David French:
Here’s the Washington Post’s Eugene Robinson with an odd attack on Republican health care plans:
The “health-care bill” that Republicans are trying to pass in the Senate, like the one approved by the GOP majority in the House, isn’t really about health care at all. It’s the first step in a massive redistribution of wealth from struggling wage-earners to the rich — a theft of historic proportions.
Not to be too pedantic about this, but the government isn’t “redistributing” wealth when it lets a citizen keep more of his money, and it isn’t “stealing” from the poor when it cuts benefits they didn’t actually own. Welfare programs like Medicaid represent a forcible transfer wealth. Welfare is the redistribution. And if there’s any actual argument for “theft,” it’s the theft of money from the private citizen by the government.
But that would be hyperbole. In civilized societies, people understand that a certain degree of taxation is necessary for a nation to function.
I don’t remember any liberal criticism of Obamacare when the CBO estimated it would cost $2 trillion and leave 30 million uninsured after 10 years (it was worse than that, but Obama had a little talk with the non-partisan CBO director and the numbers improved). Liberals screwed health care up and stabilizing it will not be easy or cheap.
In the end, the fact that the government should not be involved in health care is proven. How they get out of it is unclear.
@Bill… Deplorable Me:
Uh, yeah! Like what the hell do “We the People” have to do with “We the People”? If we can just get the voice pf victims and people out of the way and leave such decisions up to the medical and pharmaceutical industries, all will correct itself. “We the People” need no voice in such matters.
@Andy42302: Perhaps you should look through that document and find exactly where it is stated that the government has the right to tell “We the people” what kind of health care we should have… OR that we should have it.
I haven’t heard you lament too much over the victims of Obamacare. So, what IS important? The people in need or being a loyal mouthpiece for leftist liars?
Please tell me what enumerated power in the U S Constitution authorizes any Federal activity with regard to health care.
My Constitution has no such enumerated power. Do not tell me about general welfare; the Founders made it clear that no individual was to be provided any welfare on the basis of general welfare. See the Federalist Papers.
The entire argument is based on vote-buying, to which I strenuously object. Steal from the rich, give to the poor, have power forever.
The Dems are all little Robbing Hoods.
Is there an Amendment of which I am not aware?
You have a building that in no way was ever built to house anything, cobbled together with shoddy materials forced to to buy it for much more than it was worth, when you moved in the heating bill was too high the roof leaked and it was infested with vermin.
They said they would knock it down and allow you to buy a new building giving you the choice of size and options at a lesser expensive monthly payment, So instead they that will fix it? They will keep most of the original shoddy rotted materials. the thing that really sucks is you have no choice but to accept this “deal”.
Whoopee!
When did they lose faith in the tried and true capitalist ideals? When they got elected and were swallowed by the swamp.
Repeal Repeal Repeal period. Get your slimey power hungry hands off my healthcare.
Andy : We the people have much more power than you have been “educated” to believe.
The fact of the matter is that “your money” is what is left after your taxes have been paid. Historically, taxation has been an inescapable component of any organizational system that comes with civilization.
The wealthy are taxed a lot more because they have a much higher proportion of the total wealth and income. The poor are taxed less because they have no damn money to spare, and are the beneficiaries of various social programs because there but for the grace of God go I. They still get hit with inescapable taxes on every dollar they earn, sales taxes on the money they spend, etc. What do people not understand about this?
The wealthiest today are vastly wealthier than they were in the past. They owe their wealth not only to themselves, but to the economic system they exploit. Consequently, it’s in their interest to help support it, whether they like it or not. Club dues are greater, the higher up the pyramid you move. So are the benefits one enjoys. And the whole thing is supported on the backs of the people below.
THE PARTY OF REAGAN SHOWS ITS TRUE COLORS – The G.O.P.’s real goal of gutting the safety net to finance a massive tax cut is finally within reach. Will Republicans lose their nerve?
That’s a very concise summation; the plain, unvarnished truth, for anyone who cares to hear it. If it passes and ultimately becomes law, it may also be the GOP’s political suicide note, for 2018 and beyond.
Unless, of course, the real plan is that it should pass in the Senate but never become law—which would allow republicans to tell their supporters again in 2018 and 2020 that they had the solution, but democrats blocked their effort. They wouldn’t have to take credit for the negative consequences of the bill becoming law.