Sat, 05 Sep 2009

Health-Care “Reformers” Duck the Hard Questions

An excellent essay - with only one problem. The most vocal opponents of Plan Obama are incoherent wingnuts who babble about death panels and keeping government out of Medicare. I've avoided posting much on the issue, despite my deep and abiding misgivings about any government programs, simply to avoid the taint of association with knuckle dragging cretins like "Joe the Plumber" and Sarah Palin.

In fact, until and unless the Republicans get their shit together and drum the loonies back to the fringes where they belong, I'll avoid giving them any kind of aid or comfort, no matter how much I may agree with them on any particular policy issue. Because in the big picture, if the uber-religious right wing nuts get control of the government, anarchist left libertarian heathen farmers like me are gonna be toast (perhaps literally) a lot quicker than with a bunch of escaped granola eating ex-hippies in charge.

One can only hope that someday we'll come to our senses and realize that the real issue is not who's in charge, but the fact that anyone presumes to be in charge. To paraphrase Ben Franklin, democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the results.

The proponents act as if only two kinds of opponents exist: shills for big pharmaceutical and insurance companies, and know-nothing (and most likely racist) extremists who “fear change.” Good-faith opposition based in economic, political, and moral theory is subtly ruled out as impossible.

(link) [Future of Freedom Foundation]

via LeftLibertarian

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