Ask The European Parliament--Socialized Medicine, Yuck!

Contrary to what you might think, not everyone in Europe thinks that socialized medicine or single-payer health care is the Michael Moore utopia that our American administration would have you believe.

British MEP (Member of the European Parliament) Daniel Hannan is a very outspoken opponent of most of the European socialist schemes that the Obamists so clearly wish to adopt. In a political policy speech (which was subsequently developed into a much-viewed video), Mr. Hannan described England and its leader as "The Devalued Prime Minister of a Devalued Government." If Mr. Hannan ever decides to leave government, he could make a very good living as a social commentary standup comedian. His comments are biting and well-analyzed, yet he has a delivery that is both vicious and hilarious. He is a fine representation of the kind of stiff upper lip ironic humor that kept England going during the Blitz.

Hannan follows American politics very closely, and is attuned to daily events. And he's on our side of the pond for awhile. This week he addressed a conservative crowd at the Army and Navy Club in DC by greeting the audience as a "fringe gathering of racist fruitcakes." The crowd laughed heartily. And he followed that up with "these are the terms that are virtually the same as the ones used to describe the founders of the original tea parties."

This MEP is no shrinking violet when it comes to describing socialist policies and the encroachment of government into every aspect of the citizen's life. "I know politicians literally think they can make the weather on this, but anyone who is in government who tells you that he can is someone you can't vote for." The thing he likes least about British and European socialism, and warns Americans most about, is national health care.

A trait he likes in post-Revolution Americans is that we have been, from the beginning, citizens of the country rather than subjects of the crown. Even where the crown no longer exists in Europe, the mindset remains the same. "Crown" and "government" are interchangeable words, and more importantly, interchangeable concepts. Citizens demand. Subjects plead. In England, he says, The National Health Service, an arm of both the crown and the government, "treats you as a supplicant. You're expected to be grateful for eveything you get. You Americans demand quality health care, we in England plead for minimal treatment within our lifetimes."

Although he was invited to speak in New York and Washington D.C. on the general topic of social welfare, he arrived just in time for the early Town Hall protests. With Obama pushing hard for nationalized health care before the August Congressional recess, Hannan felt his timing couldn't have been any better to take up the sword of health care protection. He sees this as an opportunity to say to the American people: "I have lived this nightmare of national health care, so I don't have to guess when I tell you it doesn't work."

Hannan is an astute observer of government entrenchment. "A government plan is almost irreversible, and almost inevitably continues to grow in size and cost; government health care is by definition a plan that must ration and decrease the quality of care; and the recent spate of town hall protests that have come about as the result of the Democrats' health care proposals are the perfect expression of liberty and freedom on which your country was founded."

The War of 1812 was launched in large part by the British habit of "impressing" American sailors into the British Navy involuntarily. I think it's time to return the favor. We should "impress" Daniel Hannan, rush him through the citizenship program, and get him ready to run for Congress in 2010. And he would already have one friend in Congress with the same dry humor and disrespect for received wisdom--Thaddeus McCotter (R-MI).