Conservative or Liberal?

Ken,

Please tell me more about this idea. Even though I am a closed minded conservative...

every now and then I like to listen to other people's ideas instead of merely moralizing about how horrible others are. And sometimes, if it is a good idea, I am even open to change, contrary to Priscilla's ignorant, arrogant, self-righteous characterization of me and conservatives in general.

Joseph Botwinick

 

Looking at it from the inside, my experience of looking at the numbers on a daily basis indicates the opposite. I find generally that the price of oil goes up faster than the price of gasoline and the price of gasoline goes faster slower than the price of oil, at least in the areas of the country I am familiar with.

It's pretty easy to why that is the case. When the price of oil is going up, then at the margin the retailer wants to hold onto market share and try to go up a little slower than his competitors. When the price of oil is going down, then at the margin the retailer wants to hold onto market share and try to go down a little faster than his competitors.

This is especially true for the company I work for as we have about 650 stations in Wal-Mart Supercenters and we want to be the lowest priced retailer in town as we try to make a profit based on volume rather than selling less gasoline at a higher price.

Remember that you can't compare the two in simple percentage terms of change as the price of gasoline has State and federal gasoline taxes in it that do not vary with the price of oil.

 

www.ncpa.org/pi/health/hedex1.html

 

Priscilla Ann,

Gee! I guess I don't know of any rich people who are in danger of becoming poor because of the policies of liberals.

That's only because of what little exists of liberal restraint. The issue isn't that the rich are becoming poor, it is that the government takes a bigger percentage of their money than anyone else's. Where is the fairness in this, unless of course, in defending equality, those other than the poor are not entitled to keep as mucy of their money. In the liberal world, you're all for equality, it's just that "some are more equal than others."

I'm also curious if the Constitution has any place in your ideal? You said that conservatives are for defense and weapons while liberals are for health care and education. Please find in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution (the enumerated powers of Congress) where the national government has any power involving either health care and education. Then, go read the Tenth Amendment. It's not just status quo, it's about following the Constitution on which government's powers are based. And I agree with KenH and others; we aren't necessarily about the status quo. Part of the problem with the definition you cited is that it is inaccurate. Conservatives aren't blindly in favor of the status quo, but, following Edmund Burke, we do believe that what has been passed down to us is of value and we shouldn't be looking to deconstruct or destruct all that we receive simply because it is tradition.

[ March 14, 2004, 03:36 PM: Message edited by: fromtheright ]

 

This certainly looks like a good idea. Perhaps a little competition for the insurance companies would be a good thing. Of course, the question is, would this only be good for those who can afford to save enough money to provide for themselves adequate health care?

Joseph Botwinick

 

As a liberal, what do you think we should do to make the system more "fair" for everyone?

Joseph Botwinick </font>[/QUOTE]Pricilla,

You never did answer my question. What would you do?

Joseph Botwinick </font>[/QUOTE]Should I interpret your silence to mean that you have no solutions, only typical liberal self righteous moralizing about the evils of conservativism? Why am I not surprised?

Joseph Botwinick

 

FTR,

I think you forgot. Liberals don't really care about the constitution unless it is dealing with murdering the unborn or defending their filth as free speech.

They do have a very selective constitution.

Joseph Botwinick

 

Joseph,

You're exactly right. My favorite quote is Thomas Jefferson's "In questions of power, then, let no more be heard of confidence in man, but bind him down from mischief by the chains of the Constitution." Liberals love to talk about a living, flexing, breathing Constitution. A Constitution that grows means a government that will grow (and has grown) big enough to suffocate us. They need only read the Founders to understand that they were setting up a limited government. The only limits liberals see to government power is their own imaginations.

 

Excellent question. Here is how Singapore has done it - Singapore's Innovative Health Financing System . You may have to click "Open".

 

OK. Ken,

I just read the whole article. I think I understand how the poor and elderly would be taken care of in this plan. However, other questions have arisen in my mind. They are as follows:

1. One of the major themes of this program appears to be that we should take responsibility for our health care and not go to the doctor unless it is something that is really necessary. Now, this would probably work wonderful with the hillbillies in the Ozarks who don't like doctors anyway... , but it raises this question with me. I am not a doctor. How am I supposed to know everytime when it is something minor or if it is something that really needs attention right away. For example, with my baby, is it not possible that he might exhibit signs of something that seems absolutely normal to us (common cold, etc...) and we keep him home while he might actually have something horribly wrong with him that could only be caught by a doctor? Doesn't this program sort of make it to where people are afraid to go to the doctor for what they think are minor problems, which could be, in fact, catastrophic illnesses, which, if caught early, could be treated?

2. I also noticed that a good part of the report was crossed out. Is that a technical glitch? Why are the lines crossed through the words in part of the document?

3. Do you think MSA's should be mandatory or should they be provided as an alternative to traditional health care programs?

4. What is the reaction from the medical community about the idea (i.e., doctors and nurses, the people providing the health care)?

Joseph Botwinick