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Wednesday, December 18, 2013

The Purpose of a Business 

          I’m usually open–minded to all arguments, but one argument upon which I refuse to bend is the purpose of a business. That is, a business exists for one purpose and one purpose only, to provide a service or product to the people or their representatives, the government for one example–no other. When there is no further need for a business’s product or service, the reason(s) notwithstanding, it ceases to exist. Its purpose is not profit; its purpose is not to provide jobs; and, most certainly, its purpose is not to fill the Christmas stockings of politicians. Its purpose, once again, is to provide a product or service, directly or indirectly, to man.

          I was viewing a speech on C-span earlier today by Senator Mitch McConnell, the Senate Minority Leader of the Senate in which he presented a defense of the coal industry in light of that industry’s current problems with the EPA–he called it “our war on coal”–not. In his presentation he used the testimony of a young ex-coal miner who wrote a song about coal mining, to the effect, saying coal mining is a “way of life”, and we should not decrease our coal consumption so as not to take away that “way of life” (I suppose the ecology notwithstanding). I submit to you, no business is or should ever become a “way of life”. Just as they have always done throughout history, businesses cease to exist when they are no longer needed, become obsolete, or a detriment to the lives of those whom they serve.

          Looking at the subject from another angle or perspective, in fulfilling its purpose stated above, a business should do so in the spirit of the function to be performed as well as in its execution, ethically and responsibly with the ultimate wellbeing of those whom they are supposed to serve in mind. Anything less is immoral and a farce. I’m sure all of you, by now, know that, under the Affordable Care Act, i.e. Obama Care, people with a pre-existing condition cannot be turned down for health insurance. Guess what. Tonight on CNN, it was reported that United Health Care has found a way around that law by dropping your preferred physician from their coverage. So, what is one to do–especially when your condition is serious and your preferred doctor is critical? What else? You either change doctors (to someone you don’t know and, worse yet, who doesn’t know you) or change insurance carriers, in which case you very possibly will be charged higher insurance premiums. Such action is not within the purpose of a business and is morally reprehensible. I may be idealistic, but I feel a business should not be allowed to exist if it cannot perform in a moral and socially responsible manner. We desperately need to able to trust those with whom we deal.

          Folks, this is just another reason why we need to adopt a single-payer healthcare system, i.e. Medicare for everyone–no confusion, minimal decisions, no muss, no fuss, and, for the people, no bother. I should also add that our proceeding to that end will go a long way toward eliminating our deficit, assuming we establish the same rules governing the negotiations of prescription drug prices as those of the Veterans Administration. This just one example illustrated by United Health Care clearly shows the road ahead for the Affordable Care Act. More United Health Cares will come out of the woodwork every other day. You can count on it. Those who have been blood sucking our people for these many years need to be put in their place, and a single-payer healthcare system modeled after Medicare is the way to do it. Relatively speaking, it’s easy; it’s simple; and it’s doable. Let’s do it. Write your representative in Congress. The Republicans don’t have an alternative plan to the Affordable Care Act. Here’s one for you. For additional info on this subject, please refer to my previous discussion on this, September 30th and July 23rd of this year.

Ronald Miller

mtss86@comcast.net

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