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Posted on 12/13/2007 10:58:57 AM PST by traviskicks
John Stossel Interviews Ron Paul on Youth Appeal, Opposition to Medicare, Medicaid
"20/20's" John Stossel interviews Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, exclusively for ABCNEWS.com. Paul wants the government out of health care, and opposes Medicare, Medicaid, and federally mandated children's health insurance. (AP Photo)
Over the last few months, I've heard from hundreds of viewers who said that I should interview unconventional Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul. So I did.
In our interview, published exclusively on ABCNEWS.com, we talk about the Iraq war, when war is justified, the proper role of government, immigration, drug use, prostitution, gay marriage, and more.
In this segment, we discuss the 72-year-old Texas congressman's surprising popularity with young people, and then, at greater length, his thoughts on health care. You can watch the full interview here.
Rocking the Youth Vote
Paul's libertarian platform of individual freedom, and freedom from most government regulation, has resonated with young voters.
He's the most Googled presidential candidate, and his videos are the most watched on YouTube. He's a hit on the Internet, a space mostly inhabitated by young voters.
"Freedom is a young idea. Tyranny is an old idea," he told me.
"Young people tend to be more principled, and they like that, and they know I've been dedicated to the principles of the Constitution, and they welcome the idea of somebody that talks about leaving them alone, letting them run their own lives."
Struggle for Health Care
When it comes to one of the thorniest issues in the presidential race — health care — Paul has firsthand experience.
He is an obstetrician-gynecologist who has delivered more than 4,000 babies. In his practice, he never accepted Medicare or Medicaid — the government health insurance programs for the poor and elderly — because he objects to government involvement in health care.
"We've had the government involved in our medical care system since the early '70s, we've had managed care. And all of a sudden, nobody's happy with it," Paul said in our interview.
Paul has even gone as far as taking the lonely position of saying government shouldn't provide health insurance for poor children.
What would happen to those kids under his administration? Paul replied by talking about his early experience as a doctor.
"I worked in a church hospital ... and I was paid $3 an hour in the early 1960s. There was no government insurance. But everybody got taken care of. And nobody was charged."
Paul says that private charity will step in to care for the poor.
"Should we move to, toward a socialized system, or should we look to the marketplace to help us sort out the problems we have in medicine? My argument, of course, is always looking for the answers in the free market, in private choices, and in individuals dealing with those problems, rather than depending on the state."
Opposing Medicare and Medicaid
Paul also opposes Medicare.
I asked him, "How can elderly people be taken care of without a big government program like that?"
"Right now, it's difficult," Paul said, "because we made a whole generation who are too dependent. But the question that we ought to ask is, if we continue to do what we do, how are we going to finance it? There's no funding for Medicare. It's under a greater threat than Social Security.
"Government interferes too often," he argued. "We've become complacent and dependent on the government to protect us, and they fail, and they don't provide the services that they claim."
Paul says government cannot be our guardian and protector.
"The failure of government is becoming more evident than ever before ... the failure of taking care of the victims of Katrina, the failure of the war, the bankruptcy of the Social Security system. The government hasn't protected us from lead in paints ... it just goes on and on."
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This article is just another bunch of slogans and demagoguery. There is NO program to actually DO anything presented by Paul.
What is Paul’s plan of action?
Does he want to get government out of the business of licensing physicians, and requiring medical schools to be accredited?
That is really where the biggest bottleneck is. Not enough physicians because of the licensure and accredidation retrictions.
ping
I asked him, "How can elderly people be taken care of without a big government program like that?"
"Right now, it's difficult," Paul said, "because we made a whole generation who are too dependent. But the question that we ought to ask is, if we continue to do what we do, how are we going to finance it? There's no funding for Medicare. It's under a greater threat than Social Security
Don’t hold your breath waiting for a response to that simple question.
Interesting idea, but easier said than done. If the government pulls the plug on Medicare, I want all of my contributions back, compounded for all the years they have had them. And I want them to make good with my former employer, who adjusted my retirement policies over many years under the assumption that medicare was going to kick in.
I think it’s not too late to pull the plug on Bush’s recent and very stupid medicare prescription plan. Rational employers continue to offer better, less expensive alternatives in their retirement plans, though no doubt some employers have drunk the koolaid. But getting out from under Medicare is another matter entirely.
That’s the problem with socialist interference. Once done, it’s very difficult to undo. You can’t just stamp your foot and declare it out of existence. It’s like Russia after 70 years of Communism. You can’t easily just start over, with a wrecked economy, a surviving Apparat of KGB agents, and a population mostly stupified by vodka. It’s not easy to fix.
I'd rather have no plan rather than the abortion of a boondoggle Bush's Medicare shenanigans turned out to be.
Best way to flummox a Paulbot is to ask them about a plan...
“This article is just another bunch of slogans and demagoguery.”
Much like the majority of your posts......
I don’t understand how conservatives can read this, understand his message, and still post such vile things about him. Dr. Paul IS conservatism.
I’m NOT a fan of Paul’s, but he is right this issue, at least the part of getting Government out of Healthcare where Government should never have been in the first place. I think the transition from Government meddling to Free Market policies is what really needs to be addressed, and then do it.
Get Government out of Healthcare. It’s to Politicians’ a huge pot of gold to play Pol games with.
Ron Paul is to conservatism as Fred Phelps is to the Bible.
Was that vile enough?
Wish I could remember who said that first, I’d like to give credit.
“Young people tend to be more principled...”
Fascinating quote. I think he’s right.
I asked him, “How can elderly people be taken care of without a big government program like that?”
“Right now, it’s difficult,” Paul said, “because we made a whole generation who are too dependent. But the question that we ought to ask is, if we continue to do what we do, how are we going to finance it? There’s no funding for Medicare. It’s under a greater threat than Social Security”
“What is Paul’s plan of action?”
As you can see from the above response, he has none. How anyone can possibly think that this maroon is presidential material I will never know. Oh wait, I take that back. There are people who will fall for anything....Scientology, 9/11 conspiracies, alian abductions.....so why not Ron Paul?
That would be a good start. I'd want my payments for care that were elevated due to cost shifting too.
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