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IOWA: BE AFRAID [David Hogberg 10/29 11:41 AM]

Hit tip to Royce Dunbar at Iowa Libertarian for pointing out this column by Rekha Basu about the flu vaccine crisis in, (where else?) the Des Moines Register. NRO readers are sure to love this line: “While the free market might work with cars or vacuum cleaners, it can't be trusted to safeguard people's health.”

I particularly like the word “might” in hat sentence, as if it isn't obvious to everyone with at least a kindergarten education that the free market is better than government at providing cars and vacuum cleaners. “The Soviet What?” you can almost hear Basu ask.

As it typical of Basu’s columns there isn’t an ounce of sense of accuracy, and once I have some time (maybe after the election) I’m going to fisk it. But right now, the important thing to keep in mind is this same sentiment-the market can’t be trusted-animates the Kerry health plan. On the supposed savings from that would come from his plan:

“Health economists predict that these savings will automatically be passed onto workers in the form of higher wages and/or other forms of compensation. If employees do not share in the savings, the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Secretary of Labor would develop policy options to ensure that employers do share these savings with workers. [Italics added]."

If you care about health care, be afraid of a Kerry administration. Be very afraid.