you make excellent points. As a unorthodox liberal, I still believe in small government, lower taxes, and letting those who are willing and able to work to receive the first fruits of our economy. But redistribution is a symptom, not a cause. When systems like health insurance companies refuse to treat employees such as myself, who paid in advance for treatment in the event of such an emergency, I'm left with no option but to become a financial burden to good tax paying citizens, such as yourself. And I can't begin to describe the sense of guilt; the sense of shame that comes with it. I should be PAYING taxes, not TAKING them.

I want the same thing the conservatives want - no redistribution of wealth. But we must address why there is need for such redistribution, if we are ever to put and end to it and let capitalism flourish.

nsemn8r

If your employee health insurance company refused to pay for covered items, you may have a possible "bad faith" claim (I'm not an attorney, so this isn't legal advice).

As far as understanding why there may be a need for redistribution of wealth, there isn't any. There isn't any because redistribution of wealth does not solve problems - it just creates them. What's more important is an increase in opportunities to create wealth. Capitalism flourishes when the people have the fortitude to use their minds to create, to understand that failures beget success, and that we all have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness - on our own, and not directed nor designed by some government edict(s). You call yourself an unorthodox liberal, but I don't know if unorthodox is the correct word. Maybe you are closer to me, a classical liberal, one of those who believe in political, economic, and person liberties, much the same as those who founded this magnicent country.

My Workman's Comp put me on medications that cannot be abruptly halted, yet nonetheless that's exactly what happened - a bureaucrat made the decision to abruptly cut me off. My blood pressure hit 236/113, and within a couple of days I lost the use of my right eye. I tell you all of this because since I live in a no-fault state such as California, per my lawyer, there's no compensable recourse for trying to kill me for profit.

My understanding of the divisional lines of latitude in politics is sparse, but growing. We may very well be closer politically than I assumed. I do want to express my gratitude for a sensible discussion of the matters at hand (something of rare instance of late).

But again, I reiterate: I don't want socialist redistribution, either. This county was once a model; a beacon to the world. It's time to return her luster.

Good post.

John

To: nsemn8r

John - medical decisions made by non-doctors re: insurance situations such as yours has been a problem for a long time. Just imagine what will happen with implementation of a "universal health care" system, where government employees will make decisions based upon the book, etc. Unfortunately, it one of those "between a rock and a hard place" situations - if you can't afford private health insurance which is pretty damn expensive, the only alternative will be government funded health care. A dozen years ago I was paying $10K-12K/year for Blue Cross/Blue Shield coverage, so I can imagine what the cost for private coverage is these days.

By the way, if the Obama administration is going to create a 1930s style WPA administration, you just might be able to obtain a position with that administration, which would probably eliminate health care worries. Something to think about, and like I said before, sometimes you have to be pragmatic and take advantage of what's available, and since there appears that there will be a big push on creating "green energy", there will be a lot more government jobs out there. Not good for economic growth, but a possible savior for individuals in your position.

Good luck.

Joe