Dear Readers: It seems the Democrats in Congress are poised to ram through Obamacare this weekend. Though there are many ways that this travesty can be delayed or derailed. However, even if that isn’t the case, I want everyone to take heart. Recall that we Americans rallied to repeal Prohibition in 1933.
Prohibition was one of the first great progressive ideas, intended to legislate morality based on health. It took 14 years, and a Constitutional amendment, to undo this monstrosity. In 1933, the ¾ majority of states needed to ratify the 21st Amendment was reached when Utah adopted the 21st Amendment. It looks like the individual states will lead the way, again, should Obamacare pass: Idaho, Virginia May Sue Fed Over ObamaCare, 30+ States May Follow
But even before that, Americans found many ingenious ways to get around the liberty-infringing legislation. Bootlegging became a quintessential American occupation.As an author of an article about Prohibition noted:
Obviously there would be no bootleggers if there were no market for their wares. The volume of their business is therefore indicative of the widespread disregard of the law on the part of the American people.
I can just imagine it now. A knock on the door. The exchange of passwords. “Welcome to the Speakeasy Medical Clinic, sir. Please pay the nurse cash before you go into the doctor’s office for your under-the-table MRI.”
The title today comes from a Budwiser Beer jingle. Personally, after today’s news, I kicking back with something a little stronger:
Please check back for updates during the weekend. Pray, and don’t lose heart.
W.C. Varones has a thoughtful, if chilling, post that is related to the next big legislative push: Amnesty. His piece: Think You’ll Get Revenge in November? Think Again.
Word is that Immigration “Reform” is the Obama Administration’s next goal,and that they intend on granting Amnesty to the illegals living here now. Estimates put that number at about 15-30 million people. Assuming 90% of them would instantly become life-long loyal Democrat voters (And why wouldn’t they? They’ve just been given US citizenship and US Health Care by a Democrat), any massive “backlash” against the Democrats that appears to be developing right now will really only end up likely being more than countered by the massive increase in the total number of loyal Democrat voters that Amnesty will provide.
Let’s talk about repeal after Sunday. I’m with ya on the Captain’s and Coke, though (‘cept I’ll make mine a cranberry juice and vodka, if you don’t mind).
“Prohibition was one of the first great progressive ideas, intended to legislate morality…”
And to think it’s now the conservatives’ job to try and legislate morality…my how the times change. And if you like Captain but don’t like that the standard version is underproofed weak sauce (the black label denotes the 100 proof variety, no?), try a nice bottle of Sailor Jerry!
On health care, the way you put it sounds like ‘Obamacare’ is a way of saying doctors would be illegal and anyone who attempted to practice medicine would be thrown in jail. I thought it was just that everyone was going to be forced to buy private care from the same companies we already do, but if you can’t afford it you’re going to be taxed extra. The bill in its current incarnation sucks for people like me, I haven’t seen a doctor in over 10 years, don’t plan to see one, and since I was laid off from my last plush position and I doubt anything I find in this market is going to give me benefits, essentially I’m gonna be taxed for not having money to see a doctor.
PSD, if you’ve paid close attention to the way current government controlled health plans work, you may be more inclined to envision the scenario that Mut lays down here.
Having worked in the health care industry myself, I can tell you that there are myriad regulations and restrictions on what a provider can and cannot do with a patient receiving Medicare. For example, if Medicare denies a procedure for a patient, the doctor is not allowed to perform the procedure. Not allowed. If the doctor provides the service anyway and the patient pays out-of-pocket, the doctor will be PNG, prohibited from receiving Medicare reimbursement for all patients. This legislation sets up a committee to determine health care coverage standards and will require ALL insurance providers to comply with those standards.
Given the track record that government health care has, Mut’s scenario isn’t a big stretch.