Comments on: The Fiscal Elephant in the Room http://alephblog.com/2008/02/02/the-fiscal-elephant-in-the-room/ Helping Institutions and Ordinary People Invest Better by Focusing on Risk Control Wed, 08 Sep 2010 17:12:05 -0400 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: oblomov http://alephblog.com/2008/02/02/the-fiscal-elephant-in-the-room/comment-page-1/#comment-16744 oblomov Tue, 05 Feb 2008 04:11:37 +0000 http://alephblog.com/2008/02/02/the-fiscal-elephant-in-the-room/#comment-16744 I love it when someone says "I'm not a believer in national health care, but..." and then advocates a single payer system. It is hilariously disingenuous to play this sort of rhetorical game. Presumably one is against militarized health care (my name for it, since it will need a police state to implement and enforce it) because of either a conservative distrust of abstract solutions to particular problems, or a classical liberal (Hayekian) rejection of central planning when free choice invariably produces better results. So principle is jettisoned because politicians have decided that health care is an "issue" (i.e. they see the health care industry as politically weak, and a takeover would increase their power)? Perhaps you could clarify exactly how single payer would contain inflation, assuming that we would experience no degredation in quality of care. I love it when someone says “I’m not a believer in national health care, but…” and then advocates a single payer system. It is hilariously disingenuous to play this sort of rhetorical game. Presumably one is against militarized health care (my name for it, since it will need a police state to implement and enforce it) because of either a conservative distrust of abstract solutions to particular problems, or a classical liberal (Hayekian) rejection of central planning when free choice invariably produces better results.

So principle is jettisoned because politicians have decided that health care is an “issue” (i.e. they see the health care industry as politically weak, and a takeover would increase their power)? Perhaps you could clarify exactly how single payer would contain inflation, assuming that we would experience no degredation in quality of care.

]]> By: larster http://alephblog.com/2008/02/02/the-fiscal-elephant-in-the-room/comment-page-1/#comment-16734 larster Mon, 04 Feb 2008 16:58:34 +0000 http://alephblog.com/2008/02/02/the-fiscal-elephant-in-the-room/#comment-16734 We have guest workers now, so this is not an option. It is already a fact, unless you took over the Unabomber's digs. National health care is the only answer. The question is do we have any politicians with enough spine to tell the American people. I am not a believer in national health care but it is the only policy alternative that can limit the spiraling inflation. The prime inflation driver in health care is the large pool of uninsured. The health care for them is included in the charges for those that are insured, therefore the only way to find out what the actual costs are is to have a single payer system. Without that there we will be simply patching the innertube until it's beyond repair. We have guest workers now, so this is not an option. It is already a fact, unless you took over the Unabomber’s digs.

National health care is the only answer. The question is do we have any politicians with enough spine to tell the American people. I am not a believer in national health care but it is the only policy alternative that can limit the spiraling inflation. The prime inflation driver in health care is the large pool of uninsured. The health care for them is included in the charges for those that are insured, therefore the only way to find out what the actual costs are is to have a single payer system. Without that there we will be simply patching the innertube until it’s beyond repair.

]]> By: Scott M http://alephblog.com/2008/02/02/the-fiscal-elephant-in-the-room/comment-page-1/#comment-16717 Scott M Sun, 03 Feb 2008 18:22:59 +0000 http://alephblog.com/2008/02/02/the-fiscal-elephant-in-the-room/#comment-16717 David, wondering your thoughts on how the situation gets addressed. There is no question at all that the equation doesn't solve, presently. My current thoughts are that (1) taxes go higher - not even up for serious discussion; and (2) so do trade barriers. we trade some protectionism, a la Europe, and reduced overall welfare, for a feel-good "leveling" of some of society's current inequties. our nation's most influential demographic, old folks, who vote, are appeased. add to that, perhaps, some guest worker immigration policies. second class citizens earning second-tier wages. on balance, we begin looking a lot more like Europe, reversing the cherished myth of American exceptionalism, and staving off acceptance of the twenty-first being the China Century. Care to comment? David, wondering your thoughts on how the situation gets addressed. There is no question at all that the equation doesn’t solve, presently. My current thoughts are that (1) taxes go higher – not even up for serious discussion; and (2) so do trade barriers. we trade some protectionism, a la Europe, and reduced overall welfare, for a feel-good “leveling” of some of society’s current inequties. our nation’s most influential demographic, old folks, who vote, are appeased. add to that, perhaps, some guest worker immigration policies. second class citizens earning second-tier wages. on balance, we begin looking a lot more like Europe, reversing the cherished myth of American exceptionalism, and staving off acceptance of the twenty-first being the China Century. Care to comment?

]]> By: Shrek http://alephblog.com/2008/02/02/the-fiscal-elephant-in-the-room/comment-page-1/#comment-16709 Shrek Sun, 03 Feb 2008 07:23:50 +0000 http://alephblog.com/2008/02/02/the-fiscal-elephant-in-the-room/#comment-16709 Entitlements and CA deficits dont matter until the bond market says so. Fixed income investors have been more than accomadating. Entitlements and CA deficits dont matter until the bond market says so. Fixed income investors have been more than accomadating.

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