Broccoli or B.S.?

The Big Bad Government

Justice Scalia struck a blow for broccoli haters everywhere, when he incredibly compared being forced to pay for health insurance to the government ordering you to eat broccoli.

I hope he was kidding; because, if he actually thinks that way legally, and is so shallow in his reasoning, then how did he get through law school?

First of all, broccoli is a food, health insurance is a service; a way to share risk among a large pool of people to keep the risk, and hence reduce the liability, to an individual at a level that can be afforded if something bad happens.

Many states, including California, mandate that everyone have car insurance. The federal government mandates certain anti-pollution devices, miles per gallon requirements; etc. Nobody has taken that to court, because for one; it shares risk and reduces liability for the person who has a car wreck, and two; pollution is bad for the general public health.

How on earth is health insurance any different? We have 50 million or more today in the United States without health insurance, because after World War II, as health care costs increased, we decided that the employer should provide health care as a "benefit" of employment. If you had a job, you usually had health insurance because the "benefit" was relatively cheap, and most employers could afford it.

You all know what happened next. Inflation, recessions, technology, all worked to reduce the numbers of workers who had the "benefit".

Because the United States is not yet a tyranny that allows it citizens to die, local, state and federal laws were passed requiring emergency rooms to treat those who don't have insurance, and provides a minimum of government backed health coverage (Medicaid).

Conservatives, many who are racist, hateful, spiteful, and greedy human beings, have hated that since it was done.

They blame the poor, and the unemployed for their plight, call them lazy, moochers; etc., and really believe that providing what is a bare bones health care system to mostly poor children is a taxpayer giveaway.

Since they usually have Medicare or employer insurance, they make it a matter of being told by the government to "eat broccoli", and a "threat to liberty" if the government gets involved in the health care process to insure the nearly 1/4 of all Americans who do not have health insurance.

Meanwhile, every modern nation on earth has long ago implemented either a total single payer government tax supported health insurance system, or a private insurance system with some government support for those who lack the means to pay all the premiums.

All of these nations do not allow people to opt out of the system in any substantial numbers. Health Care in these "civilized" nations is considered a liberty; like "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness", and essential to the country's future.

The United States, passed and implemented half a century ago, a Medicare system, that is a single payer system, with private insurance supplements. This has meant that the senior population, over 65, and the disabled, cancer victims, are covered.

Unfortunately, this also meant, the senior population, now has an attitude of "I got mine, screw you", and have been incredibly resisting any like program for everyone else.

I have several Medicare friends, who hate the Affordable Care Act, who are working night and day to see it repealed, I have some wealthy friends, who would like to do the same thing to Medicare, since they don't need government backed health insurance.

It all boils down to broccoli. The government is too big, I don't want to be told what to do. I want to say no to broccoli...waaa....waaaa....waaa.

Ok, if you still are reading this, take out a piece of paper and list for me all the times the government, local, state and federal, told you what to do this month. Now, it has to be directly told you what to do, what to buy, where to go, when to go; etc.

Having trouble?

That is because we enjoy a level of freedom in this country second to none. We can go where we want, do almost anything we want, eat what we want (mostly not good for us), say what we want; etc., etc.

Broccoli, Bullshit! It's all about greed and me first...and it is killing the United States of America!