My Gun Wish List...

While reading another blog, I got the idea to list what guns I hope to acquire some day. I won't put anything on that is unrealistic like a Bushmaster 20mm cannon, but guns that I might actually end up owning one day.

1. An Ar-15 or variant thereof. Nothing fancy with all sorts of doo dads attached, but a plain, functional AR. Why? Because I can.
2. An AK variant. Cause you can't have chocolate with out vanilla, yin without the yang. If you have an AR, you need an AK. Once again why? Because I live in the US and I can.

3. A Stoeger Coach gun. I have always wanted one of these, a double barrel shotgun. There is just something about them that makes me want one.

4. An M1 Garand. Don't think I need to explain why, but it would be cool to own a gun as uniquely American as apple pie or baseball.

Enough for now, stay tuned for my next installment of guns I will own one day...

My impression of beating dead horse redux...

To finish up this rousing exercise in futility, I would like the last word (since it is my blog after all).

A few points-

HOW we get rid of the insurance companies is a moot point because this is more of a philosophical debate than an actual policy debate. But if you must know, neither Spencer or I believe in a pure capitalist system. Look up Adam Smith, the father of modern economics and you will see the kind of system we are talking about- one where the government does regulate business to certain extent to prevent monopolies, cabals, and collusion. When companies or businesses worry about their own business, they will innovate and find ways to keep costs down to attract customers. When a group of businesses get together and decide how much they are going to charge (i.e. insurance companies and doctors) then you have collusion and cabals. This does in fact hurt the consumer by eliminating competition in the market place.

So you would break up insurance companies with anti-trust suits and regulation. In some areas you would deregulate such as eliminating State License boards and Clinical License who protect only those doctors and insurance companies in their own state, or those they have a relationship with eliminating competition from Nurse Practitioners or other health care professionals who would like to offer a low cost alternative to the doctor.

As far as a safety net is concerned- yes, expand medicare and medicaid for those that need it, those that cannot afford to pay for their own health care, poor people. If you have a chronic illness, then I think that would fall under the auspices of a catastrophic (maybe we should call it a long term insurance plan) insurance plan, as the costs to constantly get medication and medical care would be higher than someone who has the sniffles every once in a while.

And if you tell me that Medicare/Medicaid (and yes, I know that medicare is a program for seniors over 65, and medicaid is a federally funded, state administered program for low income or needy people) are not good programs, then you would need to convince me how a single payer system would be administered any differently from these two government run health systems.

The problem with this whole discussion is there is a lot of assuming going on- just because we don't like Obamacare or a single payer system does not mean that we are fine with the current state of events, or that we are raging libertarians that want something to the right of anarchy in this country.

We just happen to think that our ideas are feasible ideas that would accomplish the same goals that anyone else wants- to improve the healthcare system and allow EVERYONE to take a part of the same quality as anyone else. My believing in a free market solution does not mean that I hate poor people, or somehow lack compassion for those that are needy and unfortunate with afflictions that they have no control over. I also don't believe that anyone who advocates a single payer or government run option loves Marxism and is lazy.

Does our free market plan have flaws? Sure. Does a government run, single payer system have flaws? It sure does. They both have their fair share of flaws, and I guess it comes down to which flaws you are willing to live with.

I entitled the post "beating a dead horse" because I have had many discussions with numerous people on this very same issue over the past few years, and yet I have not been convinced to change my mind on the issue, nor have I changed anyone else's mind. I suppose discussions like this are good for getting the blood flowing a little bit, or perhaps revisiting your beliefs- but beyond that they are of little value.

That being said, I do enjoy a good discussion every now and again, and rarely do I get frustrated with people to the point where I am mad at them. Spencer is still my brother and my homeboy, and Jon is still a great friend who makes sitting through Elder's Quorum bearable.

P.S. If I had to pick the current Obamacare system (which I believe wholeheartedly has benefited insurance companies more than people) and a single-payer system, I would choose the single payer system. I suppose if I was really honest with myself I would rather have crappy, horrible, cheap, Dr. Nick style healthcare in a single payer system than have this Obamacare travesty which has just managed to put more money in the insurance companies pocket.

