I am often asked to speak at different venues about our healthcare system. Just this last weekend, I was privileged to speak at the Awakening 2013 on the perils of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as "Obamacare." My efforts in these talks are to show the economic impossibility of adopting such a measure. Our elected officials have a long history of initiating programs that provide things to the people that never seem to work out exactly the way it was planned. Our Medicare system, when inaugurated in 1965, was projected to cost nine billion dollars in 1990; the actual cost was over ten times that, at 110 billion dollars. Currently, the cost is over 500 billion dollars, and the program is rapidly approaching insolvency. Obamacare then takes this bankrupt system and robs it of another 700 billion dollars. The real problem here is that politicians can pass legislation now with enormous costs later, when they will no longer be in office. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is now the largest item in the Federal budget; the politicians who legislated this in 1965 are far removed from the scene. Likewise, the long-term disastrous consequences of Obamacare will not be experienced by those who pushed the law through.
So I can show you with math and tables and charts why something like this is unworkable, and I can do it using the government's own numbers. The harder task is to try and explain to the average American why getting something for free from the government is a bad thing. They assume that if the government provides it, the government can afford it. They really aren't concerned about how the government pays for it. There are really basically only three choices. The government can raise money through taxes, which takes money now from productive workers. The government can borrow money, which is a lien on future taxpayers' earnings. Finally, the government can print money, which leads to inflation and robs every American of their wealth. These simple concepts seem to be beyond many of the voters who choose to elect politicians who will reward them for their vote with free things, whether it be a health insurance subsidy, food stamps, cell phones, or housing. For some, they may understand that increased taxation may harm others, but that doesn't change the fact that they are getting something for free.
As Milton Friedman famously said, "There's no such thing as a free lunch." For one person to receive something for free, something must be taken from someone else. Only our government has that power, to forcibly take from one to give to another. The person who is taxed loses the freedom to choose what they would do with their money and what they would spend it on. The giving of "free" things actually leads to a loss of economic "freedom." The United States is tenth on the list of economically free countries, behind others such as Singapore, Hong Kong, and even Chile. Money given to the government for public use must be taken from the hands of those in the private sector, and those people would have used it for other uses, including spending for goods that are produced, thereby creating jobs in other people's businesses, creating jobs in their own businesses, and even giving to charity.
Eventually the socialized redistribution fails. Margaret Thatcher, the former Prime Minister of Britain who passed away earlier this month, stated, "Socialist governments traditionally do make a financial mess. They always run out of other people's money." Over and over again we have seen the failure of socialism. Yet there is a powerful drive for this redistribution. A Gallup poll last week showed that over half of Americans would like to see wealth redistributed by governmental taxation. The history of socialism and redistribution seems to repeat itself endlessly. The driving forces are a public that demands free things at the expense of others and politicians who provide those things in return for voter support. Both ignore the economic consequences, either because they do not comprehend them or they disregard them as not affecting them. The recipient does not feel affected by the higher taxes on another, and the politician will be absent when the redistribution program fails.
It can be demonstrated that current healthcare policy is already mathematically bankrupt and unsustainable. It can be reliably shown that socialist redistribution ultimately fails. Both demonstrations do not convince those would continue these approaches. What else is left?
Nowhere in the Word of God is there support for such an approach. The Bible is full of admonitions to help the poor, the needy, the widows and orphans. This is to be done with a generous and charitable heart. Those in need are to pray to God for their needs, and the people of God are to give freely to them. God then blesses both parties. He blesses those whose needs were met. As for the giver, Acts 20:35 tells us that Jesus said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive." Proverbs 22:9 states, "He who has a generous eye will be blessed, for he gives of his bread to the poor." When we turn this business over to the government, this whole three-way relationship is broken, and all the blessings turn into entitlements and obligations. The radio host Bernard Meltzer said, "Blessed are those who give without remembering. And blessed are those who take without forgetting."
The socialist redistribution scheme promises free things, but takes freedom away from the giver, the recipient, and the country at large. The recipient is now in bondage to the state, dependent on it for his needs. The taxpayer is in bondage, surrendering his economic freedom. And the government now removes economic choices from all of us, rendering our economy less free. Most people these days will trade their freedom for security. The land of free things is not the land of the free.
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Sunday, April 14, 2013
The Dark Holes
At the conclusion of the Second World War, the Korean peninsula was divided into the North and South Koreas. The original leader of North Korea was Kim il-Sung, known as the "Eternal Leader." He died in 1994, leaving his son to become the next president: Kim Jong-il, who is referred to as the "Dear Leader." Together, these two men formed the basis for a national pseudo-religion known as Juche, where in effect Kim il-Sung is the Father, Kim Jong-il is the Son, and the third member of their trinity is the Spirit of the People. Kim Jong-il died in 2011, and now his son, Kim Jong-un has become the president. He is around thirty years old.
