Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Read ‘em and learn

As you well know, we burn many a midnight candle looking for worthwhile and informative materials to pass along to you.  And we have a far-flung network of correspondents helping us.

Recently, our curious and studious son-in-law passed along an item from the Wall Street Journal that startled us in its predictions of where medical care seems to be headed.  It was published on August 15th, and is entitled ‘Why the Doctor Can’t See You.’  You’ll find it here.

We promise it will make you think, because it raises some issues you won’t hear discussed in the day to day banter of the chattering class.  Here’s an example:

As physicians increasingly have to allocate their time, patients in plans that pay below-market prices will likely wait longest. Those patients will be the elderly and the disabled on Medicare, low-income families on Medicaid, and (if the Massachusetts model is followed) people with subsidized insurance acquired in ObamaCare's newly created health insurance exchanges.

You’ll probably find this surprising given our youthful good looks and boisterous attitude, but the Poppycock's are on Medicare, and so we are not amused.

The same page in that issue includes another thought provoker: ‘Ryan and the Fundamental Economic Debate.’  It was written by a Harvard Economics Professor, and once again, we believe it will raise some issues you hadn’t yet considered.  An excerpt:

If GM had disappeared, its former workers and other inputs would not have sat around doing nothing. Another company—be it Toyota, Honda or Ford—would likely have taken over its operations, expanding production in the U.S. As a matter of economic theory, the overall economy—though perhaps not parts of Michigan and Ohio—would have done better if the market had been allowed to reallocate GM's labor and other inputs.

The article is a worthwhile primer on economics 101 and government’s distortion of the basics.

Last, under ‘Notable and Quotable’ on that page, an excerpt from a Thomas Sowell column appearing elsewhere is provided.  We love the way Sowell, a prolific and insightful economist, sees right through the muck and provides clarity of the challenges we face today.  An example:

Even if most Americans do not have their own taxes raised, that means little, if they end up paying other people's taxes in the higher prices of goods and services that pass along the higher taxes imposed on businesses.

You can read the full version of the article here: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2012/08/14/the_paul_ryan_choice_115088.html

Happy reading, and perhaps, weeping.  Aren’t you glad Side is keeping tabs on things for you??

Yah, sure.

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