Help me understand one facet of Obamacare:
- Thread starter dirtsurfer
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jerry
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No matter what type of health insurance you have, from subsidized health plans on the marketplace to high-end insurance plans, your access to doctor doesn't change in under ObamaCare. Your choice of doctors is still based on provider networks just like it is today. As a rule of thumb the smaller the network, the less doctor choices you have. However, competition on ObamaCare's marketplace may result in more aggressive marketing of plans meaning low priced plans may have wider networks moving forward into 2014 than they do today.
Southbeacher
Guest
Wow. I will just bite my lip in quiet despair that many really great people just don't realize what is happening.
dirtsurfer
Guest
Kenny: I 200% disagree with your cartoon. Nowhere in the Libertarian platform or philosophy is bigotry, wage slavery or poverty encouraged or thought to be the result of more freedom. Currently, I feel like I have a boot on my neck from wage slavery. Every hard earned dollar I make has a huge chunk forcibly taken from me in the form of taxes. The more I make the greater the percentage taken. I have absolutely no say in the matter and if I don't pay I am subject to severe penalties and jail. If you want to talk slavery our income tax laws are a great example and define slavery exactly. Currently I have been working 7 days a week ( for about 3 months), why should I be penalized through increased taxes for my productivity? Wage slavery at its best! Read on:
Is There a Way Out?
Walter E. Williams | Oct 30, 2013
Recommend this article
According to a recent Fox News poll, 73 percent of Americans are dissatisfied with the direction of the country, up 20 points from 2012. Americans sense that there's a lot going wrong in our nation, but most don't have a clue about the true nature of our problem. If they had a clue, most would have little stomach for what would be necessary to arrest our national decline. Let's look at it.
Between two-thirds and three-quarters of federal spending, in contravention of the U.S. Constitution, can be described as Congress taking the earnings or property of one American to give to another, to whom it does not belong. You say, "Williams, what do you mean?" Congress has no resources of its very own. Moreover, there's no Santa Claus or tooth fairy who gives it resources. The fact that Congress has no resources of its very own forces us to recognize that the only way Congress can give one American one dollar is to first -- through intimidation, threats and coercion -- confiscate that dollar from some other American through the tax code.
If any American did privately what Congress does publicly, he'd be condemned as an ordinary thief. Taking what belongs to one American to give to another is theft, and the receiver is a recipient of stolen property. Most Americans would suffer considerable anguish and cognitive dissonance seeing themselves as recipients of stolen property, so congressional theft has to be euphemized and given a respectable name. That respectable name is "entitlement." Merriam-Webster defines entitlement as "the condition of having a right to have, do, or get something." For example, I am entitled to walk into the house that I own. I am entitled to drive the car that I own. The challenging question is whether I am also entitled to what you or some other American owns.
Let's look at a few of these entitlements. More than 40 percent of federal spending is for entitlements for the elderly in the forms of Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, housing and other assistance programs. The Office of Management and Budget calculates that total entitlement spending comes to about 62 percent of federal spending. Military spending totals 19 percent of federal spending. By the way, putting those two figures into historical perspective demonstrates the success we've had becoming a handout nation. In 1962, military expenditures were almost 50 percent of the federal budget, and entitlement spending was a mere 31 percent. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that entitlement spending will consume all federal tax revenue by 2048.
Entitlement spending is not the only form of legalized theft. The Department of Agriculture gives billions of dollars to farmers. The departments of Energy and Commerce give billions of dollars and subsidized loans to corporations. In fact, every Cabinet-level department in Washington is in charge of handing out at least one kind of subsidy or special privilege. Most federal non-defense "discretionary spending" by Congress is for handouts.
Despite the fact that today's increasing levels of federal government spending are unsustainable, there is little evidence that Americans have the willingness to do anything about it. Any politician who'd even talk about significantly reining in unsustainable entitlement spending would be run out of town. Any politician telling the American people they must pay higher taxes to support handout spending, instead of concealing spending through deficits and running up the national debt and inflation, would also be run out of town. Can you imagine what the American people would do to a presidential candidate who'd declare, as James Madison did in a 1794 speech to the House of Representatives, "Charity is no part of the legislative duty of the government"?
If we are to be able to avoid ultimate collapse, it's going to take a moral reawakening and renewed constitutional respect -- not by politicians but by the American people. The prospect of that happening may be whistlin' "Dixie."
Is There a Way Out?
