America’s health-care system has problems — all traceable to government intervention — but it could be worse. And if the so-called reform emerging in Congress is enacted, it will be worse.My latest Future of Freedom Foundation op-ed, "Welcome to Post Office Health Care," is here.
Sheldon, I was ready to pounce on this until I read the last paragraph. Nice save.
ReplyDeleteIn my view, these efforts are merely the finishing touches of an already state-shaped system. One that began with occupational licensure requirements and the income tax, is exacerbated by drug laws and restrictions, and is nailed together by the protectorate that's set up as a consequence of intellectual property right on down to no-bid construction contracts.
As you often say, and which I'm probably paraphrasing poorly, the free market won't appear by merely scraping off a layer of welfare. And that's no more obvious than in the health care game. Simply shifting the burden of WHO PAYS from one source to another is a relatively unimportant maneuver, when the crux of the problem lies in WHO GETS PAID.