News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Fri. June 29, 2012: Yes I am surprised like so many others.
Who would have expected the Chief Justice to vote in favor of unbridled government power to force us to do literally anything govt. wants, simply by invoking the “commerce clause.”
Here is a quote from the dissenting opinion quoting the great Alexander Hamilton …… “If Congress can reach out and command even those furthest removed from an interstate market to participate in the market,” then the Commerce Clause becomes font of unlimited power, or in Hamilton’s words, “ the hideous monster whose devouring jaws …spare neither sex nor age, noir high or low nor sacred nor profane.” … (The Federalist No. 33, p. 202)
Something else is going on here with Roberts’ unexpected vote. Will we ever know the real deal that produced this result? My best guess is Roberts does not want to spend the next 40 years on the Court and that he is either eying running for office himself or more likely some very, very lucrative private business deal in a few years. He is embellishing his credentials with this surprising vote.
Certainly the health care industry should richly reward him for forcing everyone to buy their expensive inadequate medical care insurance policies. Wake up! The price is not going down because of this decision. Just the opposite. The insurance companies now have a completely legal cartel. Cartels have limited products to choose from controlled by a couple of mega-companies unlike the other cartels the law now requires you buy from the medical cartel.
There is nothing in Obama Care that gives the government control over what the insurance companies charge, as long as they can “justify” it. There is nothing in the law that sets affordable rates and most of all nothing to compare their rates against as there would have been with a public option.
Obama Care with the 5-4 blessing of the Supreme Court has just given the medical care industry something no other industry in America has ever had. Power undreamed of by any other profit making enterprise. The power of the federal government to FORCE us to buy their product at the rates they set. And if you can prove you can’t afford those rates then the govt. will take our tax dollars and pay the insurance companies those rates.
How is that improving health care in America?
Forcing us to buy the insurance policies these huge companies design themselves and set the prices. It is a perversion of what we need. The current health care system is now more powerful than it has ever been as a result of the forced mandate.
America already has the world’s most expensive health care system by far but a level of care below many other advanced nations. We are the only country where buying private insurance is the only kind of care you can choose from. Or you go uninsured.
So Obama’s “fix” is not to make a fundamental improvement to the system but to re-enforce the existing broken system making these insurance companies stronger than ever. They will each be guaranteed millions of new customers under existing rates.
Yes, yes I know we are being told health care will be more affordable now. Based on what information or evidence? When has a monopoly ever used its power to lower prices rather than raise them as much as they can get away with.
We are now NEVER going to get the kind of health care system we need because the health care industry those who love the Status Quo are more powerful than ever as a result of this 5-4 decision.
Do you really think poor people are going to head for emergency rooms any less? Unless they are at the very lowest economic level they will now be required to pay for part of the basic health care they are now required to buy. Let’s say “only” $100 a month for a small family along with the government paying the insurance companies the rest of the premium. Well these are millions of American families many one parent households that do not even have $100 extra a month to buy subsidized medical insurance.
Plus ladies and gentlemen, these low level insurance policies are NOT going to cover 100% of medical expenses not close. Every time these individuals use a doctor or hospital they will have significant co-pays more money they also do not have. So what happens then. The government picks up the co-pay too and gives it to the insurance companies using more taxpayer funds?
So let me keep this brief and to the point.
Now we will “never” have a pubic option let alone a single payer system like most other advanced nations do. Democrats think they have done all they need to do. Republicans just don’t want government involved at all.
If the federal government is not going to provide every American coverage as a basic right as an American then at least with a public option we would have had the most economical option available and if govt. is going to subsidize poor people as it must let it stay in the govt. program not feed private insurance company profits.
Why do I call this week’s commentary a pyrrhic victory?
Because for those who consider it a victory, lots of Democrats, all that has been done is that Obama has ‘successfully’ (sic) institutionalized the current broken system. If it were any other way the insurance industry would not have been the most enthusiastic supporters of Obama Care. Nor would they have demanded that Obama eliminate the public option which he did even though he promised he would not.
So thank Chief Justice Roberts for nothing.
Had he voted the other way as he logically should have Obama and Congress would have been forced to find a better way.
Now they won’t.
About The Writer: Arthur Piccolo is a professional writer and commentator and often writes about Latin America for New Americas.
