The health care battle now raging in America is a great example of the dumbing down of the American people.

Republicans, desperate to discredit Obama, cry socialism or any other distractive ploy to disguise their disruptive attack agenda. Democrats on the other hand, timid and generally disorganized as usual, haven’t the guts to trust Americans with the truth.

The American consumer is now paying the entire cost of health care. People who pay for their own plans are also paying for every employer-based health plan in America.

American companies don’t pull out the costs of their insurance plans from their net profits. They add on the health costs to their prices and we, the consumer, pay for those benefits. Medicare and Medicaid are both government services, so we directly pay for those plans now. The uninsured, using emergency room care, or public health services are also paid for with taxes, as are the Veterans Administration health care and Native American health programs.

The truth is, as consumers and taxpayers, we are now, presently, this very moment, paying the entire health care bill, and particularly so if you have an individual plan.

Every other developed country has a socialized medical program. Most of the Third World nations that ship their shoes, toys, shirts and cheap products to American don’t have one, and don’t much care if their laborers get sick. American companies however, tack on health costs directly to their prices. Why would another country import our goods when they will be paying for America’s health costs in the price? Answer: They don’t. So now the greatest innovative and productive nation in history is falling behind in world competition due in a good part to our stupid, backward, timid approach to health care.

Business and labor are both trying to protect their special perks in the present system. They had both better start looking at the future or they will not have one they like.

Insurance companies, pharmaceuticals, for profit and many so-called nonprofit hospitals, will take a big hit. So what? That’s the competition they all claim is so important and American in their business plans.

The American public has been gouged and lied to way too long on this issue. The politicians employed to keep this mess hidden and protected have creamed enough off the top. They need to look after the ones who hired them, the voters, not the ones who bought them afterwards – that’s both Republicans and Democrats.

A patriot is defined as one who loves his country; a traitor as one who betrays another’s trust. I leave it to you, the reader, to decide where these politicians rate.

DICK SHELDON

Nahcotta, Wash.