Disqus - Latest Comments for garymiller

Re: Fix Health Care Policy | Sound Off

garymiller — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 08:10:26 -0000

Dear DOOW,

Concerning open minds, I hope you'll agree, our minds should be open to all that is true. Conversely, shouldn't we so train our minds as to reject error as soon as we recognize it? Of course, if there are no absolutes, then one idea is as good as another.

Codially,

Gary

Re: Fix Health Care Policy | Sound Off

garymiller — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 13:48:46 -0000

Dear DOOW,

Oh how you do take great liberty quoting me. That as it is, I do believe charity begins at home. Remember now, "Text without context is a pre-text".

Now for the scenario you present. Yes, I do believe government is not the answer; it is the problem.

No doubt, per your scenario, such could happen, hypothetically. A man and woman may birth a set of twins into existence, then, something happens to the man and woman. They are no longer available for some unforeseen reason to take care of these infants.

Since they are, per your hypothesis, infants, they are totally at the mercy of whatever powers may exist, whether those powers are cannibals or the most emotionally delicate and sensitive humans on the planet.

Do you remember the state run orphanages that were discovered in Eastern Europe as the cold war came to an end and the communist's/socialist's governments collapsed? Do you remember eugenics and how those of the nationalist socialist's persuasion regarded children with physical and mental deficiencies? All these things were supposedly done for the good of the state.

You assume that individuals will not rise to meet the need, independently of the State, to take care of such issues. Private orphanages do exist today as well as private organizations that cater to the needs of those seeking to adopt children of various ages and physical and mental circumstances. Some are for profit and some are not-for-profit.

The USA is the most generous country in the world and that generosity would be even greater without the present tax burden we endure. You assume that individuals are selfish without any virtue. That is an "All For Me and None For Thee" attitude.

Shall we defer to government of the State, by the State, and for the State? The State is the most greedy and selfish beast of man's creation. It is an emotionally sterile organization.

DOOW, how many times have you, personally, held the hand of a child you don't even know as they die? How many times have you reached out to someone and helped to pay their medical bill? How many times have you paid someone else's rent or electric bill? How many times have you helped feed an elderly person whose hand can no longer hold the spoon or fork? Do you know what it is to have someone vomit on you?

Yes, I am asking, since you are so concerned with what is happening with children who cannot fend for themselves and apparently others who are befallen similar circumstances, what have you done and what are you doing personally for any of these people? Have you adopted children into your home? Have you cared for widows and widowers?

Yet, you would have me taxed to the point that I would no longer have the money or time to invest on my own. All decisions being made by the State. All questions of whom, what, when, where, how, and how much would be answered by the State: not the individual recipient or those who otherwise would be caregivers.

Eventually, ultimately, the State would have all say so in such matters.

There are plenty of people willing to do much as individuals to help others in need out of their own personal sense of pride and value in the location in which they live; people who derive great pleasure in lifting up others and showing them the way to a higher standard of living; folks who give willingly, cheerfully; passionately.

DOOW, what are the great philosophic works that have most influenced you?

Do you really believe there is no right or wrong?

Is it possible there is a good, better, and best? Or a bad, worse, and worst?

Is it possible that maximal greatness has been instantiated?

I believe most people are good and intelligent. I believe most people freely informed with the knowledge and wisdom of the ages will, given the opportunity to freely do so, make good and intelligent decisions.

I have great difficulty understanding why anyone would want a government that promises to take care of everyone form the cradle to the grave? How presumptuous! How intrusive!

Have you ever read, "The Manifesto of the Communist Party" by Karl Marx?

Have you ever read, "We the Living" or "Anthem", by Ayn Rand?

As Joseph Stalin once said, "One death is a tragedy. A million deaths is a statistic."

Respectfully yours,

Gary

Re: Fix Health Care Policy | Sound Off

garymiller — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 14:34:36 -0000

Stephen,

You summed it all up in your first and last paragraphs.

I hope you as a CEO wouldn't hire a company with a track record of failures to to take care of you, your family, friends, so forth? I wouln't and the general public wouldn't. This is not results oriented thinking.

Think of the USA as a big corparation. The Executive changes at least ever 8 years and sometimes at 4 years, there are two Boards of Directors with one bunch working on elections every 2 years and the other working on elections every 6 years. Then there is the Arbitration committee of 9 who only change if someone retires or dies. Beyond that there is a bureaucracy with various levels of agency heads, managers, clerks and such who are protected from being fired for incompetence.

As a retired CEO surely you could share with us how much money your hospital spent to comply with government rules and regulations from the local to the federal levels. Then there would be the money spent to "Cover Thy Assets" in the event of lawsuits.

Then there is the "Certificate of Need" process, whereby your facility, or that of your competitors, may have been denied the ability to compete on the open market, thereby keeping prices for services artificially high by government mandate.

Why shouldn't hospitals and doctors advertise their prices? Compete! Yes, some folks will say it is just too much and not purchase services. That is their choice. At some point, and all government healthcare programs do it eventually, rationing will occur. People who receive services today, at some point, will not get the same level of service.

