After everything that Republicans and Democrats agreed on before the last presidential election, there was only one real issue in President Obama's proposal to extend government control of health care financing in the United States, from nearly total to fully totalitarian: whether the transfer (at gunpoint) of the money used to pay for the care of those who did not obtain insurance before they got sick, will be done openly through the tax system, or covertly, by forcing health insurance companies (1) to "insure" those with pre-existing conditions, and (2) to tax their other customers for the cost. Once the alleged opponents of Obama's plan agree to hide the tax for "universal health care" in premiums paid for genuine health insurance, we know that they are scumbags peddling their alleged principles for pull, and that for them, any remaining "opposition" is just a matter of haggling over price.
And now, the official Republican response to Obama's proposal: "Here are four areas -- four important areas where we can agree, right now: One, all individuals should have access to coverage regardless of pre-existing conditions. ..."
John David Lewis, in an article about Obama's plan in The Objective Standard (published the day after, but presumably written long before) put it like this: "If the Republicans compromise, (then) they will have once again capitulated to their opponents, abandoned liberty, and ruined the opportunity to redirect this nation toward its founding moral principle: individual rights, protected under a constitution in a free republic."
As of the previous evening this is no longer an "If..." The Republican Party has capitulated, much as I figured it would, but far more explicitly ("important areas where we can agree, right now") than I thought. After this, those former advocates of freedom who are still willing to pretend otherwise, and participate in "Tea Parties" and other Republican-sponsored events, can read what they are collaborating with - in black-on-white electronic ink. It remains to be seen how many will act the role of self-blinded stooges, of "useful idiots" playing mirror-image to "single payer" advocates at Obama rallies, even after having been explicitly told, by the Republicans themselves, what they are bearding for.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
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4 comments:
Adam,
What did you see coming in the future? The stress of possible hyperinflation and domestic Jihadist violence combined has been enough to spur me to take my well being much more seriously.
Where are we headed?
"Not fire and brimstone, but goo."
One of my beefs with that Lewis article is its attack on Obama for doing some kind of torture probe ~ even if a feeble one. I've noticed a disturbing trend amongst some Objectivists/Randians on foreign policy issues. They end up taking positions barely distinct from ordinary Republican conservatives. I confess I haven't done a comprehensive survey but just random readings here and there. I've followed the torture issue closely and have never seen a credible case that the techniques used were necessary or not torture. The government's own internal reports haven't proven it and FBI people have come forward to say that torture hampered their dealings with high value detainees. I am just not sure what motivates people to suddenly start claiming waterboarding isn't torture or that it's necessary ~ as if the enemies of today are somehow radically different from past human beings who practiced terrorism. It may be a kneejerk reflex against anything vaguely leftist.
Natalia,
A substantive response to your last posting would take this discussion away from follow-up on my blog post, and off on a far tangent that I don't have time for.
My brief quote from the Lewis article should not be abused as an excuse to take this comments page away from its purpose, which is discussion of my blog. You are welcome to address your issues with Lewis' article on one of his blogs instead, or on your own blog.
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