I have the flu today, thank you. By all accounts, this is turning out to be one of the worst flu seasons on record. Even the King of Pop has the flu! Michael Jackson claims he is being persecuted by the state, but little does he know about the silent persecution against the health of all Americans being perpetrated by the government medicine bureaucracies.

This fall, every American heard the collective siren call from government officials and the unquestioning mainstream media apparatus announcing a major shortfall in flu vaccines, asking young folks like myself to forgo the shots so that old people would not die. Fast forward to the heart of the flu season and we are dropping like flies, while millions of unused surplus vaccines sit in cardboard boxes across the country. Why did this happen? The answer is simple – socialized medicine has reared its ugly head once again.

Instead of letting supply and demand run its course, government bureaucrats (our nice word for American Soviets) are given total control over the supply of these vital medicines.

Had the government stayed out of this, an anticipated supply shock would signal to vaccine suppliers that they may raise their prices. Suppliers of alternative vaccine and flu-protection options would immediately see the increased profit margins in this sector and step in to fill the gaps. As the market matured, supply and demand shocks would be predicted well in advance of the disaster, allowing time for these alternative companies to meet demand.

However, the government bureaucrats determine who can and can not supply vaccines, allowing no room for competing companies to even think about manufacturing and selling their own vaccine. ID Medical in Canada had a reported 1.5 million vaccines ready for sale that the US Government would not allow Americans to purchase. Thanks.

Price ceilings are also maintained, either directly or with the threat of “price-gouging” lawsuits. So, no one does anything on the supply side. The government announces the supply shock, and begs young folks to stay away from the flu shot. As a result, too many people don’t get their shots, influenza runs rampant, and we end up with a massive vaccine surplus instead.

How many people will die this year because of this socialist nightmare? Americans must rise up now and demand a free market in medicine, for the sake of our health! Think Soviet-style bread lines, but for Tylenol. Dr. Big Brother is not our friend.