Hey, I come from England - the NHS is awesome. You yanks have the worst healthcare system in the developed world. I'm totally for your idea of nationalizing healthcare. I just wondered if you knew that it's the exact opposite of libertarianism.
Yes I know many think that way, including my own representative. However, if that clause is so wide ranging in meaning then the 10 amendment has no meaning, Indeed there is no need for the amendment procedures. I do not think that is the origin intent of the Commerce clause, nor the intent you must infer by the existence of the amendment process and the 10th amendment.
This is the danger of someone not knowing what they are talking about cutting and pasting articles. There is 200 years of constitutional precedent on what the Commerce Clause is and does and how it is to be applied - from rulings by justices way smarter than you and me. That the Congress has the power to regulate insurance is not even a legal issue, frankly.
I know all about the precedent. ObamaCare came down to one vote, and Roberts changed his mind at the last minute. Not because the law is constitutional, but rather to keep the court from getting involved. Elections have consequences. Buh bye ObamaCare.
It is not the opposite of Libertarianism. People don't have to pay for it or use it. They are free to hire a doctor directly or buy private insurance. Not $.01 in tax to pay for it.
It's also the opposite of Obamacare, which is basically a tool for allowing the insurance companies to tax Real Americans, with the US Government serving only as "money launderer".
Obamacare does not regulate insurance companies, or even insurance products, other than require a few minimum quality assurances. Obamacare DOES regulate the personal freedoms and basic rights of Real Americans that are guaranteed by The Constitution to be above government interference.
More on Roberts' decision. It was all about judicial restraint. It seems he wrote both the decision and the most of the dissent. http://www.salon.com/2012/07/03/roberts_wrote_both_obamacare_opinions/
Yes, the government owns hospitals and equipment, hires doctors, and writes the rules only for how it works. Veterans are entitled as part of a contract with government, in exchange for service. Veterans can buy their own insurance and hire their own doctors. There is no mandate. My vision would be along those lines, except people pay cost+ for a clinic visit. Excess fees would pool to cover bigger procedures, like surgeries, but the patient would still pay. Doctors would be paid a salary, not per procedure. The costs are easy to identify and control. As a massive buyer of aspirins, the government should be able to negotiate a low price. Or find another vendor. If you want no part of it, go buy your own insurance. Fuck ObamaCare. You pay $500/mo mostly for a few $75 clinic visits a month. But sure, it's important to shove it down everyone's throats, because... legacy.
That's right - it's tax-funded healthcare that is provided free to a subset of the population. Expand that subset to the whole population and you have the system in England, which is IMMENSELY popular and even Margaret Thatcher knew not to lay a finger on. You guys should try it - it costs a lot less per capita and is a lot more efficient (lower infant mortality rates, that kind of thing, if people actually care about that, which Republicans don't seem to). I keep telling my Mom (who is old) that she should come over and live near me but there's now way she'd leave the NHS for the shitshow we have over here. Of course, it's better with Obamacare, but it's still a horrific compromise because there's no way single-payer healthcare would ever pass over here because COMMUNISM!!!!! Agree with you about the insurers - guess what? There are some areas that capitalism, because it is entirely concerned with turning a profit, totally fucks up. (Yes, of course, Gov't bureaucracies are bad too. But you yourself cited the example of the Post Office. This seems to be a particular obsession of yours, which you don't realize totally undercuts your so-called libertarianism. Wait a minute. Post Office. Obsession. Denny - you're Newman, aren't you?
