Land of the free?

Yesterday we learned that the Federal Government can mandate that each of us carry health insurance.  The government can force me to engage in commerce.  I find it comical that the mandatory insurance provision could be enacted because it is a “tax” and not a “penalty”.  Really, a word change that amounts to the same end result really makes a difference?  Of course President Obama strenuously objected to anyone calling this a tax, he insisted it was a penalty (thus fulfilling his pledge not to raise taxes on the middle and lower income classes, I guess he didn’t pledge not to raise penalties).

While disappointing this was not too terribly surprising.  The government continues its power grab at the expense of liberty and this is just one more example of many.  Perhaps this will serve as a useful wake up call for the American people?

Now we can anticipate many of the outcomes in the years to come with regards to healthcare:

1. Costs will continue to soar
2. Choice will be further restricted
3. Quality of care will decline (perhaps the USPS could provide customer care training to the industry?).
4. Without the price mechanism rationing will develop in one form or another.
5. In response the government will blame the bits and pieces of the free (relatively) market that still remains in healthcare and aim to insert itself even further into the process.

Just confirms that the government that limits itself really has no limits.