Saturday, July 23, 2011

There is no moral case for Obamacare

Economist John Goodman asks "Is there a moral case for Obamacare?"

The short answer is "no."

Goodman's longer answer:
What cries out for moral justification are the mandates and regulations being forced on the other 300 million people. Why are they being forced to pay more, or allowed to pay less, than the true cost of their insurance? What moral principle can justify that?

Search the world’s ethical codes and you will have a hard time finding any that are consistent with a health reform that:

  • Gives people in health insurance exchanges up to 10 times as much federal subsidy as people at the same income level getting insurance at work.
  • Forces young people to pay two or three times the real cost of their insurance in order to subsidize older people who have more income and more assets.
  • Takes from low-income seniors in order to provide subsidized health insurance for non-seniors who have higher incomes.
  • Takes from people who use tanning salons and people who need crutches and wheelchairs and pacemakers and gives to … well …. who knows?

Read the rest here.



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Thursday, July 7, 2011

The Benevolence of Inequality



If we accepted inequality in health care, instead of insisting on instant equal access for everyone to the newest, best and most expensive treatments, where would health care be today? It's impossible to even imagine what treatments and cures would be available and affordable.

A multi-tiered healthcare system which respects individual property rights (instead of violating them through coercive wealth redistribution ) is not only the right thing to do, but we would all be better off in the long run.


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Monday, July 4, 2011

The Fight Against Tyranny Never Ends

On the 4th of July, we must remember why we celebrate. Today I will rejoice in the freedom we have in this country--but not for a second will I forget the fact that there are many who do not understand what a precious and fragile gift we have inherited.

The eight pillars of the federal government healthcare takeover:

1. Federal mandates on individuals
2. Federal mandates on employers
3. Expanding federal entitlements
4. Squeezing funds out of Medicare and choking off private plan choices'5. New federal taxes
5. New federal taxes
6. [federally controlled] Health insurance exchanges
7. Federal government-sponsored health plans [public options]
8. Federal control over private health insurance 
from Why ObamaCare is Wrong for America

The new government mandated cigarette labels:

“If they’re going to take truthful, non-deceptive advertising and put extraordinarily evocative and gruesome pictures on them and force the companies to use their money to present the government’s message, that’s a big step in a free society,” says Dan Jaffe, executive vice president of government relations with the advertisers’ association.--Shawn Zeller, CQ.com

ObamaCare also requires insurance companies participating in exchanges to have their marketing approved by the government.

What we can expect if the individual mandate to purchase health insurance is upheld:

“Mandatory Life Insurance,” Cries California Congress Person
BROADMOOR, CA. June 29, 2011: “Tomorrow I plan to introduce the Affordable Life Insurance Empowerment Act in Congress,” said Arly Esperson, Congressperson from California’s 54th Congressional District. “Now that the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled the health insurance mandate is constitutional, I think it’s time we take the next step.”--[Not a real bill, but it could be.]-- DaveRacer, posted at The COHR Man

Supporters of ObamaCare may find that title offensive, but it is a more accurate and neutral moniker than a title which claims the law is affordable or that it protects patients.

ObamaCare is more than an attack on our healthcare freedom. If allowed to stand, it will push us further toward the collectivist end of statism. Either a man owns his own life, or he does not. Our country was rightly founded on the belief that he does. ObamaCare is premised on the collectivist premise than a man's life is held hostage to the will of the majority and needs of "society." Compassion for the sick, poor and disadvantaged are essential parts of being human but can never justify initiating force. To maintain a peaceful, prosperous and civil nation, we must devise solutions to our problems while ruthlessly respecting every individual's right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Have a glorious 4th of July.