Why have people come to believe health care is a "right" when it actually isn't?

[dblack]

And how is 'government' stopping that?

When it's functioning properly it isn't. It's necessary to protect it. It's when we expand the role of government beyond protecting freedom that we run into problems.

The primary function of government is to enforce conformity. Some of that is necessary to make a free society viable. Sometimes, everyone doing their own thing is intolerable, so we pass laws that require everyone to follow the same norms of behavior. But, if our goal is a free society, we must recognize that as a loss of freedom, and indulge it only when truly necessary.

When we enlist government to solve problems that we can otherwise solve ourselves, we're trading freedom for convenience and we should stop to ask ourselves whether it's truly worth it. When the consensus is very high, and the cost relatively low, it's often worth it to go for the convenience. (Even most ardent libertartians are ok with stop signs, for example, even though one might argue we could get by without them.) But when there is not a strong consensus, or the cost, either in loss of liberty or finances, is high, we should resist the urge to give up our freedom for expedience.

And whether you will admit or not, health care was screaming for government intervention.

The point is, a large portion of the nation won't "admit it". There is NOT wide consensus, and the price - both in terms of loss of freedom and tax dollars - is very high. Forcing such a change on society is an abuse of the social contract and bad government.

 

[hunarcy]

Everyone needs healthcare.......the rest of the world has already figured it out

Quit your bitching about covering women's services. Women deserve to pay the same rates as men. They shouldn't pay more just because they are the ones who get pregnant

We have healthcare in this nation. What you want is not healthcare, it's to force others to pay for it. And, we all see that ACA is not actually the goal, it's a stepping stone to single payer. The big problem for you is that the ACA roll out has shown how incompetent government is in situations such as this and we'll never trust it to provide "single payer". It wastes too much and can't even get a website right.

 

[realinvestment]

Per Pope Benedict, healthcare is a right.

Pope Calls Health Care An 'Inalienable Right,' Urges World Governments To Provide Universal Coverage | ThinkProgress

 

[hunarcy]

Per Pope Benedict, healthcare is a right.

Pope Calls Health Care An 'Inalienable Right,' Urges World Governments To Provide Universal Coverage | ThinkProgress

I agree with him...it's just not a right to demand someone else pay for it. I have a right and duty to wear clothes, but can't expect anyone else to buy 'em.

 

[Cecilie1200]

I don't have to project anything "onto conservatives", you right wing cretins profess your barbarism on every thread.

Riiiight . . . just like the Bible professes that you have a right to sit on your dead ass and suck off of other people. I'm sure that all of us are VERY impressed with your "insightful" assessments.

WOW, thank you for parroting a perfect example...

Of you projecting your insanity onto the world? It's not like I had to search real hard.

 

[Cecilie1200]

Per Pope Benedict, healthcare is a right.

Pope Calls Health Care An 'Inalienable Right,' Urges World Governments To Provide Universal Coverage | ThinkProgress

I must have missed the point where I started caring what the Pope has to say about anything, let alone about things that don't fall under his jurisdiction.

 

[Bfgrn]

Riiiight . . . just like the Bible professes that you have a right to sit on your dead ass and suck off of other people. I'm sure that all of us are VERY impressed with your "insightful" assessments.

WOW, thank you for parroting a perfect example...

Of you projecting your insanity onto the world? It's not like I had to search real hard.

NO liberal has ever supported paying lazy people to sit on their ass. But the narrative you right wing cretins need to parrot is exactly that. It is ignorant and just shows how much you people loathe hard working American families that are not rich and struggling to make ends meet. Your prescription is punishment. It is ALL conservatives have to offer...

 

[dblack]

Per Pope Benedict, healthcare is a right.

Pope Calls Health Care An 'Inalienable Right,' Urges World Governments To Provide Universal Coverage | ThinkProgress

I must have missed the point where I started caring what the Pope has to say about anything, let alone about things that don't fall under his jurisdiction.

