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I dont mind a hands off approach to mom and pop stores, or things like fast food or shoe manufacturers as there is plenty of competition which drives down prices, but when businesses (that have hte money to wreck anything beneath them to quash all so-called threats) are colluding like the insurance companies are right now, the government has to step in to protect the consumers and the little guy business.

but then, the consumers and little guy businesses don't control washington.

Lots of fast food places are owned by the same people (ex. Taco Bell, KFC, Pizza Hut, and Long John Silver's are owned by Pepsi, Wendy's and Arby's are ran by the same people, etc). Even with the illusion of choice, you're not taking into account all of the smaller neighborhood joints that don't have the access to make food as cheaply or as quickly as many of these places (taco bell especially) and have been forced out of business by massive chains with insurmountable resources, dozens of patented machines, and lobbyists.

I'm just wondering why you're all of a sudden becoming such a socialist when it comes to insurance companies.

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I don't think he's advocating a single-payer public option but I could be wrong. I get the impression he's wanting the insurance companies to not monopolize the industry and maybe have things open up a bit more so people can shop around.

I think Jubber was pretty much on point when he said we need to stop relying on the insurance companies for so much.

Carry on, gents.

Since when is the government telling the business sector what they can and can't do not socialism?

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I'm not socialist, I'm just anti monopoly. monopoly breeds stagnation, and stagnation breeds failure.

I don't get how government intervention of the private sector is any less socialistic because you agree with it.

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The government telling the business sector what to do would be more regulatory since the insurance companies are privately owned and the only thing the government can flex their muscles on is via legislation and regulation. When the government takes over the industry, does away with the privatized insurance, and runs it as a single-payer system, then it'd be socialist - most tax payers would be paying for the service, the government would be running it, and everyone could use it.

That's my take on it, anyways.

Edit: What's your definition of socialist? Maybe that's where the disconnect is...

As terrible as it is to read, and as cliche as it has become, you should read Atlas Shrugged. The fiction and bad writing aside, it was an accurate prediction of our current system. Everyone (who hasn't read the book, at least) thinks that politicians/government are the villains, but if you read it you find that it's the collusion of unprincipled 'businessmen' and government officials. That collusion exists today, and is incredibly obvious in how President Obama garnered the support of the health insurance industry in his quest to pass a national health bill. The insurance companies were opposed to 'Obamacare' until it was changed so that they were handed a few million (unwilling) customers. The government picking winners/losers during the bailout and 'stimulus' is another example of the cronyism and collusion marring our economy.

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Jubber

AKA "The Gun"
AKA "ROFeraL"

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