Socialized Medicine

Socialism is not a new idea; it is as old as freedom. It is its opposition and has existed since the beginning of government. This is not something that the prophets of our church have ignored or not taken a position on. Prophets and apostles including J. Reuben Clark, Heber J. Grant, David O. McKay, Harold B. Lee, Spencer W. Kimball, and Ezra Taft Benson have all fervently warned against socialism. I am not sure how we can ignore these warnings. They are specific and consequences are laid out if we do not heed their warnings. I highly recommend listening to the following clips, they are a bit dry in spots but well worth the 12 or so minutes (notice the mention to socialized medicine at the end of the first clip):





Quotes from audio:

"There are some among us who would confuse the united order with socialism. That is a serious misunderstanding. It is significant to me that the Prophet Joseph Smith, after attending lectures on socialism in his day, made this official entry in the Church history: “I said I did not believe the doctrine” (Joseph Smith, History of the Church 6:33)."

"Compulsory benevolence is not charity. Today’s socialists–who call themselves egalitarians–are using the federal government to redistribute wealth in our society, not as a matter of voluntary charity, but as a so-called matter of right."

"Today the party now in power is advocating and has support, apparently in both major parties, for a comprehensive national health insurance program–a euphemism for socialized medicine. Our major danger is that we are currently (and have been for forty years) transferring responsibility from the individual, local, and state governments to the federal government–precisely the same course that led to the economic collapse in Great Britain and New York City. We cannot long pursue the present trend without its bringing us to national insolvency." (italics added)

"Edmund Burke, the great British political philosopher, warned of the threat of economic equality. He said,

A perfect equality will indeed be produced–that is to say, equal wretchedness, equal beggary, and on the part of the petitioners, a woeful, helpless, and desperate disappointment. Such is the event of all compulsory equalizations. They pull down what is above; they never raise what is below; and they depress high and low together beneath the level of what was originally the lowest."

Me again: Today's recent discussion on socialized medicine motivated this post. We have been warned against all socialism. Today's proponents of socialized medicine think they are helping the poor by making health care more accessible. And it sounds pretty good, but it's not the way it is supposed to be. Charities and church's are supposed to care for the needy, it was never intended that government should take care of the poor. Government sponsored welfare enslaves the recipients and robs others of opportunities to reach out and help those in need.

Socialized medicine is not the answer to our health care mess.