| The Strange Blog |
Socialism Vs. Capitalism
August 22, 2009
Some people try to make the health care debate a question of
socialism vs. capitalism, as if our economic model were an either/or
proposition. Our country has always been a mixed economy. Some
things just can’t be provided on a for-profit basis. For instance, it
would be ridiculous for our powerful nation to hire high-paid
mercenaries to help us out in wartime. Okay, maybe that’s a bad
example.
But a long time ago our government decided that all citizens should
be entitled to a free public education, not so much because
education is a right, but because our entire nation is better off with a
better educated population. Similarly, our society is better off with a
healthier population.
Those who believe that the invisible hand of the free market should
guide everything should also be fighting against the subsidies and
import quotas and tariffs that the government has set up to help
American industries.
Palin’s Facebook Rant is News?
August 7, 2009
Sara Palin made the news today with a post on Facebook that called
the Democrats’ proposed health care plan “evil.” Really? An
unsurprising rant posted on Facebook is newsworthy? The worst
part is that the story admitted they had not received a reply to a
request for confirmation that Palin wrote the piece.
Reportedly, Palin claimed that the health plan would create
bureaucratic “death panels” that will decide who receives health
care depending on the patients productivity. Since Palin ran a
whole state for more than half a term, I have to assume that she’s a
reasonably intelligent person. Therefore, she can’t possibly believe
that congress would include such a ridiculously offensive provision
in their bill. That would mean she’s willing to tell a bald-faced lie in
order to scare people into agreeing with her position. Which
probably explains her political successes.
But back to the point—this is news? Sara Palin disagreeing with a
Democratic plan is as shocking as the “news” that the sun will rise
tomorrow morning.
A New Record: Iraq Is Turning On Us Already
August 1, 2009
There was a camp of Iranian dissidents in Iraq that was under the
protection of the U.S. military. When Iraqi security forces took over
responsibility for the camp they conducted a “deadly raid.” Already
it seems like the government of Iraq is more concerned about
appeasing Iran than bowing to U.S. interests. A government that
wouldn’t even exist if we hadn’t taken out Saddam and provided
enough security for them to have something to govern.
This isn’t the first time a one-time friend has turned on us. Saddam
Hussein himself enjoyed a cozy covert relationship with the U.S.
while he was at war with Iran. Manuel Noriega of Panama was
considered a U.S. lap dog until he refused to step down just
because of some pesky election and we sent in the military to
“arrest” him on some trumped-up drug charge. Even the evil one
himself, Osama Bin Laden, was considered a friend of the U.S. back
when he was fighting the Soviet Union in Afghanistan.
But this turnaround has to be some kind of record. Our troops
haven’t even left the country yet and the government we made
possible is siding with our worst enemy in the region.
Does Obama’s Health Plan Have a Prayer?
July 26, 2009
Answer: No, because the current administration doesn’t pray. I’m
afraid the plan contains a lot of things to argue against, like coming
out immediately with a “health care tax” on businesses that don’t
offer their employees health care that would equal 4-7% percent of
their payroll. And forcing everyone to buy insurance or pay a stiff
tax penalty. I understand that the government plan would have to
protect itself against people who would wait until they’re sick to
enroll, but they could be less dickish about it.
For example, all eligible persons could be given twelve months to
sign up for the government plan from the day they become eligible.
If they don’t sign up during this period they will have to go through a
six month period of “limited coverage” when they do join it. At least
when an uninsured person is bankrupted by disease you could truly
say it was his own fault, because he had an alternative and took the
risk of going without.
The thing is, for a government health plan to have any chance they
need to keep it simple and change the current system as little as
possible, take away the ammunition from defenders of the status
quo. They can always tweak the plan after it’s in place.
