Wednesday, September 02, 2009

Honk for Healthcare!?

What's wrong with this scene...?

You might be tempted to point out the crazy psychedelic cow in the foreground, but just across the street, framed between the menacing, purple poka-dot bull horns, a display of true madness is occurring.

Approaching i hear the occasional shout of "We need health care now" from the sign waving crowd of about 15 people and one wheelchair, gathered on an apparently random corner of this small New Hampshire town of New London.

Now most people when in need of professional skills or services of others would probably be more inclined to, for example, just call 911, look in the phone book, or maybe even simply typing "hospital, NH" into the nearest search engine. While that had apparently not occurred to these people, they had taken some initiative by banding together, fashioning crude signs, and encouraging drivers-by to send out the call for a doctor by having them honk their horns.

With a friendly but slightly perplexed, hello, i pointed out that if these people were in need of medical attention there was a hospital just down the street. The encounter went something like this:


Me - Is this a Democrat event?
Statist #1 - This is an American event! ... We're dying for Healthcare!
Me - You're dying!?, well i think there is a hospital just down the street.
Statist #1 - I know, but how would most people pay for it.
Me - Well, i'm sorry you're dying but i'm sure you could find a way to obtain health care without stealing the money from someone else.
Statist #1 - What!?! Do you support Medicare?
Me - No
Statist #1 - You don't support Medicare?
Me - No
Statist #1 - Do you support Social Security?
Me - No
Statist #2 - Do you support the Army?
Me - No
Statist #3 - Do you support the roads?
Me - No, i think the roads should be privatized, they should be private property.
Statist #1 - Really?, What college did you go to?
Me - There's no need for sarcasm. If i'm to respect your opinion, then you should respect mine.
Statist #1 - Well, what is your opinion?
Me - I am of the opinion that i shouldn't be forced to pay for something that i don't want.
Statist #3 - But healthcare in this country is a mess, there are people suffering.
Me - That doesn't justify theft.
Statist#1 - It's not theft, it will be funded just like anything else. There will be public and private healthcare services just like Dartmouth and New Hampshire State. You do support the State funded college?
Me - No... i'm an anarchist, i don't believe there should be a State.
Statist #4 - Well then you don't have a right to use the roads, or call the fire department, or the police!
Me - I would gladly pay for those things if i used them. Just because i'm an anarchist doesn't mean that i can't participate in civilization.
Statist #2 - But, but... the roads? Why should you be allowed to use my roads?
Me - you don't own the roads.
Statist #2 - Yes i do. As a member of a democracy.
Me - (rolling my eyes) - i don't think i want to go into all of that now, but i would suggest you start to question the nature of democracy.
Statist #5 (centralized efficiency, single payer, post office, HMO, blah, blah, blah)
Me - (free market, inefficient state organizations, legalized monopoly on first class mail, blah, blah, blah)
Statist #2 - But anarchy is...
Me - The epitome of civilization. Statism is barbarism.
Statist #3 - No man is an island!
Me - (walking away) I agree entirely with you on that!

So, like i said, Madness!

Maybe the shock of meeting someone who questions their premises will do some good eventually. But to really have an impact why not have a counter protest? How about a dozen or so free staters across the street with signs like: "Honk for Theft", "Buy me a Doctor!", "I want you to bend over for Uncle Sam... Colonoscopies for the Masses!"

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