Re: critical thought
It is hard enough to know what we think, let alone a few hundred million peeps.
In my experience, some fraction look to the government as an all-powerful protective entity. Others (like me) see a less competent group of politicians willing to promise pretty much anything to get re-elected, but limited in their ability to deliver on those promises by reality.
A classic question about free will and personal responsibility... I am not a fan of seat belt or helmet laws, while I religiously wear belts and helmets. My old helmet has a road rash, that would have been my head scraped along the road, so I understand the merit of prophylactic safety measures.
I am trying to wrap my head around how will we pay for the trajectory we are on. There are lots of false arguments flying around, and precious little real cost reform in health care delivery. I am weary from re-arguing the original health care debate. For now we wait on the SCOTUS, and to see how future legislatures will try to reform this, or not.
While I believe this grand experiment was undertaken with the best intentions, we are now a couple years down the road, with no apparent progress in cost reduction, just spreading the cost burden across more younger healthy people to subsidize those who aren't (young or healthy) with more government intrusion into the economy and our lives. Since I am not young I probably shouldn't complain about being subsidized by youth, but they have it hard enough with the debt bomb they are inheriting. In an interesting counter example, maine recently deregulated their health insurance industry and enjoyed significant premium reductions.
Review & Outlook: ObamaCare in Reverse - WSJ.com. I wouldn't read too much into this, as this was reversing an earlier legislative attempt by Maine that reduced insurance market competition, but the recent result does support the premise of competition as a beneficial strategy to reduce costs.
Again this is one area that certainly needs a lot of critical inspection. Don't take my word for it.
JR
