Socialist "Metal Health"

SOCIALIST "METAL HEALTH"

"As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly." Proverbs 26:11

You've no doubt heard of the SCHIP (State Children's Health Insurance Program) controversy by now. President Bush recently vetoed this bill and congress is right this moment gearing up for a fight to attempt to override his veto. This is really a small battle in what is going to be a long protracted fight over socialized medicine in the United States.
SCHIP in theory is quite simple. It was created in 1997 for one reason: to offer federally subsidized health insurance to children ineligible for Medicaid but unable to afford private insurance. Simply put, its health insurance for poor children. However, the new SCHIP legislation has altered the rules considerably. Initially SCHIP's top income limit was 200% of poverty ($41,300 for a family of four). The new bill raises that to 300% ($61,950) of the poverty level nationally and even higher in some states (New Jersey-$72,285, and New York a whopping $82,300!!!). And this they call poverty? According to the states' budget projections, 13 will spend more than 44% of their SCHIP funds in 2008 on people who are neither children nor pregnant women. Michigan heads the list with 71.6% of its SCHIP money earmarked for adults who have no kids. In New Mexico, 52.3 percent of the state's SCHIP dollars will be spent on childless adults. IMPORTANT FACT ALERT: 46 states and the District of Columbia do NOT have an asset test for SCHIP!! So just how do they decide who qualifies?
If that isn't bad enough, the bill also includes a provision for children up to 25 years old. Thats right CHILDREN 25 years old!! I tell you what, I'll go along with that provision of the bill just as long as we apply this kind of rationale consistently. Let us also raise the drinking and voting ages to 25 years old as well. Any takers? After all we don't want children drinking...do we? Certainly children aren't adequately prepared to bear the responsibility of voting either now are they?
This is nothing more than an attempt to expand entitlements in the direction of socialized health care. A policy that all three leading democratic presidential candidates support. Truth be told, the entire democratic party has line up behind the socialist apparatus that is pushing for government controlled health care. The President thoroughly, and rightly, opposes socialized health care and he was absolutely right to veto this bill that is nothing more than an incremental step in that direction. I only hope the republicans in congress don't fall for the "poster children" the democrats will use to try to manipulate public opinion in their favor. This veto needs to stand.
To reasonable people an annual income of $82,300 is not poverty and 25 year olds are not children. This is politicians taking advantage of the good hearted nature of the American people to expand a generous program for the truly needy to include people who should be taking responsibility for themselves. Hopefully the American people will likewise not be fooled by the "poster children" either. The President has indicated he will sign a bill that has these unacceptable provisions removed. It is really the democrats who are using "human shields" to attempt to advance their socialist agenda. This is not the democratic party of Roosevelt, Truman or Kennedy!
Alas, this is only the beginning of a full out assault to try and bring socialized health care to the United States. Expect more foolish shenanigans like this. Socialism is like Kudzu, (if you are not from the south you may be unfamiliar with this fast spreading, virtually indestructible vine) once it sets a root it is virtually impossible to stop. Consider this story from Sweden, a country entrenched in Socialism and government run health care:
Roger Tullgren, 42, is a Swedish Heavy Metal fan. He has had his musical preference for heavy metal officially classified as a disability. The results of a psychological analysis enable this "headbanging" fellow to supplement his income with state benefits. Thats right, tax dollars are being used to compensate a grown man for "heavy metal" addiction!
Because heavy metal dominates so many aspects of his life the employment service has agreed to pay part of his salary. His boss is even allowing him to play loud music while he works as a dishwasher in a restaurant. How many of you are thinking about Poison's "Nothin' But A Good Time" video right now?
According to Tullgren, he has been trying to get his "heavy metal" addiction classified as a handicap for ten years. Says Mr. Tullgren: "I spoke to three psychologists and they finally agreed that I needed this to avoid being discriminated against." ...Ahh yes. Discrimination. That makes sense.
The ageing "metalhead" claims to have attended over 300 heavy metal shows last year alone. The natural consequence of attending all these shows was an unaceptable number of absences from work that his previous employer was unwilling to tolerate. So the intolerant and compassion deprived employer terminated him leaving him jobless and living on welfare.
I don't know where to begin in assessing the stupidity of this story. This is the kind of nonsense you get when the government gets involved in health care. If they really consider the man to be addicted to heavy metal, and therefore handicapped, why is the government becoming an enabler of the behavior instead of treating him and trying to get him away from the heavy metal environment? This is the equivalent of giving a gambling addict money to gamble with or buying an alcoholic a drink! How can you encourage a handicap? Only a government run program could do such a thing.
Now I realize some of you out there may be salivating at the prospect of getting paid for listening to heavy metal music. This may be all that some of you need to hear to go out and vote for a democrat in the next election. But be careful. Whenever a Socialist country declares someone to be "inferior" for any reason it tends not to work out well for them. Remember the Nazis are "National SOCIALISTS." Socialist governments have always proven willing to kill to maintain their idea of "order" and its never a secret who they are going to kill. Something to consider before you metalheads volunteer to vote yourselves handicapped.
Just a generation ago homosexuality was considered a mental disorder. Now it is designated as a sexual "preference." Heavy Metal music has now been designated by a western government not as a preference but a "handicap." Something seems awry here and I feel pretty sure I should be offended.
You may laugh at the preposterousness of this and think it can't happen here, but the United States is being bombarded by this constantly. The attempt to expand the SCHIP program beyond its intended parameters is definitely a step in this direction.
The United States is about to have this choice presented to them in a big way...again. All three leading democratic presidential candidates support some form of a government controlled health care system. This was attempted immediately after President Bill Clinton was elected in 1992. The democrats, like the dog in Proverbs 26:11, have returned to this theme. They think the idea of universal health care will work this time. Politically appointed officials would have the authority to make these kind of decisions and declare various groups of people to be "handicapped." Do you really believe these decisions will be made without political considerations? Don't be foolish. Let us learn from Sweden, not follow them.
I remember watching the 1984 Republican convention and seeing some people holding signs that read: "Heavy Metal Rockers for Reagan." As the years go by I am more and more impressed at the prescience of these wise rockers of an earlier time. Its never popular for musicians or "rock-n-roll" types to be supportive of republicans even though that is the party that stands up for individual freedom. Democrats, on the other hand, believe in the "collective." So whats it going to be you rock-n-rollers? Are you going to let the socialists buy your vote even as they consider you "handicapped?" Or do you have enough self respect to resist this foolishness and stand up for individual rights...in this case your own!!
Me, I'm going to grab my copy of the "Heavy Metal" movie soundtrack. I want to hear that old Nazareth song.....you know the one.....Crazy? (A Suitable Case For Treatment).