Trust

"We lie to each other so much, that there's nothin' left that we trust."

The words of Megadeth. I've been away from my blogging lately, instead engaging in political debate on a number of different Facebook pages (no endorsement intended). But recently, my blogging muse has returned to me. Perhaps these deviations are what recharges my batteries; who knows. For those who are tired of the doom and gloom of modern political debate, this is NOT for you – this will be a discourse on some of our modern problems, and will not be of a cheerful or hopeful nature. But to the rest of you, I hope this is an eye opener – my ultimate purpose in life.

We talk about whether or not we can trust our government to manage our healthcare. And everybody's become so polarized over this issue. But so often, we look at one side of the coin, ignoring the rest (there are at least to sides, plus an edge). I want to increase the level of disclosure here, thus encouraging you to think more deeply regarding these matters. That way, by virtue of our collective intelligence, we can arrive at the best possible solution(s). Ready?

First: the US government. While we'd all like to think that we can trust in our government, reality slaps us hard in the face when it comes to examining this as to whether or not it's actually the case. We need look no farther than recent history – Japanese internment camps incarcerating tax-paying citizens simply because of their genetic make-up, Katrina victims being refused the service we, as Americans, have been contributing money towards for decades in case of an emergency, killing Americans to get back the FEMA trailers they were living in, fleets of jets for congress to fly to the Bahamas to study global warming while snorkeling off the coast, and on and on. When I approached Social Security for medical help when every other form of insurance I'd paid for turned their back on me, they fought me tooth and nail for over three years, rather than provide the help I was entitled to, because I paid for it ahead of time. Your trust is ill-served with your government.

Second: your health insurance. There are far too many stories out there regarding this atrocity; surely, you know of someone injured or killed by denial of service. If you don't, consider yourself lucky, with the foreknowledge that it's only a matter of time before this will impact you. As long as the law requires that paying investors takes priority over providing what you paid for, this system will continue be a death machine. Your trust is in poor company with these companies.

Third: yourself. Yes, you can keep your money in your mattress (don't laugh – it may be safer than many "financial institutions" these days), stashing away a nest egg for that day that you're injured and unable to work. Have you seen the price of medical treatment these days? Good luck with that one. Additionally, this would of course lead to economic genocide, where only the most affluent will live to continue the species. But the argument that insurance is a bad deal; that you're hoping for a disaster in order to recoup your pay-out, is valid. Your trust in yourself is valid, but will be insufficient when that day comes (God help you; may you never need this option).

When someone tells you that they have no trust in one institution or another, be aware of these considerations – they are most likely correct in their warning to you. But as of yet, I've heard no good option to the standard data set – where is there a good option? I do not claim to have the answers, but know that if I help you to see the problems clearly, that a solution may be achieved. I may or may not produce the answer, which is irrelevant. All that IS relevant is that an answer be arrived at, and that those who produce the solution be as informed as possible. Trusting in something unworthy of your trust is a dangerous thing.