[MD] NHS? No thanks

[pholden at davtv.com]

Quoting Arlo Bensinger <ajb102 at psu.edu>:

> [Platt]
> But, the case of keeping a prisoner from being executed by the state 
> is quite different from the state providing health care through 
> forced taxation.
> 
> [Arlo]
> Its a little more than that. The "state" is morally obliged to (and 
> does) provide food and health-care to its incarcerated criminals.

If a jailed criminal refuses to work I see no moral obligation to provide
him with food and health care. 
 
> [Platt]
> In the former case, the state is prevented from exercising legal 
> force; in the latter, it is encouraged to use that force, an always 
> dangerous threat to liberty.
> 
> [Arlo]
> I see no "threat to liberty" in using taxation to ensure the basic 
> health-care needs of a citizenry, any more than I see a "threat" to 
> use taxation to fund public lands, libraries and to keep our roads 
> and waterways free.

I see a threat to liberty in any intrusion by the government into private
lives. Our history is a history of government nitpicking away at individual
liberty -- resulting the kind of paralysis Pirsig described in Lila.

> [Platt]
> I think Ben Golden's post puts all examples in accurate perspective. 
> Do you agree?
> 
> [Arlo]
> Sure. To me its not about examples. Its about values. And a culture 
> that measures value of life by wealth is a sick culture indeed (IMHO).

And IMHO a culture that measures value of life above liberty is a truly sick
culture.


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