February 16: Late Post, Adamant, Surplus Population

I meant to post early this morning.  I swear I did.  But work and other obligations interfered with my ability to sit down and perform the task of posting.  I know it's only a couple of keystrokes, but I've been going solid all day.  I also know that my disciples have gotten used to my morning reflections.  Sorry.  It just didn't happen today.

That being said, I would like to talk about one of my favorite passages in A Christmas Carol.  It's the Ghost of Christmas Present chastising Scrooge for making his flippant comment about decreasing the "surplus population."  It's Ebenezer Scrooge at his Tea Party best.  The Ghost takes him to task:

"Man," said the Ghost, "if man you be in heart, not adamant, forbear that wicked cant until you have discovered What the surplus is, and Where it is.  Will you decide what men shall live, what men shall die?  It may be, that in the sight of Heaven, you are more worthless and less fit to live than millions like this poor man's child.  Oh God! to hear the Insect on the leaf pronouncing on the too much life among his hungry brothers in the dust!"

This little speech proves to me that Charles Dickens would have been a big supporter of universal health care.  I work for a fairly large health care system in the United States.  I see the kind of health care that poor people receive compared to the kind of health care that wealthier people receive.  And I also am witness to people so far under water with medical debt that they lose their houses.  If that doesn't make you angry, then you, like Scrooge, may have a heart of adamant.

I can't do anything to change this system.  Health insurance companies and hospitals have too much political power.  That's why the United States doesn't have medical care like Great Britain or Canada or France.  There's way too many interest groups with very deep pockets for any sweeping change to occur.

In the mean time, poor people with sick kids struggle to survive,  just like Bob Cratchit.  And the Scrooges of the world continue to make tons of money off of the surplus population.  There's something wrong with this picture.  Health care shouldn't be a commodity.  Health care should be a commitment.

If any presidential candidate wants to get my attention, let him or her talk about a commitment to free health care for all the Tiny Tims of the world.

Whoever does that has Saint Marty's vote.

Anybody got a cure?