Obamacare Judgment Day One Week Away

 I have never been more struck by the good sense and practical judgment of American than the manner in which they elude the numberless difficulties resulting from their Federal Constitution.

Alexis de Tocqueville (1805-1859), The American Democracy

We pay our presidents for judgment, and President Obama committed a colossal error of judgment in making health-care “reform” a centerpiece of his first term. Ahead of the Supreme Court’s decision on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) – and regardless of how the court  decides – it’s clear that Obama overreached.  His attempt to achieve universal health insurance coverage is a massive feat of social engineering that, by its sweeping nature, weakens the economic recovery and antagonizes millions of Americans.

Robert Samuelson, “The Folly of Obamacare,” Washington Post,  June 18, 2012

June 19, 2012 – When a feature writer of the Washington Post and Newsweek, known for their liberal views,  writes negatively about Obamacare, you know the health law is in trouble.  

The Supreme Court rules on the constitutionality of the Accountable Care Act one week from today. Then we shall see how the Judges judge Obama’s judgment on Judgment day.

 Samuelson, a respected  journalist on economic and policy issues, give 5 reasons why he thinks the ACA is “dreadful economic policy.”

1)      It increases uncertainty and decreases confidence when recovery from the Great Recession requires more confidence and less uncertainty.

2)      The ACA discourages job creation by raising the price of hiring.

3)      Uncontrolled health spending is the U.S. systems main problem – and the ACA makes it worse.

4)      Obama’s program also worsens the federal budget problem. 

5)      The ACA discriminates against the young in favor of the old. 

To these 5 reasons, I would add five  of my own.

6)      The ACA  alienates  the medical profession by questioning their clinical judgment, blaming them for cost-overrruns,  and worsening the physician shortage by discouraging the young to enter and encouraging the old to leave

7)      The tricky  last  parliamentary minute tactics and senatorial bribes used to pass the ACA and arrogance displayed in  ignoring any negotiation with GOP leaders poisoned the political process, assuring bitter partinsanship.

8)      By circumventing the constitution, President Obama forgot that that our nation is based on checks and balances between the three branches of movement and the will of the people .

9)      President Obama forgets  the historicl reality that the U.S. is a conservative, center-right capitalistic nation driven by free enterprise,  the necessity of profits, and  deep mistrust of centralized government control  of individual liberties.

10)  The ACA goes against the grain of American culture, as evidenced by its unpopularity in the polls, namely – that Americans desire a  pluralistic system with public and private plans,  quick access to high tech medicine, preservation of choice, treatment by doctors rather than bureaucrats, and a bottom-up rather than a top-down health system.

Tweet:   Robert Samuelson,  Washington Post and Newsweek writer, says Obamacare is “dreadful public policy” weakening recovery & angering millions.