Unintentional Malpractice or Calculated Scam?

By Richard Cheatham, Press Media Group

Let’s consider two doctors. One treats your troubling symptoms but can’t figure out what the root cause of those symptoms might be even though the illness is classic, well-known to medical science for a long time and easily diagnosed. To make matters worse, the medicines and treatments he’s providing are causing unexpected (by him) side effects more dangerous than the original problems. I’d say this guy is guilty of malpractice.

Now consider another doctor who knows precisely what’s going on. He knows the disease well. This guy prescribes medicines and treatments that minimize the symptoms while intentionally creating new and predictable problems. In fact, his efforts do nothing to get you well, but insure that you’ll continue returning to him with additional complaints. I’d say this guy is guilty of something far worse than malpractice.

The first guy is incompetent and the second one is both competent and evil. If you can’t see parallels between these two examples and contemporary American politics, then you haven’t been watching politics closely enough. This is not a new phenomena.

American politics (perhaps all politics) is typically a game of manipulation. Politicians functioning as (bad) doctors treat symptoms first and foremost rather than the underlying disease because that practice gets and keeps them elected. They seem to be “needed” that way. The worst of them also make sure that their treatments of symptoms actually and intentionally plant seeds for future diseases (crises). This classic and effective system keeps the political elite in power indefinitely.

Hiding real costs and side effects of any particular governmental action is at the core of politics. In some cases the many costs and consequences are not known by politicians. In other cases, they are well-known and well hidden.

One of the big secrets of politics is that government has no magic potion that solves problems other than force and threats (and they are not magical). As government produces nothing, it must take in order to give. Patients going to government for cures can only be given plunder taken from others who were harmed. Perhaps you feel “other people owe you something.” You might just be perfect for the plunder game...that is, until you end up the prey rather than the predator.

The political elite constantly fiddles with and manipulates the law and government regulations, mandates, prohibitions and subsidies addressing complaints from patients (citizens) with symptoms. They pretend to “do good” and to “correct problems.” In fact, what they do is create future problems that they’ll be called upon to “fix.”

Fraud and conspiracy might well be seen as the primary functions of most in Congress. Perhaps, rather than comparing politicians to doctors, I should’ve compared them to witch doctors and snake oil salesmen. I suspect you know the old cliche... “if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”

©2006 by Richard A. Cheatham. All rights reserved. Mr.Cheatham is a professional speaker/writer and is syndicated through Press Media Group, LLC. Contact him through, Living History Assoc., Ltd., at www.LHALtd.com or DrawBackVeil@aol.com.