It appears that universal healthcare is the latest policy trend in Singapore. The SDP is for universal healthcare. The PAP is also for universal healthcare with the implementation of Medishield Life.
On the surface, it seems good. Yes sure, why not the government, with so much money in its reserves, spend some of the money to help the poor and less well off?
But have we taken a step back to look at the potential negative, far reaching and long term consequences when such a policy is implemented?
Have both the PAP and the SDP taken a step back to take a hard look at how universal healthcare might affect individual freedom, especially this is what the SDP constantly says to be most concerned about?
Let me start off by correcting two popularly held misconceptions.It is untrue that the more dependent you are on the government, the more freedom you have. It is also untrue that the more caring a government, the more freedom you have, because a caring government would make you dependent on it.
Look at the reasons behind voting certain parties during the last General Election in 2011.
Why did a majority of the civil servants vote for the PAP? Because they are dependent on the PAP led government for their jobs and the unfounded fear that the government might fire them out of retribution if they voted for the Opposition.Root of the problem? Dependency.
Why did some residents in working class estates voted for the PAP? Because some hold the misconception that the PAP-led government would take away their houses if they voted for the Opposition.Others voted for the PAP for fear that their estates would not be upgraded if they voted otherwise. Root of the problem? Dependency.
Why did some residents in middle class estates vote for the PAP? Because of the fear that once the PAP is gone the quality of government run services,especially the government schools would never be the same as before. Root of the problem? Dependency on the government for essential services.
What can be seen? Individual rights,such as the right to vote the party of one’s choice and the desire for checks and balance surrendered. Because of fear, founded or not, rooted in this relationship of dependency with the government.
Universal healthcare does not make people free. It makes people dependent. This is a matter of fact,not opinion. The people who benefit from this dependency are not you, the people but the government that imposes this state of dependency,which would erode the little freedoms that you have left.
Universal healthcare can also be summed up with another word – feudalism. How does a feudal system work? During the medieval times, the noble and ruling class would own land. The common folk would be allowed to use the land for agriculture. In exchange for this land and protection, the common folk would have to give up a portion of his/her harvest as tribute. If there is no tribute,the common folk would risk having the land taken away.
That is how universal healthcare works. You give up a portion of wealth,by force of law,in exchange for healthcare. If you refuse to give up that portion,you will be hauled to court. The SDP’s healthcare policy paper said so. If you disagree with the policies and positions by whichever party that implements universal healthcare, your dependency would be played upon by being told that “the other party” would leave you rot in your illness without health insurance once they take power,just as what the Left-wing parties and politicians are doing in the West every election.
Or the PAP style of cutting off a particular “public good” to the voters who vote against them.
This system does not give you freedom or democracy. It allows the rulers to put the ruled in chains.
Even if the current group of SDP politicians are caring,you cannot discount the possibility of the SDP going rogue and using universal healthcare as a control tool.After all, SDP is made up of humans, not saints or angels.
The choice is yours and I hope that you would choose to flee from dependency by saying no to universal healthcare.
Albert Lim