Walter E. Williams | Oct 30, 2013
Recommend this article
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According to a recent Fox News poll, 73 percent of Americans are dissatisfied with the direction of the country, up 20 points from 2012. Americans sense that there's a lot going wrong in our nation, but most don't have a clue about the true nature of our problem. If they had a clue, most would have little stomach for what would be necessary to arrest our national decline. Let's look at it.
Between two-thirds and three-quarters of federal spending, in contravention of the U.S. Constitution, can be described as Congress taking the earnings or property of one American to give to another, to whom it does not belong. You say, "Williams, what do you mean?" Congress has no resources of its very own. Moreover, there's no Santa Claus or tooth fairy who gives it resources. The fact that Congress has no resources of its very own forces us to recognize that the only way Congress can give one American one dollar is to first -- through intimidation, threats and coercion -- confiscate that dollar from some other American through the tax code.
If any American did privately what Congress does publicly, he'd be condemned as an ordinary thief. Taking what belongs to one American to give to another is theft, and the receiver is a recipient of stolen property. Most Americans would suffer considerable anguish and cognitive dissonance seeing themselves as recipients of stolen property, so congressional theft has to be euphemized and given a respectable name. That respectable name is "entitlement." Merriam-Webster defines entitlement as "the condition of having a right to have, do, or get something." For example, I am entitled to walk into the house that I own. I am entitled to drive the car that I own. The challenging question is whether I am also entitled to what you or some other American owns.
Let's look at a few of these entitlements. More than 40 percent of federal spending is for entitlements for the elderly in the forms of Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, housing and other assistance programs. The Office of Management and Budget calculates that total entitlement spending comes to about 62 percent of federal spending. Military spending totals 19 percent of federal spending. By the way, putting those two figures into historical perspective demonstrates the success we've had becoming a handout nation. In 1962, military expenditures were almost 50 percent of the federal budget, and entitlement spending was a mere 31 percent. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that entitlement spending will consume all federal tax revenue by 2048.
Entitlement spending is not the only form of legalized theft. The Department of Agriculture gives billions of dollars to farmers. The departments of Energy and Commerce give billions of dollars and subsidized loans to corporations. In fact, every Cabinet-level department in Washington is in charge of handing out at least one kind of subsidy or special privilege. Most federal non-defense "discretionary spending" by Congress is for handouts.
Despite the fact that today's increasing levels of federal government spending are unsustainable, there is little evidence that Americans have the willingness to do anything about it. Any politician who'd even talk about significantly reining in unsustainable entitlement spending would be run out of town. Any politician telling the American people they must pay higher taxes to support handout spending, instead of concealing spending through deficits and running up the national debt and inflation, would also be run out of town. Can you imagine what the American people would do to a presidential candidate who'd declare, as James Madison did in a 1794 speech to the House of Representatives, "Charity is no part of the legislative duty of the government"?
If we are to be able to avoid ultimate collapse, it's going to take a moral reawakening and renewed constitutional respect -- not by politicians but by the American people. The prospect of that happening may be whistlin' "Dixie."
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dirtsurfer
Guest
The ridiculously inept obamacare website cost 360 million dollars and that is only to date. There are about 320 million people in the U.S. What not just give everyone a million dollars and call it a day? The amount of money wasted by the Feds is stunning and we are only talking a website. Wait until the trillion dollar expense of obamacare starts adding to the debt. Hopefully I will have my assets stashed away when the crunch comes and a Greece like situation happens in the U.S.
jerry
Guest
From nobel prose wining economist Krugman:
A little while back I expressed a desire to see a poll of voters asking whether they knew about the plunging federal budget deficit. Just as a reminder, here’s what the CBO numbers for the recent past and projections for the near future look like:
Well, Hal Varian of Google got in touch with me, and said,”We can do that!” So he put together a Google Consumer Survey; it’s still ongoing — results here— but here’s what it looked like this morning:
I’m sure someone will quibble about the wording; and yes, the CBO numbers are as % of GDP rather than nominal values (but those would look the same). But I don’t think there’s any real question here: the public has no idea that the deficit has been falling like a stone. A solid majority of voters think it’s still going up, and hardly anyone knows that it’s going down.
A little while back I expressed a desire to see a poll of voters asking whether they knew about the plunging federal budget deficit. Just as a reminder, here’s what the CBO numbers for the recent past and projections for the near future look like:
Well, Hal Varian of Google got in touch with me, and said,”We can do that!” So he put together a Google Consumer Survey; it’s still ongoing — results here— but here’s what it looked like this morning:
I’m sure someone will quibble about the wording; and yes, the CBO numbers are as % of GDP rather than nominal values (but those would look the same). But I don’t think there’s any real question here: the public has no idea that the deficit has been falling like a stone. A solid majority of voters think it’s still going up, and hardly anyone knows that it’s going down.
