Dear Friend of Liberty,
I don’t know about you, but I’m getting a little tired of hearing Republicans act self-righteous about this health care bill. Of course it’s a terrible bill that will increase government and taxes and make our health care worse — but let’s take a short trip down memory lane.
In November 2003, almost all Republican senators voted to pass the “Prescription Drug and Medicare Improvement Act of 2003.” That was the horrible humongous Medicare expansion that ended up costing about $1.2 trillion. It was a huge federal intrusion into health care. Republican darlings like Kay Bailey Hutchison and James Inhofe were among those who voted for it.
Now Republicans are saying they oppose government expansion into health care. What a joke. A few years ago they thought it was the greatest thing in the world. Messages being sent out by the Republican National Committee are telling people that the current bill is bad because it will “cut Medicare”!
There’s only one party that really opposes government health care, and that’s the Libertarian Party. We’ve always been against it, and we’ll always be against it. But that doesn’t mean we want to force your health care into the hands of big insurance companies or big pharmaceutical companies, or subject it to the monopolizing effects of today’s licensing laws.
As our platform states, “We favor restoring and reviving a free market health care system. We recognize the freedom of individuals to determine the level of health insurance they want, the level of health care they want, the care providers they want, the medicines and treatments they will use and all other aspects of their medical care, including end-of-life decisions.”
Thanks to everyone who called your Congressman a few weeks ago. The bill still got passed by the House, but maybe it will be weakened or killed in the Senate. I certainly hope so.
Sincerely,
Wes Benedict
Executive Director
Libertarian National Committee
6 responses so far ↓
1 Steven R Linnabary // Nov 23, 2009 at 5:56 pm
These are really great talking points!
However, *I* would not use the phrase “There’s only one party that really opposes government health care”, even if it is accurate. I would rather use a term such as “There’s only one party that really opposes politician controlled health care” or some such terminology.
We live in a world where people don’t understand that there ARE alternatives. When we say we oppose MediCare, most people think we are cold hearted cretins that are too stingy to give Grandma her health care! As if it is ONLY the government that will take care of Grandma!
We run into this problem everytime we oppose the Post Office, and folks will respond, “well I like getting mail” or our opposition to government schools where folks respond with “well I want people to be able to read”.
We should maybe use terminology like “consumer controlled health care”.
Just my 2 cents.
PEACE
2 paulie // Nov 23, 2009 at 6:10 pm
Good point, Steve.
As several people pointed out on the radio show, medical insurance is not health care.
3 Darryl W. Perry // Nov 24, 2009 at 1:26 am
The LP isn’t “the only” party to oppose government controlled/mandated health insurance; the Boston Tea Party, which has a one sentence platform that can never change (The Boston Tea Party supports reducing the size, scope and power of government at all levels and on all issues, and opposes increasing the size, scope and power of government at any level, for any purpose.) also opposes any government involvement in the health care/health insurance industry.
Sincerely,
Darryl W. Perry
2016 candidate for President of the United States of America
http://dwp2016.org
At-Large Representative Boson Tea Party National Committee
http://BostonTea.us
Managing Editor Free Patriot Press
http://FreePatriot-Press.com
4 Melty // Nov 24, 2009 at 9:08 am
I’ve been saying that the word “healthcare” itself is the root of the problem and I’m still saying it.
On the face of it, “health care” just means taking care of your health, of course, and for that, no “reform” is needed. You know, eating well, exercising and such . . . it’s up to each of us to do so, but the term ain’t that because “healthcare”’s been loaded with the meaning of “socialized medicine.” Uttering the buzzword locks the very thinking of most folks into the notion of government-run medicine as a given. Mezmerized by the buzzword, it’s no wonder they can’t think outside of that box. So just don’t say it, LP, because repeating the statist buzzword is asking for more socialization in your medical services.
Instead, come up with your own, . . . spout off
in loaded words, like “state-sponsored medicine”
and in spade-a-spade talk, like “government-managed medicine”
when neutrally speaking, “medical attention” and undorned talk is good, like “doctors and nurses”, “clinics and hospitals” (not “facilities”, “providers”, . . .)
From there, get free of authoritarian buzzwords in other issues too . . .
“climate change”’s got “anthropogenic” built in already for most folks, so get unadorned, example, “Factory smoke does not make glaciers move. Snow does.”
“defense budget”’s just a euphemism for war spending, so why not call it “war spending”?
There’s dumptruckloads of this convoluted talk, so dump em n just get blunt.
Your word choices project your identity and even form your mode of thought.
5 paulie // Nov 24, 2009 at 12:19 pm
Melty, good points.
Darryl, the LP’s press release ignores even the existence of the Constitution Party, so what do you think are the chances they are counting the Boston Tea Party at all? The LP’s official position towards parties that are smaller than the LP is apparently the same as the attitude of the Democrats and Republicans towards the LP: out of sight, out of mind.
6 Darryl W. Perry // Nov 24, 2009 at 4:15 pm
Paulie, I think that some LP members, especially those in positions of “authority”, don’t want to acknowledge other parties at all, regardless if the party is smaller or not. I cunt this up to the increasing number of former Republicrats that are joining the party.
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