fellow Progressives saw it as their task to re-define our rights as American citizens.  And they’ve been very busy doing just that.

 

In 1963 President Kennedy tried to get Medicare passed.  At that time, the American Medical Association represented 70% of physicians in this country.  The AMA then was very conservative, with conservative leadership.  They vehemently opposed Medicare as a form of socialized medicine.  As a result, Medicare was voted down.  Under Johnson however it was revived and passed thru Congress in 1965.

 

Since that time, the progressive movement has managed to assume leadership roles in, I would say, most of the professional organizations in medicine, including the AMA, and most of the specialty medical societies.  Our medical schools are becoming increasingly progressive, teaching concepts like “social justice”, and encouraging sacrifice in the name of “society as a whole”.  The Hippocratic Oath is being altered to include progressive terminology at many schools.

 

I am not exaggerating when I say that the very core of my beliefs as a physician are being threatened by the progressive notions of treating societies rather than patients, of making decisions for “the good of the whole” rather than for the good of the individual.  I will be threatened and punished for practicing my art as I was originally trained.  If Obamacare is allowed to go into full effect, I will absolutely quit practicing.  And I’m not the only one.  Not only will I refuse to be coerced into compliance with a system that I abhor; but I will not be a collaborator in the socialization of my country.  Will you? 

 

The Progressive movement has finally gotten their healthcare law.  God help us if they get to keep it.

(Note: This commentary is by Dr. Jill Vecchio.)