lorien1973 on October 29, 2009 at 12:57 PM

I haven’t visited Instapundit to check for attribution, but this is taken from Daniel Henninger’s column entitled “Obama and the Old Hat People” in today’s WSJ. The whole piece is well worth reading.

In a world defined by nearly 100,000 iPhone apps, a world of seemingly limitless, self-defined choice, the Democrats are pushing the biggest, fattest, one-size-fits all legislation since 1965. And they brag this will complete the dream Franklin D. Roosevelt had in 1939.
lorien1973 on October 29, 2009 at 12:57 PM

The only dream this will fulfill is the ” Nightmare on Elm Street “

1. This bill will end employment in the USA, because no employer can afford the taxes and regulations. This includes big employers, because they will not be able to force their employees into this thing and because they will not be able to afford the fines for not forcing their employees into it. It also includes small employers because they will not be able to put up with the constant harassment from the IRS and other government snoops.

2. Citizens will quickly discover that being a non-citizen is much less expensive. They will adapt in imaginative ways.

3. The underground economy will mushroom and take over as the primary economy in the USA. Virtually all commerce will become “cash only.” Internet sales will all be conducted from outside the USA.

4. Seventh Day Adventists and other sects which have a “religious exemption” will suddenly gain tens of millions of new “members”.

5. Hospitals will collapse. The government will “rescue” (seize) them, leading to a mass resignation of doctors and other health care providers.

6. A “health care underground” will spring up, complete with “cash only” services (just like the “Speak-Easy” establishments of the Prohibition era), appointments-by-referral-only, and an elaborate drug smuggling network.

7. Pharmacies will collapse and convert to general stores which carry only over-the-counter drugs. It will become nearly impossible to fill a prescription without using the “health care underground” or traveling to Mexico.

8. The dollar will be devalued by a minimum of 13.4% (=2.9% existing Medicare tax + 8% new employer tax + 2.5% new employee tax) to compensate for the portion of every dollar which will be wasted on a health care system which doesn’t work, nobody wants, and nobody can access.

In summary: The government will tax everyone to death in order to pay for “free” health care. But with only a government health insurance policy in hand, nobody will be able to find a health care provider willing to work for what the government will pay them. There will be no such thing as “Employment.”

jdkchem on October 29, 2009 at 4:36 PM

Oh hell no I did not vote for Obama. I am ashamed to say that I set aside my principles, held my nose and voted for the TR progressives in the race (aka McCain-Palin) rather than Barr or a Ron Paul write-in.

“Rewrite history?” It is what it is.

Rae on October 29, 2009 at 4:02 PM

Furthermore, before you spew more nonsense about how so and so should have done whatever you conjure up. Explain how conservatives could have ever passed free market options in congress? Any bill would have been dead. If you cannot fathom that reality how often have conservatives tried to privatize social security and had that free market option shot down? While your at it who exactly is responsible for easy credit? Did Bush sign the CRA? Did Bush stop regulation of freddie-mac? Why don’t you educate everyone how law enforcement was a far better anti-terrorism strategy.

Have you been an idiot residing in fantasy-land all of your life?

Rae on October 29, 2009 at 4:02 PM

So you voted for Obama and like your dear leader blame anyone but yourself and rewrite history.

(Mother Of All BOHICAs)

during a recent minor surgery I asked both my family doctor and the surgeon what impact the passage of a bill would have on their practices.

My family doctor said she would hold out for a while, but probably end up returning to her home country, the Philippines, to practice.

The surgeon said he would retire.

I’m in a small rural area, with few doctors. The loss of these 2 would mean obvious problems, and probably other doctors around here are considering their options.

Doubt it would be much different anywhere.

The STFU And Go Stand In Line Option!

txag92 on October 29, 2009 at 1:20 PM

Winner and +1,000

The only thing left to do now is pray hard the Blue Dawgs and our RINOS take a stand for America, Americans, the last beacon of democracy and defeat this behemoth. I have emailed and tea partied and phone called all I can. What is there left to do other than to pray?

THE WORST SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE!

EVER!!!!!

They could have implemented free market solutions in health care, protected our liberties rather than undermine them, gotten a handle on the insane borrowing, spending and printing, easy credit, “ownership society,” “New Economy,” and fought the enemy within, but noooo. Preemptive perpetual nation-building wars in the ME was more important to the Bush tools. Still is, oddly enough!

