Chinese Buffets and Health Care

Last night, Michelle and I decided to treat the kids to some Chinese food. We noticed there was a new restaurant open, and thought we would give it a shot. The kids love going to the buffet, as they get to pick what they want to eat. We like it, because we can usually guide them to acceptable vegetables and fruits, while they still get to pick on their own.

Well, I made a rookie mistake. As we walked in, I noticed no prices posted. My gut was telling me something was eschew, as the very friendly hostess guided us to our seats. Anyway, I didn’t ask what the cost was, and I got distracted with the new look, clean appearance, and amazing lack of people in the establishment. They also had CNN playing on all the TVs: something else that should have given it away.

The buffet was your typical Chinese buffet: sesame chicken, Mongolian beef, pepper chicken, noodles, rice, garlic green beans, broccoli, those huge grapes with the seeds in them, etc. It wasn’t a huge selection, but one could easily get enough to eat. It also had a sushi buffet. Most Chinese buffets that we have gone to in the past, have a sushi bar that is separate from the buffet. If you want to have sushi, you have to order it separately from the buffet. The more I looked at it, the more I thought, “this is really nice. There is a lot to choose from.” However, the lack of people at prime eating time was still bothering me. I mean, come on: we are in the south! Southerners like their all you can eat Chinese buffet!

I got back to our booth and started talking to Michelle about how things just weren’t right. I told her, “this bill is going to be outrageous. We should have asked what the price was. Did you notice they don’t have any prices posted? Where are all the people, because this is really good food.” She agreed. Things just didn’t seem right.

Michelle and I started talking about how is it they could afford such a nice spread, with sushi and a hibachi grill, and hardly any clientele. You just don’t get things for free. And that is when it hit me: This situation reminds me a lot like what is going on with this ridiculous debate about the government wanting to provide, excuse me, force everyone in America to have healthcare. Let me explain.

The buffet choices, clean restaurant, and amazingly friendly staff is like the government (president or senators) getting in front the cameras everyday explaining how great this program is, and all the different benefits that will be available to the customers (Americans). Its kind of like smoke and mirrors in a magic show.

The buffet, specifically, is the “basic health care” that everyone keeps talking about. No one, has yet to explain to me what “basic health care” is to a point that makes any sense. Any way, the buffet allows you to eat and be somewhat nourished, to a certain extent, because it is based solely on what is provided. Let’s not forget that Chinese buffets offer pretty much the same things. It doesn’t matter what part of this country you are in (excluding places like “China towns” in San Francisco and New York).

The sushi buffet represents the unique health care programs that most people just don’t need, or even want to select. This is great stuff, but there are a lot of people that just don’t need it (or in the specific case of sushi, like it! Yuck!). Some people will want it (or need it), but these people are by far a very small minority. A good example of this situation is the following: I over heard a woman tell one of the sushi chefs, “This is really fascinating! I can’t believe you provide sushi. Oh, I don’t want to try it! I can’t see myself actually eating raw fish!” In other words, she was really surprised, but appreciative that they offered sushi. Unfortunately, she would eventually find out that she paid for it, even though she didn’t order or eat it!

As we were leaving I noticed one of the cooks, from the Chinese buffet, leaving a restaurant a couple of shops down; a sandwich shop. This represents the president and congress who have their own ridiculously “great” health care, but have told the public on numerous occasions that they were not going to participate in the program that they were trying to push through congress like a watermelon through a play-do strainer. Now, you might be quick to say something like, “how can you compare their amazing healthcare to a sandwich shop? Isn’t that a step down?” Well, you have to go back to the original analogy, and remember we are talking about a cost to choice ratio. A sandwich shop is very cheap (in comparison), you are provided what you need, you get to choose what you want, and you have some extras to spice it up a little bit (like those chocolate chip cookies that come right out of the oven! Man, those are tasty!).

And finally, the cost: After we ate, our fears were solidified when we got the bill. It was almost 60 dollars! I was completely blown away, but at the same time expecting it. I not only paid for my General Chou’s chicken, but for the fifty thousand varities of exotic sushi that they offered and I didn't actually eat myself. Of course, it was my own fault. I should have asked for the price and didn’t. That’s what I get.

And that is what America is doing right now. People are beginning to wake up to the fact that the choices for health care under a government plan are severely lacking. Along with that, there is a group of the population that actually does take care of themselves, eats right, exercises, doesn’t smoke, doesn’t drink alcohol excessively, and in general lives a good life style (no sexually transmitted diseases). People are beginning to question their congressmen about this ridiculous plan that will bankrupt our society, as well as, create a situation where someone else will be dictating what care we, as a society, can have (we will provide you sesame chicken, but not sweet and sour pork). For the vast majority of the population, we will pay for programs, prescriptions, and treatment for things that we will never need in our life time. We will pay for sushi we will never eat.

I want to make it clear that I do support some type of “basic health care” for those who can not take care of themselves. That might seem hypocritical, but it isn’t. My beef, is with the government thinking they have the answer to everything by “spreading the love” to everyone, to support a minor few. We should provide care for homeless, orphans, disabled, etc. But this is not something that is the right of the government to provide. There are numerous communities throughout our country that are already doing similar things on their own accord, by pooling money and providing it to those that need it. The government needs to get out of the healthcare, and the welfare business.

Now, you might be tempted to say something like, “well doesn’t the government’s plan pool resources like the communities you are talking about?” My answer to that would be something like, “you don’t rob someone to give to someone else.” What I mean by that is, the government’s plan essentially forces workers who pay taxes to support those who don’t pay taxes. It will be illegal for someone to not be a part of this program. Some of you may disagree, but there is a huge difference between forcing me to pay for a program and me choosing to support a program on my own.

Well, the analogy of the Chinese buffet and government health care may not be exact, but it is definitely interesting. So, what are your thoughts? Does everyone have a right to basic health care? What does that mean? Is it the government’s responsibility to take care of those who can not take care of themselves? If so, when did that change? Why doesn’t the church and family members provide for those people?

When are we going to stop relying on the government and take responsibility for our selves?