Much has been made in the recent news about two aspects of North Korea and its military capabilities. The first is its nuclear weapons program. North Korea has tested three nuclear bombs since 2006. The second is its missile program. They have tested both medium and long-range missiles, and are expected to fire off a couple of medium range Musudan missiles soon, perhaps even tomorrow as the country celebrates the birthday of founder Kim il-Sung. Our Defense Intelligence Agency has determined that it is likely that the North Koreans have developed a nuclear device small enough to fit onto one of their missiles. The North Koreans have spent the last several years extracting foreign aid from America in return for not developing nuclear weapons, which they did anyway, and now have threatened us with nuclear attacks. Presumably, they want more money. Which will fund their programs.
North Koreans are shorter than South Koreans. The North Korean men are 1-1/2 to 3 inches shorter than their South Korean counterparts. This is seen when a few North Korean refugees manage to slip over the border into South Korea, and is due to widespread malnutrition. There was a significant famine in the 1990's, and much of the country's money is spent on the military. Here is a picture of the Korean peninsula at night:
You can see the vast difference in modern light and electrification in the Communist North Korea versus the free South Korea.
While the world looks at North Korea as a country run by aggressive and not-quite-sane leaders, in that dark hole live probably no more than 200,000 Christians in a country of twenty-five million people. For eleven years in a row, North Korea has been the most dangerous place to be a Christian. Because of the nature of the state ideology of Juche, most North Koreans have never heard the name of Jesus Christ. The few that do believe in Him do so at great risk to themselves. They hide their Bibles and meet secretly in fellow believers' houses. Their is no open practice of Christianity. If you are exposed as a Christian, you may very well be publicly executed. Three generations of your family will be punished. In 2010, twenty-three members of a house church were arrested and the three leaders were executed. The remainder were sent to penal work camps. In a country that is so secretive, it is difficult to say for sure, but there may be as many as 100,000 Christians in these camps.
In America, we see much erosion of the Judeo-Christian principles that once embodied our highest ideals. Christianity is often scorned, and Christians are derided as having outdated values. However pressed we may feel, it is nothing compared to true Christian persecution. This persecution began with Christ Himself and is nothing new. The earliest Christians were fed to lions, killed for sport, and used as human torches to light the gardens of Nero according to the Roman historian Tacitus. For the last two thousand years, Christians have faced persecution and death in various corners of the world. There is an excellent organization, Voice of the Martyrs (www.Persecution.com) that describes the ongoing tribulations faced by Christians around the world today. It was founded by a pastor who was imprisoned in Romania for fourteen years for his faith.
This weekend there is a conference in Oviedo, Florida, called The Awakening 2013, "Fighting for the Soul of America". It is hosted by Liberty Counsel at the First Baptist Church of Oviedo. The program begins Friday night at six-thirty and runs on Saturday from 9:00 to 5:30. There are many important speakers there, including Representative Michele Bachmann. I will be among the lesser-known speakers there, and will be bringing copies of my book, Surviving the Suffering should anyone desire to purchase one. In that book there is a chapter devoted to Suffering for Christ, for those who are undergoing Christian persecution. But there is an even better reason to come to the event. On Friday night one of the speakers is a Liberty Counsel attorney, Harry Mihet. Like the founder of Voice of the Martyrs, he is from Romania, and his talk is entitled "The American Dream Through the Eyes of a Boy Behind the Iron Curtain." I have heard his story, and it is powerfully moving. For more information on the conference, you can go to www.theAwakeningUSA.com.
So remember, when you read in the news in the next few weeks about the threats against the United States made by North Korea that there are very real threats faced by our Christian brothers and sisters within North Korea. They are dedicating their lives to being that shining light in a land of darkness, even at the risk of their lives. They, like so many others around the world, need our prayers. A good time to offer those prayers would be when you are comfortably and safely seated in church, free from the threat of bondage and death for simply being there.
Much has been made in the recent news about two aspects of North Korea and its military capabilities. The first is its nuclear weapons program. North Korea has tested three nuclear bombs since 2006. The second is its missile program. They have tested both medium and long-range missiles, and are expected to fire off a couple of medium range Musudan missiles soon, perhaps even tomorrow as the country celebrates the birthday of founder Kim il-Sung. Our Defense Intelligence Agency has determined that it is likely that the North Koreans have developed a nuclear device small enough to fit onto one of their missiles. The North Koreans have spent the last several years extracting foreign aid from America in return for not developing nuclear weapons, which they did anyway, and now have threatened us with nuclear attacks. Presumably, they want more money. Which will fund their programs.