What gets me about detractors of a government health plan is how
they keep claiming that government-run health care in Canada and
England is awful. The thing is, our plan doesn’t even exist yet. We
have an opportunity to build it from the ground up and get it right,
maybe even by looking at works and what doesn’t in countries like
Canada and England. Instead of trying to scare people with talk of
rationing they could be part of the solution and make sure their
concerns are addressed in the legislation.
Cautiously Hopeful About Health Care
July 16, 2009
It sounds like the health care plan shaping up in congress holds a
lot of promise. Mainly, a government-sponsored insurance option
that would be open to everybody, and forcing private insurers to
stop turning away people with pre-existing conditions (by 2013). But
the House Democrats might sink the plan by trying to go too far,
which was one of the Clintons’ mistakes when they tried to overhaul
health care.
One provision that bothers me is the stiff penalty for people and
businesses that don’t purchase insurance. In one fell swoop people
will go from having no affordable insurance option to being forced to
buy this insurance or face a severe tax penalty. That seems a little
Draconian. The purpose of this legislation should be to offer all
Americans an affordable option, but not to force it down their
throats. You can lead a horse to water, but that doesn’t mean you
should give it a kick if it doesn’t drink.
I’m Afraid Sarah Palin Won’t Go Quietly
July 9, 2009
So Sarah Palin resigned as Governor of Alaska a year before her
term expires. I’m not really shocked, except I assumed it would be
prefaced by some new scandal, like using her office to hassle her
former brother-in-law or to fly her family around the country. But I
guess it’s unfair of the media to report such things about
Republicans.
I know, there are some hard-core conservatives who saw Palin as
their “Great Female Hope” to win the presidency in 2012, and
resigning like this for no good reason tarnishes her political star.
But my guess is that somebody gave her a reality check. She’s a
polarizing figure who is dearly loved by the Republican’s shrinking
neo-conservative base, but disliked by nearly everyone else. That’s
just not enough to win a presidential election. However, she’s in a
good position to make a fortune preaching to the converted on talk
radio. Just ask Rush Limbaugh and Oliver North. They make more
than the president anyway. She might even be able to land a TV
spot, like maybe on Fox News. The best part is, you don’t have to
worry about speaking honestly or pretending to like people who
disagree with you, you just have to tell your fans what they want to
hear.
I read that she already has a book deal in the works. Look for her
soon on a television near you. Then change the channel.
The Insurance Companies SHOULD Be Worried
June 25, 2009
I read today that insurance industry lobbyists told the president they
were concerned that a government-run health insurance alternative
would run them out of business. They should be very concerned.
Once a viable government program is in place the big businesses
that still offer their employees comprehensive health insurance are
going to be clamoring to be let off the hook for this responsibility.
The only reason that employer-sponsored health plans are
affordable is because the employer generally pays fifty percent or
more of the employee’s premium, and this has probably been the
fastest-growing business expense for the past twenty years.
Business leaders won’t say so yet because they don’t want the bad
publicity of being called a communist or being accused of not caring
about their employees’ health. But what CEO that’s worth his salt
wouldn’t want to see this runaway expense removed from the
books? If the government has a perfectly good program, why not let
them take care of the health care thing?
Sorry, but I can’t feel too bad for the insurance industry. They’ve
had decades to build a system that makes health care affordable
and available to all and they’ve failed us miserably. And don’t talk to
me about choice—under the current system, if you’re lucky enough
to work for an employer that offers affordable health insurance, you
either go with the plan your employer offers or you go without.
And rationing? What do you think the insurance industry has been
doing? Like any type of insurance, they maximize profits by
minimizing payouts. To this end, those who are most likely to need
health care are excluded from buying insurance. I would much
rather have my health care needs overseen by a bureaucrat than
by an insurance executive who answers first to his board of directors
and stockholders.
On the bright side, the government will probably farm out most of
the actual work, like claims processing, so some of these large
insurance companies will probably be in a good position to win
lucrative government contracts.
Can Obama Give Us Universal Health Care?
