This is post for those folks whose eyes light joyfully at the prospect that President Barack Obama might succeed in delivering upon his campaign promises. Can you defend what Obama wants to do?
The Health Care Bill
Ostensively, the Democrats intend to provide health care for everyone. That sounds nice, but someone has to pay for it. So I have some questions.
- Is the Constitution relevant? Where in the Constitution is Congress empowered to set up a health system?
- Is health care a right? What exactly is a right to health care? Does this “right” give our government the authority to take money from one group of citizens and give it to another group of citizens? What sort of health care is covered by this “right.”
- Do you think unreasonable to read aloud a bill hundreds of page long that no one has read (see 3rd UPDATE:Senate Health-Care Talks Come Down To Wire)?
- Do you think it appropriate to use government funds to pay for abortions? You understand, of course, that some taxpayers believe each abortion murders an innocent.
- Does getting health care done before Christmas justify violating the rules of the senate (see here)?
Global Warming
Supposedly the science on global warming is settled. Yet yesterday, snow fell on Copenhagen, Denmark for the first time in 14 years (see here). So our president, Barack Obama, finds himself flying from one snowstorm to another.
- Is the science settled (see here and here)? How is science “settled”? What constitutes incontrovertible scientific proof? Is it scientific consensus, or is something else involved?
- Does global warming justify our government making “investment” decisions? What qualifies Federal politicians, predominately lawyers, to make “green” investments with the taxpayer’s money (see here, here and here)?
- What if the costs of global warming “fixes” involves people starving and dying (see here and here)? If the science is not settled, is that okay?
Education
With its attempt to pump ever more money into education, the Federal Government threatens to nationalize our education system. This can be made to sound good. See here, for example. However, in the long run federal involvement enables spendthrift behavior by state and local governments (see here and here). Ultimately, if the Federal Government is not restrained, all state and local governments must lose control.
- What in the Constitution justifies a Federal involvement in public education. Do we really need or want an Education Czar?
- Because government both owns and operates the public education system, it is without any doubt a socialist institution. Because the public education system is a socialist institution, it must inevitably (by example) teach/promotes socialism to the children it instructs. Is that a good thing? Should we be promoting socialism? Would national socialism be an improvement? Why?
- Is school choice a better alternative? If not, can you explain why you think politicians make better educational decisions for children than their parents?
Taxes
Democrats here of late seem to be using every opportunity to raise our taxes. Outgoing Governor Kaine want to raise taxes (see here). The Federal Government is burying tax increases in such things as the health care bill (see here) and in the so-called Cap and Trade bill (see here).
- The right to collect taxes is fundamental to the existance of government. What do you think is the primary purpose of government? We need taxes to fund government. What should government be spending our money to do?
- How does one morally justify taxes? How do you morally justify the use of force to make people pay their taxes?
When you are so ready to tax the stuffing out of your neighbors, is it not time you considered the morality of taxes? What sorts of spending justifies government taking money from the citizens it is suppose to protect?
Take Your Pick
Nobody has to answer all the questions above. However, if you are an Obama supporter, should you not have at least one reason for voting for that guy that you can explain?
