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How to pay for health care
Common sense and good politics have always made awkward bedfellows--that is, at those times when they can even get into the same bed together.
In a perfect, non-political world, the best way to pay for health care insurance would be to tax the hell out of the things we consume that harm our health. We could pay for our own upkeep with our vices. As the social engineering took hold, and we began to consume less of these things, the revenue from them would, of course, drop.
But, by then, we'd be correspondingly healthier as a nation, and would have less overall need for medical services. Our race of super-healthy ubermenschen could march happily off into the future.
Well, that isn't the American way. Only a politician getting ready to retire anyway would be nuts enough to suggest something so sensible. Besides, this isn't Scandinavia. Rugged American individualism requires that we be free to eat, drink and smoke ourselves to death if we want to. It is our right, and if it isn't somewhere in the Constitution, then, by God, it should be.
CHAN LOWE
Comments
Chan,
As usual, you are right on the target. Keep 'em coming.
Any progress yet on getting "The Lowe-Down" T-shirts? You have no idea how rare it is for me to want to wear a T-shirt that says something, but I would wear this one.
Later,
Gypsy
Posted by: Gypsy Hogan | June 23, 2009 2:22 PM
This is stupid. We can all live a healthier and longer life. So long that we out live our brains and the need for long term elderly care would rise. Nothing would reduce healthcare costs better than quick deaths. Tax everyone that wears a seatbelt or motorcycle helmet. Tax health food and vegetables. Think of all the medicare savings if we do not live long enough to use it.
Or leave me alone and don't tell me how to live my life. For all things that are bad for our health, they still are only an increase in the statical chance that a problem may occur. Yes there are smokers that live past 100 as well as red meat eaters, alcohol consumers, junk food eaters as well as every other example of things that are bad for you. Government can stay out of my life and stop taking my money.
Posted by: airzimzerker | June 23, 2009 2:49 PM
TO: airzimzerker
I hope your pro-choice. Because government certainly should not be dictating whether women must carry and then rear unwanted or sadly and irrevocably damaged fetuses.
I'd like the government to stop taking my money too. I never wanted a cent to go to George W. Bush's ill-advised frolic and detour in Iraq. And yet, I've been paying, and paying.
Go figure.
Posted by: VHS | June 23, 2009 9:16 PM
In a perfect, non-political world, the best way to pay for health care insurance would be to tax the hell out of the things we consume that harm our health.
In what way is taxing the things you dislike a non-political solution? In a perfect world each individual would pay for his own way. Certainly stealing from some to pay for what you want is a very political (and evil) non-solution.
Rugged American individualism requires that we be free to eat, drink and smoke ourselves to death if we want to.
It's getting hard to tell whether I'm reading the Sun-Sentinel or the Onion. Of course people should be free to eat, drink, or smoke whatever they want. You are also free to dispense advice. You pay lip service to to freedom, but it galls you to actually allow anyone the freedom to do what he wants.
Posted by: Lolly | June 24, 2009 1:05 PM