Out-arguing Michael Moore (I know, it's not much of a challenge)
Michael Moore has made a new movie, Sicko, which I haven't seen and likely will not see, yet know for 100% certainty that it is a fawning tribute to communism using communism's age-old tactics: lies, damn lies and statistics. Michael Moore's main point is that he believes health care should be free, and the USA is evil for not giving free healthcare to everyone, like that wonderful bastion of "free"dom, Cuba.
I won't even debate the nonsense of "free" healthcare. Read Thomas Sowell or Walter Williams. TANSTAAFL. I'll happily define what Michael Moore thinks "free" means: everyone is forced to pay into a big pot for everyone's healthcare; some huge bureaucracy is created to "manage" all that money and decide what healthcare you get and when, which system will be as efficient as the DMV; and if you and any doctor attempt to circumvent this communist system, you will both have committed a crime.
It is this last part that is truly obnoxious, and has always been the lynch pin of any Hillary-care style, communist, "single payer" healthcare scam. The thing is, though, Michael Moore apparently really blew the argument, if we believe Rich Tucker from Townhall.com, who writes:
"[Moore] claims other countries provide citizens better health care. Of course, it’s all free, provided by a benevolent government, “just like we have our government provide police and fire and libraries and schools,” Moore says. But here’s the dirty little secret Moore won’t be put on the big screen: We get what we pay for."
I'll hit this one out of the park below, but point out for now that Mr. Tucker is a poor arguer. Moore's argument has superficial appeal. Most people like the police, the fire department, their local library and schools, even though they are run by the government. Will communist healthcare really be that bad, Moore strongly suggests?
Of course it will, and Moore's argument cries out for the obvious rebuttal: The government does not have a monopoly on the services the police, fire department, library and schools provide. It is my Second Amendment right to own a gun and stop criminals from victimizing me or my family, or hire a bodyguard. I can surely buy smoke detectors, install them myself, buy fire extinguishers, and put out fires myself, with my garden hose if need be. I can buy any book I want from numerous privately owned bookstores. I can send my children to private schools or homeshool them.
Of course, I could never exercise any of my rights and rely 100% on the government. Most people do both. I often check out books from the library. I've called the police occasionally. I've put out fires all by myself. I teach my kids.
The point is, these government programs - police, fire department, library, schools - are there only as a last resort. They do not purport to deny citizens of their right to privately contract with other citizens to obtain these services. If the government attempted to outlaw private citizens from privately contracting with other private citizens for any of the services these government programs provide it would be obvious tyranny warranting open rebellion. If the government purports to take away my Second Amendment right to own a gun, that is an act of tyranny warranting open rebellion. If the government purports to deprive me of my right to stop my own house from burning, anything that stupid would warrant open rebellion. If the government bans me from buying books I want from other private citizens, that is an act of tyranny warranting open rebellion. If the government mandates that my children attend its schools and gives me no say in the curriculum, teacher, or principal, or prevents me from teaching my own children what I want to teach them, that is an act of tyranny warranting open rebellion.
If the government purports to deprive me of my right to contract with a doctor to provide me or my family with healthcare at a price I am freely willing to pay and the doctor is freely willing to accept, that is an act of tyranny warranting open rebellion. I will not let my heath and life, or the health and life of my family, be subject to the control of people who think Michael Moore's idea of "free" healthcare is anything but evil.
I won't even debate the nonsense of "free" healthcare. Read Thomas Sowell or Walter Williams. TANSTAAFL. I'll happily define what Michael Moore thinks "free" means: everyone is forced to pay into a big pot for everyone's healthcare; some huge bureaucracy is created to "manage" all that money and decide what healthcare you get and when, which system will be as efficient as the DMV; and if you and any doctor attempt to circumvent this communist system, you will both have committed a crime.
It is this last part that is truly obnoxious, and has always been the lynch pin of any Hillary-care style, communist, "single payer" healthcare scam. The thing is, though, Michael Moore apparently really blew the argument, if we believe Rich Tucker from Townhall.com, who writes:
"[Moore] claims other countries provide citizens better health care. Of course, it’s all free, provided by a benevolent government, “just like we have our government provide police and fire and libraries and schools,” Moore says. But here’s the dirty little secret Moore won’t be put on the big screen: We get what we pay for."
I'll hit this one out of the park below, but point out for now that Mr. Tucker is a poor arguer. Moore's argument has superficial appeal. Most people like the police, the fire department, their local library and schools, even though they are run by the government. Will communist healthcare really be that bad, Moore strongly suggests?
Of course it will, and Moore's argument cries out for the obvious rebuttal: The government does not have a monopoly on the services the police, fire department, library and schools provide. It is my Second Amendment right to own a gun and stop criminals from victimizing me or my family, or hire a bodyguard. I can surely buy smoke detectors, install them myself, buy fire extinguishers, and put out fires myself, with my garden hose if need be. I can buy any book I want from numerous privately owned bookstores. I can send my children to private schools or homeshool them.
Of course, I could never exercise any of my rights and rely 100% on the government. Most people do both. I often check out books from the library. I've called the police occasionally. I've put out fires all by myself. I teach my kids.
The point is, these government programs - police, fire department, library, schools - are there only as a last resort. They do not purport to deny citizens of their right to privately contract with other citizens to obtain these services. If the government attempted to outlaw private citizens from privately contracting with other private citizens for any of the services these government programs provide it would be obvious tyranny warranting open rebellion. If the government purports to take away my Second Amendment right to own a gun, that is an act of tyranny warranting open rebellion. If the government purports to deprive me of my right to stop my own house from burning, anything that stupid would warrant open rebellion. If the government bans me from buying books I want from other private citizens, that is an act of tyranny warranting open rebellion. If the government mandates that my children attend its schools and gives me no say in the curriculum, teacher, or principal, or prevents me from teaching my own children what I want to teach them, that is an act of tyranny warranting open rebellion.
If the government purports to deprive me of my right to contract with a doctor to provide me or my family with healthcare at a price I am freely willing to pay and the doctor is freely willing to accept, that is an act of tyranny warranting open rebellion. I will not let my heath and life, or the health and life of my family, be subject to the control of people who think Michael Moore's idea of "free" healthcare is anything but evil.
posted by Ben at 6:54 PM
1 Comments:
Nice post. I address the flawed analogies of health care to police and fire protection here and here.
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