No one disputes the fact that the health care system in the United States has problems. Despite the fact that it remains the best in the world, much can and needs to be improved. I don’t think, however, that nationalizing is the answer. Here are a few reasons why.

There is no level playing field when the government enters an industry for which it sets the rules of operation. Despite Obama’s promise that a nationalized plan will simply be one among many options for American citizens, a government plan will destroy the private health insurance sector. It has been likened to a Trojan Horse in that it is introduced as a competing option but will ultimately change the entire system to single-payer, that being you and me, the American tax payer. And if the public education system in America is any indication of what a government monopoly does to a given sector, that will be a disaster.

This, of course, is assuming that the Federal government would even have sufficient revenue to pay for such a system. Once again, despite the rhetoric from the White House, there is NO MONEY for nationalized health care, and there will be no money in the foreseeable future given a deficit that is expanding faster than the visible universe. There is already no money for the current medical entitlements that the Federal government has committed itself to, so how does President Obama intend on financing his multi-trillian dollar health care initiative? The CBO’s preliminary estimates are that current nationalized health care legislation would cost up to $2 trillion over 10 years, with most of that being borrowed money. This same legislation would still leave millions of Americans without health care. And when was the last time that the government spent less than what it projected it would spend? The truth is that a nationalized option would grossly increase the burden of debt passed to American citizens in the form of new taxes and inflation without even accomplishing its utopia-ized vision of health care for everyone. It is farce, typical of political propaganda.

Furthermore, if we take a cue from other countries where the health care system was socialized we will learn its dirty secrets. Doctors will make less money leading to fewer people entering the medical profession. This will lead to a general lack of doctors and thus a rationing of care, with the government being the determining body of who gets what kind of care and how and when. The overall quality of health care in America will plummet, and we will fall behind in innovation and the advancement of medical science. In short, when the government takes over the costs go up and the quality goes down.

But perhaps the most dangerous aspect is more philosophical than practical. It has to do with the general role that the federal government plays in American life. The founders of our country did not envision a system where the people relied on the government for everything. Quite the opposite, the government, established by the people and for the people, exists to preserve and protect liberty, freedom, security, human rights, and individuality. Our country is great because it is a place where the individual has the right to pursue happiness and success through creativity and hard work. When you socialize, you essentially destroy the human spirit. Those who achieve become less inclined to do so, and those who don’t have no incentive to try. Meanwhile, a bloated federal government, dominated by special interests and political self-survival, remains corrupt and inefficient.

There are a whole host of other problems with nationalized health care. These above are just a sample. To learn more about this topic from a conservative perspective, consider the Heritage Foundation’s research center in general and their article on the Kennedy Health Bill in particular.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want this government in control of one more apsect of American life, especially one so important as health care. There are other options available besdies nationalizing. We the people simply need to let our elected officials know that we want them to be considered.