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My fellow Americans, I'd like to take this opportunity to emphasize why reforming health care is so important.
It's important because there are people in this country that die because they can't afford health insurance or health care, and that is a moral failing of ours as a people.
It's important because all of us live under the constant threat of losing our healthcare coverage because of things we can't control, like losing our jobs or getting a disease or condition that renders us uninsurable. That could happen to YOU. And that threat leaves us with an ever present anxiety that stifles our willingness to risk a new business venture or a new educational opportunity. And that is a moral failing of ours as a people.
It's important because there are scared young women out there in this country, pregnant when they didn't intend to be, who tragically believe the only realistic choice open to them is abortion, because they don't have access to the health care necessary to protect their own health or the long term health of their children. They believe they must abort pregnancy they would otherwise cherish because they don't have access to health care. And that, especially, is also a moral failing of ours as a people.
Finally, I want to say some words about a few things that you might not expect to hear in this speech.
First, I would like to discuss the post office. The post office is a public option for delivering letters and packages. It does a fine job at this, and is a wonderful public service. But the most important benefit we get from this public option is not anything the post office does directly. In fact, the greatest benefit we gain from the public option known as the post office is that it makes Federal Express and UPS better. Federal Express and UPS build their businesses around distinguishing themselves from the post office in terms of service and reliability, and they do a marvelous job. It is a testimony to the power of the free enterprise system that this healthy competition produces the commonplace miracle of on time, overnight delivery that we can all easily take for granted.
Second, I'd like to discuss Georgia State University. It's a public option for receiving a higher education. And it does a wonderful job at this, producing high quality graduates in a wide range of fields every year. But the most important benefit we gain from this school is not the excellent graduates it produces. In fact, the greatest benefit society gains from this public option known as Georgia State University is that it makes the private school known as Emory University better. Emory builds its business model around distinguishing itself from other universities like Georgia State, and it thrives as a result. This mix of public and private institutions gives us here in America a higher education system that no other country in the world can hope to match.
And it is in this spirit of healthy and powerful competition between the public and private sector that I propose we create the single best health insurance and health care system in the world. When harnessed correctly, nothing can beat the power of the free enterprise system to generate new and wonderful products and systems that benefit the public and the world. But the free enterprise system can only do this if true competition exists, and if the economic incentives are aligned to benefit YOU. The public option that I will propose to Congress will do exactly that, marvelously well.
Let me repeat: the United States will have the single best health insurance and health care system in the world: better than Canada, better than Great Britain, better than France. And we will do it by harnessing the uniquely American spirit of ingenuity and free enterprise. And it will do it with a mix of private and public options available to all people.
Thank you, and goodnight.