Interestingly, we're out from under the yoke of papal authority thanks to separation of church and state. We finally realized that the way to moderate the power of the church was to keep government out of religion. Someday, I suspect our liberal friends will realize the same lesson when it comes to economic power. If we want to moderate the power of corporations, we need to keep government from intervening in the economy.

 

[Bfgrn]

Per Pope Benedict, healthcare is a right.

Pope Calls Health Care An 'Inalienable Right,' Urges World Governments To Provide Universal Coverage | ThinkProgress

I must have missed the point where I started caring what the Pope has to say about anything, let alone about things that don't fall under his jurisdiction.

But you parrots will chirp a Papal option on abortion as Gospel...

 

[Bfgrn]

Per Pope Benedict, healthcare is a right.

Pope Calls Health Care An 'Inalienable Right,' Urges World Governments To Provide Universal Coverage | ThinkProgress

I must have missed the point where I started caring what the Pope has to say about anything, let alone about things that don't fall under his jurisdiction.

Interestingly, we're out from under the yoke of papal authority thanks to separation of church and state. We finally realized that the way to moderate the power of the church was to keep government out of religion. Someday, I suspect our liberal friends will realize the same lesson when it comes to economic power. If we want to moderate the power of corporations, we need to keep government from intervening in the economy.

So corporations will be moderated by WHOM...an 'invisible hand'?

 

[Moonglow]

The real problem is not enough people insured but no negotiations on price controls on drugs in the USA. Charging thousands of dollars for drugs sold in other countries for hundreds, but it shows you the power of the medical industry lobby in our federal govt..

 

[dblack]

I must have missed the point where I started caring what the Pope has to say about anything, let alone about things that don't fall under his jurisdiction.

Interestingly, we're out from under the yoke of papal authority thanks to separation of church and state. We finally realized that the way to moderate the power of the church was to keep government out of religion. Someday, I suspect our liberal friends will realize the same lesson when it comes to economic power. If we want to moderate the power of corporations, we need to keep government from intervening in the economy.

So corporations will be moderated by WHOM...an 'invisible hand'?

Well, we could just ignore them until they go away.

 

[dblack]

Interestingly, we're out from under the yoke of papal authority thanks to separation of church and state. We finally realized that the way to moderate the power of the church was to keep government out of religion. Someday, I suspect our liberal friends will realize the same lesson when it comes to economic power. If we want to moderate the power of corporations, we need to keep government from intervening in the economy.

So corporations will be moderated by WHOM...an 'invisible hand'?

Well, we could just ignore them until they go away.

Seriously. I know it's counter-intuitive to you, coming from the liberal tradition of the last hundred years or so, but corporate power over us is entirely via state intervention. They have no private armies or police. And without the collusion of government, they can't force us to do business with them.

This is why it's so insane, from my perspective, to see liberals supporting nonsense like ACA. Do you seriously think that the way to reign in the insurance industry is to force us all to buy their products?!? Every time liberals seek to mitigate corporate power by expanding government economic intervention, the corporations smile and hire another lobbyist.

 

[Cecilie1200]

WOW, thank you for parroting a perfect example...

Of you projecting your insanity onto the world? It's not like I had to search real hard.

NO liberal has ever supported paying lazy people to sit on their ass. But the narrative you right wing cretins need to parrot is exactly that. It is ignorant and just shows how much you people loathe hard working American families that are not rich and struggling to make ends meet. Your prescription is punishment. It is ALL conservatives have to offer...

I can only assume your belief that you're suddenly going to sell me on leftist talking points after all this time is just another manifestation of your delirium tremens.

By all means, though, continue to drivel at me about your "compassion" and "moral superiority". I know it's the only validation your existence receives, and I therefore view allowing your posts to appear on my screen as my good deed for the day.

 

[Cecilie1200]

Per Pope Benedict, healthcare is a right.

Pope Calls Health Care An 'Inalienable Right,' Urges World Governments To Provide Universal Coverage | ThinkProgress

I must have missed the point where I started caring what the Pope has to say about anything, let alone about things that don't fall under his jurisdiction.

