For the last two years, the main talking point of the Republican party has been to attack Obamacare as unconstitutional and wrong for America. The argument is a strong one and as it gets repeated day in and day out on every news outlet in America, it seems unnecessary to repeat the viewpoint here. The Democrats who whole-heatedly support Obamacare have numerous talking points they use to counter the GOP. They are also overused and you know them by heart. But there is one of these retorts I want to focus on and that is when Democrats say that if we don’t have this “Affordable Care Act” the poor will die because they don’t have health insurance. The Republicans will counter this argument by saying that there is no history in America of people dying because they didn’t have insurance – hospitals will always take care of the sick before asking any questions about payment for services. The Republicans will also say that Americans need to take responsibility for themselves and purchase health insurance if they desire the coverage and if they can’t afford it, there are thousands of private charities in this country who will step up to help.
Here is where the hypocrisy makes its appearance. The GOP, who proudly claim to support not only fiscal conservatism but personal responsibility, are the cheerleaders supporting increased unconstitutional government “charity” to foreigners in the country of Israel. Their excuses vary, but the fact remains: they are ideologically inconsistent to support using taxpayer dollars to help fund the Israeli military and government, yet attack the idea of spending money on a government-run health insurance program at home. Let’s examine some of the similarities between these two handout schemes:
#1: Both Israeli foreign aid and Obamacare are examples of government charity. There is no authority in the US Constitution for either. It is as unfair and immoral to force the taxpayer to pay for their neighbor’s health care expenses as it is to force them to pay to equip the Israeli military or boost the Israeli economy.
#2: Republicans ask: “what will Israel do without our financial assistance?” Similarly, the Democrats ask: “what will the poor do without healthcare?” These politicians are asking the same question: “if the working taxpayers of America don’t fork over their hard-earned money so I can waste it on unconstitutional handout programs, how will I get reelected?”
#3: Special interest groups and lobbyists dominate both viewpoints.
AIPAC, “America’s Pro-Israel Lobby”, makes sure that politicians who support their goals get big campaign contributions, whereas those who are viewed as “hostile” can be sure that AIPAC will direct campaign contributions to their political opponents. The leadership is made up of Jewish-Americans who care more about the land of their ancestors than America, and fundamentalist Christians who have let their love of Israel overpower the message of Christ. The whole organization tends to put the interests of Israel before the USA. Former CIA director Michael Scheuer has labeled people with this mindset “Israel Firsters” as opposed to the America Firsters of the 1940′s.
Then there are the multitudes of left-wing groups who support Obamacare, many with funding from big wig members of the Democrat Party like George Soros, Peter Lewis and Ted Turner. Among these groups are MoveOn.org, Health Care for America NOW! and Center for American Progress.
Both causes have their lobbyists who, by injection of cash and political promises, guarantee that taxpayer dollars will be used to further their agendas.
#4: This is perhaps the most important one – WE’RE BROKE! We’re borrowing 40 cents out of every dollar we spend and the idea that we can continue vast welfarism at home or abroad is insane! If we don’t stop this out of control spending on our own volition now, there will be a time in the not so distant future that we will be forced to stop – when our economy and currency collapse.
In conclusion, I want to make a final point regarding the US-Israel relationship. Just because I say we should stop giving money to Israel (and every other country for that matter) does NOT mean I am an anti-semite or that I am anti-Israel. No more than it means a Republican opposed to Obamacare wants a young man without health insurance to die. When Republicans lower themselves to these Democrat-like mudslinging accusations of anti-semitism, they do a great disservice, especially to the conservative movement.
I purpose that we be friendly to Israel, talk and trade with them, wish them the best, allow them to have sovereignty and MAKE THEIR OWN DECISIONS. The part of our “pro-Israel foreign policy” that isn’t talked about is the fact that Israel has to ask us for permission to do various things, especially in relation to military action. I say let them make their own decisions, some will be good and some will be bad, but they are not an American territory, they should be able to make decisions for themselves that don’t always have to benefit us. As conservative author Russell Kirk said, “Not seldom has it seemed as if some eminent Neoconservatives mistook Tel Aviv for the capital of the United States.” Kirk was right, it’s time we reverse our backwards policy and worry about our own problems, of which there are many.