Tuesday, March 30, 2010
The health reform bill is like a box of chocolates
So, the New York Times is running a story about all the "surprises" in the new health care law, because, you know, it is so thrilling that we are finding all these interesting provisions now that it is the law of the land.
Am I the only person who thinks it is crazy that the Democrats passed a law so complex that the discovery of its "surprises" is itself a multi-cycle story?
11 Comments:
By 
, at
Wed Mar 31, 12:08:00 AM:
I said a long time ago that all major federal legislation should be instituted in 4 states for 4 years to properly gauge it's effects. The lawyers in DC really believe they know what the impact of their laws are going to be before they vote. In the best of circumstances that is impossible. When they don't read the damn bill it is criminal.
By 
buck smith, at
Wed Mar 31, 12:22:00 AM:
O and the congress went into health care reform as they believe Bush went into Itaq = without a plan, creating a quagmire that might very well kill more people than did the invasion of Iraq.
By , at
Wed Mar 31, 12:42:00 AM:
Being amused by this legislation is, on it's face, racist!
By Don Cox, at
Wed Mar 31, 04:12:00 AM:
"Am I the only person who thinks it is crazy that the Democrats passed a law so complex that the discovery of its "surprises" is itself a multi-cycle story?"
No, I agree with you. I think the US desperately needs a decent health service, but this thing is a random collecxtion of patches and fixes to the existing mess, which will leave you with the worst of both worlds.
However, without an overwhelming majority in both houses, it is hard to see what more could be done. (The Labour Party in Britain had a big majority in 1948, which enabled it to push through the setup of a National Health Service against much opposition from doctors.)
By , at
Wed Mar 31, 09:23:00 AM:
Am I the only person who thinks it is crazy that the Democrats passed a law so complex that the discovery of its "surprises" is itself a multi-cycle story?
While you see that as a bug, the Democrats see that as a feature. The only way such a POS could get passed was if no one had read the bill.
Which brings me to repeat my version of the Democratic Party definition of rational and irrational. Rational: legislator who supports and later votes for a two thousand page piece of legislation he hasn't read.
Irrational: voter who is angry at legislator who supports and votes for a two thousand page piece of legislation he hasn't read.
By , at
Wed Mar 31, 09:25:00 AM:
Don Cox:
I think the US desperately needs a decent health service.
As do the Brits, as do the Brits.
By , at
Wed Mar 31, 09:58:00 AM:
Am I the only person who thinks the NYT deserves some (lots) of the blame for this train wreck?
Vote with your money: Don't buy the NYT.
By , at
Wed Mar 31, 11:00:00 AM:
Actually this is how all legislation is written now. The fascists in congress pass shell laws and then pass them onto the unelected fascists in the bureaucracies and courts to determine what they really mean.
Most of what's in the socialized healthcare law will be treated the same way. So there are going to be decades of "discovering" what is in the law.
And all the businesses out there did absolutely nothing whatsoever to stop this. Most of the big ones actively supported it for short term gain.
This is why real conservatives are anti-big business AND big government. Any large concentration of power is inherently fascist.
By , at
Wed Mar 31, 07:49:00 PM:
Agree you're not crazy and agree with other Commenter that the Media (including NYT) failed.
The time for such stories is BEFORE the bill not after.
On the other hand, Obama failed to live up to the transparency he promised for vetting his plans in advance, so you can sympathize with (but not excuse) the Media.
By , at
Wed Mar 31, 08:07:00 PM:
Simply more evidence that the purpose of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (H.R. 3590) is less about improving this nation's health care system than it is about strengthening an underlying framework for a future socialist/marxist government structure.
By Don Cox, at
Thu Apr 01, 03:35:00 AM:
Don Cox:
I think the US desperately needs a decent health service.
"As do the Brits, as do the Brits."
The main problem is in dental treatment. You get a hip replacement or a quadruple heart bypass if you need them, without cost or problems. But you can't get a tooth implant.
For general medicine, the NHS works rather well. It is said that the French health service is even better.