PEACE- I'M OUT!

Part 2

Now that these two myths are resolved, what are my problems with obamacare. There are two big reasons that make the whole obamacare stink like a pile of German Shepherd diarrhea in August.

Problem 1: The individual mandate. My very good (but very misguided) friend says he does not mind it because everyone uses healthcare, so everyone should have to pay for it in some way. This is a good point if we lived in Europe, or some other continent or country where we did not have the Constitution. We have certain fundamental rights in this country, and I have not read anywhere in the constitution, nor in relevant case law that says the Federal Government can decree that we the people have to purchase something. The government is overstepping its bounds. If they would like to provide healthcare, fine, but when we allow them to have the power to mandate that we buy something, where will it end? “Oh, but Obama is so benevolent and virtuous that he wouldn’t possibly think of exploiting that power”, lets pretend that is true, what about 5 years from now when another Evil Republican gets into the Whitehouse- what do you think he will do with that power? It is not a right I am willing to give up, it is too easily exploitable by evil men with evil designs.

Problem 2: Who is going to pay for this? Who? Right now there is no way to pay for it. Sure we can raise taxes, but we all know that is an uphill battle even in good times, much less a recession. Basically, congress acted like the guy who decided to buy a Lamborghini in the hopes he would get that big promotion he deserves in order to pay for it. I would be more ok with this Frankenstein mess if they at least had the means to pay for it. But they don’t, they have just managed to borrow more money from the Chinese in order to pay for it. Now we have a debt, and we all know that debt is never good, even if it is for a "noble" cause.

Lets pretend I am in charge, what would I do to fix it? Everyone just expand your mind a little bit, and recognize that there are other ways to fix the healthcare system than just Obamacare.

1. I would expand Medicare to cover the 44 million people who don’t have healthcare. Out of a country of 300 million (less than 15 percent of the population by the way, which means 85% do have health insurance), I think we could expand and reform Medicare, cut the waste, make it more efficient, and make it a good program. It would certainly be cheaper than to try to cover the 85% of people that can pay for it on their own.

2. I would get rid of the insurance companies. They are the real problem here, as they inflate the costs of medical care. And just something to chew on- if Obama really is the champion of the little people to save them from the evils of industry, then why did he just give a huge freebie to the health insurance companies with the individual mandate?
I think if we could get the insurance companies out of it, then healthcare would be more affordable to those who could pay for it on their own, while still providing a safety net for those that cannot pay for it themselves.
One last thing, I have heard from many people that ObamaCare is better than nothing, and so we should just shut up and take it. To that I say I don’t care if you sprinkle skittles on a turd, I still won’t eat it.
There are other things that bother me, but they are too numerous to mention, these are the main sticking points with me. And please, if anyone reading this disagrees with any of my points, feel free to tell me why and try to convince me otherwise.
Peace- I’m Out!

My impression of beating a dead horse...

So a very good, but extremely misguided, friend brought up Obamacare the other day. It was not my choice, I have not wanted to discuss poitics for a little while, but I suppose I just can’t get away from it. So in an effort to clarify my standing on obamacare, I offer the following essay:

Why Danny does not like ObamaCare
By Danny

First, let me clarify some myths surrounding my position.
Myth 1: Danny hates poor people. Although I do find their lack of hygiene and social skills disturbing (just kidding people!), I do not hate them. In fact, I find it appalling that their access to medical care is stymied because they do not have insurance. I think poor people do not get the same quality of healthcare as people who have health insurance. I further believe that everyone should have access to good medical care no matter what your income is. Just because I don’t like ObamaCare does not mean that I don’t think that poor people should not be able to have healthcare.

Myth 2: Danny loves the current healthcare system and does not want it to change. On the contrary, I think the current system stinks. I think the costs are artificially inflated due to having to go through a middle man for healthcare (insurance companies). The current healthcare system needs some serious reforms, but Obamacare is not the only option for reform out there.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of my essay...
Peace- I'm Out!