North Koreans are shorter than South Koreans. The North Korean men are 1-1/2 to 3 inches shorter than their South Korean counterparts. This is seen when a few North Korean refugees manage to slip over the border into South Korea, and is due to widespread malnutrition. There was a significant famine in the 1990's, and much of the country's money is spent on the military. Here is a picture of the Korean peninsula at night:
You can see the vast difference in modern light and electrification in the Communist North Korea versus the free South Korea.
While the world looks at North Korea as a country run by aggressive and not-quite-sane leaders, in that dark hole live probably no more than 200,000 Christians in a country of twenty-five million people. For eleven years in a row, North Korea has been the most dangerous place to be a Christian. Because of the nature of the state ideology of Juche, most North Koreans have never heard the name of Jesus Christ. The few that do believe in Him do so at great risk to themselves. They hide their Bibles and meet secretly in fellow believers' houses. Their is no open practice of Christianity. If you are exposed as a Christian, you may very well be publicly executed. Three generations of your family will be punished. In 2010, twenty-three members of a house church were arrested and the three leaders were executed. The remainder were sent to penal work camps. In a country that is so secretive, it is difficult to say for sure, but there may be as many as 100,000 Christians in these camps.
In America, we see much erosion of the Judeo-Christian principles that once embodied our highest ideals. Christianity is often scorned, and Christians are derided as having outdated values. However pressed we may feel, it is nothing compared to true Christian persecution. This persecution began with Christ Himself and is nothing new. The earliest Christians were fed to lions, killed for sport, and used as human torches to light the gardens of Nero according to the Roman historian Tacitus. For the last two thousand years, Christians have faced persecution and death in various corners of the world. There is an excellent organization, Voice of the Martyrs (www.Persecution.com) that describes the ongoing tribulations faced by Christians around the world today. It was founded by a pastor who was imprisoned in Romania for fourteen years for his faith.
This weekend there is a conference in Oviedo, Florida, called The Awakening 2013, "Fighting for the Soul of America". It is hosted by Liberty Counsel at the First Baptist Church of Oviedo. The program begins Friday night at six-thirty and runs on Saturday from 9:00 to 5:30. There are many important speakers there, including Representative Michele Bachmann. I will be among the lesser-known speakers there, and will be bringing copies of my book, Surviving the Suffering should anyone desire to purchase one. In that book there is a chapter devoted to Suffering for Christ, for those who are undergoing Christian persecution. But there is an even better reason to come to the event. On Friday night one of the speakers is a Liberty Counsel attorney, Harry Mihet. Like the founder of Voice of the Martyrs, he is from Romania, and his talk is entitled "The American Dream Through the Eyes of a Boy Behind the Iron Curtain." I have heard his story, and it is powerfully moving. For more information on the conference, you can go to www.theAwakeningUSA.com.
So remember, when you read in the news in the next few weeks about the threats against the United States made by North Korea that there are very real threats faced by our Christian brothers and sisters within North Korea. They are dedicating their lives to being that shining light in a land of darkness, even at the risk of their lives. They, like so many others around the world, need our prayers. A good time to offer those prayers would be when you are comfortably and safely seated in church, free from the threat of bondage and death for simply being there.
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Tool Time
As cardiac surgeons, we are not people known for patience. Surgeons, and cardiac surgeons in particular, are people who want to see the results of their work right now. Often, we can see immediate improvement in someone's heart after we have fixed a valve or restored circulation to blocked arteries. Sometimes, our patients are so sick that even in the intensive care unit while having the usual postoperative pain, they still feel better than before the surgery. We can see improvement in their hearts in minutes and in their overall condition within hours.
Other physicians are the more patient type, often treating chronic illnesses over years. Improvement is measured in weeks or months. I myself have a dry eye condition that requires that I use eye drops. The eye doctor told me that it would take six to nine months before I would see any improvement. That certainly is too slow for my liking.
One of the rewards of being a Christian and a heart surgeon is that I am a tool. In our day and time, that concept would repel many people. We are a culture based on autonomy and self-direction. People want to be in charge of everything and would never want to be used to achieve someone else's purposes. However I think that for the Christian, one of the highest rewards in life is for the Lord to use us as one of His tools. I find it ironic that as a Christian heart surgeon I have my own set of instruments which I use, and God in turn uses me as an instrument. God is the author of all healing, the Supreme Physician, and he uses sutures and forceps and scalpels and heart surgeons. This is a temporary necessity; when Christ returns there won't be any need for heart surgeons in the New Jerusalem.
