Comments on: Just Write it into Law http://liveloud.net/blog/2009/08/just-write-it-into-law/ Vocal thoughts on life, liberty, and spirituality Fri, 20 Aug 2010 03:46:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Anothernonymous http://liveloud.net/blog/2009/08/just-write-it-into-law/comment-page-1/#comment-877 Anothernonymous Fri, 21 Aug 2009 22:32:33 +0000 http://liveloud.net/blog/?p=853#comment-877 Not at present. That, I think, is my point. We have a real crisis that only the government can fix in anything like the amount of time required to save lives. Not at present. That, I think, is my point. We have a real crisis that only the government can fix in anything like the amount of time required to save lives.

]]> By: xfree9 http://liveloud.net/blog/2009/08/just-write-it-into-law/comment-page-1/#comment-876 xfree9 Fri, 21 Aug 2009 22:05:53 +0000 http://liveloud.net/blog/?p=853#comment-876 <i>I'm a lot more scared of economic injustice and its moral implications than I am of the government.</i><br><br>But what I think I'm saying is that there is much economic injustice caused by and perpetuated by government itself. I'm a lot more scared of economic injustice and its moral implications than I am of the government.

But what I think I'm saying is that there is much economic injustice caused by and perpetuated by government itself.

]]> By: Anothernonymous http://liveloud.net/blog/2009/08/just-write-it-into-law/comment-page-1/#comment-875 Anothernonymous Fri, 21 Aug 2009 19:25:08 +0000 http://liveloud.net/blog/?p=853#comment-875 I understand your desire to have it both ways. My point was that in real life things don't work like that. There are at this moment needy, desperately ill people in this country who are dying due to lack of medical care while wealthy people have laser eye surgery. To me this situation is simply intolerable, and there are no concerns about possible government malfeasance that I couldn't easily sweep under the carpet in order to fix it. <br><br>I guess that's an essential difference between me and you. I'm a lot more scared of economic injustice and its moral implications than I am of the government. I understand your desire to have it both ways. My point was that in real life things don't work like that. There are at this moment needy, desperately ill people in this country who are dying due to lack of medical care while wealthy people have laser eye surgery. To me this situation is simply intolerable, and there are no concerns about possible government malfeasance that I couldn't easily sweep under the carpet in order to fix it.

I guess that's an essential difference between me and you. I'm a lot more scared of economic injustice and its moral implications than I am of the government.

]]> By: Anothernonymous http://liveloud.net/blog/2009/08/just-write-it-into-law/comment-page-1/#comment-839 Anothernonymous Fri, 21 Aug 2009 18:32:33 +0000 http://liveloud.net/blog/?p=853#comment-839 Not at present. That, I think is my point. We have a real crisis that only the government can fix in anything like the amount of time required to save lives. Not at present. That, I think is my point. We have a real crisis that only the government can fix in anything like the amount of time required to save lives.

]]> By: xfree9 http://liveloud.net/blog/2009/08/just-write-it-into-law/comment-page-1/#comment-838 xfree9 Fri, 21 Aug 2009 18:05:53 +0000 http://liveloud.net/blog/?p=853#comment-838 <i>I'm a lot more scared of economic injustice and its moral implications than I am of the government.</i><br><br>But what I think I'm saying is that there is much economic injustice caused by and perpetuated by government itself. I'm a lot more scared of economic injustice and its moral implications than I am of the government.

But what I think I'm saying is that there is much economic injustice caused by and perpetuated by government itself.

]]> By: Anothernonymous http://liveloud.net/blog/2009/08/just-write-it-into-law/comment-page-1/#comment-837 Anothernonymous Fri, 21 Aug 2009 15:25:08 +0000 http://liveloud.net/blog/?p=853#comment-837 I understand your desire to have it both ways. My point was that in real life things don't work like that. There are at this moment needy, desperately ill people in this country who are dying due to lack of medical care while wealthy people have laser eye surgery. To me this situation is simply intolerable, and there are no concerns about possible government malfeasance that I couldn't easily sweep under the carpet in order to fix it. <br><br>I guess that's an essential difference between me and you. I'm a lot more scared of economic injustice and its moral implications than I am of the government. I understand your desire to have it both ways. My point was that in real life things don't work like that. There are at this moment needy, desperately ill people in this country who are dying due to lack of medical care while wealthy people have laser eye surgery. To me this situation is simply intolerable, and there are no concerns about possible government malfeasance that I couldn't easily sweep under the carpet in order to fix it.

I guess that's an essential difference between me and you. I'm a lot more scared of economic injustice and its moral implications than I am of the government.

