Healthcare Predictions

With ObamaCare ready to pass here are my predictions on what its effects will be:

• Higher Insurance Premiums
• 10s of millions of people still uninsured
• It will cost more than initially claim leading to spiraling government debt
• Zero change in the rate of change for life expectancy

I know the above will happen, I only suspect the following:

• Decreased innovation (measured by fewer patents)
• Medical clinics legislated into oblivion
• Increased regulation: limiting competition for doctors, pharma and hospitals

Even with the above failures, proponents will demand more government interventions, failing to admit fault and rolling back their mistakes.

Anyone care to make a wager?

Technorati Tags: hcr,healthcare,ObamaCare

What Do You Consider Speech?

Can the government ban pornography?

Can the government impose morality laws on Hollywood?

Can the government prevent the Metropolitan Museum of Art from displaying Robert Mapplethorpe?

Can the government stop the publication of The Pentagon Papers?

Can the government outlaw donations to the Communist Party?

Can the government ban the showing of Hillary the Movie 30 days before an election?

Can the government ban Fahrenheit 9/11 30 days before an election?

Can the government control what 3 brothers say about a politician?

What if those three brothers are a union?

What if those three brothers are a cult?

What if those three brothers are an LLC?

What if those three brothers are a Corporation?

If your answer to those questions isn’t either all ‘yes’ or all ‘no’ I would love to hear a rationale explanation as to what the difference is – because they all seem the same to me.

Technorati Tags: free speech,Citizens United

Libertarian Prospects for Office

Underneath the Beltway has an interesting post on the impact of the Barr Presidential run on long term Libertarian Party prospects for relevance.

with the selection of Bob Barr as it’s nominee, the Libertarian Party received more mainstream media news coverage than at any other point in it’s history. And it was specifically because of who the candidate was. Not only was it due to the fact that there was no small degree of media fascination with the idea of a former Republican Congressman (and not just any Congressman, but one who had led the Clinton Impeachment drive) was running as a third-party candidate, it was also due to the fact that Ron Paul’s candidacy had brought attention to libertarian ideas, and the LP had selected a candidate that was both media- and politically savvy. It was, as many observed at the time, a smart choice for the LP

As long as the LP keeps embracing an all-or-nothing approach to policy they will continue to be marginal fringe has-beens.

Too many people see too many libertarian ideas as wacky, especially from a policy standpoint.

The only way that a libertarian-like party can ever gain any relevance is to approach marginal changes to mainstream views.

Run on a platform that takes the best of the right and the best of the left, perhaps throw in something that is new. But adopt something too radical and no one will take them seriously.

What they really need to do is adopt a populist rhetoric around libertarian ideals. Denounce corporate welfare. Frame regulation as monopoly enhancing. Create villains that can be rallied around. But that isn't every going to happen because most LPers are nutjobs.