Hold the Mayo

October 29, 2008

Local Socialism

My primary source of information on local races has been, I'm ashamed to admit, my mailbox. It's not as bad as might seem though as the volume of campaign correspondence has been stupefying.

Just the Chris Shays pile would amaze you.

Today I got a flier from Martin A. Goldberg - Democrat for State Senate. Martin is a Socialist in the Obama tradition.

Under the heading "Martin A Goldberg, the Democratic candidate for State Senate will Champion:" you find the following.

Protection of basic rights such as health care, choice, living wage, worker protection, and marriage, both for the benefits they provide to individuals as well as the benefits to society as a whole.

Silly me. I thought the basic rights were Life, Liberty and Property, and that securing these is why people establish governments. It seems to me I read that somewhere.

Obamanist Socialism (Obamanism?) is a cancer on our liberty that is spreading. It needs to be stopped.

Posted by: Stephen Macklin at 07:02 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment

I would argue that health care and living wage are components of "Life". While these two issues are interwoven, each plays an important role in sustaining life. Access to and utilization of healthcare is associated with lower mortality across all income brackets (data). Additionally, the insured have significantly greater longevity than the uninsured (data, data). Individuals in lower socioeconomic brackets have a shorter life expectancy and poorer health during life than those in higher socioeconomic brackets (data, data).

If a government were secured to protect these rights, isn’t it the government’s responsibility to ensure them?

Posted by: Thea at October 30, 2008 04:08 PM (uBWf4)

2 I would disagree with your rationalization. I have worked hard throughout my life and my career to reach a point where I have a god professional job with benefits including health care. I got to this point by making the right choices and working hard. I got to this point because it is where I wanted to be. My parents through their hard work gave me a good start by putting on me on the right path, but what I have I have earned. I never once assumed it was my right to have health care. I assumed that the level of health care I would have was based what I would earn, not what some politician chose to give me. I view a doctor or a hospital as providing a service. Like any other service I have to pay to use it. Like any other person or business providing a service, doctors have the right to be paid for their service on their terms. My existence does not give me any claim to the product of their labor.

Posted by: Stephen Macklin at October 30, 2008 07:45 PM (R7LgM)

3 I am reasonably sure that my opinion oh the idea of a "living wage" as a right can be clearly inferred from the comment above, but just in case…

No one has a right to expect to paid any more than their labor is worth to someone willing to pay.

You could be the best street sweeper in the history of street sweeping but if all anyone is willing to pay is $2.00 per mile then that is what you have the right to. Your choices are to sweep more streets or learn a new more valued profession.

You have the right to the wage you can earn. PERIOD.

Posted by: Stephen Macklin at October 30, 2008 07:51 PM (R7LgM)

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