The Supreme Court & Obamacare

[Sheilbh]

Concur with Neil.  Individual mandate is stupid.  Why is it so hard?  It wasn't in Canada, the UK, Australia, France, Germany, Austria, probably Poland (FFS).

Australia's got an element of individual mandate in their system.  I think the Dutch and Swiss do too.  The Swiss have the highest healthcare costs in Europe (though still lower than the US for most things), the Dutch system's newly private so it's too soon to tell.  The government's quite an active regulator, but there's some suggestions that competition has reduced costs.

[DontSayBanana]

Wait, there's somebody out there who still buys the death panels claptrap?

[Valmy]

Wait, there's somebody out there who still buys the death panels claptrap?

I like how pulling somebody off government entitlements is a death sentence.  Who knew?

[jimmy olsen]

Concur with Neil.  Individual mandate is stupid.  Why is it so hard?  It wasn't in Canada, the UK, Australia, France, Germany, Austria, probably Poland (FFS).

At this late a date, politically impossible short of catastrophe.  FDR might have been able to do it, had he survived.

It could have been done under LBJ or Nixon.

[Tonitrus]

Concur with Neil.  Individual mandate is stupid.  Why is it so hard?  It wasn't in Canada, the UK, Australia, France, Germany, Austria, probably Poland (FFS).

At this late a date, politically impossible short of catastrophe.  FDR might have been able to do it, had he survived.

It could have been done under LBJ or Nixon.

Nixon was in favor?

[jimmy olsen]

Concur with Neil.  Individual mandate is stupid.  Why is it so hard?  It wasn't in Canada, the UK, Australia, France, Germany, Austria, probably Poland (FFS).

At this late a date, politically impossible short of catastrophe.  FDR might have been able to do it, had he survived.

It could have been done under LBJ or Nixon.

Nixon was in favor?

Wasn't his plan substantially more socialist than the current system? Teddy really regretted letting that opportunity go.

[Neil]

The resentment of the Democrats against their better meant that they would stop at nothing to destroy Nixon.

[Tonitrus]

While nowadays, I tend to favor a system more like Canada's, I know that once our public-employee unions get their foot in the door, it will become a monster.

Not to mention the bureaucracy, that is one more thing that America does second to none.

[Sheilbh]

Wasn't his plan substantially more socialist than the current system? Teddy really regretted letting that opportunity go.

I think Nixon's proposal was basically Hillarycare.  The Republican Senate proposal in the 90s is, largely, Obamacare.

[Sheilbh]

Not to mention the bureaucracy, that is one more thing that America does second to none.

I'm still convinced Americans are suspicious of government because they're really, really bad at it

[Tonitrus]

Not to mention the bureaucracy, that is one more thing that America does second to none.

I'm still convinced Americans are suspicious of government because they're really, really bad at it

"Yes Minister" has taught me that the British are no better. 

[Tonitrus]

But seriously, we'd probably end up trying to run it like we do public schools, most of the administration done at the state level, with the same hilarious results.

[Sheilbh]

"Yes Minister" has taught me that the British are no better. 

Well that depends on who the government is.  I'd say it's the contrary and that 'Yes Minister' suggests our government's very good and just let down by our politicians

[Tonitrus]

Though truthfully, we have a single-payer system, it's just half-assed.  Those on Medicare already use it.

And as the saying goes, one shouldn't half-ass two different things.  Better to whole-ass on one thing.

[Ideologue]

Concur with Neil.  Individual mandate is stupid.  Why is it so hard?  It wasn't in Canada, the UK, Australia, France, Germany, Austria, probably Poland (FFS).

At this late a date, politically impossible short of catastrophe.  FDR might have been able to do it, had he survived.

I'd love to watch him run over Romney's feet and nominate twenty Joan Robinsons for every Scalia currently sitting.