Tag: Politics

The Oxymoron of Socialized Medicine

Big surprise here but I’m not a fan of socialized medicine. My reasoning is different than a lot of peoples’ though. I’m not against it because it creates longer wait times, causes rationing of medicines, and empowers insurance companies. My problem with socialized medicine is the violence required to implement it.

This is actually a problem with all forms of socialism, not simply socialized medicine. Let’s look at how insurance works. People purchase insurance from an insurance company with the agreement that should something horrible happen the insurance company will be there to foot the expense. In order for this to work there needs to be on key thing, more money being paid into the system than removed.

Socialized medicine is sort of a larger scale of insurance except every person in under the force of law pays into the system in the hopes of generating enough money to pay for those who can’t afford medical care. It sound so nice when you explain it that way but there is one major problem with socialized medicine that never gets brought up, it requires the force of a gun.

In a market based health care system each person pays their own way or gets involved with insurance. It’s not a perfect system obvious as not everybody can afford either of the two options but there are still options for those who can’t pay (charity, pro bono work, family members pitching in, etc.). The main advantage though is the fact that it’s voluntary, you’re not being forced to participate. If you don’t with to receive medical care you don’t have to pay into the system.

There is no such option with socialized medicine, much like social security there isn’t an option to opt out. To ensure everybody participates the government uses their monopoly on use of force to make everybody participate. If you refuse to pay into the socialized medical system you’re usually fined or your wages are garnished. If you refuse to pay the fine the police will come to toss you into prison for the crime of not allowing your money to be stolen, and if you resist arrest physical violence will be brought against you.

Does it seem like an oxymoron to use physical force to steal money from one person in order to pay for the medical care of another? Doesn’t it even seem more of an oxymoron when you realize the threat of physical violence is being used to steal from more people than will be needing medical care? When using socialized medicine you’re actually harming more people (theft if harm in my book and if you refuse to participate you will be physically harmed) than you’re helping.

Yet people tout socialized medicine as a good thing that will help people. So long as you ignore the force required to create and operate such a system I guess you can make a claim it helps some people.

They Were Just Kidding About That Whole Constitution Thing

When the Republicans were running for the House and Senate they made a “promise” to their constituents. The promise was simple, all bills introduced would be accompanied by an explanation of how the bill was constitutional. I didn’t buy it and neither did most people who hold the idea that all politicians are crooks. Our politicians have been doing this for years already but they just keep citing the “general welfare” clause.

Scott Garrett, a representative of New Jersey, put forth an amendment to the whole “constitutionality” requirement. The amendment would prevent law makers from citing the “general welfare” and the “necessary and proper” clauses in the Constitution. Well the amendment failed so it looks like business will continue as usual (did anybody expect anything else?).

Life Sentence Without Charges

Remember Obama’s campaign promise that he would close down Gitmo? I know it’s been so long that it’s hard to remember all his promises but closing Gitmo was going to be a priority. I guess, like the American people, Obama forgot:

But the order establishes indefinite detention as a long-term Obama administration policy and makes clear that the White House alone will manage a review process for those it chooses to hold without charge or trial.

Nearly two years after Obama’s pledge to close the prison at Guantanamo, more inmates there are formally facing the prospect of lifelong detention and fewer are facing charges than the day Obama was elected.

Meet the new boss… he’s just like the old boss only younger.

ATF Looking for Emergency Powers

Two phrase when combined scare the shit out of me; emergency powers and federal government. The ATF is look for emergency powers:

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has proposed that it be given emergency authority for six months, beginning January 5, to require about 8,500 firearms dealers along the border with Mexico “to alert authorities when they sell within five consecutive business days two or more semiautomatic rifles greater than .22 caliber with detachable magazines.” A Washington Post story reporting on the BATFE proposal described that definition as being applicable to “so-called assault weapons,” but it would also apply to many rifles that have never been labeled with that term.

The funny thing about emergency powers for federal agencies is the fact those temporary powers have a habit of becoming permanent. Likewise the number of guns going from the United States into Mexico isn’t that high. Why would drug cartels pay full price for semi-automatic rifles when they can get fully automatic AK-47s from neighbors to the south for far less? Of course the ATF has never been one to use logic nor common sense when doing anything.

I do find the last line interesting. If they’re claiming the emergency powers would only apply to “assault weapons” why not use that legalese instead of trying to term any semi-automatic rifle with a detachable magazine as an “assault rifle?”

United Nations Looking to Regulation the Internet

The United Nations motto is, “There isn’t a human right we’ve seen that we like.” They multi-government organization loves to claim they are for human rights and then quickly turn around and regulated those rights away from the citizenry of the world. After the Wikileaks fallout they are now looking at regulating the Internet:

At a meeting in New York on Wednesday, representatives from Brazil called for an international body made up of Government representatives that would to attempt to create global standards for policing the internet – specifically in reaction to challenges such as WikiLeaks.

That would be great, an inter-government body in charge of regulating the largest bastion of free speech in the world. What could go wrong? I mean it’s not like this is the same organization that put leaders of the Middle East in charge of womens’ rights or anything… oh wait they did (a representative from Saudi Arabia was seated). This is also the same organization that believes owning guns is a right only for governments and their thugs. I can’t wait to see what ideas they come up with for Internet regulations, I’m sure it’ll be very pro-government and very anti-peasanthuman rights.

