Could it possibly be that Zach Lahn of the University of Colorado at Boulder actually learned common sense from someone other than his liberal professors at UC Boulder? Mom and dad, maybe?

Perhaps a solid, conservative upbringing prepared him to resist the irresistible tug, the siren song of leftist mentors throughout his schooling.

Or maybe, he’s just an exceptionally bright kid. Kudos to him and his folks.

yours truly,
sonny

Healthcare is not essential as air and food. I am living quite nicely without it, by choice. Having no healthcare does not prevent me from working or eating or driving a car or breathing in air. But when it does prevent me from doing all those things, I’m sure that the government will be behind it, not private industry. Corporations are not the all controlling, manipulative boogey man. It’s the government. And they’re here to help until the money runs out…oh, but it never will for them, will it?

Healthcare is not essential as air and food. I am living quite nicely without it, by choice. Having no healthcare does not prevent me from working or eating or driving a car or breathing in air. But when it does prevent me from doing all those things, I’m sure that the government will be behind it, not private industry. Corporations are not the all controlling, manipulative boogey man. It’s the government. And they’re here to help until the money runs out…oh, but it never will for them, will it?

Healthcare is not essential as air and food. I am living quite nicely without it, by choice. Having no healthcare does not prevent me from working or eating or driving a car or breathing in air. But when it does prevent me from doing all those things, I’m sure that the government will be behind it, not private industry. Corporations are not the all controlling, manipulative boogey man. It’s the government. And they’re here to help until the money runs out…oh, but it never will for them, will it?

Health care, and in particular the form of health care the Obama administration seems determined to have, in which the government option becomes both a heavy handed competitor, as well as a final authority on what private medical coverage will and will not be, is quite something else than what exists in education. Lets not kid ouselves, we know from Obama’s own statements and the writings of those around him, that his ultimate goal is natioanlized healthcare on the European model. His way of getting this is to allow private enterprise to exist, while forcing it out of business by heavy handed regulation of profits and taxation.

If technical conditions, make a monopoly the natural outcome of competitive market forces, there are, it seems only 3 ways to go: private monopoly, public monopoly or public regulation. While all three are bad, Americans instinctively know from experience that public regulation and/or monopoly are the less responsive to social and economic changes and conditions, and less readily capable of elimination, than private.

“public schools, fire departments, law enforcement, public transportation, the military, municipal tap water, the postal service, prisons, the library and so on”

Almost all of these except for the schools are monopolies. The postal service competes inefficiently against UPS and Federal Express, it is losing billions, in part because Congress refuses to allow it to do the things it needs — shutter unprofitable sites, and fire underperforming mail carriers — to stay in the black.

As for public schools, they compete with private schools in ways that health care does not. Schools offer variety in teaching areas and reputation. Can you shop for health care insurance that way? This notion that you’re going to shop for doctors and hospitals. How? Ask to see their degree while you’re bleeding? While you’re in the ER? It’s like shopping for electricity.

And you still did not answer the question: how are private, for-profit companies going to compete against a government entity that can pay its bills by turning on the printing press?

I can show you very specifically where they are forbidden, yet we all (yes, even most conservatives) “expect” some or all of those goodies as our “rights”. The government (through the courts and legislation) has made a sham of the Constitution. What we are seeing now are the fruits of that sham, specifically, where nearly everyone thinks that whatever their immediate need is is a “right” guaranteed to them.

Am I against health care, or education, or fire departments, or prisons, etc.? Of course not. But I’m also not for lying, and that’s what our entire system is doing now, teaching us that if we scream “victim” loud enough whatever our “want” is can be transformed into a “right”.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but the list mentioned above is what rightfully belongs to the states individually, per the Constitution, if voted for by the representatives of the people or by the people themselves. Call me an old-fashioned troglodyte, but it sure seems to me that wonderful education you espouse has seriously hampered thinking in this country.

Should the government (i.e, we, or us), be responsible for providing all the essentials, whatever they may be ?

Since healthcare is as essential as water, and air, shouldn’t your list also include ‘food’, and ’shelter’, and ‘clothing’, etc, etc.

Where does it end ?

===========================

There are plenty of steps that the government can take to reduce health care costs, without a massive reform plan.

I hope that if/when this Plan fails, the momentum will continue towards HC reform.

I ask everyone who is against publicly funded healthcare for all (opposed to the hundreds of thousands, if not million plus, who already receive healthcare and/or salary/benefits from taxpayers). If you want to stop this so badly are you willing to give up public schools, fire departments, law enforcement, public transportation, the military, municipal tap water, the postal service, prisons, the library and so on and so on? Why is it ok to pay for my neighbor’s children to be educated, but not their health and wellness? Why should I pay the police department to protect children from crimes, but not their health and wellness? Why should I pay for those criminals to go to prison but not the health and wellness of those children they harmed?

Everyone should have healthcare coverage. It’s as basic essential as water and air in my eyes. I do believe we can easily pay for it without raising taxes as well, because schools, the post office, prisons and public transportation should be privatized. If you believe that a corporation can do a better job of running health services then you should trust them to run those aspects of our lives too. Corporations are heralded for running things more efficiently and cost effectively so there should be plenty of money left over in our wallets to fund healthcare.