I’m glad the President made a meat industry analogy, because its a good opportunity to point out the flaws in the President’s proposal.
President Obama at the Health Care Summit:
We could set up a system where food was cheaper than it is right now if we just eliminated meat inspectors, and we eliminated any regulations on how food is distributed and how its stored. I’ll bet in terms of drug prices we would definitely reduce prescription drug prices if we didn’t have a drug administration that makes sure that we test the drugs so that they don’t kill us, but we don’t do that. We make some decisions to protect consumers in every aspect of our lives.
If the role of government in health insurance is analogous to the meat industry then according to the Presidents proposal –
- We would all be required to purchase meat even if we didn’t want it.
- We wouldn’t be able to choose between buying hotdogs or steaks; we have to buy steaks.
- We could buy some steaks from some vendors in other states, but wouldn’t be able to buy hotdogs from anyone, anywhere.
- Those too poor to afford meat would have free steaks, but not hotdogs.
- The meat industry would be labeled greedy for profiting from people’s inevitable hunger.
- Supermarkets would only be allowed to sell steaks.
- We would all be protected from affordable meats like hotdogs, turkey, and chicken.
Its would be wrong to tell vegetarians to buy meat, and it’s equally wrong to tell Christian Scientists to buy health insurance. It would be an intrusion of government to decide which meats we can afford, just as its an overreach into our personal lives for DC to to tell us how much insurance to buy.
Forcing people to buy meat would only protect some meat companies, just as forcing people to buy health insurance only protects some insurance companies. The wide variety and affordable prices of meats at supermarkets didn’t come about through a DC-based algorithm of price controls and income-based prices. It came about by supply and demand and a free market.
To President Obama: stay away from my health insurance, and hands off my hotdog, too.
