1) This ruling effectively allows the federal government to mandate anything it wants under the guise that "it's a tax." What does this mean? You have to buy an electric car, or else we'll tax you. You have to join the military, or we'll tax you. You have to go to a concentration camp, or we'll tax you. Of course, this isn't really anything new, since the government has been using the tax code to control behavior in this way for decades. However, this practice now has the Supreme Court's stamp of constitutionality behind it. This means that the constitution simply does not protect your rights in any meaningful way anymore.
2) Republicans like Mitt Romney who want to "repeal and replace" and keep provisions to prevent insurance companies from denying coverage to people with pre-existing conditions are spineless, despicable cowards. The requirement for insurance to cover pre-existing conditions is the central evil of Obamacare. This provision outlaws the entire industry of health insurance. Health insurance is precisely that which you buy BEFORE you get sick in order to protect yourself if you get sick later. If you're already sick, you're not asking for insurance, you're asking for care. By making it illegal for insurance companies to decline coverage or to accept but charge more, this provision forces all insurance companies to become charities. We need charities, and we need insurance. Both serve crucial purposes. Now we will only have charities.
3) I had been toying with the idea of going to medical school when my obligation to the military is up. Barring a major change of heart from Republicans and a total repeal of this shameful law, there is absolutely no way that I would submit myself to that kind of torture now.
4) Justice Roberts, the deciding vote, was appointed by George W Bush. I don't think I need to add anything to that.
5) It's about time Dad gets a Facebook account.
5 comments:
Lots of writers followed up today with thoughts similar to yours.
But I don't think Dad will do that. :-)
When hell freezes over.
Don't want no facebook stock, neither.
"Hello! Easy Target Insurance. How may I help you?"
"Yo. I just crashed my car and I need some insurance."
"Very good, sir. How much would you like?"
"Whatever I'm entitled to under the Affordable CAR Act."
"Sir, you are entitled to the full value of your car, no matter how stupid or incompetent you are. No one should face financial ruin simply because they crashed their car."
"OK, great. Hey, my dog just died and I was gonna get some insurance on him, but I forgot. Can I do that now?"
"Certainly, sir. When did he die?"
"Um, 1996."
"OK, let me look that up. Let's see. Dogs that died in 1996 are only entitled to 80% of their value."
"Well, that's pretty good. He was worth a lot, man. He was a Weinerspitzer."
"Hello! Easy Target Insurance. How may I help you?"
"Yo. I just crashed my car and I need some insurance."
"Very good, sir. How much would you like?"
"Whatever I'm entitled to under the Affordable CAR Act."
"Sir, you are entitled to the full value of your car, no matter how stupid or incompetent you are. No one should face financial ruin simply because they crashed their car."
"OK, great. Hey, my dog just died and I was gonna get some insurance on him, but I forgot. Can I do that now?"
"Certainly, sir. When did he die?"
"Um, 1996."
"OK, let me look that up. Let's see. Dogs that died in 1996 are only entitled to 80% of their value."
"Well, that's pretty good. He was worth a lot, man. He was a Weinerspitzer."
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