when you say he ran on "dismanteling healthcare legislation for everyone else", is it possible you're using hyperbole here? just a bit? or did he run on dismantling obamacare? Because removing obamacare does not mean he's calling for the removal of health care legislation for everyone else. incidentally, the Cadillac health care plans that senators and congressmen get was NEVER a part of re-doing health care in the obamacare plan. like it should have been.
sure! if the services provided were: 1. wanted/needed by those who pay for them 2. delivered at the quality equal to the amounts paid 3. efficiently run 4. free of corruption. the problem is that the government fails in one or more point in every single case, and fails all four points a lot of the time.
so how does the free market stack up? for instance wall street? most major government regulation or takeover is in response to a free market failure.
I do think it is necessary for the government to collect taxes for services. I was pointing out the hypocrisy of people (primarily liberals), who want higher taxes, yet do not pay the higher taxes they are advocating voluntarily before they are enacted.
like tom said, you're not comparing apples to oranges. the free market stacks up quite fine when you compare the same good or service. for example, compare the post office to the efficiency of UPS. bringing up wall street is not even a comparison, unless you think the federal government could run the stock market better. regulation is NOT taking something over and running it. regulation is necessary in a great many cases to prevent theft and fraud. but being a referee is not the same thing as being a player.
Why is that hypocritical? He has paid his taxes, he's entitled to the benefits. A democrat who campaigns for higher taxes is not hypocritical because he only pays what is due at the present rate either. It would be hypocritical if he didn't pay for health insurance, then started pleading for donations if he got sick. It would be hypocritical if a Dem evaded taxes whilst also campaigning for them to be raised.
You've got them beat here: http://www.elitetrader.com/vb/showthread.php?s=&postid=3006911&#post3006911 and here: http://www.elitetrader.com/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=210092&perpage=6&pagenumber=1 I could go on...
why should they. their tax money is not going where they would like it either. they do realize that government has to be paid for. you want to balance the budget? you give me a 50% cut in military spending, eliminate farm subsidies, eliminate corporate welfare, eliminate the interest deduction on second homes and homes over a million dollars. and i will give you an increase in the ss retirement age to 70 and means test ss and medicare. deal? i didnt think so.