Oprah went around the world recently to show how much happier people are in other countries including Denmark and Dubai. My wife was interested in the show, I was interested in blogging. But I could not help but overhear the crystal clear pitch for universal health care and even socialism present throughout her show. She also mentioned her, and the President's recent Olympic failure; twice I think.

Oprah, obviously a fan of single payer, free, universal health care, mentioned it several times, I think both times in response to two of her guests mentioning their shock at the debate. It was quite a coincidence that out of the few minutes each guest had, two of the four or five managed to get in a jab at the US for it's lack of a free health care system.

Dubai mentioned how health care was free, and there was no income tax. The guest she interviewed had a very large house, collected rare and very nice ancient artifacts, and lived very close to her family. They lived a very nice life. I wondered, with no income tax, how did the government pay for health care? It is essentially a single payer system where the employer pays a fee for each employer to a clearing house, which is then used to pay the medical bills. It is required by all employers, and I guess the health care is decent.

This still didn't fully answer my question, as the fees the employers paid were relatively low, less than $200 per person. But then I found the answer. Oil. That fact was not mentioned on the show, possibly because a high priority for this administration is to get the United States out of oil, and into, what, wind? Is nuclear power even on the table anymore?

Dubai and Abu Dhabi control 83.2 percent of the GDP of the United Arab Emirates. The other four emirates have little oil, are very poor, depend on subsidies from the UAE central government, and the residents do not live in big houses.

So America could never be like Dubai because, even if we had the oil, we currently do not believe in drilling for it. But that does not stop others from idolizing those countries that do drill for it, and make a profit.

As far as Denmark goes, the tax rate of 63%, 70% by some estimates with sales tax and other surprises, was quietly disclosed towards the end of the segment. This was after gushing over the low crime rate, free health care, free education, no religion, few marriages; you get the picture. Very different from America.

I can't remember if they mentioned the tax rate before or after her guest said, and Oprah was quick to emphasize, that she didn't think of it as socialism, but humanity. It was caring for everyone else. This was reiterated by Oprah.

Again, they neglected to mention the problem's they have with people taking advantage of the free education, then working where the taxes are lower. There are also claims of central planning for higher education by the government based on test scores. However, it has been suggested by the Danish government that individuals repay their education expense, in the form of taxes, before they are allowed to leave the country. I suppose free education is not 100% free. Well it truly is never free, someone has to pay for it.

The Danes spoke of cradle to the grave welfare on demand, short job hours, and very little crime. In fact, the crime was low enough that they routinely left babies outside to sleep in carriages. INTERPOL doesn't agree, at least from 1995 to 2000, but I guess that was 9 years ago. Things could have done a complete turn around since then.

So people want free health care and insurance, but do not want to pay for it. And having free money, health care, and insurance does not stop crime in it's tracks. I think people, even people like Oprah, would not be who they are if everything was done for them. Some people thrive on reward and accomplishment. But where is the reward when, working twice as hard, you're not much better off than your neighbor, and you have less leisure and family time? Where is the motivation? And the country still needs producers to pay for everyone else, so what happens when all the producers leave as the youth are doing now?

It's hard to miss the irony of Oprah and other high profile people pitching the universal health care. I am not rich, so I won't be the one taxed to the brink, it will be the successful and the stars. It will be the rich, many of whom are pushing this agenda. I only care because I do not want to lose choice, and a government run option will only lead to single payer, which leads to loss of choice.

"But this show isn't about health care." Yes, Oprah, I think it is.