Given that I just came home from the Americans For Prosperity NH’s (AFP) Tax Reform meeting at Pittman’s Freight Room in Laconia, this is appropriate. I’ve said for years now that a free marketplace is one where people make decisions that benefit their own self-interest; if something does not add value to their lives, they won’t. The true value of a free marketplace is that it is voluntary – WE decide and not anyone for us.
THAT MEANS IT’S WORKING: 6.5 million Americans chose to pay the fine rather than sign up for insurance on the Obamacare exchanges.
Insurance so good, people won’t even buy it under penalty of law.
In a real successful marketplace, people wouldn’t be forced to buy ANY product. Only Progressives dare to call a Government contrivance and dare call it a “market driven” environment. During our discussion of tax reform, the idea that any reform that is done MUST try to remove PUNISHMENT capability from the tax code. Taxes are raised to fund the government (and IMHO, a very limited one to boot) and should NOT be used as a behavioral cudgel (like the 10% tanning tax, to pluck the first thing out of my vacuous mind of tonite).
Obamacare CERTAINLY is chock-a-block full of taxes that do just that – PUNISH people. But the above proves that people will allow themselves to be PUNISHED but just so much – they’ll pay the fine (even if Chief Justice Roberts called it a tax) as the lesser of two evils and as the quote above signifies, significantly, people are rebelling as they know that there is NO value added in this marketplace – they are refusing the “opportunity” to pay 5 digit premiums with 4 – 5 digit deductibles simply to underwrite those that are subsidized – while they receive no value at all.
These people know that the Government has rigged this marketplace against them – and are doing the maximum Irish Democracy possible.
And yet, the Republicans can’t summon the political will to save them from Government. Shame.
The above tells Conservatives there’s a problem with Government. The Progressive Authoritarians?
They see a problem as well – but it’s people that are the problem in not paying “their fair share.”
(H/T: Instapundit)
