"I'm very pleased that (Democratic leaders) will be talking, too, about the immoral profits being made by the insurance industry and how those profits have increased in the Bush years." -House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
It should be more than evident by now that the socialist mindset has stepped from the shadows and boldly thumps its chest in the bright glare of the sun. For elected politicians in a capitalist republic to utter such phrases should be cause for alarm in every American but sadly, far too many have bought into the lies that will ultimately be their own ruination. By fostering a deep-seated hatred of those who do business for profit, Democrats have initiated a dangerous spiral which has begun to take on the damaging traits of a huge vortex from which we may find it difficult, if not impossible, to escape. When the argument is made that health care providers and insurers are greedy, heartless cretins who shamelessly make money, people have a detached propensity to simply nod in agreement. When the claim is "bolstered" by false statements, few bother to check their veracity.
Nancy Pelosi's quote above is but one of many examples. There is also this from Congressman Chris Van Hollen (D-MD):
"Keeping the status quo may be what the insurance industry wants [since] their premiums have more than doubled in the last decade and their profits have skyrocketed."The problem is, both statements are simply not true. According to the Associated Press, health insurers as a whole posted an anemic 2.2% profit margin last year. While it is true that premiums have doubled since 2003, that increase hasn't translated to "profits skyrocketing" for the industry. On the contrary, according to Calvin Woodward of the AP, "Profits barely exceeded 2 percent of revenues in the latest annual measure. This partly explains why the credit ratings of some of the largest insurers were downgraded to negative from stable heading into this year, as investors were warned of a stagnant if not shrinking market for private plans".
The truly disturbing aspect in all of this, however, is not so much the treachery involved in trying to ram socialized medicine down our throats but more to the vilification of capitalism in and of itself. We constantly hear of the "obscene profits" of the oil industry and the health care industry has now joined that parade. It is simply disgusting, we are told, that someone would have the temerity to actually benefit from the sale for profit of life's necessities. But let's examine another industry that eludes a similar scrutiny.
Water is without a doubt the number one necessity for the survival of man, and it is abundant and easily accessible for most. Yet there is a very lucrative market where corporations sell water in bottles and make a fortune. The bottled water industry enjoys profit margins of anywhere from 50 and 200 percent. Yet, politicians do not consider this immoral or obscene, most likely because there is no political capital in attacking an industry that is off the radar of the citizenry.
It is frightening when Marxist vernacular emerges in those we choose to run this nation, and "immoral profits" is typical of a Marxist mentality. It should never have crept into the American lexicon at all. Sphere: Related Content
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