All these government benevolence programs are pyramid schemes. They hold up for a while but then the reality of economics takes over and the foundations falter.

O.K. Let government run agriculture, the grocery store, housing, furniture, appliances, ect. We all just go to work and at the end of the week we get our ration cards, oops, purchase certificates, that we may use or swap with neighbors. Oh and the glory of government retirement. Everyone is entitled to the same miserable retirement planning. All retirement plans, 401k 403b IRA and so forth, absorbed into the Social Security pot to be re-distributed in a more "fair" fashion. If everyone can't retire in Tahiti then no one can. No private anything. Ahhh... Utopia. Freedom from choice. The almighty government knows best. Bliss.

NOT!!!

When it comes to business, and healthcare is a business, the answer is competition, competition, competition.

Government is not the solution. Government is the problem!

Laissez faire capitalism will work in healthcare if government is gotten out of the way.

Re: Fix Health Care Policy | Sound Off

garymiller — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 08:38:55 -0000

Linda,

You are on target. It is up to each of us.

Individuals with a common conviction; pursuing liberty. Not in some collective, but according the passions of one's own desire. Self-determination! This is not the sefishness that would destroy others for personal gain, but rather rational self-interest guided by a strong moral foundation that recognizes that what I might want others to do unto me, is not necessarily what others want done unto them.

Individuals make choices and choices have consequences.

Many enjoy the elavation of their heart when their choice is sucessful and good, but all too often those whose choices fail miserably expect the rest of us to pick up the tab for their mistakes. That's immoral. It is one thing if I choose to help an individual along; it is quite another when I am compelled by physical force to do so.

That is why I support the Fair Tax. Abolish the IRS. Phase away all government benevolence programs starting with Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. Begin phasing government out of all private sector programs.

The purpose of government is to Protect and Defend. That is to protect persons and property from physical harm and defend the nation from outside threats. The courts exist to adjudicate disputes we may have with one another over contracts and such. The original system will work, if only we return to it!

Re: Fix Health Care Policy | Sound Off

garymiller — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 13:02:19 -0000

Doow,

Take a deep breath. Chill.

Since we all live by some moral standard, by what moral standard do you derive the right to take money from those who earn it?

By what moral standard do you determine to distribute this revenue?

By what moral standard do you determine, who is worthy to receive the fruits of the labor of others?

By what moral standard do you declare to know better than others what is good for them?

What is your moral standard?

Re: Fix Health Care Policy | Sound Off

garymiller — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 08:33:20 -0000

Yes DOOW, I do exist, as do others who believe.

Adult discussion? Sure. It would do you good to study some economics. Maybe Henry Hazlitt's, "Economics in One Lesson" would help you along. If you like that, I would suggest Ludwig von Mises, "Human Action". Study up on Austrian Economics.

If your looking for something a little more exciting try Ayn Rand's, "The Virtue of Selfishness" or "Capitalism: The Unkown Ideal".

Have you ever heard of John Galt? He once said, "I swear by my life and my love of it, to never live my life for another mans sake, nor ask him to live for mine."

Remember, God loves cheerful givers. Government benevolence programs rarely contain much that was ever "cheerfully" given; it was, however, for sure, gotten by way of the full force of law; backed up with a gun.

Re: Fix Health Care Policy | Sound Off

garymiller — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 12:55:34 -0000

Life should always be valued. But what does greed have to do with it? Business is in business to make a profit. Who is the profit god to tell us how much is too much? Not me. Benevolence, of course has its place too. Many would cheerfully give more to their various charities if the government weren't already taking from them by force the fruits of their labors.

Abolish government as the distributor of benevolence. Establish the Fair Tax. Abolish the IRS. Phase away Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid till they exist no more.

Where have all the cowboys gone? Where's our John Wayne?

Where have all the conservatives gone? Where's our Ronald Reagan?

Re: Fix Health Care Policy | Sound Off

garymiller — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 22:07:29 -0000

Get government completely out of the Healthcare and Retirement Business altogether. How?
Repeal the 16th Amendment to the Constitution. Establish the Fair Tax. Business pays individuals for a job done. Individuals spend their earnings as they see fit, clothes, cars, insurance, and so forth. Individuals purchase the shirt that fits, the car they like, the retirement plan per their budget, and the insurance they desire all by way of self-determination.

Yes! Some folks can't buy clothes that match or fit without someone's help. True! Some folks buy transportation they really can't afford. Some folks never plan for a "rainy day". And, some folks will never buy insurance.

That, my friends, is their problem and not mine. If it becomes my problem, then of course, I am going to ration what they receive in order to lessen the impact on me.

Personally, I prefer to take care of my own family. Even then, there is a day when children are to become adults. You know, they learn to take care of themselves.

John Galt said it best, "I swear --- by my life and my love of it --- that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine."

I suggest everyone read Ayn Rand's, "Atlas Shrugged". If that wets your mind's appetite, go to your local bookstore and buy a few of her books. When it comes to good old fashioned American Capitalism she is way ahead of the usual reading.

There isn't anything inherently wrong with thinking about your own rational self interest. Yes! Selfishness can be a virtue, and is for some of us.