Medicare head Donald Berwick: You’re a pawn

Thursday, July 22nd, 2010

In the American Spectator David Catron points out a disturbing quote from Medicare & Medicaid Services head Donald Berwick is. Berwick's view of rationing is, in fact, the opposite of [Paul]  Ryan's. The latter believes it should be driven by the informed decisions of consumers ...

Donald Berwick’s Five-Year Plan v. the iPhone

Thursday, July 15th, 2010

Paul Howard and David Gratzer, MD write Last month, Apple released its new iPhone, a faster and more powerful version of its ever popular computer-phone. It's a remarkable device - particularly remarkable given that its machine ancestors were large and expensive, often filling whole buildings yet able to ...

Obama’s Progressive Fatal Conceit

Monday, March 15th, 2010

Writes George Will: Progressives are forever longing to replace the governance of people by the administration of things. Because they are entirely public-spirited, progressives volunteer to be the administrators, and to be as disinterested as the dickens. ... Professor Obama, who will seek reelection on the 100th anniversary of ...

Government-run health care erodes liberty forever

Monday, March 15th, 2010

From Mark Steyn in the Orange County Register: [T]he governmentalization of health care is the fastest way to a permanent left-of-center political culture. It redefines the relationship between the citizen and the state in fundamental ways that make limited government all but impossible. ... The result is a kind ...

Health care bill, arbitrary power & dictatorship

Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009

From Duke Visiting Professor John David Lewis in Pajamas Media: The essence of a dictator’s method is not to write harsh laws and enforce them rigidly. The world’s most destructive thugs have wanted something different. They have wanted to impose their wills on a compliant populace using arbitrary power — power ...

Health care bill HR 3962: Politicians shall control your medical care

Wednesday, November 11th, 2009

David Harsanyi summarizes it nicely: You will, of course, need to be plastered to buy Pelosi's fantastical proposition that 450,000 words of new regulations, rules, mandates, penalties, price controls, taxes and bureaucracy will have the transformative power to "provide affordable, quality health care for all Americans and reduce the growth in ...

Senator laments lack of government dependence

Tuesday, August 11th, 2009

Ensuring that our kids have enough to eat during summer months is critically important, especially during these tough economic times… Unfortunately, despite repeated efforts, the number of children participating in federally reimbursed summer nutrition programs in 2008 was the same as it was 15 years ago. (emphasis added) -- Senate ...

Bureaucrats get the best value for themselves, not you

Wednesday, July 22nd, 2009

In defense of government rationing of medical care, philosopher Peter Singer writes: The task of health care bureaucrats is then to get the best value for the resources they have been allocated. It is the familiar comparative exercise of getting the most bang for your buck. Indeed. Bureaucrats will get the best ...

Stimulating Welfare (RMN)

Tuesday, February 10th, 2009

The Rocky Mountain News has a good, and scary, critique of how Obama's so-called "stimulus" package expands health care entitlements.  Funny how this crisis brings on leviathan, as historian Robert Higgs has written.  Here's an excerpt: It would be bad enough if the $800 billion-plus stimulus package - which could pass ...

Nanny state expansion passes in House

Monday, January 19th, 2009

The U.S. House voted to pass a bill to expand eligibility for the State Health Insurance Program.   Having government tax citizens to provide health insurance for kids is great way to build allegiance to the state, and hence an electorate who will demand yet more government programs that empower ...