June 18, 2009
There’s been a lot of talk about it lately, mostly by conservatives
grousing about socialism and rationing. The president even went to
Chicago and talked to the AMA convention about it, reportedly
changing some minds and getting them to vote to at least be a part
of the discussion. It’s going to be tough to get there, even with a
democratic congress. If he does manage to do it maybe he really IS
a god.
He does seem to be on the right track. I’ve said this years ago, the
government should do nothing to change the current system, but
simply create a national corporation, similar to the post office, whose
job it will be to provide affordable health insurance to any citizen
who doesn’t have affordable coverage available. The corporation’s
goal (say we call it the National Health Insurance Agency) will be to
break even (no profit motive). The NHIA’s money would come from
the same place the insurance company’s profits come from: the
insured would pay premiums along with co-payments and
deductibles, just like most employer-sponsored plans.
This way the government isn’t doing anything to change the
coverage for people who like their insurance, they’re just creating a
source of insurance for the people who have none. It’s the least we
can do.
Cheney the Gay Rights Crusader?
June 7, 2009
Unbelievable. Dick Cheney recently said publicly that he doesn’t
oppose gay marriage and the matter should be left up to the states.
This is unbelievable because Cheney has always acted like a
stalwart conservative Republican, and as a general rule those
creatures are 100% opposed to gay marriage, gays in the military,
gays marching in the St. Patrick’s Day parade, or anything else that
recognizes gays as legitimate people. There isn’t any room for
compromise in their all-or-nothing world.
Of course, the reason for Cheney’s unusual largesse is that he has
gay daughter, which just goes to show that even the inflexible are
willing to make compromises when the issue strikes close to home.
But she’s always been gay and he waited until he left public office to
make this opinion known because it would have hurt the Bush
administration with the religious conservatives that make up a large
portion of their base. And saying that it should be left to the states
is kind of like passing the buck, implying that he never mentioned
the issue as Vice President because he doesn’t consider it a matter
for the federal government. Still, even with those qualifiers, it’s a
pretty amazing thing to hear coming from someone like Dick Cheney.
August 22, 2009
Some people try to make the health care debate a question of
socialism vs. capitalism, as if our economic model were an either/or
proposition. Our country has always been a mixed economy. Some
things just can’t be provided on a for-profit basis. For instance, it
would be ridiculous for our powerful nation to hire high-paid
mercenaries to help us out in wartime. Okay, maybe that’s a bad
example.
But a long time ago our government decided that all citizens should
be entitled to a free public education, not so much because
education is a right, but because our entire nation is better off with a
better educated population. Similarly, our society is better off with a
healthier population.
Those who believe that the invisible hand of the free market should
guide everything should also be fighting against the subsidies and
import quotas and tariffs that the government has set up to help
American industries.
Palin’s Facebook Rant is News?
August 7, 2009
Sara Palin made the news today with a post on Facebook that called
the Democrats’ proposed health care plan “evil.” Really? An
unsurprising rant posted on Facebook is newsworthy? The worst
part is that the story admitted they had not received a reply to a
request for confirmation that Palin wrote the piece.
Reportedly, Palin claimed that the health plan would create
bureaucratic “death panels” that will decide who receives health
care depending on the patients productivity. Since Palin ran a
whole state for more than half a term, I have to assume that she’s a
reasonably intelligent person. Therefore, she can’t possibly believe
that congress would include such a ridiculously offensive provision
in their bill. That would mean she’s willing to tell a bald-faced lie in
order to scare people into agreeing with her position. Which
probably explains her political successes.
But back to the point—this is news? Sara Palin disagreeing with a
Democratic plan is as shocking as the “news” that the sun will rise
tomorrow morning.
A New Record: Iraq Is Turning On Us Already
August 1, 2009
There was a camp of Iranian dissidents in Iraq that was under the
protection of the U.S. military. When Iraqi security forces took over
responsibility for the camp they conducted a “deadly raid.” Already
it seems like the government of Iraq is more concerned about
appeasing Iran than bowing to U.S. interests. A government that
wouldn’t even exist if we hadn’t taken out Saddam and provided
enough security for them to have something to govern.
