Sorry, but the sky really isn't falling

A lie makes it halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get dressed.

From the way conservatives are wailing this morning, one might think that Osama bin LadenOsama bin Laden had led an invincible army of jihadis into Washington, captured the White House, defecated on the Constitution and beheaded Mickey MouseMickey Mouse.

Some on this site have called the passage of a health-care reform bill by the House of Representatives on Saturday night "the end of America," while others in the media have said the U.S. is now becoming a totalitarian state.

So no more private property?

No more National Football League?

No more mention of Jesus of NazarethJesus of Nazareth?

All of a sudden, we're all living in Nazi Germany and Barack "Hitler" Obama is building death camps for anyone to the right of Olympia SnoweOlympia Snowe?

Uh, not exactly.

We're making some changes to the way we deliver health care in this country that will probably result in slightly higher taxes.

So this is all about money?

Yup, it's basically about the fact that conservatives hate paying taxes. It's an "I've got mine, Jack" attitude that says if you're not fortunate enough to have a good job that provides insurance or if you're not healthy enough to qualify to buy good insurance, you're sort of, uh, screwed.

Let's look at some of the myths.

1. Government can't do as good a job as the private sector in delivering health care.

Private insurance companies spend roughly 30 cents of every dollar they collect in premiums on administrative costs, with a large portion of that going to pay people whose only job is to deny claims.

Medicare, the closest thing we have to government health care, spends 2 cents on the dollar on administrative costs. Yes, Medicare has financial problems, but most of those are based on demographics.

2. A government option will drive private insurance companies out of business.

Hmmm. People say on the one hand that government can't compete (see question No. 1), but then come back to say government will be such a strong competitor that private companies can't compete.

One or the other, people. One or the other. You can't use both sides of an argument because one doesn't work.

3. Health care reform will turn us into a totalitarian state.

Like Sweden? Or Germany? Or Great Britain?

Or any of the other Western democracies?

Conservatives might be surprised to learn that every other "free" country in the world provides government-run health care. Some of it is in a hybrid sort of system, as in Germany where private companies sell policies in a not-for-profit model.

I know that "not for profit" is a phrase that just doesn't register with many on the right, but not for profit doesn't mean people don't earn very good salaries working for these companies. It just means there are no shareholders to be satisfied.

Do conservatives really think that the people living in the Scandinavian countries aren't free?

The question I would ask is this: Is the most important freedom we have in America the right to be rich? I'll just quote the Bible on that one: The love of money is the root of all evil.

4. There aren't really 46 million uninsured.

Opponents of health care reform love to say that when you subtract the young, the illegal and those who simply choose not to have insurance, the real number is about 9 million.

It just isn't true. The real truth is that probably 100 million people or more either stay in jobs they hate just to keep the insurance, or fail to use their insurance in many circumstances because they're scared of being cancelled, or think they're well insured until they actually need it.

5. You can always go to the emergency room.

True, but ...

A few years ago, we had an incident where my wife needed to be taken to the ER at Cedars-Sinai, one of the best hospitals in the country. She was seen there, tested and admitted, tested again the next day and was released in the afternoon after spending about 28 hours at the hospital.

For that, we received a bill for nearly $17,000 dollars.

We sent the bill to our insurance company. Blue Cross paid $2,300 and we were clear.

Now to me that $2,300 sounds reasonable for ER care, a couple of minor tests and one overnight stay, but if we hadn't had insurance, they would have dunned us for $17,000 until we either paid or declared bankruptcy.

They would have taken us to court and gotten a judgment if need be.

Emergency room treatment is the least efficient, most expensive care at all.

6. We have the best health care in the world.

I love this one, because it's all about the "USA, USA" mentality.

Do we have the best health care in the world? Maybe, if you can pay whatever it takes to get it. But for the rest of us, the statistics don't show it. We're nowhere near the top in almost any measurable statistic -- life expectancy, infant mortality, heart disease, etc.

Who's at the top? Most of those "totalitarian" European countries.

The sad thing is, people are so polarized on this that these arguments aren't likely to convince anyone to the right of dear Sen. Snowe, but I hope people will at least calm down a little and believe one thing.

This isn't the end of America.

Disneyland will remain open.

Hot dogs will still be on sale at the supermarket.

Rush LimbaughRush Limbaugh, Sean HannitySean Hannity and Glenn BeckGlenn Beck won't be taken off the air.

It's still America and still will be even if the Senate passes the bill and Obama signs it.

It'll just be a little kinder, gentler America in which we at least pretend to give a damn about our fellow man.

At least until 2012 when the world ends.