Q: You really are hard on compassionate politicians like Howard Dean and what you call “the welfare state.” These programs, like Medicare and Social Security, are in everyone’s benefit. Why oppose them?
A: These programs are not in my benefit. I work hard and am both able and willing to take care of my own retirement and health insurance, thank you very much. Insurance would be a lot more affordable if government had not monopolized these areas of life, thereby minimizing competition and driving premiums higher than they otherwise would be. The government takes over important areas of human life — retirement or insurance, for example — and as a result destroys the capacity and willingness of people to take care of themselves. There are also economic consequences. The government, by essentially nationalizing one area of human life, takes away the incentive of private companies to provide the same product or service in a competitive marketplace. How can a business sell a service that the government already provides for free?
The deception underlying all of this, of course, is that nothing is ever free. The more government takes from the private economy to spend on social welfare programs like Medicare and Social Security, the less of an economy there is. That’s why you keep seeing all the poor employment statistics, for instance. George Bush’s tax cuts get all the blame for this, but these problems actually exist because the government serves as a drag on productivity and economic wealth. Sure, you get your Medicare and Social Security for “free.” But those programs become more and more expensive all the time. The government will have to keep raising taxes to pay for these programs until, ultimately, the tax rates are 100 percent and all of us are working full-time to pay for Social Security and Medicare. The only alternative to this fate — it’s not a question of if, but when — is to reverse course and begin privatizing these programs meaning: phasing them out for the next generation. It’s over. Give young and middle-aged people tax breaks so they can start saving now. The numbers show that even lackluster saving on their part will yield way more than Social Security or Medicare ever will. Neither Republicans nor Democrats will consider such a thing. Incredibly, Republicans at present propose spending billions more on these programs in the name of “privatization.” It’s downright Orwellian.
There are only two groups of people who “need” Social Security or Medicare. One consists of people who don’t want to take responsibility for themselves and want to live off others. It’s the kind of person who feels, “Why should I pay for my own health insurance? Someone who makes more money than I do should pay for it.” It’s perfectly acceptable to think like this in today’s society, at least when it comes to Social Security and Medicare. Now if someone came to your house, knocked on your door and demanded that you leave, telling you, “You have lived here long enough. I can’t afford this house. I make half of what you make. Now it’s my turn to have a nicer house. Get out.” How is this any different than hiring a politician — a hired gun — to take your neighbor’s money through taxes?
The other group consists of people who, through no fault of their own, are having financial problems. This group, in my opinion, is much smaller than the first group. The plight of people in this group is regrettable, but it’s often temporary. Most of them have family or friends to help them out. A few will rely heavily on private, voluntary charity. Regardless, their circumstances are no justification for making charitable donations mandatory. There’s no law compelling people to give money to the United Way or Catholic Charities. Why are there laws requiring people to pay for Medicare and Medicaid? In a free country, the government neither compels nor prevents people from helping each other out when they have problems.
Social Security and Medicare are a total scam. They also pose the single greatest threat to individual liberty and the long-term economic well-being of this country, outside of terrorism. The issue will escalate to a terrible climax as the bulk of the Baby Boomers come of age and the government must face raising taxes to levels that make Western European socialist democracies seem like capitalism. Only Howard Dean is willing to face this fact –and he’s on the side of supporting the huge taxes brought about by socialism. It’s a frightening prospect when the only politician willing to look at the long-term is a socialist!
The long-term, by the way, is closer than you think. The huge population of Baby Boomers starts coming of retirement age in 2008-12. That’s five to nine years. Are you prepared to triple your taxes to pay for retirees starting in those years?
Social Security and Medicare are the most popular programs that no politician will ever dare touch. In their refusal to face the facts, they doom us all — in the name of taking care of us.