I’m Glad They’re Working on the State Budget

While Minnesota is facing a $6.2 billion deficit it seems at least one representative is looking to introduce a bill that would build a subsidized stadium for our state football team:

Three days after the collapse of the Metrodome roof, Sen. Julie Rosen, a Republican from Fairmont, said she planned to introduce a bill in late January to build a new Minnesota Vikings stadium with public subsidies.

According to the laws of physics as we understand them the fasting speed anything can travel is the speed of light. What modern physicist haven’t studied is the speed at which the state of Minnesota hemorrhages money because it’s faster than the speed of light by a long shot. Even though Minnesota is bleeding money several state representatives are willing to diverge state money to build a stadium for millionaires… again (fuck you Twins and your stadium which I’m paying for part of).

I guess we’ll just have to jack up the sales tax in Hennepin county again so those worthless fucks can have a new stadium (because as we know patching that easily patchable roof would be so fucking difficult).

You Just Don’t Get it Do You

Wikileaks wikileaks Wikileaks… did you hear about Wikileaks? The Air Force has decided that they will prove themselves to not be hypocrites and only block Wikileaks. Now they’re blocking several publications that released information on the leaked cables:

Air Force users who try to view the websites of the New York Times, Britain’s Guardian, Spain’s El Pais, France’s Le Monde or German magazine Der Spiegel instead get a page that says, “ACCESS DENIED. Internet Usage is Logged & Monitored,” according to a screen shot reviewed by The Wall Street Journal. The notice warns that anyone who accesses unauthorized sites from military computers could be punished.

The Air Force said it had blocked more than 25 websites that contained the documents, originally obtained by the website WikiLeaks and published starting late last month, in order to keep classified material off unclassified computer systems.

I don’t think the Air Force really gets it. Once something is online you can’t censor it, you can prevent people from seeing it by blocking a few sites, the information has spread out to more sites than you can ever hope to censor. Once information has his the Internet it’s game over as far as controlling it. The only real option available to the Air Force is the creation of a white list of sites that it’s employees can access as opposed to their current blacklist of sites you can’t access.

Mandatory Health Care

A Virginia federal judge just ruled the clause in the Insurance Company Enrichment Act requiring peasants citizens of the United States to purchase health insurance is unconstitutional:

Judge Henry E. Hudson ruled Monday for the state’s claim that the requirement for people to purchase health care exceeds the power of Congress under the Constitution’s Commerce Clause or under the General Welfare Clause.

“It is not the effect on individuals that is presently at issue — it is the authority of Congress to compel anyone to purchase health insurance,” wrote Hudson, who was appointed to the federal bench in 2002 by President George W. Bush.

I’m glad somebody understands the fact that the federal government doesn’t have the power to put a gun to your head and make you purchase something. What’s interesting are the reactions from my liberal friends. Many are citing Social Security and Medicare as validation for the clause in the Insurance Company Enrichment Act. I don’t quite understand how using two unconstitutional programs as justification for another unconstitutional program really works.

Does that means it’s OK if I break into their home and steal their television if I’ve already broken in and stolen their computer and stereo? Two wrongs usually don’t make a case for doing yet another wrong.

I am also at a complete loss as to how somebody can justify government theft. Each of the programs mentioned in this post give the government the authority to use their monopoly on force to coerce you into buying into something. It’s interesting that these same people are against anybody besides the government stealing from them, but once it is the government that theft is deemed OK. There has to be come major cognitive dissidence to believe that.

Either way I hope this ruling actually amounts to something since the Republicans already “compromised” with the Democrats and agreed to fund the Insurance Company Enrichment Act until September (you guys really only want to hold those seats for a short while huh?).

Thank God

Well that’s a relief (that I didn’t even know was a potential problem), Super Douche Bloomberg said he won’t run for president. I didn’t even know this was a rumor circulating:

The mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg, has said there is “no way, no how” he is going to run for the US presidency in 2012.

Of course now I’m worried he will run for president as he’s a great one for saying one thing and doing another (outside of politics it’s called lying in politics it’s called politics). That’s the last thing we need in this country, a very hardcore anti-rights activist in the White House.

Chicago Gun Database Isn’t Ready

Somebody call the whambulance because Mayor Daley is sad that the Chicago gun registry database isn’t online yet:

“It is annoying” that the registry isn’t yet in place, Daley said when asked about the topic after the City Council meeting.

“They should have it by now,” he said. “I’ll find out why they didn’t do that.”

The mayor said he doesn’t know why the database isn’t available to police and firefighters yet, but said it shouldn’t have taken this long.

Yes it’s frustrating that Daley’s hard on for a police state isn’t being fulfilled yet. How much money do you think Chicago spent to create this database? How much money do you think they spent enforcing their unconstitutional gun restrictions? How many lives have been lost in Chicago because possession of a means of self-defense can only be obtained by those with means (it costs money to get a gun permit in Chicago)?

Oh and this line from Daley is golden:

“Maybe it’s bureaucracy. I would ask the superintendent,” he said.

You’d know all about bureaucracy now wouldn’t you? I’m curious about this database, is it required to be online before the city will issue handgun permits? If that’s the case I wouldn’t be surprised if this “delay” is a purposeful attempt at preventing the peasants of Chicago from having a means to acquire handguns. Of course if this database isn’t required to be online in order for the peasants to get handgun permits then it could very well just be incompetence (or a means for the police department to beg for more money by claiming the delays are due to a tight budget).

Either way the denizens of Chicago can rest easy knowing Mayor Daley is on the case. What case that is I’m not really sure though.