Defending mandatory insurance in 2010

[terrell9584]

How do you do it? How do you go out in front of a cash strapped American people and defend mandatory insurance? How do you defend a law that requires them to buy a product from a private industry with no way out failing death? How do you rebut the claim that will be made by every opponent to everyone running for re-election who voted for it that says that "this opens a pandora's box that allows government to force citizens to buy any product they desire."


This was not health care reform. This was "give insurance companies a captive client base so we can get their campaign contributions reform." I don't know how losses can be prevented next year when the American people will keep hearing the words "mandatory insurance" all year and be enraged by it.

[HoarseWhisperer]

1. Liability ins. is required for cars, next will be comprehensive ins.

coverage for cars mandate, and the public will applaud the expansion and "protection" against less-careful drivers than themselves.

[terrell9584]

2. Bullshit

I would imagine that more than half of residents of New York City don't have car insurance. Why? Because they don't have cars.


And the thing about mandatory car insurance is that it is not a federal policy. It is not something that has come down from Washington in contravenance of state public opinion. And I oppose that too as I believe it is punitive and leads to exploitation but mandatory car insurance was passed at each individual legislature, not by the Congress. Right now, there is no federal mandatory car insurance law. If this thing passes there will be a federal mandatory health insurance law. That's the difference.

[griffi94]

4. +1

[tsuki]

3. You are not required by law to buy a vehicle. nt

[kelly1mm]

9. Don't give them any ideas! nt

[girl gone mad]

5. In addition to the previous rebuttals, I would add:

car insurance is a heck of a lot less expensive than health insurance. My car insurance is $40/mo. and it's full protection with a reputable company that has always paid claims in a timely manner, no hassles.

This may not seem like a distinction with a difference, but I assure you that most people do not conflate car insurance with health insurance any more than they confuse hamburger helper with filet mignon.

[kctim]

6. ANY form of mandated

HCR was always going to mean big losses for Dems in 2010 and 2012. That lying Claire Mccashill just lost 3 votes the next time she is up. Guaranteed.

[chill_wind]

7. People are already "free" to buy private insurance..

Nobody's "getting covered" here. After all, people are already "free" to buy private insurance and one must assume they have reasons for not doing it already. Whether those reasons are good or bad won't make a difference when they are suddenly forced to write big checks to Aetna or Blue Cross that they previously had decided they couldn't or didn't want to write. Indeed, it actually looks like the worst caricature of liberals: taking people's money against their will, saying it's for their own good --- and doing it without even the cover that FDR wisely insisted upon with social security, by having it withdrawn from paychecks. People don't miss the money as much when they never see it.

Glenn Greenwald (12-16-09)

I think that would be true in the best of times. In this current economic climate, I fear he is especially right.
We'll find out.

[sandnsea]

8. SUBSIDIES - SUBSIDIES - SUBSIDIES

What the fuck is wrong with you people anyway. It's TAXPAYER funded health coverage with many many corporations getting pieces of the money, insurance just being one of them.

[eridani]

10. Looks like we don't have to until 2014

If the assraping is not happening RIGHT NOW, the public may well not pay attention.

[Vidar]

11. K&R.