In light of the looming Senate vote, I'd like to patiently review this subject one more time and inform everyone what will happen when government control of health care expands. by Jake Towne, the Champion of the Constitution
(libertarian)
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
While this subject has been discussed on this site previously, in light of the looming Senate vote and my recent announcement to only accept my district's median household income for my congressional salary, and to make a charitable donation to local non-profit hospitals, I'd like to review this subject once more. For more details, please read my health care plank, and to completely debunk the incumbent's claim that health care legislation is constitutional, please read "To Nancy Pelosi on Health Care - Are YOU Serious?"
In the Bill of Rights of the Soviet Union, they were honest about health care it states that "citizens of the USSR have the right to health protection." This document also stipulated Soviet citizens have the "right to work" not longer than 41 hours in a workweek, the "right to rest and leisure," the "right to education," the "right to enjoy cultural benefits." (Source) To find out how well this worked out for the Soviets, try reading Dr. Yuri Maltsev's article "What Soviet Medicine Teaches Us." Even today, Russia's life expectancy for males is just 59 years, while in the US it is 73 years.
Besides lowering life expectancies under their totalitarian regime, the Soviet Union had it all wrong of course. Health care is not a right. You have a right to breath because air is abundant on our planet - there is no scarcity of it. Although your life is extremely scarce - there is only one of you - you do have a right to your life - to suggest otherwise is slavery.
You have a right to your property - to suggest otherwise is theft.
You have a right to freedom of expression and to believe what you wish - to suggest otherwise is tyranny.
However, people must pay for things like health care or food. Does a starving man have a right to enter a supermarket and eat whatever he wants? Health care providers have bills to pay and families to support, just as you do. If there is a "right" to health care, then you must have the ability to force health care providers to serve you.
Therefore health care is a privilege. Health care is a good and a service that everyone pays for.
All the current health care bill does is use the government as an intermediary to exert force directly on health care providers (and employers) to serve you. The current bill is a TAX and government interventions in labor "laws" will force the poor and needy out of their jobs as Eric Staib predicts here.
To alleviate the pain of the starving and those without adequate medical care, we must turn not to the federal government but instead to ourselves.
To share food and medical care by your own free will is charity. The government is not capable of charity because of the truth contained in these three words: GOVERNMENT HAS NOTHING. Government can only redistribute hand-outs after first taxing and confiscating it from someone else. Neither the President nor Congress can conjure up something from nothing, although politicians are quite good at making miracles seem possible. (Cartoon courtesy Chan Lowe)
The more prosperous America is, the more wealth created, the better off the poor will be. Plus they might even have jobs instead of a 22% unemployment morass that the FED and the government has created by their actions. Voluntary organizations on the local level is by far a better choice, and prosperous individuals are the most charitable. Don't rob others, but instead live by your principles. As mentioned above, once I am elected to Congress, I have promised to take only the district's median household income and donate the remainder to local non-profit hospitals.
However, the irony is my salary is paid by the taxpayer as well. Like I said, government has nothing. Don't forget.
** Please also check out Judge Napolitano on The Glenn Beck Show here. One of his guests, Dr. Salerno taught me a few seminars this past summer at Mises University - an excellent teacher!
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Way to go Jake! I hope PA-15 understands how fortunate it is to have you in the mix.
I believe that health care is not a right simply because NO ONE is entitled to ANYTHING that REQUIRES the talents and resources of others. Your examples clearly illustrate this.
If there is a right to health care, then you must have the ability to force health care providers to serve you.
Is like saying;
If there is a right to keep and bear arms, then you must have the ability to force gun dealers to serve you.
A right only guarantees the ability to pursue an activity. An entitlement guaratees you the means. We all have a right to pursue health care, we are not entitled to it, no more that we are entitled to a gun.
Posted By: Jake Towne, the Champion of the Constitution
Date: 2009-12-23 08:23:18
Thanks Ken, I get your point, though the example you used is not really all that great - keeping arms is just a specific extension of your right to owning property. If I said you had a "right to a gun," this would fit into your example. A natural 'right' you would have even when born on a deserted island.
Perhaps a better term instead of "privilege" would be "privilege of society." Same with food, education, etc. if privilege is defined as "a special advantage or immunity or benefit not enjoyed by all" Thanks!
While this subject has been discussed on this site previously, in light of the looming Senate vote and 
Therefore health care is a privilege. Health care is a good and a service that everyone pays for.