Comments on: Health Care and the concept of “your” tax dollars. http://www.grimnews.net/2008/10/health-care-and-the-concept-of-your-tax-dollars/ Grim: stern and admitting of no appeasement or compromise Mon, 08 Feb 2010 17:31:31 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Why Health Care Should Not Be Redistributed - Viet-Justice - http://www.grimnews.net/2008/10/health-care-and-the-concept-of-your-tax-dollars/comment-page-1/#comment-34 Why Health Care Should Not Be Redistributed - Viet-Justice - Sat, 01 Nov 2008 21:42:28 +0000 http://www.grimnews.net/?p=256#comment-34 [...] a counterpoint to Brother Grimm’s bad argument for socialized healthcare I would like to point out that the reasoning behind his bad argument are [...] [...] a counterpoint to Brother Grimm’s bad argument for socialized healthcare I would like to point out that the reasoning behind his bad argument are [...]

]]> By: Grim http://www.grimnews.net/2008/10/health-care-and-the-concept-of-your-tax-dollars/comment-page-1/#comment-33 Grim Sat, 01 Nov 2008 06:32:17 +0000 http://www.grimnews.net/?p=256#comment-33 Oh, and after reading the link you sent. (Thank you for that, by the way) I do not see a conflict of principles here. Government's purpose is to do things collectively that cannot or should not be done effectively by the individual. "Provide for the common defense", for example. As a general rule of thumb, I believe a government action to be just if it provides equitable (or "fair", if you will) benefit, protection, or obligation to all. I don't mind paying taxes as long as everyone else does. I don't mind serving on jury duty as long as everyone else does. I don't insist on an equality of outcome, but rather an equality of opportunity and responsibility. I wouldn't ask someone else to carry a burden that I am unwilling to carry myself. That said, I think there is an answer to the health care problem in this country. I think that it is in our own rational self interest to provide a certain level of basic services to all citizens in this country. Access to courts, access to education, access to the legal system. Our taxes go to provide a basic level of service to everyone. ("If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you...") I think it is possible to put health care in that same category. Not necessarily by writing a blank check to pay for every doctor visit or prescription pill authorized by a doctor, but a reasonable standard of health care that is available to all Americans. If you can do better on your own, then have at it. But, using the legal system as an example, we can't all hire Johnny Cochran. If you have the means then get the best that you can afford. If you do not have the means, then that does not necessarily follow that you are "out of luck". Oh, and after reading the link you sent. (Thank you for that, by the way) I do not see a conflict of principles here. Government’s purpose is to do things collectively that cannot or should not be done effectively by the individual. “Provide for the common defense”, for example. As a general rule of thumb, I believe a government action to be just if it provides equitable (or “fair”, if you will) benefit, protection, or obligation to all. I don’t mind paying taxes as long as everyone else does. I don’t mind serving on jury duty as long as everyone else does. I don’t insist on an equality of outcome, but rather an equality of opportunity and responsibility. I wouldn’t ask someone else to carry a burden that I am unwilling to carry myself.

That said, I think there is an answer to the health care problem in this country. I think that it is in our own rational self interest to provide a certain level of basic services to all citizens in this country. Access to courts, access to education, access to the legal system. Our taxes go to provide a basic level of service to everyone. (“If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you…”) I think it is possible to put health care in that same category. Not necessarily by writing a blank check to pay for every doctor visit or prescription pill authorized by a doctor, but a reasonable standard of health care that is available to all Americans. If you can do better on your own, then have at it. But, using the legal system as an example, we can’t all hire Johnny Cochran. If you have the means then get the best that you can afford. If you do not have the means, then that does not necessarily follow that you are “out of luck”.

]]> By: Grim http://www.grimnews.net/2008/10/health-care-and-the-concept-of-your-tax-dollars/comment-page-1/#comment-32 Grim Sat, 01 Nov 2008 06:16:56 +0000 http://www.grimnews.net/?p=256#comment-32 Thanks! I kinda thought the notion was silly that money that you pay in taxes somehow belongs to you, but money you spend in a store or in another business doesn't. Now if we can just get the talk radioheads out there to stop whining "It's our money!" every time they talk about taxes, we might get somewhere. Thanks! I kinda thought the notion was silly that money that you pay in taxes somehow belongs to you, but money you spend in a store or in another business doesn’t.

Now if we can just get the talk radioheads out there to stop whining “It’s our money!” every time they talk about taxes, we might get somewhere.

]]> By: Data Vortex http://www.grimnews.net/2008/10/health-care-and-the-concept-of-your-tax-dollars/comment-page-1/#comment-31 Data Vortex Sat, 01 Nov 2008 05:25:27 +0000 http://www.grimnews.net/?p=256#comment-31 I love the "your" in scare quotes, as if property belonged to you after it was stolen at gunpoint. Classic! http://www.juntosociety.com/patriotism/inytg.html I love the “your” in scare quotes, as if property belonged to you after it was stolen at gunpoint. Classic!

http://www.juntosociety.com/patriotism/inytg.html

]]>