Re: NYTs Miller Released From Jail In CIA Outing Case- Names VPs Chief of Staff As So
Mavafanculo said:
I could spend all night unraveling all the spin here. I'll have to do them one at a time as I get time.
If the following represents your attempts at unraveling the spin, then perhaps you will remain the best informed member of your undergrad sociology class, but you don't have much grasp of economics. Interestingly, you injected party loyalties into the discussion in your response to me, however, in post #49 I mentioned no party loyalty.
To me this is simple economics.
excuse me? you mean the Medicare that your republican friends statutorily prohibited from using its size to negociate better prices from the drug companies? that Medicare? that stunt was one of the most blatent disgusting examples of government waste and corporate welfare and pay-for-play politics in the last 20 years. The drug companies got a handsome payoff on their campaign contributions. On our backs.
You're ignoring economics of healthcare. Healthcare is a commodity, just like cars, milk, tacos, oil, etc. As such, its prices are set by the interplay between supply and demand. You seem to think that healthcare should not be subject to market forces. Why?
The passage of medicare legislation negated the role of market pricing in the cost of healthcare. Even traditional third-party payors (we call them private insurance companies) have to set prices according to supply and demand, or else they will not get any business.
The introduction of Medicare means that there is a there is an unlimited third party payor in the market. In other words, there is effectively an unlimited supply of money to pay for healthcare.
Prices skyrocketed after medicare was introduced.
This is an economic reality. if the government provided half a trillion dollars a year to pay for cars, the price of cars would skyrocket too.
For additional evidence of the effect of Medicare, consider that cosmetic procedures (such as laser eye surgery) which are not covered by ANY insurance, continue to get cheaper through the persistence of market forces.
Summary:
Procedures covered by Medicare = prices skyrocket.
Procedures not covered = prices drop.
medicare makes healthcare more expensive. This is economics 101, not party loyalty. If Medicare were incrementally repealed, healthcare prices would drop preciptiously.
See also the blanket immunity from product liability that your Republican friends extended to various drugs and vaccines.
These were passed with overwhelming majorities in both houses. Perhaps it was an irrational response to the anthrax "attacks", but it was passed by a huge majority.
But I guess its easier, more macho and more in keeping with the principles of pure black and white capitalism to throw grandma under the bus then to address bullshit like this.
This is pure emotional nonsense.
Elderly people are the wealthiest segment of society. Furthermore, retirees aged 65+ did have 47 years of adulthood to get ready for old age. Don't you save for retirement?
If you want to play the emotional / morality game, here is a question for you:
Why is it wrong for me to decide not to pay into SS or medicare, if I promise later not to collect?
even many republicans with souls in the house and senate are repulsed and seeking to re-open this travesty.
Yes, class warfare knows no bounds nor party lines.
So what do you propose we do with grandma after we get rid of medicare and she cant afford health insurance? feed her to the dogs I guess?
Again, more emotion. I don't get a lot out of reductionalism; do you really think that the only options are (1) a fully funded medicare and (2) throwing people to the dogs?
I have already shown, through simple economic analysis, the impact of Medicare, and proposed an alternative: the incremental phasing out of medicare, leading to a price readjustment in accordance with market conditions.
Much of your post is an appeal to emotion and party loyalty. It contained very little substance.
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