Interestingly, we're out from under the yoke of papal authority thanks to separation of church and state. We finally realized that the way to moderate the power of the church was to keep government out of religion. Someday, I suspect our liberal friends will realize the same lesson when it comes to economic power. If we want to moderate the power of corporations, we need to keep government from intervening in the economy.

Actually, I just don't give a shit about the Pope because I'm not Catholic. Also, I'm capable of thinking for myself, regardless of who does or doesn't agree with me. This is something leftists cannot understand, so they always think if they drop this or that name into the conversation, it'll be some sort of trump card. After all, it would be with them.

 

[Cecilie1200]

Per Pope Benedict, healthcare is a right.

Pope Calls Health Care An 'Inalienable Right,' Urges World Governments To Provide Universal Coverage | ThinkProgress

I must have missed the point where I started caring what the Pope has to say about anything, let alone about things that don't fall under his jurisdiction.

But you parrots will chirp a Papal option on abortion as Gospel...

Well, thank you for reading the leftist script to me. Now feel free to show me ANY point at which I have EVER cited the Pope on anything, much less "chirped it as gospel". For that matter, show me any point where I have ever made an argument on abortion based on religion.

G'head. Show us all how you're not talking out of your ass like I keep saying you are. This is your big chance to prove you're not just a particularly rancid taco fart.

Impress me.

 

[percysunshine]

The real problem is not enough people insured but no negotiations on price controls on drugs in the USA. Charging thousands of dollars for drugs sold in other countries for hundreds, but it shows you the power of the medical industry lobby in our federal govt..

Did you just charge the Obama administration with fascism?

Hooo...ahhh

 

[Cecilie1200]

The real problem is not enough people insured but no negotiations on price controls on drugs in the USA. Charging thousands of dollars for drugs sold in other countries for hundreds, but it shows you the power of the medical industry lobby in our federal govt..

Mostly, it shows you the power and common sense of the free market. Those drugs aren't sold for those prices in other countries because that's their "real worth". They're sold at virtually no profit - or even at a loss - because the governments of those countries mandate those prices, which consequently forces pharmaceutical companies to make up the difference in nations where there's some semblance of a free market, most notably the United States. If we start mandating draconian price controls as well, the pharmaceutical industry will just fold up, and the entire world will be left in poorer health for it.

You can only demand that someone give you something for nothing for so long until he says, "Fuck you" and leaves you with nothing at all.

 

[Cecilie1200]

So corporations will be moderated by WHOM...an 'invisible hand'?

Well, we could just ignore them until they go away.

Seriously. I know it's counter-intuitive to you, coming from the liberal tradition of the last hundred years or so, but corporate power over us is entirely via state intervention. They have no private armies or police. And without the collusion of government, they can't force us to do business with them.

This is why it's so insane, from my perspective, to see liberals supporting nonsense like ACA. Do you seriously think that the way to reign in the insurance industry is to force us all to buy their products?!? Every time liberals seek to mitigate corporate power by expanding government economic intervention, the corporations smile and hire another lobbyist.

Lefties think they can change human nature and the rules the world exists by simply through wishing really hard. They are eternally shocked when human beings look at the asinine systems the left sets up, figures out the best way to exploit it, and does so, instead of magically metamorphosing into the ideal, altruistic communists the left thinks is the true natural state of humanity.

 

[Bfgrn]

Of you projecting your insanity onto the world? It's not like I had to search real hard.

NO liberal has ever supported paying lazy people to sit on their ass. But the narrative you right wing cretins need to parrot is exactly that. It is ignorant and just shows how much you people loathe hard working American families that are not rich and struggling to make ends meet. Your prescription is punishment. It is ALL conservatives have to offer...

I can only assume your belief that you're suddenly going to sell me on leftist talking points after all this time is just another manifestation of your delirium tremens.

By all means, though, continue to drivel at me about your "compassion" and "moral superiority". I know it's the only validation your existence receives, and I therefore view allowing your posts to appear on my screen as my good deed for the day.

Your inability for empathy or compassion is YOUR sense of what a person should be, and anyone who really does have empathy or compassion must be a liar. It allows you to believe you are not scum. But you ARE.