Why healthcare isn't likely to get well soon

McCain and Obama offer stark choices for improving our broken healthcare system. McCain suggests a small tax credit that might begin to bring some healthcare costs down and Obama wants a systematic political overhaul, which will ultimately result in some rationing. Both plans are especially unpalatable in the West, where most people would prefer to pay fair market prices for individual medical services. But the political system that should be abetting the market in delivering fair prices has been manipulated by special interests to the point where most health care is out of reach of most individuals.
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Taxpayer Bailout: Ownership Society?

In my last blog I wrote, “It seems to me that the real lesson of 9/11, besides that terrible things can happen to innocent people, is not to depend too much on law enforcement agencies for your safety, or for rescue.”

That’s law enforcement agencies. But as for the government itself—well, who knows? The government bails out and bestows privileges on special interest groups, which includes everyone but working folks. But somehow we got in! We put some money down on a reasonably priced house in rural Utah at the height of the boom and our loan was approved by a major mortgage company which then cratered spectacularly. Seemed like bad timing, especially with the interest rate we had to pay, but that we were approved at all may have been because of Bill Clinton's and George Bush III’s push for more housing of the indigent. The “push” that resulted in looser standards for lenders and ultimately, bizarre financial instruments that couldn’t possibly have worked, except in theory. [more]

Making Sense of the Senseless

Several articles have already been published under the above title. Former Alaska Senator and supposed libertarian Mike Gravel had this to say about the lessons we should have learned: [more]

FROM THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN

I was in Denver while the DNC was running its course but I literally steered clear of the main event. When the helicopters began circling like flies and cops with radar guns took up positions on every on/off ramp east of town, and the traffic slowed until it was stuck, I drove my rig out of the city on back roads. That was my DNC experience: avoiding it. [more]

Jim Stiles, editor of Moab, Utah’s Canyon Country Zephyr, has a long, well-researched article in the latest issue about “How the Mega-Rich are Co-opting Environmentalism and Turning IT into a Big Business too.” Among those who come under scrutiny: David Bonderman, venture capitalist, contributor to various environmental groups, board member of the Grand Canyon Trust, the Wilderness Society and the World Wildlife Fund and committed enemy of the environment itself, through his other holdings, such as European discount airline Ryanair.

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interview

Terry L. Anderson is one of the most original and controversial thinkers in the West. Executive director of the Property and Environmental Research Center (PERC) in Bozeman and cochairman of the Hoover Institute’s Property Rights, Freedom and Prosperity Task Force, Anderson is also one of the pioneers of “free-market environmentalism.” He coauthored a book by that name with Donald Leal in 1992 (Palgrave Macmillan), and has also authored or coauthored over thirty other papers and books, including The Not So Wild, Wild West: Property Rights on the Frontier (Stanford University Press), and the CATO Institute study, "How and Why to Private Federal Lands." [more]

The handling of the raid of the Yearning for Zion Ranch polygamous compound in Eldorado, Texas, and the subsequent detainment of the entire community continues to draw strong reactions here in Utah. Connor Boyack, a website designer in Lehi, Utah circulated a petition calling for the release from custody or foster care of all Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS) women and children gathered up in the raid, and an apology from the State of Texas. The petition received 2000 signatures before he forwarded it to Texas Governor Rick Perry, along with a letter noting, [more]

a new political movement?

Now it can be said without fear of flaming retribution (or can it?): Doctor Ron Paul doesn’t have a chance of winning the Republican nomination. Paul himself has said his national campaign is “winding down." But Congressman Paul did pull in big “money bomb” contributions from grass-roots supporters that none of the other candidates could match. And he racked up poll numbers that Ralph Nader could only dream of. He might even have made a few people aware of just how far this country has strayed from its constitution. [more]

second amendment

This came in just as I was posting the last story. I asked N.W. Clayton, communications director of Utah's gun rights group Gun Owners of Utah (GoUtah!) to comment on the recent Supreme Court hearings concerning the Heller Case in Washington, D.C. GoUtah! bills itself as "Utah’s Uncompromising, Independent Gun Rights Network." It's motto is, "No Compromise! No Retreat! No Surrender! Not Now! Not Ever!" Obviously a group which takes the "shall not be infringed" end of the Second Amendment seriously. Seeing as I believe the Second Amendment guarantees me the right--excuse me, spells out my obligation--to purchase and keep antitank weapons (as if I had that kind of money), I find myself in agreement with GoUtah! As far as their statement goes, I got much more than I bargained for. Here it is in its entirety:

In chapter 11 of Abbey's Road [1979, Penguin Books, New York], Edward Abbey writes: "The tank, the B-52, the fighter-bomber, the state-controlled police and military are the weapons of dictatorship. The rifle is the weapon of democracy. If guns are outlawed, only the government will have guns. Only the police, the secret police, the military. The hired servants of our rulers. Only the government - and a few outlaws. I intend to be among the outlaws." [more]

guns, guns, guns

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed. -Second Amendment of the United States Constitution.

If you believe that you have a God-given or natural right to own a handgun, you may be able to point to at least one good thing that President Bush has done for you in the last seven years: nominating Justice John Roberts to the Supreme Court. The Chief Justice seemed very skeptical about arguments for Washington D.C.’s handgun ban as challenged in D.C. vs Heller during last Tuesday’s hearing, asking Walter Dellinger, who represents the city, "What is reasonable about a total ban on possession?" [more]