Thanks again, “conservatives.” I hope “spreading democracy” to a bunch of backward tribalists was worth losing our republic over.

Between the domestic interventionists on the left, and the foreign interventionists on the right, and all bipartisanship in between, we’ll be going the way of the Roman empire sooner rather than later. The only question is whether the fall results in a return to our Constitutional principles, or the US descends into totalitarianism.

Pitchforks and torches anyone?

So taxpayer dollars will be used for some abortions.

NTWR on October 29, 2009 at 1:47 PM

This was my first search too. No need to read any further.

D.O.A.

I can’t help thinking that doctors and patients who can swing it will work outside of this system. Wealthy patients will look for catastrophic coverage, while standing ready to pay for day-to-day care out of pocket. Sure, they may owe a penalty, but somehow they’ll make it work financially.

BuckeyeSam on October 29, 2009 at 1:22 PM

I wouldn’t count on it. They’ll simple raise the penalties to impossible levels. Their goal is single-payer and they will do whatever it takes to get it. Even if the ultra rich are willing to pay riduculous penalties, the new battle cry of the left will be that it is not fair that some can afford whatever medical care they want while the “middle class” has no choice but government healthcare.

> Dear All 535 voting members of the Legislature.
>
>
> It is now official:
>
> The U.S. Postal Service was established in 1775 – you have had 234 years to get it right;
> it is broke.
>
> Social Security was established in 1935 – you have had 74 years to get it right;
> it is broke.
>
> Fannie Mae was established in 1938 – you have had 71 years to get it right;
> it is broke..
>
> Department of Education started in 1980 under President Carter. You have had 29 years to improve education. Study after study shows our education system has gone down hill under federal government control: It is a failure.
>
> War on Poverty started in 1964 – you have had 45 years to get it right; $1 trillion of our money is confiscated each year and transferred to “the poor”; it hasn’t worked. They are as poor now as they were then.
>
> Medicare and Medicaid were established in 1965 – you’ve had 44 years to get it right; they’re broke.
>
> Freddie Mac was established in 1970 – you have had 39 years to get it right; it is broke.
>
>
> Trillions of dollars in the massive political payoff called the TARP bill of 2009 shows NO sign of working.
>
> And finally to set a new record:
>
> “Cash for Clunkers” was established in 2009 and went broke in 2009! It took good dependable cars (that were the best some people could afford) replaced them with high priced (people who couldn’t afford to are now making payments) mostly Japanese models so a good percentage of the profits, from the sales, went out of the country. And lastly, the American taxpayers are now going to be dinged with paying for yet 3 billion more dollars of our governments experiments to make our wallets even thinner.
>
> So with a perfect 100% failure rate and a record that proves that “services” you shove down our throats are failing faster and faster, you want Americans to believe you can be trusted with a government-run health care system? 15% of our economy? Are you for real?
>
> Truly, the inmates are running the asylum! And what does this say about voters who put such in office? Maybe we need to let others in on this brilliant record before 2010 and just vote against incumbents.

Who determines what medical evidence is “valid”? Will it be like the “consensus” among scientists that Man Made Global warming is fact?

NTWR on October 29, 2009 at 1:39 PM

You are on the right track; Al Gore, the inventor of the internet, will also determine which medical procedures are necessary and unnecessary.

And the name of this beautiful piece of legislation is The I-Got-Elected-to-Congress-So-I-Know-What-Is-Best-For-You-But-I-Don’t-Have-To-Use-It Plan.

Excuse me, the competitive option.

Consumer option
BadgerHawk on October 29, 2009 at 12:59 PM

Er, uh I thought it was the “Co-op” option? I’m so confused, what are the dems goin t call it next week? May I suggest the “bend over and take it option” or perhaps the “hurry up and die option” or maybe the “you’re too old so just die already” option?

Any other commentors on HA have any suggestions for more public option names? Personally I prefer the “not on your life option” but please feel free to add on!

the competitive option drives insurers out of the health care market and ensures absolutely no competition to the de facto single-payer system

The Socialists were really really just been warming up the propaganda machine before.

It is now officially 1984.