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Left, Right, and Wrong on Health Care

If you doubt that liberal and conservative have lost all meaning in the health care debate, consult the New York Times‘ columnists of those persuasions.

On the left, Paul Krugman predicts reform “will be undermined by ‘centrist’ Democratic senators who either prevent the passage of a bill or insist on watering down key elements” …

“What the balking Democrats seem most determined to do is to kill the public option, either by eliminating it or by carrying out a bait-and-switch, replacing a true public option with something meaningless. For the record, neither regional health cooperatives nor state-level public plans, both of which have been proposed as alternatives, would have the financial stability and bargaining power needed to bring down health care costs.”

On the right, David Brooks insists …

“We’ve built an entire health care system (maybe an entire government) on the illusion of something for nothing. Instead of tackling that basic logic, we’ve got a reform process that is trying to evade it.”

Brooks argues for a plan by Democrat Ron Wyden and Republican Robert Bennett to repeal tax exemptions for insurance premiums and provide universal coverage.

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  • DLS
    The real problem is the idiotic frenzy and hype that have been developing about this subject.

    The current legislation is garbage, without any cost or finance work being done (instant DQ).

    Wait several months, ideally for economic recovery, and then restart, and try doing it right.

    And stop the stupid hype and frenzy.
  • Dr J
    DLS, frenzy is the only way we get anything done at all. And how can you sit idly by when the death rate among the uninsured is 100%? That's no better than in Europe, and we pay twice as much.
  • CADAFIS
    Why is Sr, Kennedy's bill stalled in the HELP Committee? Beause there is no valid cost data with which to assist decision makers make evaluations. Why isn't there any valid cost data? Because there is no climate to establish, acquire and evaluate standardized data on costs of processes and outcomes.
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