On Deck : Government Universal Health Care

[Underdog]

Originally Posted by jthig32

No, they're not. You are under no pressure to own and operate an automobile. Insurance is simply the cost of operating a car, no different than the cost of inspections and registration.

Except inspection and registration money goes to the government, your insurance goes to a private company...

If I was sending my checks to the Texas State Department of Automobile Insurance, it might be a different story (well, the difference between fascism and socialism, but certainly nothing resembling free ownership of property...)

[jthig32]

Originally Posted by Underdog

Except inspection and registration money goes to the government, your insurance goes to a private company...

If I was sending my checks to the Texas State Department of Automobile Insurance, it might be a different story (well, the difference between fascism and socialism, but certainly nothing resembling free ownership of property...)

Inspection money goes to the government? That's an honest question, I don't really know. I certainly pay it to a private company.

Regardless, there's still the option to not own that property. It's an important point in distinguishing it from the requirement to buy health insurance simply because you're alive. That, to my knowledge, is absolutely unprecedented, and an incredibly slippery slope.

[Underdog]

Originally Posted by jthig32

Inspection money goes to the government? That's an honest question, I don't really know. I certainly pay it to a private company.

Regardless, there's still the option to not own that property. It's an important point in distinguishing it from the requirement to buy health insurance simply because you're alive. That, to my knowledge, is absolutely unprecedented, and an incredibly slippery slope.

I 100% agree that having to buy health insurance simply because you're alive is BS.

I also think that having to pay the government money for any reason to own personal property of any kind is just as bad. I guess the difference between me and everyone else is that I'm just as uncomfortable with mandatory car insurance as I am with mandatory health insurance (sorry, I don't watch or read mainstream spin media so I have no idea how the partisan lines are currently framed in this debate - I just calls 'em like I sees 'em...)

What next, mandatory homeowners insurance? Mandatory pet insurance? When does the government stop mandating and get the hell out of our personal lives?

The only capable use the government can serve is keeping the borders safe (fail) and economy humming (fail).

Wake me up when the real issues become relevant again...

[jthig32]

Originally Posted by Underdog

I 100% agree that having to buy health insurance simply because you're alive is BS.

I also think that having to pay the government money for any reason to own personal property of any kind is just as bad. I guess the difference between me and everyone else is that I'm just as uncomfortable with mandatory car insurance as I am with mandatory health insurance (sorry, I don't watch or read mainstream spin media so I have no idea how the partisan lines are currently framed in this debate - I just calls 'em like I sees 'em...)

What next, mandatory homeowners insurance? Mandatory pet insurance? When does the government stop mandating and get the hell out of our personal lives?

The only capable use the government can serve is keeping the borders safe (fail) and economy humming (fail).

Wake me up when the real issues become relevant again...

Meh...I think the auto insurance thing is different. If they mandated that you had to have full coverage, that's one thing. But mandating that you have insurance to cover whatever damage you may do to others is different.

It's no different than mandating that you have to pay for testing and licensing before operating it. It's for the safety and well being of others.

[Underdog]

Originally Posted by jthig32

Meh...I think the auto insurance thing is different. If they mandated that you had to have full coverage, that's one thing. But mandating that you have insurance to cover whatever damage you may do to others is different.

It's no different than mandating that you have to pay for testing and licensing before operating it. It's for the safety and well being of others.

I guess I don't view free ownership of property as being incremental like that.

(distribution of property is a different thing altogether...)

[dude1394]

Originally Posted by Underdog

What next, mandatory homeowners insurance? Mandatory pet insurance? When does the government stop mandating and get the hell out of our personal lives?.

I expect there will be a mandatory carbon exhaling insurance. So that your poisoniess carbon footprint will not endanger anyone else. They'll just tack it onto the mandatory "being alive" tax.