The Great Irony Of Health Reform: Middle Class, Not Rich, Get Shaft

IBD Editorials ^ | August 3, 2009 | JEFFREY H, ANDERSON

[Kaslin]

That's the great irony of President Obama's ambitious health care agenda: His administration, which seems to feel little empathy for the rich, is paving the way to a two-tiered system in which only the very rich would have a choice.

Under ObamaCare, the rich would continue to get the care they want — whether here or abroad — by paying for it out of their own pockets. The rest of us would stand in line and wait for rationed care.

Most Americans want consumer freedom. They want to be able to shop for health care value — for the best care, at the best prices. They'd like to have a lot more freedom to shop for such value than they currently have.

That's why Democrats are couching their proposed expansion of government-run health care in the language of competition and choice.

Listen to the president as he pitches the centerpiece of that agenda — a "public option," a form of Medicare for all. He says it's merely a way to give Americans another choice: People can buy private health insurance, just like now, or they can instead choose the government option.

But millions of middle-class Americans who are currently happy with their employer-provided insurance would soon find that the choice isn't theirs to make.

[Kaslin]

[Freedom'sWorthIt]

Exactly - when it comes to being prochoice- the liberalissimos do NOT evidently include the choice of doctor, health services.

[ReagansShinyHair]

Well, THEY’LL get to choose. It’s just that we can’t choose. Remember, they’re special. They’re in charge.

[jveritas]

Great article. Few weeks ago I had a discussion with a delusional liberal who wants socialized health care. He admitted that the socialized health care will be much lower in quality than what he is getting now but in his delusional mind he believes that his company is going to actually increase his salary by the amount of money that makes the difference between his current insurance and the less expensive socialized medicine plan. I told him not only he is not going to get an extra penny from the company he works for but he is going to pay much more in taxes to pay for those who do not have a health insurance.

Of course his delusional mind could not accept the simple truth. I am certain that most liberals think like him and believe in their delusional minds that they are going to get more money from their employers if they go to socialized health care.

[PogySailor]

I have had almost the same discussion, with about the same result. No matter what evidence is presented, it seems the progressive (I won’t use the term liberal for them, because they are not) mind sees Nirvana in massive government.

[whitedog57]

The only winners will be illegal immigrants, union workers and part-time workers. The losers are the middle class.

The Elites will continue to laugh, party and get unlimited healthcare.

And everyone will take it.

And the sheep will elect even more Democrats in the midterm elections.

Its over. The Communists won.

I am so depressed over this that I am quitting Freep.

It was nice knowing everyone.

[Post Toasties]

Don’t quit until at least the results of the midterm elections are in. If Democrats still control both houses of Congress after that, then I couldn’t give you a good argument against quitting FR then.

[jveritas]

Yes the delusional liberals love big government but their hypocrisy is stunning. They want higher taxes but yet when they file their tax return they try to find every possible way under the sun to get back the money they paid in taxes and therefore paying much less taxes then they are supposed to pay at the current rate let alone the higher tax rate that they are advocating.

If you search deep inside a liberal you find that all what he wants in life is money, money, and more money but yet the hypocrite goes on to attack rich people and those who make more money than him.

Liberalism = Super Hypocrisy.

[jveritas]

We are AMERICANS, we do not give up. We defeated communism before and we are going to defeat it again.

Re-defeat communism.

[socialismisinsidious]

Socialized Medicine aka Universal Health Care PING LIST

FReepmail me if you want to be added to or removed from this ping list.

**This is a high volume ping list! (sign of the times)**

[Boardwalk]

Was it over when the Germans invaded Pearl Harbor?!!! HEll NO!!!

[cranked]

Really not seeing this as an "irony"....more like an intended consequence. But with that being said, if Barry or the politicians are not going to practice what they preach by placing themselves under the same health care plan(s) they have to bestow upon the American people, then they need to shove it back up their collective arses. Lead by example, morons, lead by example.

[chuck_the_tv_out]

Always the way.

Like the recent sickening AIG thing: multi-millionaire congresscritters pulling up the ladder.

[PAR]

It isn't hypocrisy for the most part. Hypocrisy could be taken to mean that one was unintentionally dishonest.

The media, congressional democrats, and the administration all realize that the country remains right of center. They therefore tell bold, calculated lies in order to enact legislation that they know the majority not support. And they get away with it because most people who do not actually read source documents or who get their new solely from the MSM simply do not understand that what is foisted upon them as hard news contains intentional material misrepresentations.

[chs68]

"Its over. The Communists won. I am so depressed over this that I am quitting Freep. It was nice knowing everyone."

With all due respect.

PLEASE Get a Grip!

Most of us are not happy with the results of the last two elections.

Most of us, though, are NOT willing to simply dissolve into pools of melancholy and depression.

Times like these call for people to become energized and to join forces with other like-minded people.

Being "depressed" because "the communists won", and "quitting -- that's right, quitting! -- freep" is exactly NOT the thing to do.

[Pining_4_TX]

Ha, ha, that’s the spirit! ;-)

[SunkenCiv]

Utopia Versus Freedom (Thomas Sowell)
Jewish World Review | August 4, 2009 | Thomas Sowell
Posted on 08/03/2009 8:12:08 PM PDT by jazusamo
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2307639/posts

We know we are the victims, but who are the villains of Obamacare?
The Collins Report | August 3, 2009 | Kevin “Coach” Collins
Posted on 08/04/2009 6:09:20 AM PDT by jmaroneps37
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2307808/posts

[WOBBLY BOB]

I will fight till hell freezes over,then I will fight on ice skates like Bob Probert used to.

[Eleven Bravo 6 319thID]

Notwithstanding the fact that this legislation is only for the benefit of about 15% of the people in the country (I do not say citizens because millions of illegal immigrant criminals are included in coverage) to the detriment to 85% of the individual citizens, the very rich are for it because it will sooth their social consciences and will not affect them in any way. The unions want it because it will give their sugar daddies more power and they will be exempted from the individually negative aspects of the thing. Irresponsible state and local governments want it because they want a way to unload
their ridiculously accrued and underfunded future health care obligations. Similarly, big business wants to unload their legacy health care obligations. Politician elites want it because it gives them more power over the peeps, gives them control over another large financial sector of the American economy and from which they will be exempted. The Political elites also want it because it’s early death warrant for the millions of aging baby boomers which will help hold down social security and Medicare costs helping to put off really dealing with programs that they have been unbelievable irresponsible with. Only we individuals, (who will have to live with time rationing, quality rationing, procedure rationing, medication rationing and being subject to the whims of some bureaucrat who may have just transferred in from the Post Office and who can tint their decisions based on race, gender, sexual preference and political affiliation and all the other horrible, horrible outcomes of this legislation) can stop this juggernaught. We will intimately find out if this government is still of the people, for the people and by the people.