tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post6485368282504696751..comments2024-03-28T19:47:39.985-04:00Comments on CURMUDGUCATION: Unavoidable CostsPeter Greenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16511193640285760299noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post-85886309460298922842016-12-23T08:25:59.178-05:002016-12-23T08:25:59.178-05:00So your opinion holds for everyone in society? The...So your opinion holds for everyone in society? The consensus on anything can, and always has, changed over time. <br /><br />Of course, logistically, if there's one "best" doctor in the world, they can't treat everyone. But everyone should have the right to the same level of care. I had to have both hips replaced. If I hadn't, I would be in a wheelchair, in constant pain, a burden on everyone, and very liable to develop diabetes or have a stroke. It's not fair that I could have that done because I was lucky enough to have a job that provided good insurance, while other people who are not as lucky have to suffer needlessly. I don't have more intrinsic worth than they do.Rebecca deCocahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13168718846105012814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post-87091261781740287172016-12-22T20:34:38.783-05:002016-12-22T20:34:38.783-05:00Of course we, as a society, do not think that a pe...Of course we, as a society, do not think that a person has a right to education, we think a person has a right to some education. 1-12 in my state, for example. Anything beyond 12 is not a right, but something that might be purchased.<br /><br />The same issues confront medical care. How much medical care is a right? Do I have the right to be treated by the best doctor in the world, even if she is the one most likely to help my condition? Presumably not, because not all of my fellow citizens could possibly have that same right. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post-24567530970977804762016-12-21T15:57:38.662-05:002016-12-21T15:57:38.662-05:00The libertarian viewpoint makes no sense. There ar...The libertarian viewpoint makes no sense. There are many government services, performed by people, that everyone has a right to. In a democratic form of government, of, by, and for the people, people have the right to anything that there is a general consensus that they have a right to. Even in primitive hunter/forager groups, everyone had equal access to the shaman. There is no point in having a society if it doesn't take care of the needs of its most vulnerable members. Misfortune can happen to anyone. There is no point in living in a society where a few people game the system, hoard most of the resources, and prey on others. People live in groups (communities) in order to collaborate and pool resources. You help other people, that makes the group stronger, which is good for you in the long run. As John Donne said, "No man is an island..."Rebecca deCocahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13168718846105012814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post-52842363461282980592016-12-21T15:18:06.216-05:002016-12-21T15:18:06.216-05:00What about the people (in government) who absolute...What about the people (in government) who absolutely believe that government should pay for those things but don't manage to make it happen? What about the people who advocate in many ways, including spending money on campaigns, but nothing ever changes? Once again, I give you Chicago. Is there anyone in Chicago who would think, in the terms you so often use, about "THOSE people" as undeserving? No one. The problem is not determining whether something should be done (meaning, spending money). The problem is doing it. The corruption is in the doing, not the thinking. Hypocrisy is at the heart of human nature. We are all hypocrites. Vulnerable people are going to suffer for it. If I hadn't seen with my own eyes how greedy the biggest preachers of generosity are, I couldn't write this. I think that focusing on the mess between talking the talk and walking the walk could be helpful, but it sure is messy. <br /><br />Sometimes this discussion gets very theoretical (good guys and bad guys) and is not based on the Byzantine machinations which are actually the real backstory. I know that you expose a lot of corruption on this blog. Much of it should be making national headlines. There is a reason it doesn't. Kobishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16778054056084383752noreply@blogger.com