The cost of health care refrom

Why do we keep hearing about special interests when the Senate is willing to spend $100 million to buy one vote?

Oh to know so much that we can make everyone happy

The notion that a small group of politicians can know enough to design something so complex and so personal is astounding.

John Stossel

That is to the point. It is wonderful that 219 Democrats and 1 Republican think they have the ability to CREATE a health care system. The audacity is breath taking. A bill of 1990 pages is incredible in its size. On the other hand that is not nearly enough to create a health care system. The regulations for the inpatient portion of Medicare run to more pages than the Internal Revenue Code, that is just the inpatient side. Believe me the outpatient regs are for more complex. But with a vote, and a great amount of hubris, Pelosi and her minions will give us all nirvana in health. Never mind that if you like what you have you will be greatly displeased in the next five years over what you have been "given" by the federal government.

Goddamn nanny state, do gooders. May they all be subjected to their own rules. (Which of course they will not be, because they are privileged by being Congressmen.)

Pelosicare

It's no secret that I think the idea of government directed universal health care is a bad idea, but Pelosi's bill is scary as hell. If you don't buy insurance you are fined (or jailed,) if you don't have a plan that includes all coverage Pelosi thinks you should have you are fined (or jailed.) This is not republican democracy, this is the Marxist socialist crap that I was certain would come with the advent of the Obama-Reid-Pelosi triumvirate. Fortunately, it looks like the rank and file is awakening to the horror that is the Pelosi bill, or at least they are afraid they will be unelected if they support it. Oh, and a tax for not obtaining coverage is no different than a fine.

Why should a healthy young person be forced to pay a large amount of money for health insurance. It makes perfect economic sense to buy a low cost policy, or opt out until you reach an age where you might actually consume some health care.

I do so despise large government. It offends my libertarian sensibilities.

Afghanistan

The default position for those who are opposed to America projecting our power is Vietnam. But the real lesson that should be taken from Vietnam, and Korea, is that if there is no stated goal of what would be a victory then military intervention is fruitless. In Vietnam the goal was ????????, so defeat was the abject withdrawal of our troops and abdication to the North Vietnamese communists. In Korea the goal was containing the North Koreans to the 58th parallel; we're still doing that 50+ years later.

In Afghanistan the goal must be the destruction of the Taliban as a political force. If we can't do that then all that has been ventured is a waste. Afghanistan is difficult both culturally and geographically, but with political commitment to the military, the goal can be obtained.

Can we afford it?

$1,200,000,000,000 is a lot of money. This is the cost of the current House bill for, (I don't even know what we're calling this now,) Healthcare reform. It doesn't really matter where you fall on the issue of should we do this or should we not, the price tag would indicate we cannot afford it.

Our economy is in the tank, deficits are growing into the stratosphere as far as we can see and the biggest policy issue we can debate is how to raise the deficit another $1.2 trillion.

Please stop even talking about this until someone explains how it is to be paid for.