The aging of the baby boomers will substantially increase health spending over the next couple of decades, adding to the cryptocracy's fears about disappearing wealth.
The cryptocracy feels so strongly about the increase in health costs that they are instructing Obama to risk his political capital in an effort to get some sort of legislation passed. It appears that they are also pushing the Democrats to use their voting majority to adopt legislation whether the Republicans go along or not.
And so Obama took his high stakes gamble with a nationally televised speech to the legislative branch. His prospects for victory are slight. As Karl Rove of the Bush White House remarked today, "The problem for Democrats is they are scaring voters by proposing a takeover of health care that spends too much money, creates too much debt, gives Washington too much power, and takes too much decision-making away from doctors and patients." (Wall Street Journal, 9.10.09, pg A21.)
If the Democrats push through their bill, they will risk voter revenge in the next elections. Not an easy situation for the Democrats.
The leaders and bishops of the Church seem to be indicating support to the legislation so long as funding for abortion is not included. Their approval seems to stem from a desire to see all Americans with medical care. One cannot fault their desire, but unfortunately universal health care is not the only story, not even the most important story, in this legislation.
The problem is the Church leaders are getting snookered, and they don't even know it. The cryptocracy is quite willing to spend a few dollars on universal health care (in reality it will save them money in the long run) in order to enact legislation that begins the process of government-directed, cost-reducing medical care. And so they build up the universal health care (and the church leaders go for it), while in the meantime they stock the legislation with all manner of mechanisms to ensure the change in the basis of health care from compassionate to the cost-cutting business model.
Obama is quoted as saying that the "huge driver of cost...[is] the chronically ill and those toward the end of their lives..." [Sarah Palin quotes him in the WSJ, 09.09.09] Here is precisely what the cryptocracy wants desperately to do: cut health care costs of the elderly by instituting one-size-fits-all treatment procedures and protocals that are based on spending priorities determined by the government. Anyone who has spent some time in the hospital recently will be able to see that this process is already well on its way.
If the Church leaders can't put two and two together, here is what four equals: a prohibition on certain procedures for those who are old or infirm. It is a kind of slow-motion euthanasia.
The cryptocracy's diabolic goal is what lies behind the desire to end compassionate health care. For no other reason the Church leaders ought to oppose the legislation. But, not only oppose. They should pull out the stops to educate the public and the faithful about what compassionate health care is, and how it contrasts to the system desired by the cryptocracy.
Jesus' teachings impelled the Church into becoming the leader in compassionate health care where everyone receives appropriate help regardless of circumstance, including and especially age.
This centuries-old legacy of the Church is now in danger. It ought to be the duty of the Church leaders to ensure its continuation. One way to do this is to oppose the cryptocracy's legislation instead of trying to be nice guys and amend it.
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