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Why was the Mandate such a big deal? (vanity)
Vanity | June 29, 2012 | BobL

Posted on 06/29/2012 3:53:57 PM PDT by BobL

Since many others have posted vanities on this, I thought that I'd weigh in. My question is why is the mandate such a big deal? Yes, it's the funding mechanism, so if you throw out the mandate, then Obamacare runs that much further in the red. Yes, the mandate is needed for insurance to work - in other words if healthy people don't pay in, you don't have insurance - you have welfare for people that get sick.

But from Obama's standpoint, what's the difference? If the mandate, only, were thrown out, then keep marching along with the rest of it (and "it" is absolutely gigantic). Sure, it would drive the country broke, but what's new about that - we're more than on our way there, anyway. Obama, assuming that he's re-elected, would have 5 years to keep implementing everything else, and by then, I don't there would be any private insurance market anyway - after all why buy insurance when you're covered anyway.

So that simply leads to single-payer, but even faster. Just like other countries, we'd have single-payer, and not have to buy insurance or otherwise pay for healthcare - rather 'the government' would pay for it. As to whether the government could collect enough money - that seems to be non-issue for this administration, so we wind up exactly where the left wants us - only faster, actually, since the myth of insurance would have disappeared with the mandate.

As to the rest of the bill, did anyone really think that the justices would ever bother checking with the Constitution before making a ruling? There was no way they were going to throw that out. So the bottom line is that we actually might be in better shape than just throwing out the mandate - we just don't know it.


TOPICS: Chit/Chat
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My thoughts...
1 posted on 06/29/2012 3:54:00 PM PDT by BobL
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To: BobL
The mandate vs tax thing was a finesse intended to get the thing through the courts, and Obama through his re-election campaign.

Bottom line is the government now has a huge new source of $$$ with which to continue propping up the welfare state, which is slowly going broke, as well as a huge stick to use to beat compliance into the electorate in the future (rationing health care).

2 posted on 06/29/2012 4:01:42 PM PDT by skeeter
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To: BobL

It’s a $500 billion “tax” increase for the American taxpayers who work so that obama’s bruthas and sistas can start getting free health care.

Many are not happy about that.


3 posted on 06/29/2012 4:05:18 PM PDT by spel_grammer_an_punct_polise (I wanna start a Seniors' Motor Scooter Gang. Wanna join?)
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To: BobL

When the Constitution (and the culture necessary to support it) has been rendered meaningless, as it has, nothing is a big deal. (unless freedom is important to you...but the masses today don’t appreciate that because they have never dealt with it’s absence. Once they realize it’s value, it will be way too late.) Human nature is very predictable as it never changes.


4 posted on 06/29/2012 4:07:56 PM PDT by gorush (History repeats itself because human nature is static)
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To: skeeter

“Bottom line is the government now has a huge new source of $$$”

If it were even Clinton, I would agree that you don’t want to give the government a new revenue stream. But this bunch simply DOES NOT CARE about whether revenue comes in. You can tell that because they keep agreeing to extend our low tax rates, even with deficits that will make Greece look fiscally responsible.


5 posted on 06/29/2012 4:09:11 PM PDT by BobL
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To: spel_grammer_an_punct_polise

“It’s a $500 billion “tax” increase for the American taxpayers who work so that obama’s bruthas and sistas can start getting free health care.
Many are not happy about that.”

My point being that even without the tax increase on productive people, Obama would have done EXACTLY the same. He simply does not care (and/or understand) the meaning of deficits or debt.


6 posted on 06/29/2012 4:10:58 PM PDT by BobL
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To: BobL
The mandate is "such a big deal" because this bill is about raising money--has nothing to do with health care per se. We already have health care and 80% of the population is satisfied with what they have now. But the guts of the bill will make insurance premiums go out of sight, and much coverage disappear, so more and more people will opt for the "penalty/tax." Indeed with half trillion dollar reduction in Medicare and with death/rationing panels, this bill will reduce health care measurably while increasing its cost by a trillion or so.
7 posted on 06/29/2012 4:16:30 PM PDT by hinckley buzzard
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To: hinckley buzzard

...but how would ending the mandate have stopped Obama?


8 posted on 06/29/2012 4:19:25 PM PDT by BobL
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To: BobL
Right, Cloward & Piven.

Still, with this latest abomination they severely corrupted the only means by which we could find our way back. IMO thats what made this ruling so tragic.

9 posted on 06/29/2012 4:21:35 PM PDT by skeeter
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To: BobL
...but how would ending the mandate have stopped Obama?

I was going to say because the Constitution says they have to provide funding for such programs.

10 posted on 06/29/2012 4:23:47 PM PDT by skeeter
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To: skeeter

“I was going to say because the Constitution says they have to provide funding for such programs.”

I’m sorry, but where in the UN Charter does the US Constitution apply to the United States, if you get my point.


11 posted on 06/29/2012 4:26:03 PM PDT by BobL
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To: BobL
Yes, the mandate is needed for insurance to work - in other words if healthy people don't pay in, you don't have insurance - you have welfare for people that get sick.

It is because there is great confusion over the idea of paying for a health care plan and paying for health insurance.

Insurance is purchased in order to distribute risk of future problems. Once "pre-existing conditions and routine or elective procedures are included, it is no longer insurance.

12 posted on 06/29/2012 4:35:49 PM PDT by ALPAPilot
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To: BobL

Forgeet the healthcare issue for a moment.

The SC just said that the US Gov’t can make you do ANYTHING or charge you a ‘tax’ penalty for not doing it.

They also mandated that every citizen MUST patronize a PRIVATE company or be punished with a tax penalty.

Now they can force you to buy anything that Washington whims feel you should be buying. What if the gov’t decides that it’s best for us to update our cars every ten years in order to keep up with safety standards? Yup. You can drive a clunker if you want. But that’s going to cost you $2000 a year in tax penalty.

So don’t worry about healthcare. The SC just opened up the flood gates of cohesion.

You know what strikes me as truly ironic?

The only people who’re truly free in this country are the 1% They’re the only one’s who can afford to pay the penalties and continue to do what they want.

I know some people who live off the grid who’re going to be up in arms about this.


13 posted on 06/29/2012 4:46:16 PM PDT by Marie (Our only hope is in electing a very conservative congress.)
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To: ALPAPilot

“Insurance is purchased in order to distribute risk of future problems. Once “pre-existing conditions and routine or elective procedures are included, it is no longer insurance. “

That’s my point, but then you’re no idiot. My question was whether President Obama even wanted insurance. With the mandate, we get to keep insurance, for now (in its demented form, I would agree).

BTW, what equipment did you (or do you) fly?


14 posted on 06/29/2012 4:46:53 PM PDT by BobL
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To: BobL
...but how would ending the mandate have stopped Obama?

Obama will likely be gone in under a year, who says he needs to be stopped? The point of overturning the mandate was to take it off the table for mandate-happy Romney.

15 posted on 06/29/2012 7:38:07 PM PDT by eclecticEel (Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness: 7/4/1776 - 3/21/2010)
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