Dakota Beacon

Plato believed “philosopher kings” should be rulers. Over the centuries “philosopher kings” have taken different forms: inquisitors of the Inquisition and Leninists leading the “dictatorship of the proletariat” for example. Today they take the form of intellectuals in high places of the Obama administration. They come from such places as universities and are “advised” by other “intellectuals” from Hollywood. As such, the administration’s intellectuals hold a majestic contempt for the American citizen and taxpayer.

President Obama conducts himself like a “plilosopher king” when imposing his signature legislation -- Obamacare. In the spirit of American independence, it comes as no surprise that Obamacare grows in unpopularity. The Associated Press confirms this time and time again in polling data.

A large number of Americans experiencing the effects of Democrat health care legislation tell stories ranging from discouraging to horrifying. This despite Democrat Senator Harry Reid’s branding citizens’ stories as lies. Increasingly, Democrats, especially those up for re-election, are running from their vote for Obamacare as fast as they can. Others, like Senator Heidi Heitkamp, are proposing “fixes” they know are counter to Obama’s policy and that Senator Reid would never allow on the Senate floor.

Everyone has heard of people who have lost their private health insurance because it did not meet the federal government mandate. Others have been priced out of the market because the insurance co-payment or deductible skyrocketed. Still others lost their health insurance when the company they worked for could no longer afford to cover them and were forced to drop their plan. Nevertheless, the US Supreme Court has ruled that the federal government can force people to buy health insurance whether they want to or not. These measures were intentionally designed to force people into a government health care plan.

The innocent and unsuspecting public took the advice of the federal government and tried to obtain health insurance coverage through state exchanges or the federal web site. More horror stories. Not only were the state exchanges and the federal web site not fully operational, many who were hired to help citizens navigate the complex health insurance application system were never properly vetted through background checks. Consequently, many criminals and scam artists have been hired, with federal tax dollars, to “help” people sign up for government health insurance. Many thousands of people have had their personal information exposed to convicted felons. These same felons also have access to state and federal data bases.

Making matters worse, much of the mainstream media, desiring to see Obama succeed, are scarcely covering the heartbreaking stories of the thousands of people whose health care has been canceled or radically disrupted. From January 1 to March 24 CBS, ABC, and NBC gave a combined total of 31 minutes covering Obamacare over 83 nights of reporting. CBS gave 19 minutes. ABC gave 7 minutes. NBC gave 5 minutes. This as reported by the Media Research Center.

This terrible experience is only beginning. There is more tragedy to come when the waivers for many people run out in the next year or so. Those who have not yet been affected by the ravages of Obamacare soon will be. Even if a policy can be obtained through work or private insurance, there is no guarantee that hospitals will accept that insurance. Already there are instances where people must drive two or three hours or more to be treated at a facility that accepts the new insurance. Even when a hospital is found that accepts a particular insurance policy the patient still faces higher premiums, co-pays and deductibles.

The Obama administration has, in effect, declared war on doctors. Of course the administration would deny that charge. The doctor shortage has yet to manifest itself. But it is coming. Doctors are spending more time filling out government forms than they are doctoring patients. They are getting reimbursed so little by the government they cannot break even. Result? The best and brightest in medicine will shrug, quit and leave.

Obamacare is not the end of the world. It is, however, the end of free choice in health care. It is the death knell of liberty.

This is not the America I once knew as the land of the free. This is dictatorship.

This is the stuff from which revolutions arise.

Dennis M. Patrick can be contacted at P. O. Box 337, Stanley, ND 58784 or (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).