the Scott Stein http://scottstein.powerblogs.com/ en-us 2008-01-02T02:01+00:00 Health Insurance and False Comparisons http://scottstein.powerblogs.com/posts/1190037093.shtml CNN reports that Sen. Hillary Clinton is to announce a "mandatory health care proposal." It would require all Americans to have health insurance.... Scott Stein 2007-09-17T13:09+00:00 CNN reports that Sen. Hillary Clinton is to announce a "mandatory health care proposal." It would require all Americans to have health insurance.
A Clinton adviser compares the plan's so-called "individual mandate" — which requires everyone to have health insurance — to current rules in most states that require all drivers to purchase auto insurance...
States require drivers to have auto insurance to protect other drivers in the event of an accident. With auto insurance, there is at least the premise that it is required in order to prevent one's rights from being violated by another's actions. The logic is that an uninsured driver is likely (depending on his income, obviously) to not be able to pay for the damage he causes to someone else's property or health. One can only make this argument for health insurance by stretching the logic beyond its limits — the old, "people-without-health-insurance-cost-society-money" argument.

Of course, Clinton wants the government to pay for people who can't afford insurance (a supposed cost of $110 billion, though the article doesn't say over what time period, and we can agree it'll cost more than that if put into practice, like everything else does).

Of course, Clinton's plan also requires large businesses to pay for some of their employees' insurance (hello, Walmart). It's a good thing that this has no "public" costs and no unintended consequences. Big businesses like Walmart won't react in any way to these new requirements. They won't increase their prices to offset their increased staffing costs, hurting all the working folks who benefit from low prices. They won't cut back on hiring due to increased costs per employee, hurting people who need jobs. They'll just contribute to health insurance, if a new law tells them to, and let their shareholders take the hit. Because that's how big businesses do things.

]]> "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" and free speech http://scottstein.powerblogs.com/posts/1174488573.shtml Wulf at atlasblogged.com has an interesting take on "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" and free speech. So does Jacob Sullum.... Scott Stein 2007-03-21T14:03+00:00 interesting take on "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" and free speech. So does Jacob Sullum.

I don't.
]]> We need more laws http://scottstein.powerblogs.com/posts/1170869528.shtml I love the use of "endemic" and "crisis."... Scott Stein 2007-02-07T17:02+00:00
New York may ban iPods while crossing street.]]> Extremely Serious http://scottstein.powerblogs.com/posts/1169163426.shtml CNN reports: Comedian [Al] Franken considering Senate run.... Scott Stein 2007-01-18T23:01+00:00 Comedian [Al] Franken considering Senate run.

He consulted with "Democratic lawmakers" in Minnesota. Franken mentioned one "pitfall" that they noted: "It's unknown how people will respond to a comedian running for the Senate. I need to figure out a way to let people know I'm extremely serious about Minnesotans and their lives."

Not that I'm a Minnesotan, but I'm wary of any politician who's extremely serious about my life. He doesn't even know me. Let him worry about his own.]]> What to expect in 2007 http://scottstein.powerblogs.com/posts/1167778857.shtml When it comes to government intrusion and civil liberties, Radley Balko predicts 2007 will be just more of what we saw in 2006. Funny? Depressing? Nothing new?... Scott Stein 2007-01-02T23:01+00:00 Radley Balko predicts 2007 will be just more of what we saw in 2006. Funny? Depressing? Nothing new?

I keep saying it, but it keeps being true: It's getting harder and harder to write satire. Today's hyperbole is tomorrow's news. Or, yesterday's news, even. ]]> Another provocative piece... http://scottstein.powerblogs.com/posts/1163112105.shtml ... Scott Stein 2006-11-09T22:11+00:00 Liberty: Our Allies, the Conservatives. Make of it what you will.]]> Novel Stupidity http://scottstein.powerblogs.com/posts/1162222413.shtml As if there weren't reason enough to be sickened by both major political parties, we have George Allen, a Republican from Virginia, and Jim Webb, his Democratic challenger. The stupidity of... Scott Stein 2006-10-30T15:10+00:00
During the campaign, Allen was accused of having said "nigger" a couple of decades ago, or something.

Then "Allen's campaign accused Webb, a former Navy secretary of 'demeaning women' and 'dehumanizing women, men and even children' through his fiction writings." Yes, a novel is being used as evidence against the character of the politician who wrote it.

In response, "[t]he Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee sent out a news release listing sexual passages in books by [Lynne] Cheney and other GOP conservatives, including Dick Cheney's former chief of staff I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich [...] The DSCC said Cheney's books featured brothels and attempted rape."

The good news is that each side can say that the other side started it. Just like five-year-olds.


Source: CNN. If you read the article, you'll see that, instead of drawing a clear distinction between the demands of a work of fiction and the views of its writer, Webb takes the road we'd expect a politician to take.

Note: There should be a comma after "Navy secretary" in the CNN quote in paragraph two above. Just saying.]]> Meth "Epidemic," Nasal Congestion, Continue http://scottstein.powerblogs.com/posts/1155681153.shtml ... Scott Stein 2006-08-15T22:08+00:00 I wrote about my wife's difficulty buying me Sudafed, because the stuff is guarded by rattlesnakes and fire-breathing scorpions at the local CVS. Well, yesterday I went to CVS because I needed some Sudafed (the generic equivalent). But the pharmacy was closed--not the store, which was open, but the pharmacy. And you can't get Sudafed over the counter even though it's an over-the-counter medication. So I left CVS without my medication and was generally miserable the rest of the night. I didn't have any left. I probably should stock up on the stuff, but they won't sell you much of it at one time. Plus, stockpiling Sudafed is the sort of thing that might get you in trouble these days. I went back to CVS today and bought a package of decongestants, after showing my license, having my address and name recorded, and signing a federal registry. It's a good thing these measures have ended drug use by all children and restored America to her former glory, or I might be annoyed.]]>