Saturday, February 13, 2010

Bipartisanship and the Fallacy of Compromise

President Obama and the Democrats, frustrated by their stalled attempts to "reform" the American healthcare system, are lashing out at their opposition with cries of foul play.

Republicans and Tea Party activists are variously accused of being "obstructionist" and "The Party of No," and of refusing to go along just to spite Obama---even of being racist.

Obama, on the other hand, attempts to portray himself as reasonable and conciliatory, merely asking for bipartisanship and compromise. He offers tidbits (on tort reform, "allowing" young adults to remain on their parents health insurance longer,* and the creations of risk pools across state lines) and then expects concessions on major points such as government compulsion on purchasing insurance, community rating and guaranteed issue.

But those damn grassroots protesters and Republicans just refuse to "work well and play with others."

Granted, Republicans all too often also fail to focus on the fundamental issue involved.

Its not about health care: its about the role of government in our lives.

Its about whether or not this is a country of individual rights and responsibilities, where the government is limited to the protection of those individual rights and the rest is up to us to sort out in private, voluntary interactions.

When the "reform" being offered is in direct violation those individual rights, including the rights to private property and to privately contract to mutual benefit...when that reform fails the test of "equality before the law" and in its structure of regulatory bureaucracy replaces the rule of law with the rule of men...the only proper response is a resolute and uncompromising NO!


There is no middle ground between self-ownership and mandated self-sacrifice.
No end can justify the initiation of force against another human being.

Obstructionist against the advance of statism? Hell yes, and proud of it!

In the battle between liberty and statism, never never compromise.




*So, why is this even a matter of government policy and not simply a private contract matter between insurance companies and their customers?

1 comment:

Unknown said...

I think a Winston Churchill quote is appropriate here:

"Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never--in nothing, great or small, large or petty--never give in, except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy."

That famous line is from the speech he gave in 1941 at the Harrow School.

"Its not about health care: its about the role of government in our lives."

Somebody should tell Newt Gingrich. Thanks for commenting on this important issue.