All of us can be used by the Lord in some way. We are all expected to bear fruit. For us impatient types, it can be frustrating to not see immediate results in this arena. God's timetable is not our own. We do not get to see what He is doing behind the scenes. We plant a seed, and nothing seems to happen. What is dangerous about this expectancy is that we translate delay into futility. Because we do not see an immediate effect, we assume our efforts were a waste of time. The Bible warns us against this in John 4:36-38 when Jesus instructs His disciples: "And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. For in this the saying is true: 'One sows and another reaps.' I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors."
I was overwhelmingly blessed in the last few weeks by a few people. About five years ago I met a fellow about my age who needed heart surgery. I offered to pray with him the day before surgery, as I do with all of my patients. The majority of people are very receptive and happy to do this. Yet some are indifferent, and make comments such as, "Well, go ahead if it makes you feel better." Very, very rarely does someone outright refuse to have a prayer said with them or for them, but it has happened from time to time. Although this particular patient agreed, I really couldn't tell how he felt about it.
I see this man from time to time, and was talking to him the other day when he told me that moment five years ago had changed his life. He had gotten away from his faith, but had returned to it as a sincere Christian. I was dumbfounded. I had no idea that our brief prayer together years ago had such an effect. God had been working in his life for all of that time, but had chosen to reveal it to me only now.
More blessings occurred when two people tracked me down at different book signings to tell me that my book had profoundly changed their lives for the better. I didn't even know that these people had gotten the book or read it. There is no amount of money you can earn from writing that would in any way compare to the blessing of knowing you had made such a difference.
I must be clear with you that I am not writing this to promote myself as a heart surgeon or author. I am really hoping to encourage you in your work for the Lord. The results may take some time, but the efforts are not futile. You may only see some of your work come to fruition, and many of the seeds you sow will be reaped by others. But when God does give you a glimpse of the fruits of your labors in the lives of others, you will be tremendously blessed. Like me, you may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer, but you will be the happiest tool in the toolbox.
Other physicians are the more patient type, often treating chronic illnesses over years. Improvement is measured in weeks or months. I myself have a dry eye condition that requires that I use eye drops. The eye doctor told me that it would take six to nine months before I would see any improvement. That certainly is too slow for my liking.
One of the rewards of being a Christian and a heart surgeon is that I am a tool. In our day and time, that concept would repel many people. We are a culture based on autonomy and self-direction. People want to be in charge of everything and would never want to be used to achieve someone else's purposes. However I think that for the Christian, one of the highest rewards in life is for the Lord to use us as one of His tools. I find it ironic that as a Christian heart surgeon I have my own set of instruments which I use, and God in turn uses me as an instrument. God is the author of all healing, the Supreme Physician, and he uses sutures and forceps and scalpels and heart surgeons. This is a temporary necessity; when Christ returns there won't be any need for heart surgeons in the New Jerusalem.
All of us can be used by the Lord in some way. We are all expected to bear fruit. For us impatient types, it can be frustrating to not see immediate results in this arena. God's timetable is not our own. We do not get to see what He is doing behind the scenes. We plant a seed, and nothing seems to happen. What is dangerous about this expectancy is that we translate delay into futility. Because we do not see an immediate effect, we assume our efforts were a waste of time. The Bible warns us against this in John 4:36-38 when Jesus instructs His disciples: "And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. For in this the saying is true: 'One sows and another reaps.' I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors."
I was overwhelmingly blessed in the last few weeks by a few people. About five years ago I met a fellow about my age who needed heart surgery. I offered to pray with him the day before surgery, as I do with all of my patients. The majority of people are very receptive and happy to do this. Yet some are indifferent, and make comments such as, "Well, go ahead if it makes you feel better." Very, very rarely does someone outright refuse to have a prayer said with them or for them, but it has happened from time to time. Although this particular patient agreed, I really couldn't tell how he felt about it.
I see this man from time to time, and was talking to him the other day when he told me that moment five years ago had changed his life. He had gotten away from his faith, but had returned to it as a sincere Christian. I was dumbfounded. I had no idea that our brief prayer together years ago had such an effect. God had been working in his life for all of that time, but had chosen to reveal it to me only now.
More blessings occurred when two people tracked me down at different book signings to tell me that my book had profoundly changed their lives for the better. I didn't even know that these people had gotten the book or read it. There is no amount of money you can earn from writing that would in any way compare to the blessing of knowing you had made such a difference.
I must be clear with you that I am not writing this to promote myself as a heart surgeon or author. I am really hoping to encourage you in your work for the Lord. The results may take some time, but the efforts are not futile. You may only see some of your work come to fruition, and many of the seeds you sow will be reaped by others. But when God does give you a glimpse of the fruits of your labors in the lives of others, you will be tremendously blessed. Like me, you may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer, but you will be the happiest tool in the toolbox.
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