This isn’t the first time a one-time friend has turned on us. Saddam
Hussein himself enjoyed a cozy covert relationship with the U.S.
while he was at war with Iran. Manuel Noriega of Panama was
considered a U.S. lap dog until he refused to step down just
because of some pesky election and we sent in the military to
“arrest” him on some trumped-up drug charge. Even the evil one
himself, Osama Bin Laden, was considered a friend of the U.S. back
when he was fighting the Soviet Union in Afghanistan.
But this turnaround has to be some kind of record. Our troops
haven’t even left the country yet and the government we made
possible is siding with our worst enemy in the region.
Does Obama’s Health Plan Have a Prayer?
July 26, 2009
Answer: No, because the current administration doesn’t pray. I’m
afraid the plan contains a lot of things to argue against, like coming
out immediately with a “health care tax” on businesses that don’t
offer their employees health care that would equal 4-7% percent of
their payroll. And forcing everyone to buy insurance or pay a stiff
tax penalty. I understand that the government plan would have to
protect itself against people who would wait until they’re sick to
enroll, but they could be less dickish about it.
For example, all eligible persons could be given twelve months to
sign up for the government plan from the day they become eligible.
If they don’t sign up during this period they will have to go through a
six month period of “limited coverage” when they do join it. At least
when an uninsured person is bankrupted by disease you could truly
say it was his own fault, because he had an alternative and took the
risk of going without.
The thing is, for a government health plan to have any chance they
need to keep it simple and change the current system as little as
possible, take away the ammunition from defenders of the status
quo. They can always tweak the plan after it’s in place.
What gets me about detractors of a government health plan is how
they keep claiming that government-run health care in Canada and
England is awful. The thing is, our plan doesn’t even exist yet. We
have an opportunity to build it from the ground up and get it right,
maybe even by looking at works and what doesn’t in countries like
Canada and England. Instead of trying to scare people with talk of
rationing they could be part of the solution and make sure their
concerns are addressed in the legislation.
Cautiously Hopeful About Health Care
July 16, 2009
It sounds like the health care plan shaping up in congress holds a
lot of promise. Mainly, a government-sponsored insurance option
that would be open to everybody, and forcing private insurers to
stop turning away people with pre-existing conditions (by 2013). But
the House Democrats might sink the plan by trying to go too far,
which was one of the Clintons’ mistakes when they tried to overhaul
health care.
One provision that bothers me is the stiff penalty for people and
businesses that don’t purchase insurance. In one fell swoop people
will go from having no affordable insurance option to being forced to
buy this insurance or face a severe tax penalty. That seems a little
Draconian. The purpose of this legislation should be to offer all
Americans an affordable option, but not to force it down their
throats. You can lead a horse to water, but that doesn’t mean you
should give it a kick if it doesn’t drink.
I’m Afraid Sarah Palin Won’t Go Quietly
July 9, 2009
So Sarah Palin resigned as Governor of Alaska a year before her
term expires. I’m not really shocked, except I assumed it would be
prefaced by some new scandal, like using her office to hassle her
former brother-in-law or to fly her family around the country. But I
guess it’s unfair of the media to report such things about
Republicans.
I know, there are some hard-core conservatives who saw Palin as
their “Great Female Hope” to win the presidency in 2012, and
resigning like this for no good reason tarnishes her political star.
But my guess is that somebody gave her a reality check. She’s a
polarizing figure who is dearly loved by the Republican’s shrinking
neo-conservative base, but disliked by nearly everyone else. That’s
just not enough to win a presidential election. However, she’s in a
good position to make a fortune preaching to the converted on talk
radio. Just ask Rush Limbaugh and Oliver North. They make more
than the president anyway. She might even be able to land a TV
spot, like maybe on Fox News. The best part is, you don’t have to
worry about speaking honestly or pretending to like people who
disagree with you, you just have to tell your fans what they want to
hear.
