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LibertarianKurt

Listed below are comments made by LibertarianKurt between Thursday, 10th September 2009 and Wednesday, 16th September 2009.

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The political detail 12:06pm on 16 Sep 2009 JadedJean # 58

Unsurprisingly, as an advocate of "rehabilitation camps" and such like, you seem to always confuse libertarian with liberal-democratic; there's a whole world of difference. Here, let me help you out...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libertarianism

JJ, you and your ilk have more in common with liberal-democracies than you can imagine!

;)
The political detail 00:05am on 16 Sep 2009 foredeckdave

You see where "good" socialist (statist) intentions finally end up...

"...the likes of you resettled in a STALAG/GULAG or Madagascar/Birobidzhan for rest and 'rehabilitation'..."

Dave

C'mon...cross the floor to liberty.

Kurt
The political detail 9:47pm on 15 Sep 2009 "Has George Osborne been reading Stephanomics?"

Maybe, maybe not. What he really should be reading is Austrian economics; however, like all statists in all three of the major political parties (and most of the other smaller ones as well!) he wouldn't know a good economic theory if it came and bit him on his backside.

There's not a penny's worth of difference between Osborne, Darling and whoever the Lib Dem treasury spokesperson is when it comes to economic thought. They're all either Keynesians or Friedmanites or a ghastly mixture of both. David Cameron and Gordon Brown? If you stand them next to each other, you wouldn't get a sodding fag paper between them when it comes to statist ideology - or spending cuts for that matter!
The what and when of spending cuts 8:03pm on 14 Sep 2009 Fairoakgreen # 33

"...the Tories will look to make cuts with relish and are salivating at the prospect of cutting the public services."

If you think the UK Tories are "bad", then I suggest you meet some Misesians!
The what and when of spending cuts 5:38pm on 14 Sep 2009 stanilic # 26

"I can only warn that failure to promptly bring the public deficit back under control will lead to a run on sterling, a leap in interest rates and the devastation of inflation."

Inflation is already happening; we're just not seeing its effects yet. A run on the pound and a sharp spike in interest rates will come after food, energy and commodity prices (most notably gold!) begin to increase rapidly.
The what and when of spending cuts 2:56pm on 14 Sep 2009 "It's not whether anymore - it's what, and when."

Everything, last year! And start cutting taxes now!
What US healthcare means for the world 11:14am on 13 Sep 2009 JadedJean # 92

A free-market does not have a "policy"; it is just a dynamic process of countless voluntary exchanges between producers and consumers. No-one or nothing directs it: If that was the case, then it can hardly be described as free.

As you are so obviously just another blinkered statist, it's not surprising that you are unable to comprehend the meaning of the word free as in "free-market" or, indeed, in any other sense.

BTW, if you think that some kind of free-market for healthcare currently exists in the US, then think again!
What US healthcare means for the world 08:16am on 13 Sep 2009 BobRocket # 87

"Well assuming that the US economy is not about to tank..."

That is the mother of all assumptions, which is dependant on how the US's largest creditors continue to view the Obama administration's reckless fiscal and monetary policies.

"...then I fail to understand how Barack Obamah cannot sell his healthcare plan to the public, perhaps it is not ambitious enough."

It's not a question of "selling it" but more about can the American people afford it?

If we just look at the existing federally funded Medicare program, which has doubled every year since its inception, we can see that spending on this program has grown steadily as a percentage of the total federal budget ($440 bn as at FY 2007 or 16% of all US government spending). It is the third largest category of spending behind Social Security and the military.

The value, including unfunded liabilities, of the program in FY 2007 over a projected 75 year period was $34 trn. That means that sum would have had to have been set aside in 2007 in order for the principle and interest to cover the shortfall over those 75 years.

No one doubts that the US healthcare system needs reform. However, total socialisation - and HR 3200 is the next step towards that - is definitely not the way to go.
What US healthcare means for the world 4:05pm on 11 Sep 2009 JadedJean's obsession with Hayek: What does it mean? Maybe, a suppressed admiration for him? Is JadedJean, deep down, an anarchist struggling to get out of a statist mindset?
What US healthcare means for the world 01:41am on 10 Sep 2009 US HEALTHCARE REFORM – OBAMA'S GRAND PLAN (HR 3200)

If the Obama administration manages to push through their healthcare reforms in the US congress, then it will result in some big winners and also some big losers. Let's have a look at who the winners and losers will be:

WINNERS

1. The large US medical insurance providers such as Blue Cross or Blue Shield. Why will these large companies become winners? Essentially, these large companies will lobby the administration to introduce regulation which will price the smaller competitors out of business. How does that work? Large companies are able to absorb regulatory and other costs better than smaller ones. Less competition, of course, means higher costs for consumers. The field then will be left clear for these large corporations to operate a government sanctioned monopoly but, at the same time, give the appearance that healthcare is still provided by the private sector when, in fact, the reality is that it has become more socialised.

2. The "Disease Groups", such as the breast cancer, heart disease and lung cancer lobbies. These organisations will lobby state capitals and the US Congress by arguing that it will be a great idea to force every healthcare insurance plan to cover their particular disease. If these lobbies are successful, then US citizens will be compelled to pay the extra costs for cover whether they want that cover on not.

3. The US government itself, of course. More regulation equals more taxpayer funded government bureaucracy and more government non-jobs.

LOSERS

1. The US pharmaceutical industry. How come? Presently, the US is the only country that allows its pharmaceutical companies to charge market prices for their products. This enables those companies to invest more in carrying out R&D into new, innovative and potentially life saving drugs. In other countries in the rest of the world, governments have slapped price controls (fixing the price below market prices) on their pharmaceutical industries and therefore less money is available to invest in R&D. Once the US government controls the healthcare industry they will force US drug companies into the same position as their overseas competitors. In effect, the US pharmaceutical industry will become a mere utility for providing yesterday's drugs for today's patients.

2. The US citizen who already has employer provided health cover. His or her cover will be taxed more to fund the "Grand Plan".

3. Any US citizen who doesn't have health insurance plan. They will be forced to pay for one after the reforms are passed by the US Congress.

4. The small healthcare insurance companies. See WINNERS para. 1.

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