You “forgot” just one thing: Post recession recoveries naturally show show faster job growth because there is plenty of capacity. Now that we are getting much closer to full capacity, each incremental gain in the job market becomes harder. By the way, Obama had an economic stimulus package of $750 billion, Cash for clunkers, 3 QE’s where the Fed expanded their balance sheet by many trillions, TARP, and near zero interest rates for an extended period. Thr trump Administration has seen Fed unwinding and an increase of nearly 200 basis point in short term interest rates. Looks like you “forgot” more that one thing, doesn’t it? Yet why did the economic recovery and job market did not recover by historical rates? Remember, many of these historical recoveries did not have all the goodies that Obama received. Was it because Obama was Black? Or half Black? No, of course not. It was because his Socialist policies including Obamacare and much increased regulations scared businesses from taking on the risk of hiring the more expensive employees or investing in long term capital assets. If Liberals could think clearly, yet still maintain maintain their Liberal philosophy, it would run along these lines: “Long term, there is no way for the economy to support all the programs we offer the people in exchange for votes”. “Every once in a while we need a real business person to fix things for us”. “After things are fixed and people are feeling good again, our Liberal goody basket ideas will be more readily received and we can end up with even more power if we successfully fool enough people”.
You are framing it wrong. Republicans are the party for US loving and hard working people. Democratics are the party for US hating long term welfare recipients.
Obama inherited a financial panic and if we look back at the history of such occurrences, they've almost always resulted in an economic depression. So the idea of stimulus, in its various forms, would've happened no matter who was elected in 2008. Trump promised GDP growth over 3% but that hasn't happened. He's claiming an economic miracle taking place despite his numbers not overtaking that of the black guy. Where is this big economic boom?? So now we get excuses that we're in a late cycle economic expansion and it's difficult for his numbers to beat that of the black guy's??? Trump promised a magic economy!! As for Obamacare, this is the Heritage Plan of 1989. This is the Republican Plan for healthcare. The Republicans are not going to end Ocare because it's the first step in eliminating employer sponsored health insurance. Really, the endgame for healthcare is this: the Dems are going to move to a Medicare for All or a single payer system while the R's will push for everyone to be on an exchange. That's it.
So what do you tell people, many of them under fifty years of age, who have almost negligible healthcare needs, and who would rather put the money in their pocket instead of an insurance company? You are able to comprehend that young people, in effect, subsidize healthcare for older people, right? Responsible, low risk groups end up subsidizing irresponsible, high risk groups as well. We already have welfare, foodstamps, disability, social security, medicare, sunsidized chikdcare, and education assistence for certain people. Why do we have to force people to pay for the products of insurance companies or be incentived to use healthcare services because it is “free”? Seems to me the health insurance industry and medical profession are a lot smarter than the people who go blogging all day promoting their services. Try, I mean really try, to think for yourself for a change.
Whoa, it's almost as if you understand how insurance works. What's next, subsidizing bad drivers by having to get car insurance?
Auto liability insurance is so members of the public are covered. In at least some states, you are not required to cover your own car or yourself for your own personal medical expenses due to a wreck. In contrast to health insurance, especially for single people, it is for self coverage. Several other points: In Washington State, the cheapest healthcare plan is about $6000 per year, or roughly 10 to 12% of median household income. The typical consumer saves about 4% of their gross income Nationally based on a recent year’s data. Obamacare greatly affects spending patterns, especially with young single people and young families. I am suprised companys that benefit from consumer descretionary spending have not lobbied Congress harder on this issue. In the alternative, one could instead fund a retirement account instead of feeding a health insurance company. Starting at age 20, for example, and using the minimum cost plan of about $6000 per year and assuming the long term return of 8% in the stock market will continue to hold, yields a retirement nest egg of $734,000. Even before Obamacare, many Americans were considered underfunded with their retirement plans. Most fifty year olds would be thrilled today to have almost 3/4 of a million dollars in a retirement account. How about you? Why do Liberals have such a problem letting people who actually work for a living in deciding how they want to spend their money?
Until the dad in this family has an unexpected heart attack at 40 and goes to the emergency room, now he has a huge amount of medical debt he can't pay. We all subsidize this cost in the form of higher prices. Maybe we should just refuse them at the door and let them die if they don't have insurance, they might make a different decision.
There are several other ways to look at the scenario you presented: Is the dad taking his chances and is just unlucky for himself and his family? Perhaps by saving and investing his own money for 20 years, he would have been able to pay the cost of his medical emergency. Additionally, because there is no third party paying medical expenses in this scenario, medical prices would much cheaper in this scenario. The party directly paying for a service is more likely to hold the service provier accountable, the reducing the rampent overcharges we see in the medical profession. What kind of mechanism is behind $100 hospital aspirins? What do you think healthcare price increases been far exceeding the general rate of inflation for many years now? Another way to look at is the dad took his chances and he and his family lost. What’s wrong with that? Should there be a Government monitor that oversees your strapping in your young child in a car seat to make sure you don’t do it wrong? Should the Government eliminate smoking because it is proven to be unsafe for the user and those around him? Should the Government eliminate alchoholic beverages because of its potential for misuse? By the way, look up the national cost of substance abuse that accounts for increased medical expenses due to health issues and accidents. This huge number shows the cost of irresponsibility. The reason the Government does not outlaw smoking for example, is there is money to be made through taxes and campaign contributions. Following the money and power flows and you will understand what is behind most policy decisions and propaganda in the US. It is fundamental to a dynamic society that people are free to make their own decisions, especially when it does not involve a third party. When we are free to make our own decisions and are held accountable for the quality of those decisions, over time we will become better decision makers. Either that, or some may get an early visit by Mr. Darwin, as it were. Society, like nature, is better off for seeing a culling out of its weakest members. Less competition for resources and a lower carbon footprint, for examples. As far as the responsibilty to one’s family, taking a small medical chance for the certainty of saving a huge amount of money is a reasonable one for some people. For others, it is not. For those people, they can pay for their own healthcare either out of pocket or they can pay for their own insurance. In the case of poor people, they simply do not have access to healthcare except through Government immunization programs, church groups, their family, or a go fund me campaign. By the way, it is ok for poor people to not have the things that wealthier people have. It is called incentive for being willing to improve oneself, work harder, smarter, and contribute to our society. Our current system is designed by politicians who look to garner votes and power through social programs while simultaneously benefiting from industry political contributions. Think for yourself, hold yourself accountable, and never allow a third party take away your right to make your own decisions, especially when they either do not directly affect another or there are defined benefits associated with either a affirmative action or a negative action.