I read that she already has a book deal in the works. Look for her
soon on a television near you. Then change the channel.
The Insurance Companies SHOULD Be Worried
June 25, 2009
I read today that insurance industry lobbyists told the president they
were concerned that a government-run health insurance alternative
would run them out of business. They should be very concerned.
Once a viable government program is in place the big businesses
that still offer their employees comprehensive health insurance are
going to be clamoring to be let off the hook for this responsibility.
The only reason that employer-sponsored health plans are
affordable is because the employer generally pays fifty percent or
more of the employee’s premium, and this has probably been the
fastest-growing business expense for the past twenty years.
Business leaders won’t say so yet because they don’t want the bad
publicity of being called a communist or being accused of not caring
about their employees’ health. But what CEO that’s worth his salt
wouldn’t want to see this runaway expense removed from the
books? If the government has a perfectly good program, why not let
them take care of the health care thing?
Sorry, but I can’t feel too bad for the insurance industry. They’ve
had decades to build a system that makes health care affordable
and available to all and they’ve failed us miserably. And don’t talk to
me about choice—under the current system, if you’re lucky enough
to work for an employer that offers affordable health insurance, you
either go with the plan your employer offers or you go without.
And rationing? What do you think the insurance industry has been
doing? Like any type of insurance, they maximize profits by
minimizing payouts. To this end, those who are most likely to need
health care are excluded from buying insurance. I would much
rather have my health care needs overseen by a bureaucrat than
by an insurance executive who answers first to his board of directors
and stockholders.
On the bright side, the government will probably farm out most of
the actual work, like claims processing, so some of these large
insurance companies will probably be in a good position to win
lucrative government contracts.
Can Obama Give Us Universal Health Care?
June 18, 2009
There’s been a lot of talk about it lately, mostly by conservatives
grousing about socialism and rationing. The president even went to
Chicago and talked to the AMA convention about it, reportedly
changing some minds and getting them to vote to at least be a part
of the discussion. It’s going to be tough to get there, even with a
democratic congress. If he does manage to do it maybe he really IS
a god.
He does seem to be on the right track. I’ve said this years ago, the
government should do nothing to change the current system, but
simply create a national corporation, similar to the post office, whose
job it will be to provide affordable health insurance to any citizen
who doesn’t have affordable coverage available. The corporation’s
goal (say we call it the National Health Insurance Agency) will be to
break even (no profit motive). The NHIA’s money would come from
the same place the insurance company’s profits come from: the
insured would pay premiums along with co-payments and
deductibles, just like most employer-sponsored plans.
This way the government isn’t doing anything to change the
coverage for people who like their insurance, they’re just creating a
source of insurance for the people who have none. It’s the least we
can do.
Cheney the Gay Rights Crusader?
June 7, 2009
Unbelievable. Dick Cheney recently said publicly that he doesn’t
oppose gay marriage and the matter should be left up to the states.
This is unbelievable because Cheney has always acted like a
stalwart conservative Republican, and as a general rule those
creatures are 100% opposed to gay marriage, gays in the military,
gays marching in the St. Patrick’s Day parade, or anything else that
recognizes gays as legitimate people. There isn’t any room for
compromise in their all-or-nothing world.
Of course, the reason for Cheney’s unusual largesse is that he has
gay daughter, which just goes to show that even the inflexible are
willing to make compromises when the issue strikes close to home.
But she’s always been gay and he waited until he left public office to
make this opinion known because it would have hurt the Bush
administration with the religious conservatives that make up a large
portion of their base. And saying that it should be left to the states
is kind of like passing the buck, implying that he never mentioned
the issue as Vice President because he doesn’t consider it a matter
for the federal government. Still, even with those qualifiers, it’s a
pretty amazing thing to hear coming from someone like Dick Cheney.