]]> By: xfree9 http://liveloud.net/blog/2009/08/just-write-it-into-law/comment-page-1/#comment-836 xfree9 Fri, 21 Aug 2009 04:41:23 +0000 http://liveloud.net/blog/?p=853#comment-836 Using the reasoning of the government, I'd say, "Let's print some money and get both." <br><br>Personally, if I were paying, I'd say, "I'll get you your eye surgery once the girl is saved." <br><br>There is no system with all correct answers. In a free market utopia where everyone does act peacefully there would still be dilemmas like this. I just don't believe in putting the power of life and death in the hands of a few politicians, even ones who currently are benevolent (so they say). Using the reasoning of the government, I'd say, “Let's print some money and get both.”

Personally, if I were paying, I'd say, “I'll get you your eye surgery once the girl is saved.”

There is no system with all correct answers. In a free market utopia where everyone does act peacefully there would still be dilemmas like this. I just don't believe in putting the power of life and death in the hands of a few politicians, even ones who currently are benevolent (so they say).

]]> By: Anothernonymous http://liveloud.net/blog/2009/08/just-write-it-into-law/comment-page-1/#comment-835 Anothernonymous Fri, 21 Aug 2009 04:25:24 +0000 http://liveloud.net/blog/?p=853#comment-835 Let's put it this way. If it came down to a choice between a system in which an upper middle-class guy with good insurance could get any health care his doctor recommended, no questions asked, and a desperately poor teenager with leukemia and without insurance (her father is in jail and her mother is unemployed) couldn't qualify for a transplant that would save her life - and one in which a government official could say "No, you can't have your laser eye surgery because we're going to spend the money to save this girl's life" - which one would you choose? No in-betweens: just up or down? Let's put it this way. If it came down to a choice between a system in which an upper middle-class guy with good insurance could get any health care his doctor recommended, no questions asked, and a desperately poor teenager with leukemia and without insurance (her father is in jail and her mother is unemployed) couldn't qualify for a transplant that would save her life – and one in which a government official could say “No, you can't have your laser eye surgery because we're going to spend the money to save this girl's life” – which one would you choose? No in-betweens: just up or down?

]]> By: xfree9 http://liveloud.net/blog/2009/08/just-write-it-into-law/comment-page-1/#comment-834 xfree9 Fri, 21 Aug 2009 03:16:49 +0000 http://liveloud.net/blog/?p=853#comment-834 We're not a democracy, which means changing laws should take considerable effort, since majority opinions change like the wind. I would be more in favor of a Constitutional restriction, similar to one of the amendments in the Bill of Rights. "Government shall make no law..." sort of language. It takes a lot of effort to change an amendment, and of course to add one. <br><br>If the Congress can get an amendment in the Constitution guaranteeing the right to health services, I'd shut up. But they won't do it, (1) because they frankly don't care about the Constitution, and (2) they know they cannot. <br><br>Also, I'm not for the decisions being entrusted to anybody but the person himself (or herself). That means insurance companies aren't to "control" what I need, nor should government. At least with insurance companies you can appeal to unethical behavior with the government. If the government wrongs you, you're out of options (realistically speaking). That's why I don't advocate giving power to the government, but to individuals to act peacefully with each other. If government is necessary to be an impartial and fair referee, so be it. We're not a democracy, which means changing laws should take considerable effort, since majority opinions change like the wind. I would be more in favor of a Constitutional restriction, similar to one of the amendments in the Bill of Rights. “Government shall make no law…” sort of language. It takes a lot of effort to change an amendment, and of course to add one.

If the Congress can get an amendment in the Constitution guaranteeing the right to health services, I'd shut up. But they won't do it, (1) because they frankly don't care about the Constitution, and (2) they know they cannot.

Also, I'm not for the decisions being entrusted to anybody but the person himself (or herself). That means insurance companies aren't to “control” what I need, nor should government. At least with insurance companies you can appeal to unethical behavior with the government. If the government wrongs you, you're out of options (realistically speaking). That's why I don't advocate giving power to the government, but to individuals to act peacefully with each other. If government is necessary to be an impartial and fair referee, so be it.

]]> By: Anothernonymous http://liveloud.net/blog/2009/08/just-write-it-into-law/comment-page-1/#comment-832 Anothernonymous Thu, 20 Aug 2009 19:02:18 +0000 http://liveloud.net/blog/?p=853#comment-832 This makes sense. The problem, of course (as I'm sure you recognize) is that laws can be changed. That's the nature of democratic government. You have to trust somebody, and frankly, I'm more willing to trust the government to manage my health care decisions than I am to trust an insurance company that exists to make money for its stockholders. If writing these things into law would help persuade others to agree with me, I'm all for it. This makes sense. The problem, of course (as I'm sure you recognize) is that laws can be changed. That's the nature of democratic government. You have to trust somebody, and frankly, I'm more willing to trust the government to manage my health care decisions than I am to trust an insurance company that exists to make money for its stockholders. If writing these things into law would help persuade others to agree with me, I'm all for it.

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