Die, fat guy! Brits' policy is future of Obamacare

In January, 2009, Rush Limbaugh was contacted by what he described as a major print publication regarding his wishes for new president Barack Obama. "Dear Rush: For the Obama Inauguration we are asking a handful of very prominent politicians, statesmen, scholars, businessmen, commentators, and economists to write 400 words on their hope for the Obama presidency. We would love to include you. If you could send us 400 words on your hope for the Obama presidency. …"

To that Rush famously responded: "OK, I'll send you a response, but I don't need 400 words, I need four: I hope he fails."

Naturally, the press, political and pundit class went nuts. Yet we knew exactly what he meant, and we agreed. But Obama hasn't failed – just the opposite. By all accounting, his presidency has been a smashing success.

His greatest accomplishment is the government takeover of the finest health-care system in the history of the world. Others have suggested and even attempted it, but Obama is the only president to pull off the scam of single-payer socialized health-care in America with the implementation of Obamacare.

You may say that Obamacare is not single-payer and not government-run, and you'd be mostly correct – not yet. But Obama has already begun floating the idea of a "public option" to compete with exchanges in certain areas of the country. This will simply be the next step to the vision of top-down single-payer health care. If nothing changes – it is inevitable.

But many have asked – how bad would that really be? At least everyone would be covered – no more fighting with insurance carriers – a one stop shop, as it were. Sounds great, doesn't it?

If we want to know just how great it will be, we don't have to imagine – we merely have to look at nations further along the socialized medicine track than we are – say, Great Britain. They have a rock-solid, fully socialized health-care system. So, how's it doing?

Well, it turns out that all is not so rosy in jolly ole England, as just a few days ago the Daily Mail reported that, "Obese patients and smokers are to be barred from nearly ALL operations in 'the most severe policy the modern NHS [National Health Service] has ever seen.'"

Yes, you read it correctly. Smokers and those with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or more will no longer be allowed to have routine operations. Government funding cuts are to blame for these new surgery dictates.

However, a government spokesman said, "A number of considerations are taken by health services outside of costs when considering the decision to operate," and that, "Cancer patients and those with conditions which could become life-threatening will not be included, and surgery will not be postponed if exceptional circumstances can be shown."

Well, that doesn't sound scary at all. What are these "other considerations"? What are these "exceptional circumstances," and to whom and by whom will they be shown? Is there some sort of approved list of exceptions and who makes the decision to proceed or not? This sounds very familiar, just like – that's right – Fabian Socialism.

"I think it would be a good thing to make everybody come before a properly appointed board, just as he might come before the income tax commissioner, and say every five years, or every seven years, just put them there, and say, now sir or madam, now will you be kind enough to justify your existence? If you're not producing as much as you consume or perhaps a little more, then clearly we cannot use the big organization of our society for the purpose of keeping you alive, because your life does not benefit us, and it can't be of very much use to yourself." (George Bernard Shaw – Fabian Socialist)

Is it just my recollection or did someone, years ago, stand before the entire nation and warn of "Death Panels"? And recall what happened to Sarah Palin, who bravely spoke the truth. She was pilloried for daring to reveal the future of Obamacare ahead of schedule.

But here we are, in present-day England, and they effectively have just that – a panel, or such, of bureaucrats who will decide weather you will be "permitted" to have an operation – and eventually who lives and dies. We must decline your request for that procedure, Mr. Obese Guy, but thank you so much for paying confiscatory taxes to support socialized medicine all these years. Here's a pill to help with the pain.

Don't for a second kid yourself thinking that won't happen here. Darn right it will. We're no different from the Brits. They are just further along.

Since garnering so much negative attention, the "British health authority which suggested it would deny non-life threatening surgery to the obese and smokers has said it will put its proposals on hold." Notice they didn't withdraw – just put "on hold," postponing the inevitable, until the heat is off, and then reintroducing it.

So let's just keep repeating that this won't happen here – right, because we're so much smarter than the British.