August 7,
2009
EDITORIAL
Buyers beware Obama's unsavory elixir
By GUY
CARON
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What is it about snake-oil salesmen that we abhor?
It is that they always over-promise and under-deliver.
We've all been in circumstances when we're confronted with these unsavory characters.
This occurs in a number of forms: someone tries to unload an old clunker car; an overly ambitious land-use salesman, or the door-to-door magazine salesperson supporting a worthy cause.
The message is over-rehearsed and the benefits too good to refuse.
Most of us in this situation just politely say "no" and move on.
The salesperson turns and walks away, looking for another target.
Eventually someone falls in to the fly trap and signs up, only to be disappointed later.
These people are left with tears and lighter wallets.
The snake-oil salesman wants to talk to these people anyway.
The same process is working in front of or eyes right now.
The national health care plan promises benefits that will never be realized, and will cost, in personal and financial terms, more than we can afford.
The gullible want us to empty our pockets for an
over-promised result.
The message changes to fit the audience, the benefits seem too good to be
true - which they are.
Let the buyer beware.
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