10 Responses to “When Rights Become Restrictions. Freedom is Slavery.”

1. Martin
   March 22nd, 2010 @ 5:35 pm

   Truly scary.

   http://blogs.investors.com/capitalhill/index.php/home/35-politicsinvesting/1563-20-ways-obamacare-will-take-away-our-freedoms

2. Scott Geyer
   March 23rd, 2010 @ 4:34 pm

   Winston, under this theory, all taxes are slavery. i.e. I work, and my son gets to ride on the highways without paying any Federal or State tax. Therefore I am enslaved?

   I think you have gone a bit too far on the slavery claim.

3. Piotr
   March 24th, 2010 @ 8:26 am

   You all are missing a main negative outcome of this. Yes, most of us will get health care. And it will be equally awfull. Imagine doctors who don’t have to see you, and when they see you (after several month of waiting) they don’t CARE. Imagine hospitals with an average of 10 beds per room and nurses who worry more about doing their shopping during work hours than taking care of patients (because there are NO consequences, and patients have nobody to complain to). Imagine that you get the drugs that the government procured, not the ones your (uncaring) doctor prescribed (and which you actually need). And that’s the best of it, not the worst. Imagine 40-50 years old equipment, because there is no money to develop a new one. That’s the reality I lived for 17 years in a 1-payer system. And one-payer system will be here in 5 years. I know you don’t believe me (Scott), which makes it even worse. Luckily, I learned how to work THAT system. You all still have to learn.

4. Scott Geyer
   March 24th, 2010 @ 11:53 am

   Pitor,
   Is increasing the number of patients treated by 11% going to cause the current medical systems to implode? I am concerned that my medical care will not include the specialized medicines which I need. However, I cannot see a situation where the general overall care for people drops below that of Canada or Germany or Finland. My friends in those countries currently enjoy a health care system which anecdotally exceeds that of our existing system in the US.

5. Jeff
   March 24th, 2010 @ 12:00 pm

   When you work until June to pay your taxes, yes, that is slavery.

6. joaquin
   March 24th, 2010 @ 12:20 pm

   Scott, you lose me when you make a statement like:

   “My friends in those countries currently enjoy a health care system which anecdotally exceeds that of our existing system in the US”

   Yes, I’ve noticed the stampede of American citizens heading north to Canada seeking medical care. Or is it the other way around?

   And for an encore what will you do, Scott? Sing the praises of the Garden of Eden that is Cuba?

7. Piotr
   March 24th, 2010 @ 3:21 pm

   Scott, general overall care will drop because the system will go bancrupt (see medicare/medicaid) and there will be no incentive for people to become doctors, because doctors will be making no more money than people in other (easier and with less responsibility) professions. Example – Poland has general healthcare with a huge problem of maintaining a minimum number of doctors and nurses. Because their salaries are average (or below), a majority of doctors emigrate to places like USA where they make more money. You could make a case that the doctors will have no place to go after USA will adopt the same system, but something tells me that the “rich” (including the members of Congress, I’m sure)will be willing to spend a lot of money for the care that we all can get today in some form of private clinics, where no government healthcare is accepted. So, all of us (lower and middle class) will lose the care we get, which will be restricted to the rich only. And if it’s going to be outlawed in the US, I’m sure Bahama’s would welcome such an institution…

8. Piotr
   March 24th, 2010 @ 3:21 pm

   oops, that’s “bankrupt” – sorry

9. Scott Geyer
   March 24th, 2010 @ 4:42 pm

   Joaquin, Pitor,
   I can only tell you that friends and relatives residing in those three nations (DE, CA, FN) have expressed satisfaction with the care they receive. Granted, they pay significantly higher taxes, but their standard of living is comparable to that of middle-class citizens here in the States. It appears from Pitor’s first hand accounts of Poland’s experince in implementing a single-payer system, that it did not succeed in maintaing quality care. This does not mean that the same thing will happen in the United States. Veterans Administration and MediCare are cited frequently as failures, however, my uncle recently received successful surgery for lung cancer under VA care, and my mother was able to get surgery on her knee under MediCare. So these systems cannot be totally without merrit. (I do confess that I am concerned that I may not be able to get my extremely expensive epilepsy medications under the new system. But we shall see what happens to the bill.)

10. Piotr
    March 25th, 2010 @ 9:41 am

    “(I do confess that I am concerned that I may not be able to get my extremely expensive epilepsy medications under the new system. But we shall see what happens to the bill.)”
    Well, that is my primary concern with Peter as well. I’ll survive, but I’m not sure he will. Your point is well taken, but Canadian system is anything but great, or satisfactory. That’s where the jokes about the Canadian comeing to US for health care came from. Canadian system is great – if you are healthy. If you are not and have some major problems, you come to the US. As to the standard of living – to the best of my undestanding a “standard” domicile in DE consists of a 3-berdoom, 1 bath and a kitchen appartment. I would not call it comparable to the US.