Kenny
Guest
Libertarianism in One Lesson..http://world.std.com/~mhuben/onelesson.html
One of the most attractive features of libertarianism is that it is basically a very simple ideology. Maybe even simpler than Marxism, since you don't have to learn foreign words like "proletariat".
Welcome to the web site dedicated to critiquing libertarianism! .. Good stuff! http://world.std.com/~mhuben/libindex.html
One of the most attractive features of libertarianism is that it is basically a very simple ideology. Maybe even simpler than Marxism, since you don't have to learn foreign words like "proletariat".
Welcome to the web site dedicated to critiquing libertarianism! .. Good stuff! http://world.std.com/~mhuben/libindex.html
dirtsurfer
Guest
J: you should take a look at this U.S. government website:
http://www.cbo.gov/sites/default/files/cbofiles/attachments/budgetinfographic.pdf
Annual budget deficits are the root of the problem but the national debt is the monster, and a direct quote from the Congressional Budget Office: "Debt held by the public as a share of GDP at the end of 2011 is at the highest level in the past 40 years"
Always remember: "Statistics are like bikinis, what they reveal is interesting, what they conceal is vital"[/quote]
http://www.cbo.gov/sites/default/files/cbofiles/attachments/budgetinfographic.pdf
Annual budget deficits are the root of the problem but the national debt is the monster, and a direct quote from the Congressional Budget Office: "Debt held by the public as a share of GDP at the end of 2011 is at the highest level in the past 40 years"
Always remember: "Statistics are like bikinis, what they reveal is interesting, what they conceal is vital"[/quote]
dirtsurfer
Guest
K: you should educate yourself a little, I would like to know specifically what part of the Libertarian platform you disagree with:
http://www.lp.org/platform
Kenny
Guest
No, you should tell me what part of the Libertarian platform you agree with.... Please oh wise one, educate me.
dirtsurfer
Guest
I didn't think you would read the platform, easier to lob uneducated comments.
I agree with:
The respect for individual rights
The right to keep arms
Sexual orientation and religious affiliation should not have any impact on the governments impact on individuals
Government should not subsidize any entity
Repeal of the income tax
Free markets for healthcare and education
Laws that exclude individuals or parties from politics
Abortion is best left up to the individual
Bigotry and discrimination is rejected and condemned
Limited government
(All in the platform)
Your website critiquing Libertarianism was enlightening and had some well written thoughts. It also was all opinion. I give you pure fact in the form of a published political party platform. There is a big difference between philosophical thought and political parties. Usually the two are not entirely similar because the actions of politics vary widely from the philosophy the politics are rooted in.
I again challenge you to enlighten yourself and read the platform. At least know about what you so adamantly are against. Maybe you hate guns or gays or abortion and that is your right. In general, the Libertarian party platform is a blend of both Democratic and Republican platforms. I don't agree with everything in it but the Libertarian platform is a lot closer to my way if thinking than the others. I wish the Green Party and the Libertarian Party both had seats in Congress just to mix it up little and bring new ideas, maybe force more compromise.
To lighten it up a little I thought this film clip was awesome:
I agree with:
The respect for individual rights
The right to keep arms
Sexual orientation and religious affiliation should not have any impact on the governments impact on individuals
Government should not subsidize any entity
Repeal of the income tax
Free markets for healthcare and education
Laws that exclude individuals or parties from politics
Abortion is best left up to the individual
Bigotry and discrimination is rejected and condemned
Limited government
(All in the platform)
Your website critiquing Libertarianism was enlightening and had some well written thoughts. It also was all opinion. I give you pure fact in the form of a published political party platform. There is a big difference between philosophical thought and political parties. Usually the two are not entirely similar because the actions of politics vary widely from the philosophy the politics are rooted in.
I again challenge you to enlighten yourself and read the platform. At least know about what you so adamantly are against. Maybe you hate guns or gays or abortion and that is your right. In general, the Libertarian party platform is a blend of both Democratic and Republican platforms. I don't agree with everything in it but the Libertarian platform is a lot closer to my way if thinking than the others. I wish the Green Party and the Libertarian Party both had seats in Congress just to mix it up little and bring new ideas, maybe force more compromise.
To lighten it up a little I thought this film clip was awesome: