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The Spectacle Blog
By expanding government control over health care, the Democrats have created a moment of clarity: everything will now become the government's fault. That may not be strictly accurate in a policy sense, but it should become the case in a political sense. Critics of the system blamed every dropped policy and denied treatment on nonexistent free markets. Now it really will be a government-controlled system, and every dropped policy and denied treatment can be placed at the doorstep of the federal government.
Uncle Sam will be forcing us to purchase from a reduced number of policies, deciding on what benefits must be included and many (like Health Savings Accounts) which can't be, enriching insurers, doctors, and drugmakers by making more people buy insurance, deciding on "comparative effectiveness" and ultimately likely turning those assessments into mandatory national standards, cutting back on Medicare payments, forcing reductions in Medicare coverage, hunting down people who don't buy insurance, raising taxes, and more.
Our job will be to point out every negative consequence. Lose your HSA? Thank Barack Obama. Face higher Medicare levies (sorry, I mean"contributions")? Thank Nancy Pelosi. Have a harder time finding a doctor for Medicare? Thank Harry Reid.
Drugmaker profits increase? Thank the Democrats. Treatment options no longer available? Thank Health and Human Services. Health insurance premiums going up? Thank Uncle Sam. Health care costs going up faster than before? Thank President Obama & Co.
We need to make this point at every opportunity. Every new tax. Every new benefit cut. Every lost policy. Every inadequate treatment. Place the blame where it belongs, on Washington.
Moreover, as costs rush skyward and Congress inevitably debates how to cut costs, Republicans should allow industries which backed this monstrosity to receive their just desserts. No doubt, the Democrats will quickly dump their PhRMA allies--who spent $100 million on advertising to enlist government to force the rest of us to buy more pills--overboard in a desperate search for revenue. Republicans should stand back and enjoy the action. Those who helped create a government-controlled system should be forced to bear the full consequences of doing so.
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More Blog Posts by Doug Bandow
http://spectator.org/blog/2010/03/22/now-we-can-blame-government-fo
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saleboter| 3.22.10 @ 7:23AM
Don't blame DC blame the DEMOCRATS.
Teflon93| 3.22.10 @ 8:20AM
This is dangerously naive.
Government controls the mail and constantly jacks up price while diminishing service. Where are the people in the streets calling for the head of the postmaster general?
Government owns 2 automakers which are flailing about. Where are the people in the streets demonstrating against lousy cars from Chrysler and GM?
Government owns education. Where are the people in the streets protesting the moron production line the Democrats have established?
Government owns the mortgage industry. Where are the people in the streets protesting mortgages as political patronage?
Government owns student lending. Where are the people in the streets complaining about favoritism toward political constituents in college financial aid applications?
Government owns energy. Where are the people in the streets complaining about skyrocketing utility costs and more frequent brownouts?
This notion that at this late stage in American decrepitude "the people" will rise and overthrow these socialist tyrants is orthogonal to reality.
Your people, sir, are a great big stupid beast, content only to feed at the public trough until starved to death.
Roy| 3.22.10 @ 1:11PM
Couldn't have put it better myself.
My freedom is a matter of self-interest, but your freedom is a matter of principle. And even if the free market would do something better, I don't care, so long as for me personally, it is "free".
Pecos Pete| 3.22.10 @ 8:43AM
teflon: I agree with you.
Russia/China drilling in the Gulf of Mexico and our dumbos smile and contemplate their navels.
Gasoline at $3 per gallon and rising.
Bankrupt state governments.
Public employees earning more than those in private industry, plus unfunded gold benefits.
The pig is at the trough.
JP| 3.22.10 @ 9:51AM
From here on out I refuse to refer to health care by any other name other than ObamaCare. I suggest all conservatives do the same. They broke it -now they own it.
maire| 3.22.10 @ 11:00AM
You're kidding, right? They will just blame it all on GWB, and the North American Pravdas/Izvestias will be their mouthpieces.
Where have you been the past 9 years?
Honestly, do you think they care? Are they held responsible for the disasters of Medicare and Social Security?
Just blame evil, racist Republicans. Works every time.
Pingback| 3.22.10 @ 11:16AM
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altruance| 3.22.10 @ 5:07PM
While a massive reform effort, these bills are really going after the easy issues and while avoiding needed but messy health care cost control. Access to insurance has now improved so now it is time to get unchecked health care costs contained.
http://www.altruance.com/2010/.....ity-check/
Teflon93| 3.22.10 @ 5:32PM
The number one factor in healthcare cost is comprehensive coverage. How many people would undergo elective procedures if they had to pay full freight?
Number two is defensive medicine occasioned by the plaintiff's bar which bankrolls the Democrat Party.
Guess which reforms are waaaaaay off the table?
What will happen instead is Obama will impose price controls, the classic dodge of the socialist. Simultaneously, he will be creating a healthcare black market as exists in every country with such a system as he seeks to impose. The rich and well-connected---i.e. the Democrat nomenklatura---are the only people who will benefit under such "reforms", the rest of us being kulaks.
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Tell| 3.23.10 @ 10:38PM
The number one factor in healthcare cost is comprehensive coverage. How many people would undergo elective procedures if they had to pay full freight?
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