Give me liberty or give me health care

WaPoo ^ | 02/04/2011 | Charles Lane

[OldDeckHand]

Judge Roger Vinson's ruling striking down the health-care law's individual mandate and, with it, the rest of the statute, may or may not stand up in higher courts. But it's more convincing than some arguments I've read on the other side.

My colleague Ezra Klein, for example, argues that "whatever the legal argument about the individual mandate is about, it's not, as some of its detractors would have it, a question of liberty." The individual mandate involves less intrusion in private markets and more personal choice than alternatives such as a single-payer system, Ezra notes -- borrowing the point from no less a conservative eminence than Charles Fried of Harvard Law School. Indeed, quite a few liberty-loving Republicans have supported various individual mandates in the past. This proves, according to Ezra, that conservative and Republican opposition to the current iteration of the individual mandate is just legal pettifoggery and political opportunism.

Uh, no.

[OldDeckHand]

Considering the alleged collegial atmosphere of the WaPo newsroom, Lane skewers Ezra Klein pretty thoroughly, and deservedly so. Klein's commentary on Vinson's ruling was so facially absurd and completely lacking in subject-matter understanding, perhaps the editors even recognized that it needed to be addressed, and loosened Lane's chain a bit, as a result.

[Freddd]

The individual mandate involves less intrusion in private markets and more personal choice -——

What a load of BS.

The individual mandate is a mandate that you must buy Insurance...that’s pretty damn intrusive not much choice there...

Doesn’t matter it’s VOID it’s not even law now.

[goldstategop]

Its about freedom.

I’d rather go to jail then pay their fine. The government is NOT the owner of my body!

[Happy Rain]

That's why the IRS will be in charge of enforcement (10,000 new agents are to be hired for it).

The fine will be collected with your taxes—you won't be able to separate them—you would go to jail for tax evasion...

Fascists think of everything.

[21twelve]

I just picked up the rarely needed prescription today. New insurance that was “given” to me to replace my previous. (Private plan).

I told the gal behind the counter “Here’s my new card - it now covers prescriptions. I didn’t want it, but that’s what they made me get. My deductible went way up, my premiums went way up, and my copays are almost triple. But hey, I now get my annual dose of antibiotics for $55 instead of $80. What a deal!”

[backwoods-engineer]

The individual mandate involves less intrusion in private markets and more personal choice than alternatives such as a single-payer system, Ezra notes

One of the most evil statements I have witnessed in American media.

Comparing something 65% - 75% of the American people DON'T WANT to statism? We don't want EITHER OF THESE, Ezra, you Communist homosexual! Don't you get that?

Here's something you can understand, Ezra, given your predilections: being penetrated with a horseshoe peg is "less instrusive" that being penetrated by a tent pole, but NEITHER IS DESIRABLE by normal people!

[Sloth]

The individual mandate involves less intrusion in private markets and more personal choice

Yeah, less intrusion and more choice. That's just what I think of when I hear the word "mandate."

[doc11355]

That's why the IRS will be in charge of enforcement (10,000 16,000 new agents are to be hired for it).

Your point is well taken. However, from what I've heard, I believe that 16,000 may be a more accurate IRS agent prediction.

[Voice of Reason88]

Misnamed liberals need to come to grips with the reality that the Left is no longer about freedom and liberty, but socialistic, governmental power.

The Leftists are wanting more and more power over the people these days.

And it’s the right that is standing up for Liberty and Limited government.