Apparently healthcare is a passion point of mine,
considering I’ve also blogged about it here: http://www.thattadguy.com/2012/02/institutions-vs-individuals.html
This time the debate isn’t about birth control, but the
Obamacare plan. The big question that’s made its way all the way up the Supreme
Court steps is, “Can the US government require you to buy health insurance?”
The answer is, “Of course not.”
Everyone, except for the Supreme Court, seems to understand
this. Even proponents of the plan talk about this as being an exception to the
rule. And opponents of the plan rightly argue that the government could require
us to buy all sorts of things, but, strangely, they cite broccoli as that
“thing”—as if Americans have ever eaten broccoli that wasn’t deep-fried first.
You see: the government already requires that we buy stuff.
Just not DIRECTLY. We collectively buy things, like bullets, roads, buildings
and fire trucks, when we pay our taxes*. Therefore, we all own a little bit of
everything. That’s not Socialism; that’s collective buying power. That way, if
my neighbor’s house burns down, I don’t get upset or jealous that they’re using
the fire department and I’m not. I know that if my house catches fire later,
I’ll get to reap the fire department’s benefits, too.
This whole flim-flam-fa-doo** in the courts is because
politicians are too afraid to just raise taxes to pay for the whole thing. Taxes
are political suicide***. But with raised taxes, we’d still be “buying” healthcare,
only in the manner to which we’re already accustomed. Instead, we have a genuine
healthcare option under disingenuous conditions.
All of it is enough to make us sick, don’t you think?
*If we even PAY our taxes, right Corporate America?
**Yeah, I said it.
***Not covered under any healthcare plans.
