King George's Ownership Society

In his State of the Union tonight, President Bush is set to discuss health care initiatives, specifically health savings accounts "which allow people to set aside tax-free dollars to cover medical expenses". To me, this just sounds too similar to his misguided (and destroyed) Social Security proposal from last year. Now look, I know the conservatives supposedly hate the government controlling all aspects of our lives (except when interfering in a family's personal suffering, telling people who they can and can't marry, etc, etc) and that's all well and good (if practiced correctly), but there are basic things in a modern, civilized society that the government should help to provide for its citizens. Social Security is one. Medical coverage is another. And yet these are things that the President thinks should be made private and left to such random factors as 'market forces'. No one wants the government running our lives, but to help provide for the health of its citizens is a no-brainer, not sending them off to save money they don't have to 'shop around' for privatized medical care. If the government can't even do that, then what good are they? Asking people to take personal responsibility is one thing; asking them to save money they don't have is another. The only people this plan will benefit are likely the ones who already have adequate coverage or savings.

Greg Saunders tackles this issue, stating that "Only a rich kid like the King George would ever think [that] it makes perfect sense for Americans to save up for something they can’t afford". He continues by reposting an earlier entry he did when the President made similar proposals-

I wonder if Bush has ever had to lay all his bills out on the kitchen table and figure out which ones he can pay immediately and which ones can wait until the next paycheck? Or if he’s ever lived in an overcrowded apartment with hand-me-down furniture, eating the same thing six days a week because it’s cheaper? Or if he’s ever had to settle for a job slightly less shitty than the one he had in high school because there weren’t any jobs in the field he majored in? Of if he’s gone through the process of figuring out which generic brand products at the grocery store are as good as the name brands and which ones aren’t?

As most of you know, I’m not just describing poverty here. This is normal life for many Americans. Some live paycheck to paycheck, while others are able to pinch enough pennies to save a few bucks. Either way, most people don’t have thousands of dollars to spare.

Practically speaking, savings accounts for retirement and heath care a huge mistake, but for entirely separate reasons. With the latter, the rub is that health care is expensive. Let’s say you have an medical emergency with costs in the $20-30K range. How long would it take you to save that much? A few years? Even with the vague incentives, we’re still looking at a plan that’s the equivalent of asking every American to buy a new car that he/she may never drive.

Bingo. And that's what an 'ownership society' means in King George's world.

[Related- Budget to Hurt Poor People on Medicaid, Report Says]