What did Laffer mean?
Digby points to something I’ve heard myself: the claim that when Art Laffer said,
"If you like the Post Office and the Department of Motor Vehicles and you think they’re run well, just wait till you see Medicare, Medicaid, and health care done by the government."
he really meant that Medicare and Medicaid are badly run, and so will the rest of health care be if the government gets its hands on it.
But he didn’t say that — and if he was garbling his words, there was method in his garble. Right now, right-wingers do not, repeat, do not want people to understand that Medicare is the prime example of that dreaded condition, “government-run health care”; because if people understood that, they might think that government-run care is actually pretty good. So we don’t need to worry about what Laffer really meant; what he said was the party line, which is, “don’t let the government get its hands on Medicare.”
Meanwhile, don’t tell Laffer, but 89 percent of Americans have a favorable view of the Post Office.End of Krugman's piece.
My discourse is this :
I have watched a number of clips on You Tube that show obviously older citizens screaming at Townhall meeting speakers such absurdities as "Keep the G-D government hands off of my Medicare." Then there are clips that show revelations into the mind of the FOX. My personal favorite and most amusing piece is the video of the July 27th Jon Stewart interview with Bill Kristol. The first 11 minutes are basically about Kristol's unrequited puppy love with Sarah Palin, so just skip that. The rest of the clip gives great insight into the deep seated beliefs of the "conservative" bloviators. They actually are able to express their belief that certain classes of Americans are better and therefore more "worthy" than others. As a veteran I certainly believe that our military deserves the finest of medical care, but I wish that for all people.
Follow the link to the video.
http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/mon-july-27-2009/bill-kristol-extended-interview
Sometimes you have to see it to believe it,
Ed
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