Two of today's offerings from John Derbyshire of the National Review:
My health insurer has just notified me, in a brief form letter, that my monthly premiums are to rise from $472.33 to $857.00 on January 1st. That's an increase of 81 percent. ***E*I*G*H*T*Y*-*O*N*E* *P*E*R*C*E*N*T*** Can they do that? I called them. They sound pretty confident they can. Ye gods!
Can't really talk about this, I'm still in shock. But yes, anyone who says right now that our entire health-care financing system is nuts to the fourth power, won't be getting any argument from me. And from a social-libertarian point of view, the thing is pernicious, as it strongly discourages individuality & enterprise. As is the case with the tax code, the message you get loud and clear is that the govt. wants us all to be employees so we can be tax-farmed more easily. Strike out on your own, step off that corporate hamster-wheel, and you get socked with sudden 81 percent hikes in your health-care premiums. Hoo-ee.
