[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TTC6FJphWA 450 300]
“Freedom,” do you hear, it?
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The above well wishes may be outdated by the time of this posting, as there is a rumour (sic) that Representative Bart Stupak, one of the last principled Democrats, has succumbed to the bribe disease that has overtaken nearly every member of Congress, may Allah throw them all out on their patoots this coming November.
If that’s so, we’re cooked for long term, as the inevitable government imposed rationing takes hold, and destroys a vital part of our economy in the process. Say goodbye to the solid, high quality healthcare you’ve enjoyed for so long, it’s about to be controlled by Health and Human Services.
And don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with rationing — it’s a natural economic process that occurs in all supply and demand-based transactions. It happens in our interaction with health care service providers the same way it occurs in our other daily decisions. Problem is, at this point in history the more natural flow of free market supply and demand that reflects efficient rationing in pricing has already been cast askew by government intervention in our health care system. This has resulted in a limiting of service supply that has greatly overtaxed our provider community.
Unfortunately, the new top down mandates of Obamacare will only exacerbate that situation, as additional “insurance” recipients are added to the rolls, with no attendant increase in service providers or pricing (at least according to the Obamacare mandates). This will result in exit by providers and service workers, a natural result of price fixing that we’ve seen exhibited in every situation where it’s been attemped.
If you take anything away from this piece, remember that “price fixing leads to shortages,” as sure as extended drought leads to famine. (Banque coin on it via The PPT.)
Trying to talk around such natural phenomenon is like arguing with a rock falling to the ground that he is being “bourgeoise” and “oppressive.” In fact, it’s been a long time curiousity of mine why people would believe that natural economic processes that have been proven time and again over our recorded history, can somehow be evaded by the “right amount of state conviction.” Marxism did not work for lack of trying, after all.
For those of you who understand rational market actions, there is some faint hope, however.
First, this bill may fall apart under the weight of judicial scrutiny, given the myriad bribes and singular giveaways that have been stuffed into it. Second, the way this bill is looking to be semi-passed, via the “deeming” process Representative Slaughter has propose, may very well not stand Constitutional challenge.
Third, and probably most likely, the passing of this bill may well usher in a sea-change away from our current Big Government political trends. Enough economically sapped and pissed off citizens have awoken to this hijacking of our Constitutional precepts that we may see a large scale revamping of Congress that renders President Obama the lamest of ducks, sends the far left Madame Pelosi back to the rear bench, and Harry Reid home for extended fishing in Lake Tahoe (with Fredo?).
If that in fact does happens, I look for a renaissance in the markets, much like we experienced after the 1994 elections, when Gingrich’s Revolution stopped Bill (and Hillary’s) Clinton’s earlier attempt to Alinsky-ize the country toward a permanently government-first economy. I think we may also see a desparate Dem Congress, seeing the writing on the wall, try to break the massive groundswell against them by throwing bon bons to the economy and markets. This could set up for an explosive combination come this summer.
Remember that markets are forward rationalizing, however, and that Barack Obama (thus far) has shown himself to be less pliant than Bill Clinton. It’s very possible the best we can hope for, until 2012, is gridlock.
Given what we’ve withstood in the last year, that may very well be a balm.
Best to you all, and remember what Brooklyn’s finest said:
Update: “Deem and Pass Option May be Dead” according to WaPo report… I don’t take comfort in this however, if it’s coming from the Dems, as it likely means they have Stupak, and the other nays corralled and can pass it with a regular vote. I cannot wait to see the chicanery results (ie, “the bribes”) that got this thing done…
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Second Update: A real hope for the future, Representative Paul Ryan (R, WI), responding to the demagogues:
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