Fodder For Psychoanalysts

A number of years ago, through a connection I made at a Rotary International meeting at the YMCA in Jerusalem, I spent hours interviewing the medical directors of three of Israel's largest health systems.  When I finished these meetings, I felt as if I had delivered hours of psychotherapy to these individuals who were beseiged by the need to deliver life-saving health care through an irrational system, bounded and constrained by politics and religion rather than by scientific medicine.

 In listening to President Obama's meeting today, I had that feeling again.  It was clear that the parties on both side of the aisle understand the desperate straits that our health care system is in, but prefer to give precedence to irrational political (and personal) considerations in the guise of putting their constituents' needs first, rather than deal honestly with the issues.  My bottom line is that all sides at the meeting were adequately informed as to our health system's prospects for a disasterous future, but that none is willing to abandon political strategy, and personal interest, to meet our country's and its citizens needs.

A good conference, Mr. President.  But perhaps the next one should be led by an experienced psychoanalyst. Call me and I'll give you some names.