The Case for Health Insurance for Illegals | Newsweek

[ThePythonicCow]

Re: The Case for Health Insurance for Illegals | Newsweek

Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services

With this I would disagree. Who provides this "right?" I know of no agency capable of providing such. Presumably the agency implicit in this statement of "rights" is some government. Not only are they unable to insure this outcome for everyone, they should not even attempt such. Not everyone is so deserving; actually no one is so deserving of government largesse, but some deserve far less, such as life in prison or the death chair. Nor should any government be granted the powers it might seek essentially in the name of this "right." Any government powerful enough to provide all we need is powerful enough to take all we have.

[Serge_Tomiko]

Re: The Case for Health Insurance for Illegals | Newsweek

I always though of that as a basic decency.

And I always thought Santa Claus was a real person as a child. What's your point?

[SamAdams]

Re: The Case for Health Insurance for Illegals | Newsweek

I'd rather consider making all illegals legal and taking away all federal subsidies at the same time. Then we'd all be in the same boat. This will never happen with minimum wage laws on the books, I don't think, since once given legal status I imagine many illegals would clamor for > min wage pay and immediately employers would lose all incentive to hire them in the first place. Alternatively these new legal citizens would keep their mouths shut and then their employers would get in trouble.

Anyway the current idea of having a program where illegals are given insurance (to mean basically free health care coverage) is not sustainable, especially given our current deficits. Not sure how you can consider any forced taxation to pay for other people's healthcare is moral? There are plenty of taxpayers in this country who cannot afford more taxes. Oh I forgot we'll just tax the rich people.

[zmas28]

Re: The Case for Health Insurance for Illegals | Newsweek

Agree with *T* in terms of "rights" to some basics. TPC asks a key question: who provides this "right"? Historically, rights have typically been obtained the old fashioned way: they have been fought for by the "havenots". This is the story of progress (although the "haves" do not see it as such). Improved labor conditions in this country, civil rights, voting rights, etc. all obtained through struggle.

[Jim Nickerson]

Re: The Case for Health Insurance for Illegals | Newsweek

Agree with *T* in terms of "rights" to some basics. TPC asks a key question: who provides this "right"? Historically, rights have typically been obtained the old fashioned way: they have been fought for by the "havenots". This is the story of progress (although the "haves" do not see it as such). Improved labor conditions in this country, civil rights, voting rights, etc. all obtained through struggle.

How about right to pursue happiness? Can you pursue happiness if you are sicker than shit?

[ThePythonicCow]

Re: The Case for Health Insurance for Illegals | Newsweek

How about right to pursue happiness? Can you pursue happiness if you are sicker than shit?

You have a right to persue, but it is not the proper place of a government to attempt to insure that right against all manner of calamity that might befall you.

[flintlock]

Re: The Case for Health Insurance for Illegals | Newsweek

am i the only one that thought serge was being sarcastic guys?? :p

Nope, me too.

[SamAdams]

Re: The Case for Health Insurance for Illegals | Newsweek

If we are supposed to have a right to the fruits of our labor how can you force me to pay (by forcibly taking those fruits - sounds funny ;)) for someone else's healthcare no matter the cost? You cannot because the healthcare might even be more expensive than what I can produce. I won't touch the income tax topic but I am not in favor of that either.

Further there is no such thing as "healthcare" - this is a mental concept. What you mean to say in your argument - I assume is peole have the right to free healthcare procedures. But who decides which ones? Free brain tumor removal? Even if my doctor doesn't agree with my own diagnosis? Free sex change? Free vaccinations for everything? In practice it just cannot be all free.