Professor Stephen Bainbridge, who is the William D. Warren Professor of Law at UCLA, shares the following insight on economic freedom:
I’m happy to acknowledge that the free market economy has produced profound blessings. But I’m not willing to swap my birthright of economic freedom for a “PDA” (how technologically quaint). Nor am I willing to stand by without protest while ever larger chunks of the American economy are turned over to the Obamabots–the very definition of “Social Engineers, who seek to adjust mankind to conform with scientific utopias.” After all, if we rely today on government to provide us with bread and circuses, what will we rely on government to provide tomorrow?
Readhis entire post Swapping their Birthright of Freedom for an iPad, here.
please remind people that their is no such thing at a free market. and why is the economy our Birthright and not healthcare our Birthright?
please remind people that their is no such thing as a free market. and why is the economy our Birthright and not healthcare our Birthright?
Randy – Perhaps in the Texas hole you live in you do not enjoy the "free market"
system the rest of this country enjoys. In fact, the founding fathers estabalished
the free market system when they formed the United States (which makes it a "berthright). That system has been attacked most recently because you and your ilk want to replace it with socialism. Nothing in the writings of the fathers
mention one word about "healthcare". It is the responsiblity of the individual to provide his own health care, not the government's. Therefore, it cannot and should not be compaired with our "berthrights".
There has been a lot of concern expressed in these columns over the past year about our current and future loss of liberty. Our liberal critics say we are over-reacting, that no one is out to take our liberty.
I suggest we look at this from an economic point of view. One's financial resources (money) provides freedom and therefore liberty, the more you have, the freer you are to pursue happiness. The less you have, the less free you are to pursue happiness.
As our taxes increase due to seemingly endless government spending, the less money and therefore, the less freedom/liberty we will have.
If the government really wants to do something to help, they need to do things that will increase employment. I believe that most all able bodied American people want to work at a job and earn their living. They want the opportunity to succeed, advance and make a better and secure life for themselves and their families. Unfortunately, when people lose their jobs and economic security they must reluctantly turn to any source of sustenance, even if it's the government. But these folks are only in a temporary situation, they will find work because they have a work ethic and do not feel comfortable being a charity case.
On the other hand, there are those who are able bodied, but have no desire to work and have come to expect welfare, free health care, subsidized food, housing and other government freebees as their "right". Most unfortunate of all, there are those politicians who, in exchange for votes, will agree with those who feel it is the responsibility of everyone else to pay for their maintenance.
Randy, you have natural rights to the opportunity to succeed which the constitution guarantees. Although I'm sure this will challenge your worldview, you no more have the right to healthcare than the right to a house with shiny new appliances, a new car, or a highly paid job without having the necessary qualifications. These things have one item in common – pseudo-legal government-enforced theft from others. How about the rights of those whose income you presume is yours?
Don, it is obvious that Randy has been taught by our “liberal” educators, you are so right about healhcare is not a right, what ever happened to working for what your want or need and not expecting others to provide for your wants or needs. It is so amazing to hear someone even think that they deserve something from the sweat of the brow of someone else. hummmmmm C
Our Constitution guarantees the right to PURSUE happiness, not the right OF happiness.
I have read the Constitution many times and there is no mention of "health care" as a right of the people, or a responsibility of the government.
Don and ckirkland are 100% correct in their assessment.