Posted on 04/07/2005 5:45:29 AM PDT by TXBSAFH
No. I am for the government of middle size, not limiting its role to the protector of the wealth but involved in the promotion of common welfare for ALL. And not so big as to intrude on everyday life of the citizens.
A communist command economy sounds so much nicer when phrased this way. Of course it's still communism and will still suck but at least everyone will have health care (after a six month wait if the commissars deem you worthy)
It started in the late '40's when the Union Dems and Eastern Republicans blocked socialized medicine with a compromise law that gave significant tax benefits to employers who provided health insurance. There is no more of a logical link between employment health insurance than between employment and homeowners insurance or auto insurance or food on the table. The result is that while homeowners and auto insurance follow the rate of inflation, health insurance is one of the main drivers of inflation.
Outside the healthcare field, technology has made computers and everything in our life increasingly cheaper because the computers and internet are relatively unregulated. But technology in the healthcare field is so heavily regulated that innovations increase healthcare cost rather than reduce it. Regulated industries are the only place where innovations increase the cost.
Sorry but I would like a small government. Not a middle size one nor a big one. If you want a government that has a lot of control over the evil corporations go to Europe then.
There is the optimum minimum wage. $7/h is too low in most of the country, $20/h is too high. Same like with the Fed interest rate, sometimes it is better for the economy to raise it, but it does not mean that excessive raise is good.
When you drive the car below the speed limit and other drivers get upset with you, would you tell them that since driving 40 miles/h faster is too much so you will NOT increase the speed 10 miles/h?
I'm one of those who chose not to pursue a medical profession. As a 19 year old graduate of Revelle College, UCSD in 1976, I was poised to pursue med school. I had 99th percentiles on GREs. I would have had no problem with the MCAT. What dissuaded me was the increasing frequency of frivolous medical malpractice suits, spiraling costs of malpractice insurance and idiotic affirmative action quotas.
In retrospect, I'm pleased that I chose computer science/electrical engineering as a new career direction. I don't have school loans or medical malpractice insurance costs. My income is nearly as good as most medical doctors that have been shuffled into managed healthcare systems that live on fixed government reimbursements.
The quality of medical care in the U.S. is second to none in the world. We would benefit if tort reform could get the damn lawyers and insurance companies out of the equation. That would reduce medical costs to the extent that covering litigation inflates costs. We also need to get the non-paying users out of the system. Illegal aliens in the emergency rooms and government mandated treatment without compensation are killing the medical care industry. Insolvent emergency rooms are closing all over the place.
I have many colleagues who sport an "MD" in their title, but they don't practice anymore. Most can not afford malpractice insurance, so they find another way to employ the grey matter to support their families. Some of them are actually pretty decent players in the world of computer science.
I think we should scrap the minimum wage imho...
Walmart employees should go to work for employers that provide health insurance if that is a major concern. Also I'm sure Walmart pays a great deal of state taxes to Maryland which helps pay for Medicaid. Walmart will close stores to avoid the Demorats outrageous demands.
I grew up in Communist Poland and I assure you that waiting was NOT longer than US. What was missing, was the very advanced care like transplants or complicated sugeries. The overcrowding in the hospital floors was bad, too little nurses and very bad food.
But it had to do also with Poland being much poorer country than USA and before World War Two medical care in capitalist Poland was much worse.
If you really want small government then you need to reduce federal government, to move power to the states (like before Civil War), and reduce the military to the minimum - no more foreign bases, Star Wars or interventions.
The COST and sophistication is second to none. But the results like life expectancy IS NOT!
Not yet - depends on how successful you socialists are.
BTW, you should move to France or Germany - they agree with your socialist views of government there.
As for the "Common Welfare" - as long as you don't define it, it can mean anything you want it to. I also notice you didn't defend any of your other propaganda phrases. I am not surprised.
Actually have Star Wars and bases overseas is part of the consitution which is to defend our borders. I don't mind that.. There is no right for a job for life and no right for fair wage!
As determined how? The tradeoff is between losing low-end jobs and adding meaningless low-end raises to low-end jobs (plus union raises tied to the minimum wage), so how many new unemployed people is "optimum"? And do you think any of those newly unemployed people would agree with you?
Same way as the Fed interest rate - by experience, intuition and educated guess. Same as with many other things, not everything can be calculated precisely.
You're right! I heard him as I went to pick up my mail and wondered if you'd catch the ping, be listening to him and ... Lo and behold... YOU DID!!!
Good example of a complete waste of propaganda - the markets know what the real interest rates are and what the real inflation rates are. Let the "invisible hand" deal with it on wages too - kill the minimum wage.
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