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Universal Health Care Isn't Worth Our Freedom
wall street journal ^ | JULY 15, 2009 | THOMAS SZASZ

Posted on 07/14/2009 9:00:10 PM PDT by Mount Athos

People who seek the services of auto mechanics want car repair, not "auto care." Similarly, most people who seek the services of medical doctors want body repair, not "health care."

We own our cars, are responsible for the cost of maintaining them, and decide what needs fixing based partly on balancing the seriousness of the problem against the expense of repairing it. Our health-care system rests on the principle that, although we own our bodies, the community or state ought to be responsible for paying the cost of repairing them. This is for the ostensibly noble purpose of redistributing the potentially ruinous expense of the medical care of unfortunate individuals.

But what is health care? The concept of reimbursable health-care service rests on the premise that the medical problem in need of servicing is the result of involuntary, unwanted happenings, not the result of voluntary, goal-directed behavior. Leukemia, lupus, prostate cancer, and many infectious diseases are unwanted happenings. Are we going to count obesity and smoking as the same kinds of diseases?

If we persevere in our quixotic quest for a fetishized medical equality we will sacrifice personal freedom as its price. We will become the voluntary slaves of a "compassionate" government that will provide the same low quality health care to everyone.

Henry David Thoreau famously remarked, "If I knew for a certainty that a man was coming to my house with the conscious design of doing me good, I should run for my life."

(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Editorial; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS:

1 posted on 07/14/2009 9:00:10 PM PDT by Mount Athos
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To: Mount Athos

bump


2 posted on 07/14/2009 9:00:55 PM PDT by lowbridge (It's not that liberals are ignorant, it's that they know so much that isn't so - Ronald Reagan)
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To: Mount Athos

It’s not even universal health care, it’s universal health insurance. You can still be turned down for care, it’s just the government making the decision and charging you for it.


3 posted on 07/14/2009 9:01:08 PM PDT by Terpfen (FR is being Alinskied. Remember, you only take flak when you're over the target.)
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To: Mount Athos

The ‘RATS like to say that free healthcare is “a right.” If that’s true, what the hell are the Commie ‘RATS forcing “the rich” to pay for it? I hate Commies.


4 posted on 07/14/2009 9:02:04 PM PDT by FlingWingFlyer (Hey America! How's that "hope and change" thing working out?)
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To: Mount Athos
For the most part, “universal coverage” means that we will all be paying for “coverage” for those who refused to buy their own darn insurance, when they had the chance.

A very LARGE percentage of the people who complain about “preexisting conditions” REFUSED to buy health insurance when they were still healthy!

5 posted on 07/14/2009 9:02:09 PM PDT by Kansas58
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To: Mount Athos
Let us not forget that the road down to Universal Government controlled health care is a one way street. If America goes down that road, then there will be no turning around.

By submitting to government health care we are surrendering our bodies to the government and we will forever be slaves.

6 posted on 07/14/2009 9:04:38 PM PDT by P-Marlowe (LPFOKETT GAHCOEEP-w/o*)
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To: Mount Athos

I always liked the WSJ.They print facts not fiction.


7 posted on 07/14/2009 9:07:20 PM PDT by taxtruth
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To: lowbridge

Freedom’s Line In The Sand! Keep calling; keep the heat up. It’s a life and death issue.


8 posted on 07/14/2009 9:08:25 PM PDT by ExTexasRedhead
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To: Mount Athos

Good article!


9 posted on 07/14/2009 9:14:18 PM PDT by Frank_2001
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Comment #10 Removed by Moderator

To: FlingWingFlyer

‘The ‘RATS like to say that free healthcare is “a right.” ‘

If it’s a “right” then why don’t we get the same health care program that Nancy Pelosi gets?


11 posted on 07/14/2009 9:49:52 PM PDT by Rembrandt
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To: ExTexasRedhead

Indeed, we all shall.

But when it passes, what’s your plan B?


12 posted on 07/15/2009 12:30:38 AM PDT by absalom01 (Molon Labe, baby.)
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To: Mount Athos

We need to stand up now because in a few days it will be too late...


13 posted on 07/15/2009 8:26:45 AM PDT by truthandlife ("Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God." (Ps 20:7))
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To: Terpfen

It’s not even universal health care, it’s universal health insurance. You can still be turned down for care, it’s just the government making the decision and charging you for it.’

EXACTLY !! It is charging me for insurance- without my input- and making me pay toward the fools that use drugs and refuse to use condoms.


14 posted on 07/15/2009 8:57:50 AM PDT by ridesthemiles
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To: Mount Athos

“if we persevere in our quixotic quest for a fetishized medical equality”

Brit Hume once said — they’d rather we all be equally poor than unequally wealthy.


15 posted on 07/15/2009 9:05:49 AM PDT by dervish (I never saw a wild thing sorry for itself)
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To: Mount Athos

BTTT


16 posted on 07/15/2009 11:35:49 AM PDT by TenthAmendmentChampion (Be prepared for tough times. FReepmail me to learn about our survival thread!)
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