That's Gross, Man
Daniel Gross's argument in Slate about health care is so silly that I read it twice to make sure it wasn't a parody. He claims it's hypocritical for people to attack government-run health care while they're using government-run health care.
Why? Whether or not we have a good system, and whether or not the reform being bruited about these days would make it better is irrelevant. The fact is, government is spending trillions on health care with the taxpayers, as always, picking up the tab. There's nothing hypocritical about using it as long as it's out there, even if you don't agree with how it's being run, or even if you want to get rid of it entirely. (Closer to hypocrisy--but still not making the grade--would be people who pay little or no taxes voting for politicians who promise them huge benefits.)
posted by LAGuy @ 12:16 AM
1 Comments:
A similar argument is that minority politicians who have benefitted from affirmative action are not permitted to oppose affirmative action. Clarence Thomas is often cited as an example. He benefitted, and won't let others similarly benefit.
This is equivalent to saying that a Virginian who grew up in a slave-owning household in 1850 should not have been permitted to oppose slavery. They benefitted financially from slaves, and now won't let a new generation of white Southerners similarly benefit.
Post a Comment
<< Home